It's in our hands

With the start of each semester the S.R.C. meets to discuss and plan the coming activities and goals for the student body. A meeting was held during the first week of this year and many ideas and goals were shared.

The Academy S.R.C. has two primary functions. Firstly we serve as the communication point between the student body and the Academy governing body and secondly as the facilitator of any student social events and needs. At the meeting mentioned above plans as to how to go about successfully performing these duties were tabled and the following was agreed upon.

In Summary:

• This semester two official teambuilding events shall take place and if budget and time allows a third could possibly be held.
• More focus will be placed on South African and World days of significance.
• 2 further members of the S.R.C. will be selected from the 1st commis group.
• A focus on more socially responsible awareness programmes this year.
• With the 2010 FIFA World Cup taking place the academy will celebrate the event by allowing the student body to wear football shirts on Tuesdays.
• To add to the excitement of 2010 students will also be allowed to wear coloured bandana’s on Fridays
• A regular blood drive will be organised with the SA National Blood Services to visit the Academy on pre-scheduled Tuesday afternoons.
• The regular Charity Soup will be made as usual and donated to charity on Tuesdays.
• The student newsletter, The Culinary Times, will be published three times during this semester.

As is evident above, the S.R.C. plans to focus more on patriotic and socially relevant events and functions this year. As future entrepreneurs and chefs we feel that social responsibility should begin as early as possible in one’s career. The Academy already focuses on instilling the need to cook sustainable produce, we as the S.R.C will add to this by also promoting living and supporting causes that will sustain our planet and diverse communities.

Having said that the Academy notice board will be used regularly to promote awareness days such Arbor Day, World Water Day, World Environment Day, National Marine Day, World Aids Day and many more. These notices will be coupled with week-long focuses on the specific cause e.g. National Water Day will include a focus on students saving and re-using as much water as possible. National Arbor Day will be accompanied with the planting of fruit trees etc. Students will also be allowed to wear relevant ribbons t o side with the social focus day.

The S.R.C. would also like to take this opportunity in welcoming the new 1st commis who joined us on the 6th of January. We held an orientation day event to welcome them the traditional Prue Leith Academy way and inbetween all the strange new faces many a smile was shared. We trust the many hours we will share with each other in the kitchens and in the Academy will be fruitful. A building full of future chefs is a wonderful place to be and the S.R.C. aims to add to this by making it a enjoyable journey for all.

By Lesego Semenya