Texas A&M Barbecue Class Cultivates Community, One Brisket at a โTime
College Station, TX – What began as โa hands-on course in โฃthe art โof Texasโ barbecue atโ Texasโ A&M University has evolvedโข into a โdeeply cherished tradition, fostering a sense of belonging and family for students. The class, taught by โขprofessorsโข Ray โRiley, Jeff Savell, and David Griffin, intentionally โprioritizes โฃcommunity building alongside culinaryโข instruction, creating โa unique college experiance โwhere โupperclassmen serve their peers and lasting bonds are forged.
For decades, the Texas Barbecue courseโข has been more than just learningโ too smoke a brisket. It’s aโฃ deliberate effort to create a welcoming habitat, particularly for incomingโฃ freshmen navigating the challenges of university life. the โขclass addresses โa critical โneed for connectionโฃ in a large university โsetting, offering a space where students feel supported and valued. The program’s success โคlies in its unconventional structure:โค afterโ a 50-minute lecture, โฃthe class transforms into a communal dinner served by 75 student โฃteaching assistants, a practice โฃdesigned to reverse traditional student โขhierarchies โฃand cultivate a familial atmosphere.
“In high school, upperclassmen are seen as the big dogs,” Riley โexplained. “But in this class, it’s โthe reverse.โข the older โขkids are here toโค serve theโฃ younger ones and make them feel at home. Nothing is โbelow โคtheir dignity.”
The weekly dinners aren’t simply aboutโ the food; they’re a catalyst for storytelling, stressโ relief, โคand the โdevelopmentโ of genuineโค friendships. Professors Savell, โฃGriffin, and โRiley intentionally designed the class โฃto prioritizeโค these interpersonal connections.โ
When asked about โฃtheir hopes for students leaving Rosenthal every Friday evening, theโ professors offered a unified sentiment. โฃ”Loved,”โ Savell stated. โคGriffin added, “Like they just left after time spent at home.” Riley โconcluded,”Comfort.Family.”
Beyond mastering barbecue techniques and recipes โขlike cornโข salad, students leave the semester knowing โeach other’s namesโฃ and feeling part โof a supportive network. The texas โคBarbecue class โhas becomeโฃ a testament to the power of shared meals and intentional โcommunity building,โค proving that sometimes, the mostโ valuable lessons are learned outside the textbook.Students consistently describe the experience not as aโ class, but as a community.