Juniors Liz Wise and Alicia Grant cook spinach dip during their 6th period Foods and Nutrition class. photo by Josh Patten

During most classes at W.F. West, an average day may consist of anything from taking notes to completing a worksheet. But in Sandy Sund's Foods and Nutrition class, the students do a little more.

Once a week during fifth and sixth period, Sund's classes learn to cook. Although what goes on in room 324 may appear to be fun and games at first, there is real purpose behind the banana nut bread and teriyaki stir-fry.

"A college-bound student needs practical skills. Everybody eats," said Sund.

Foods and Nutrition fills an occupational credit, and is a good opportunity for students who aren't interested in technical drawing or shop classes. "Of all my classes I teach, [Foods and Nutrition] is my most popular. Both periods are usually completely full," said Sund.

Surprisingly, there are a large " number of male students enrolled in Foods and Nutrition. Because men have begun to play larger roles at home, they need the skills to keep the household running.

Not all class time is devoted to whipping up tuna casseroles, however. Most class periods are spent studying the food pyramid and other food-related issues, like where to keep leftovers and when to throw out those fuzzy tomatoes that are in the back of the refrigerator.

What the students make depends on what section of the food pyramid they are studying at the time. "The most favorite time is around Christmas, when we do candies and sweets," said Sund. Every time the students cook, they have two or three dishes to chose from, to avoid monotony.

Sund feels that students gain organizational skills from her class, but the sheer practicality of the topics covered convinced junior Cassie Aselton of the classes' educational merit. "We've learned how to incorporate our classroom activities into our daily lives," she said.

Because the curriculum covered in Foods and Nutrition is unique, many students feel the class is more interesting than other, more standard classes. "Foods and Nutrition is such a fun class because it is different than all of my other classes," said junior Elizabeth Wise.

Instead of a final exam, Foods and Nutrition concludes with a guest meal. All of the students invite guests, and they all sit down to an entire meal, including dessert. The students make all the food, prepare the table setting, and orchestrate the entire affair.