Plaidvocates Host Virtual Cook-Off

Although spread out across the nation with some teammates even in their home countries, Carnegie Mellon University student-athletes have stayed connected through student-led events. One of those events, which was slated to take place on campus for the third straight year in April, was the Plaidvocates Chopped-Style Cook-Off. With everyone now away from campus, the plan needed to change and the Plaidvocates and student-athletes were up to the task.

The on-campus event was set to take place with eight teams of four and spectators ready to watch it all unfold. Like in past years, the Plaidvocates were partnering with Chartwells for the setup, cooking supplies, some food items and professional chef support. Additionally, a judging panel of four was prepared to taste the creations and offer feedback.

This year’s event took on another level of planning once all on-campus activities were canceled.

“I think it was important to find a way to do this event because cooking is a healthy way to relieve stress and enjoy time with family and friends,” said senior football athlete Tony Kennon. “Furthermore, it seems that some people have resorted to unhealthy eating while spending more time at home. We wanted to provide a forum for people to come together and share new and interesting recipes with each other, aimed at healthy exploration.

Marketing the new event was a bit tricky. The Plaidvocates hoped emails wouldn’t go unnoticed. The group, which is comprised of athletes from nearly every team, sent messages to their teammates and used social media advertising to reach everyone they could with the goal of having participants share healthy recipes they enjoy.

“I am very excited with how this event turned out - seeing the event on campus the last several years has been a really fun experience,” said junior swimmer James Kirkby. “If you have not been to the last two events, it is a fun, fast-paced event with student athletes making some good-looking and delicious meals. For this year, we wanted to keep that excitement, even with everyone home.”

Thirteen entries were submitted, complete with images of the finished products, which looked like everyone would enjoy them had there been a panel of tasters.

“I am happy to see the participation of the student community in this unsure and stressful time, and, as Tony wrote, cooking healthy food is a great way to relieve some stress,” added Kirkby.

The Plaidvocates plan on running the chopped-style competition again next spring, which all members are very excited about.

Check out the submitted entries of recipes spanning breakfast items to quick lunches and full dinners. View photo gallery.

Plaidvocates is a peer health and wellness advocacy program for student-athletes that supports the well-being of CMU’s varsity athletics community.