With Valentine’s Day around the corner, it’s only appropriate that flowers and sweets are on the brain. Sure you can run to the drugstore around the corner and pick up everything you need for the holiday, but where do these things actually come from? Unlike other schools, SUNY campuses have departments and programs dedicated to botany and culinary arts which have prepared students to excel in these fields, as well as being prepared for Valentine’s Day. Below are a few examples that may help kindle those warm feelings.
1. Morrisville State College
The College Horticulture Program at Morrisville State College is entrepreneurially oriented. Students in the Floral Design Curriculum design flowers for a wide range of campus events, seasonal holidays, and weddings while also being able to work in the on-campus flower shop, Spader Floral, where they prepare flower arrangements, plants and services for the community. Here, students, faculty and staff can support the Morrisville State College community by placing orders to be delivered on-campus Monday through Friday during the academic session.
Spader Floral is a student-run enterprise which prepares the students for careers in floral design with hands-on, entrepreneurial activities.
For Valentine’s Day they offer a classic red roses which are sure to sell out at only $4 per individually wrapped rose or by the dozen in a beautiful arrangement!
2. Schenectady County Community College
At SCCC the public and fellow students can experience what culinary students at the college are being taught by skilled and expert faculty. There are two locations on campus that sell products made by the students, The Boucherie and Pane e Dolci. Pane e Dolci specializes in bakery products produced by students and will be re-opening February 13, just in time for Valentine’s Day!
For a different, unique experience, the Casola Dining Room at SCCC focuses on culinary arts education but also invites the public in to participate in a dining room experience with the students. Reservations for a full three-course meal can be made two weeks prior to your desired dining date. Here, members of the college as well as community can help support culinary students by enjoying a lunch or dinner meal. The menu changes weekly so students are experiencing how to prepare a wide range of dining options, from Regional American Cuisine in the fall semester to International Cuisine in the spring semester.
3. Fashion Institute of Technology
At the Fashion Institute of Technology students and the public can shop the Style Shop, an on-campus boutique operated by FIT’s largest student club, the Merchandising Club. Students, faculty, and alumni of FIT are offered the opportunity to sell their designs and creations while gaining valuable experience in product development, marketing, finance, customer service, sales and more.
At the Style Shop, the students and institute are supported by members of the community. The boutique will be hosting a “Be our Valentine Spring Opening Event” on February 12.