The Cooper Alumni Center hosted its second sushi-making class as part of the “Culture at the Cooper” series, where attendees learned how to prepare and assemble sushi rolls and poke bowls.

Chef Dennis Wijaya, known for his hands-on culinary instruction, guided the event.

“The Culture of the Cooper series is all about offering various activities, not just for our alumni but for alumni friends and the community as a whole,” Amanda McDaniel, director of alumni events and affinity relations, said.

The class took place in the E.C. Barton and Company Ballroom Corridor at the Arkansas State University Alumni Center. With limited spots available, attendees registered and paid $80 to participate. Free refreshments included beer, seltzer, wine, soft drinks and water.

Each table had a list of ingredients, step-by-step instructions for preparing sushi rice, salmon and tuna as well as recipes for Yum Yum sauce, ponzu sauce and wasabi.

Wijaya demonstrated how to make sashimi, maki, uramaki, nigiri and temaki. Before starting, he served potstickers and mushroom stew as an appetizer. 

“At the end of this dinner and lesson, you will be able to make your own perfect sushi roll, and if you really want to, you could make a career out of it,” Wijaya said.

McDaniel said this was Wijaya’s second sushi-making lesson at A-State, following a sold-out session last fall. 

“The demand was so high that we decided to have another session.” McDaniel said. “It sold out just as fast as the first one.” 

The “Culture at the Cooper” series launched in 2019, but food-related events are a new addition. McDaniel said these events foster a sense of community. 

”Food brings people together in such a special way,” McDaniel said. “So many families have moved away from cooking and eating together at the dinner table, so events like tonight can bring that sense of togetherness and connection.”

She said she hoped attendees enjoyed learning from Wijaya and felt inspired to continue making sushi at home. She also said she encourages alumni to explore more of what the Alumni Center offers.

”We don’t just host alumni-specific events like the Distinguished Alumni Awards; we also have tailgates, music events and activities for children and adults,” McDaniel said. “Our goal is to make this a welcoming space for the entire community.”

She said she wants alumni to stay connected and engaged with their alma mater. 

“We want alumni to know about these things so they can feel proud of their school and even encourage their children to attend A-State,” McDaniel said. 

The event had 19 people attendees out of 22 who RSVP’d. 

Amanda Roberts, a 2013 A-State graduate from Corning, Arkansas, attended after hearing about the event from her sister. She said she regularly supports alumni events to help ensure their success. 

Roberts said the class encouraged interaction among attendees who might not typically meet while also motivating them to reconnect with their alma mater.

“For the alumni, it’s nice to come back to campus and see the positive changes that were made to enhance the beauty of the campus,” Roberts said.

She said the most challenging part was cutting the sushi rolls, as they initially had only one sharp knife, which belonged to Wijaya. However, once more knives arrived, the process became smoother. 

Despite the challenge, Roberts said she had a great time and appreciated learning how different cultures use food to express care and appreciation. 

“Food is such a shared experience and really just introduces different spices and presentations,” Roberts said. 

Sarah Friend, a 2009 A-State graduate from Jonesboro, attended alongside Roberts. She said she wanted to learn the sushi-making process and said the hardest part was choosing what to include in her roll, as Wijaya provided a variety of ingredients including salmon, tuna, broiled eel, imitation crab, shrimp, pickled daikon, cucumber, avocado, coleslaw and more.

“I kept leaving out some ingredients that I meant to put in,” Friend said. “It was a little hard to roll up, but I managed.” 

She said she wished more current A-State students had attended the event but still enjoyed the experience.

McDaniel said the food-related events have been so successful that the center is considering expanding their collaboration and possibly inviting the Hispanic Center in Jonesboro to host a tamale-making class.

“That would generate a lot of interest and be a great community partnership,” McDaniel said. “We want Arkansas State to feel like a natural part of the Jonesboro community, just an institution seepage from the community.”

The next Alumni Center event, “Bark at the Park,” is scheduled for April 1.

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