Reimagining Ramen: Students Learn How to Level Up Dorm Room Staples Monday, April 14, 2025
Ramen noodles have a long history as a college dorm staple. But eating them plain can grow tiresome, and they have limited nutritional value. So Point Park’s Resident Educators (REs) are teaching their dorm residents how to elevate food like ramen noodles to the next level. The initiative is called Dorm to Table: Cooking Skills for College Students.
A 2023 campus basic needs survey found that over 30% of Point Park students face food insecurity. Point Park has already implemented a number of programs to combat food insecurity on campus, including the free Pioneer Pantry Corner Store, monthly produce pop-ups, a community garden and the creation of The Nook, a countertop kitchen in Lawrence Hall.
Dorm to Table take these initiatives one step further by teaching students what to do with the food they receive. It includes both a cooking class and a cookbook of nearly 20 simple recipes submitted by the REs, such as “3-Step Teriyaki Chicken,” “Overnight Oats” and “Bean Burritos.” Senior Resident Director and PhD student in the Community Engagement program Cindy Pietrakowski is heading up the program, along with Hannah Colbert, director of student success.
Colbert shared the origin: “This was inspired by a student who was willing to share with me that they didn’t always have access to food, whether that be through the dining hall or food they made themselves. I was able to help them get connected to the free Pioneer Pantry on campus to help them with food access. Once we did that, they shared with me that they didn’t know how to cook some of the items they ordered. This inspired the cooking class idea.”
Colbert reached out to Pietrakowski, and Dorm to Table came to fruition.
“Factors like time, transportation, housing, and cooking knowledge and ability can exacerbate food insecurity among college students, even those with meal plans or campus dining access,” Pietrakowski said. “Spreading the word about The Pioneer Pantry, The Nook, simple recipes and basic cooking skills are small steps towards supporting our students.”
The first step was to train the Resident Educators, who then could teach the skills to their residents. With funding provided from a Pennsylvania Hunger-Free Campus Grant, 25 REs attended two cooking classes at Café Momentum, one for elevating boxed macaroni and cheese and the other for ramen noodles. From there, the REs offered two classes in The Nook to dorm residents and passed on the recipes.
RE Matt Palange, a sports communication major and broadcast production minor, helped coordinate the effort and created the free cookbook as well. “It is important to give students a better taste and more confidence in what they eat, even by just adding small ingredients to something simple like ramen,” Palange said.
Gianna Regoli, an animation major, attended the class and won one of the two raffled air fryers. She enjoyed the classes, especially the macaroni and cheese meal, and learned about options to improve pantry food. “There's a lot of cool stuff you can get at Target to spice up your dorm meals!” Regoli said.
If a student didn't attend the classes, they didn't miss out completely. “The cookbooks are currently being distributed around campus and feature almost 20 simple recipes that students can make either in their own kitchens/kitchenettes or The Nook,” Pietrakowski said. “The recipes were intentionally curated to highlight ingredients you can primarily find at The Pioneer Pantry.”
Students who would like a copy of the cookbook can stop by the 7th floor of the Student Center.
More About: community engagement, sports communication, broadcast reporting, Student Life, animation