Rising Six members cook Friday meals for dormitory residents

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman Jack Sanders
  • JBER Public Affairs
JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska --  Dormitory residents will be the first to say living at Joint Base-Elmendorf-Richardson comes with benefits and challenges. One benefit that's been gaining popularity is the Friday night meal.

Members of the Rising Six, an organization comprised of all junior enlisted from the grades of E-1 thru E-6 which gives service members a way to get involved with base events, network with different squadrons, and get involved with the local community, helps cook Friday night meals.

Dorm meals start the weekend at Yukula, said Tech. Sgt. Carina Rodgers, Yukula Hall dorm manager said.

"Members of the rising six and the dormitory council, along with myself and other dormitory managers, will cook a nice home-cooked meal at the Wired Café to give the dorm residents a chance to get out of their rooms and eat a home-cooked meal," Rodgers said.

Friday night meals aren't entirely about the food either, Rodgers said. Residents can watch movies or play video games, or just mingle with other residents all at the Wired Café.

"We come out every week," said Senior Airman Jessica Cabe, 673d Medical Group. "This is nice for dorm residents because it gives us an excuse to get out of our rooms and just hang out, plus it's something to eat other than the chow hall."

Others agreed with Cabe.

"Everybody comes to this and it boosts our morale; we get to meet and greet with some of the other residents and Airmen we normally wouldn't," said Airman 1st Class Richard Wesling 703d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

The meal changes from week to week, Rodgers said.

Each week residents can send in requests and then depending on those requests the cooks decide what the meal will be. The Rising Six Council also takes the opportunity once a month to teach residents how to cook healthy alternatives to popular meals. "This week we're teaching how to make chicken wings the healthy way, by baking them," Rodgers said.

Despite its popularity, some residents still opt out of the Friday night meal.
"I'll tell anyone who hasn't come out to this that they're missing out and they should come out to Friday night meal and have a good time," said Airman 1st Class Izaya Campbell, 703d Aircraft Maintenance Squadron.

"If people from your section want, come help out and support the dorm residents. If they want to mentor us, just chill, mingle or whatever they're more than welcome to come out too," Cabe said.