Tracking Glory with Hal Martin
March 5, 2013
Prospect Bridge opens – for now
March 5, 2013
More than 250 people gathered Monday for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new John Folse Culinary Institute at Nicholls State University, a long-awaited step forward that has been two decades in the making.
“You will work in this building,” Chef John Folse said to about 30 freshman culinary students on hand for the event. “This building has been talked about since before you were born.”
Folse, one half of the brains behind the start of the institute, was one of several speakers at the event, which drew several state officials including Gov. Bobby Jindal, Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne and Robert Barham, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.
In 1994, Folse and Dr. Donald Ayo, past president of the university, cooked up the idea for the institute over bowls of gumbo and bottles of wine at Folse’s restaurant in Donaldsonville. Nicholls began offering culinary courses for college credit in 1995 and received authorization from the Louisiana Board of Regents to begin offering a bachelor’s degree in 1997.
“Did we ever imagine that our conversation would lead to this?” Folse asked. “When I first met (current Nicholls president) Dr. Stephen Hulbert 10 years ago, he told me he would make the construction of this building his personal mission. Congratulations and thanks for a job very well done. You did it.”
Since its inception, the culinary department has grown exponentially, and, for the last several years, the school has been teaching an average of 300 students each semester in about 9,000 square feet of space. Funding issues had long stymied the construction of a much-needed larger building.
“I knew this program was going to grow and that it would need a bigger building,” said state Sen. Norby Chabert, R-Houma. “Terrebonne and Lafourche parishes have needs, but Nicholls has needs, too. This is one of the fastest growing curriculums at the university. It was fun to convince the legislative delegation to fund a cooking school building. We have crew boat and rigs that need chefs. We went to the capital asking, ‘Don’t build for us. Build with us.’”
The new $12.6 million building, scheduled to be complete in the fall of 2013, will bring the institute’s current teaching space to a little over 31,000 square feet, providing room for 500 students to learn.
“President Hulbert has done a tremendous job,” Jindal said. “This is a great example of the private and public sector working together. The state has committed $8.1 million to the project and the remaining $4.5 million will be funded by Nicholls State University. The legislative delegation, the faculty and staff have done a tremendous job and are committed to excellence.”
Since 2008, the Jindal administration has supported almost $20 million in higher education infrastructure investments at Nicholls, and Jindal hopes that the state’s latest investment will not only preserve the region’s heritage, but help keep college graduates in the state.
“We know that higher education is a pipeline for a skilled workforce,” Jindal said. “We are one of only six states who have added jobs since the economic downturn. For the first time in 25 years, our college graduates are not leaving the state to find jobs. They are staying here. Today’s groundbreaking will help break that trend.”
“We tried to build this building years ago with just donations,” Hulbert added. “I am delighted to finally break ground. I want to thank the legislative delegation and friends of Nicholls State University, but the person I really want to thank is the governor of this great state. I want to publically thank him for his support.”
One member of Hulbert’s staff was so overwhelmed by the day’s event that his first comment on the groundbreaking was quite short.
“Wow,” said Randy Cheramie, executive director of the institute. “March 4, 2013. This is a long awaited, eagerly anticipated, dream come true day. When I joined the institute in 1999, I was told that this building was two years away. I talked to colleagues from around the country who teach culinary art, and many of them said this (new, large building) was a rare occurrence. It was worth the wait. This institute will be the epicenter of culinary education in the southeast region.”
The new epicenter will feature four large teaching areas and kitchens for baking, meat fabrication and a soup, stock and sauce production. The building will also have 40 visitor parking spots, 15 faculty parking spaces and approximately 140 student parking spaces. A section of the 8.1 acre building site will also house herb gardens for students to use in classes.
“Randy, we had to wait until you lost some more hair to build this building,” Ayo said.
“If I would have known that, I would have shaved it!” Cheramie shouted from his seat on the groundbreaking stage.
“It seems like just yesterday Folse and I were just having that conversation at Lafitte’s Landing,” Ayo said. In the last two decades, a lot has happened. We have had amazing results. John has brought in outstanding national chefs to speak to our students and has worked diligently to showcase Louisiana. This will be an anchor building for the John Folse Culinary Institute.”
“I would like to thank Gov. Jindal,” he said “This has meant more to me than you will ever know. I would also like to thank Sen. Norby Chabert and Rep. Gordon Dove. They charged the capital walls and fought for this much needed program.”
Local and state officials, Nicholls State University faculty and staff and other special guests help break ground on the new John Folse Culinary Institute building at Nicholls State University. The new $12.6 million building is scheduled to be completed this fall.
