Recent Cooking in Conversation participants: Alison Marshall (center), whose course 'Gather, Connect, Empower: Cultivating Community in a Changing World' is taught with Student Affairs' Katie Dalton—and (L-R) students Ryan Dear, Grace Sullivan, Emily Hultunin, Lynnae Snyder, Annabelle Langford, Sofia Dolan, Alison Marshall, Jennie Sherwood, Emilio Inirio, Kathleen Beckham, Esosa Owens, Sophie Lovejoy, and Jude Bowry.
Recipe for fellowship
A new Boston College Student Affairs program is dishing up more than delicious dinners—conversation and connection are on the menu, too, as faculty and students join together to prepare and share a meal in the Vanderslice Cabaret Room, recently transformed into an all-purpose teaching kitchen.
In sessions dubbed “Cooking in Conversation," faculty and students can choose a recipe of their own or draw from a number of pre-selected menu options, such as meatballs and pasta with garlic bread or roasted Statler chicken breast with herbed potatoes and seasoned vegetables.
But no matter what the class is making, as soon as the stove is on and the cutting boards come out, the dynamic between faculty and staff changes fast, according to Associate Vice President for Career Services and Integrated Learning Joseph Du Pont.
"Conversations flow easily, and students begin to see their professors in a different light—one that invites a deeper sense of connection and reflection about their experiences and aspirations," Du Pont said.
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The program originated through an ongoing dialogue within the divisions of Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and Mission and Ministry about how academic learning could be more intentionally connected with life outside the classroom. Developed in collaboration with faculty partners, the Office of Residential Life, the Office of the Vice President of Student Affairs, and Facilities Management, Cooking in Conversation reflects the University’s Jesuit, Catholic mission that education is about formation as well as knowledge.
Why cooking?
As one of the oldest and most universal ways people build relationships, cooking and eating together can lower barriers, spark conversation, and create space for reflection, said Associate Vice President for Student Engagement and Formation Colleen Dallavalle.
“By blending the intellectual and the communal, Cooking in Conversation brings our formative mission to life, inviting students and faculty to encounter one another not only as teacher and learner, but as whole persons.”
That’s especially important, according to Dallavalle, because in today’s fast-paced world, students have limited time for meaningful, unstructured dialogue with faculty and peers. Cooking in Conversation lowers that fast pace to a simmer, offering time for students to know their professors more personally and to engage in learning that extends beyond grades or lectures.
“These gatherings enable the kind of meaningful encounters that have always been central to a Boston College education: encounters that foster curiosity, empathy, and a sense of belonging,” said Dallavalle.
“It’s about taking time to be present together, to listen, and to let learning unfold in unexpected, meaningful ways. Cooking in Conversation captures the very best of who we are as a Boston College community: curious, compassionate, and rooted in the belief that every shared experience has the potential to form us more deeply.”
Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs Akua Sarr experienced that same kind of encounter when she brought her First Year Seminar, Courage to Know, to Cooking in Conversation. They had chosen to make spaghetti and meatballs, and Sarr—who doesn’t consider cooking among her strengths—was a little daunted to have 20 students cook an entire meal from scratch, sit down, and eat it in two hours.
But it worked, said Sarr, describing her seminar’s process of breaking into small groups to tackle different tasks, like setting the table and making the meatballs. Two Student Affairs student assistants were on hand as partners to help clean up.
“Each aspect of the night was a lot of fun,” said Sarr. “But everyone sitting down together, eating, and being in community—that was the best part.
“The kinds of conversations that students had while rolling meatballs, chopping garlic, and spreading butter on loaves of Italian bread were different from what comes up in the classroom. Something opened up in all of us, and the experience brought us closer together.”
Students Jude Bowry and Esosa Owens wield their culinary tools during a recent dinner preparation.
Ashby McGill ’29, a student in Sarr’s seminar, said she had looked forward to getting to know her classmates better, since initiating personal conversations in the time before class starts and after it ends is difficult.
“My classmates and I discussed more personal aspects about ourselves, like where we’re from, how school is going, and what activities we did in high school,” said McGill. “I got to know more people in my class, and I feel more confident talking to them about events happening and how life is going outside of the class environment.”
Nolan Flanagan ’29, another student in Sarr’s seminar, wasn’t sure what to expect other than getting acquainted with classmates and enjoying a good dinner. But between the small talk and learning how to make meatballs, he says that the seminar’s level of communication changed for the better.
“I think Cooking in Conversation did make our class feel more connected. My favorite part was sitting down and eating the dinner that we made together, as I got to see other people’s personalities outside of class.”
Since the Cooking in Conversation session, Sarr has also found that conversations in class are more open and honest. She cites a deeper level of trust, developed through the integrated learning in action of cooking and eating a meal together.
For Dallavalle, that’s the whole point.
“It’s about taking time to be present together, to listen, and to let learning unfold in unexpected, meaningful ways. Cooking in Conversation captures the very best of who we are as a Boston College community: curious, compassionate, and rooted in the belief that every shared experience has the potential to form us more deeply.”
One of her favorite moments from the program was seeing a group of students stay long after the formal cooking portion ended, cleaning up together, laughing, and continuing the conversation.
“It reminded me how small moments can often become the most formative ones,” said Dallavalle.
Any faculty member interested in spending time cooking with students is welcome to participate. To learn more about bringing a class to Cooking in Conversation or to sign up for a spring 2026 session, visit the Cooking in Conversation website.