After a month filled with events to celebrate Black history, Young Gifted and Black (YGB) ended their Black History Month celebration with a collaboration with Culinary Club. After a group vote was taken, they decided to make soul food that the group agreed was important to African American culture in the U.S.

Thursday, Feb. 23, the day of the event, the two clubs met and split into groups including members from both clubs to make a mac-and-cheese bake and 7up pound cake.

Mr. JD Davis, sponsor of Young Gifted and Black, gave the club members his family recipe for their mac-and-cheese bake. Three groups made three pans worth of it, and it was shared among the group. Many members were apprehensive about trying the dish because of the inclusion of the cream-of-mushroom soup in it, but even those who didn’t like mac and cheese enjoyed the dish. 

However, not everything went smoothly in the kitchen. While two of the 7up pound cakes were made successfully and enjoyed by the group, one of them was accidentally placed inside of a plastic pan. The heat from the oven caused it to melt, fusing it with the oven rack it was put on. After numerous attempts to remove it were made, a student was able to tear it off of the oven rack.

Despite the slight hiccups along the way, both groups considered the event a resounding success and a great way to end Black History Month.

“I think that this was probably one of the coolest activities that we [YGB] have done, especially since we were able to collaborate with another group…,” Davis said. “I spent my time watching students get excited about something that was school-related to a degree but more so life skills. Watching everyone have fun with people who they may have just met was really nice.”