Student to student: Food clubs offer tasty fun, help community

Whether it's munching on Wisconsin cheese curds together, cooking delicious meals or sharing food with those in need, UW-Madison students often create connections over food.

And what better way to engage and further those connections than by joining a food-related club on campus? As the end of the year approaches, holiday food should get you thinking about opportunities next semester. Wouldn't you love to walk into your club meeting and instantly smell mac n' cheese?

Looking for some options on how to get involved in your food community? Read below to find engaging student organizations that all involve food!

Badger Cheese Club

What would Wisconsin be without a cheese club gracing the campus? UW-Madison students wouldn't know because we have the Badger Cheese Club.

Members join for three reasons: to both enjoy and learn about different cheeses; to learn how cheese is made; and to provide a social space with others who enjoy cheese. As a member of the Badger Cheese Club, you get to participate in cheese tastings, guest speakers, field trips, fun club projects, and many other social activities.

About 450 students across campus are involved in this organization and the Badger Cheese Club has been active for over 10 years at Madison.

"Food is at the heart of every gathering," says Melina Zarboulas, the Badger Cheese Club co-president.

Each gathering has a different cheese-based theme (and tastings), such as cheesecake, mac n' cheese, charcuterie boards, queso nights, pizza or fondue.

During the club's Cheese Curd Crawl, members explore the cheese offerings at different restaurants and bond over the famous Wisconsin appetizer.

Many local businesses partnered with the organization to provide high-quality cheese and related food for meetings. This semester alone, the club has received support from the Wisconsin Cheese mart, Fromagination, Babcock Dairy and Macs Macaroni and Cheese Shop.

The Badger Cheese Club aims to connect all UW-Madison students over a shared love of cheese and Wisconsin pride. Zarboulas said the club provides a comfortable and fun space where students can find community outside of academics and regardless of background.

"It fosters friendships, encourages socialization, and gives students a chance to celebrate Wisconsin's cheesy traditions and relax amidst all the chaos of exams and classes," said Zarboulas.

How to get involved: Badger Cheese Club updates can be found on its Instagram page: @badgercheeseclub.

WUD Cuisine

In an exploration of food transparency, sustainability and justice, the Wisconsin Union Directorate Cuisine Committee helps members explore community impact on Wisconsin's food system. Each month, the club holds one cooking workshop and one cooking demonstration, which allows students the space to learn about technique and nutrition.

WUD Cuisine Director Adeline Wood said the organization has "provided a space for people to learn, appreciate and showcase different cuisines."

WUD Cuisine was founded in 2016 and is focused on increasing the knowledge and skills of members. Currently, there are five students in leadership positions with WUD Cuisine.

"One of the special things about WUD Cuisine is that you can get out of it whatever you want…We offer the experiences of learning how to work in a team, sharing culture and identity or exploring environmentalism and sustainability all through cooking, eating and community," said Wood.

Students can learn how to better provide for themselves, but you also learn more about their community and how to better take care of it.

In the future, Wood said that WUD Cuisine wants to be more involved with food sustainability, on campus, within the unions and throughout the larger campus community.

How to get involved: Visit the Wisconsin Union's Get Involved page; see updates on the WUD Cuisine Instagram page at @wudcuisine; and find recipes on the club's TikTook site at @cuisine_union.

Food For Thought

If you're looking for an organization that embraces socialization and community involvement, Food For Thought should be on your list. Members work together to cook meals and distribute them to Madison community members without housing.

The mission of Food For Thought is to bridge the gap between students and struggling community members by sharing meals and conversation.

President Charles Pfennigwerth manages about 50 students that signed up for the first semester of this organization. He said the organization has helped its members step out of their comfort zone and learn how to have compassionate conversations.

"While food is important, we use our meals simply as a tool to connect with the less fortunate," Pfennigwerth said.

Members can expect to gain cooking skills, but the main things people take away, Pfennigwerth said, are working as a team and breaking through social barriers.

How to get involved: Follow the club's Instagram page at @uwfoodforthought

Roamin' With Ramen

Roamin' With Ramen is exactly how entertaining it sounds. Members distribute ramen and other prepackaged food to students and others on campus during their "Ramen Roam." This is the main club activity which aims to end hunger on campus.

Paide Hammersley has been a large part of Roamin' With Ramen during its one and a half years on campus. She said, "Whether or not someone needs the ramen is irrelevant; it can be a quick, free snack or a much-needed meal."

As a member, you can expect feel-good moments during Ramen Roams. Hammersley said there's often an instant reward.

"Plenty of people have told us that the ramen we give them will be their dinner that very night. We love hearing that and being able to help Badgers who might have a hard time getting three full meals a day!" said Hammersley.

Roamin' With Ramen puts all its proceeds towards Ramen Roams and on-campus charities also seeking to support people in need on campus. Any surplus donations go directly to local food pantries.

How to get involved: Check out the group's web page at https://roamin-with-ramen.square.site/.

And there's more!

That's just the start of UW's food clubs. Others include State Street Eats, which explores Madison cuisine near campus, and Slow Food, which is "dedicated to providing good, clean, and fair food for all members of the community," and holds weekly meals.

There's plenty of opportunity at UW-Madison to get out there and join members of your food community.

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