More than 75 LBW Community College students turned out for Cooking 101 Thursday night, a Phi Theta Kappa-sponsored event designed to help students learn how to cook and eat on a budget.

Andalusia High School’s Jana Clark demonstrated how to cook and assemble a homemade version of Taco Bell’s crunch wrap, and several examples of crock pot meals were provided, including white chicken chili, a soup made with ground beef and seven canned items, and chicken salsa.

“These are inexpensive things that students can make,” PTK sponsor and LBW recruiter Heather Owen said.

Softball player Lindsay Fox said she often cooks for herself and friends. Her specialties are chicken casseroles, and crockpot meals.

Baseball player Reid Whitaker, who hails from Tallassee, said he cooks for himself and the friends with whom he shares a house using both the grill and a crockpot. His specialties are steaks, baked potatoes, and chicken, which he cooks either on the grill or in the crockpot.

“I may try that taco thing she cooked tonight,” he said. “It tasted pretty good, but I think I can make it even better.”

Whitaker said he would rather cook at home than go out and pay more for less food.

PTK president Anna Hughes said the cooking event was the most popular one held to date in a planned series of seven events designed to help students adjust to college life. , Thursday’s crowd drew about 30 more people than the other sessions.

“Food really attracts people,” she said. “We have all of the softball, baseball and basketball teams here.

“During school, we are just classmates,” Hughes said. “Events like game night help break through the ice, and we’re not just classmates, but friends. I’m happy all of the officers decided to come together and work on this.”

PTK’s 2018-19 project focuses on the student body’s personal growth and enrichment, Owen said. The theme is ““Expanding your Horizons: Teaching yourself, Learning from others, Growing your mindset, and Enriching your community.”

Previously, PTK has held a game night and a wellness session on “how not to gain the freshman 15.”

Future sessions include the Game of Life, a dance class, international night, and an etiquette and stress relief class just before finals.

After sampling the foods Thursday, the students played bingo for a chance to win gift certificates to Tropical Smoothie and Little Caesar’s; crockpots, or the ingredients to make one of the sample meals.