COVID-19 has and will continue to wreak havoc on students and educators worldwide as everyone is urged to practice social distancing and as schools are continuously being closed to accommodate to the virus.

However, in light of this situation, there has been an attempt to introduce online classes where they have no merit as a substitute for hands-on learning.

The Culinary Institute of America is currently trying to have its students learn information essential to our careers and profession as a whole online. This is unacceptable, as many of our skills and techniques are meant to be learned hands-on in an appropriate working environment. It’s unfair to expect not only students to learn hands-on techniques online, but to educators who are expected to adapt the curriculum around technology. 

Because of this, I would like to ask the Culinary Institute of America to reconsider its decision. As students, many of us are ready and willing to wait for all kitchen classes to be reopened on campus, whether that be Hyde Park, Greystone, San Antonio, or Singapore. 

We are happy to continue academic classes remotely, as that is an entirely reasonable request.

We respect and understand the CIA’s commitment to continuing our education, however online kitchen classes are not the solution to this problem.