Today@Sam Article
Bearkats Taste Dynamic Education Through ACE Course
April 28, 2025
SHSU Media Contact: Campbell Atkins
Regardless of a Bearkat’s chosen field of study, Sam Houston State University strives to provide students with a taste of multiple specialties during their academic training. Academic Community Engagement (ACE) courses offer students opportunities to use their skills and training outside of the classroom as they advance toward becoming dynamic professionals.
For the second year, Michael Demson of the English Department has offered his ACE course, Texas Foodways, in which students explore the intersection of food and culture in a collaborative, community-based context. The class culminated in an on-campus barbecue competition between the students, bringing together numerous local sponsors and supporters.
“It’s not really just about food, but all of the stories that come with it,” Demson said. “If you go to a great barbecue restaurant, they tell you their story and their history. It’s often written on the walls.”
In partnership with local organizations such as H-E-B, Aramark and the Walker County Fair Association, Demson’s students participated in a multitude of events and activities that strengthened their cooking skills, deepened their appreciation of Texas food traditions and broadened their thinking about possibilities within their own major.
“People who write about and review food, or make videos for social media, are the ones driving food culture,” Demson said. “That’s a great thing for English majors. If someone promotes a specialty food on TikTok, and it goes viral, it often sells out at your local grocery store.”
The students learned this firsthand from SHSU alumnus and Huntsville H-E-B store director Zach Berry, who led them on a tour of the facility early in the semester. The students also visited historic Holy Smoke BBQ at New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville and Bar-A-BBQ in Montgomery, Texas.
“This course was really an amazing, community-based experience. It was also unique because it offered an opportunity to be involved in real world writing,” said Megan Cross, a student in the class. “I think it’s great that Sam Houston provides these opportunities for their students to be so deeply involved.”
On Feb. 24, the course focused its collaborative efforts with other university students in the College of Science and Engineering Technology by hosting a celebration for Fred Pirkle’s birthday. The event showcased the late Bearkat icon’s own barbecue pit and the special valve designs he used to revolutionize several industries, including locomotives, medical equipment and even barbecue cooking.
“One of the things I really wanted to do was bring the English and engineering students together, because the two departments should work closely with one another,” Demson said. “The art of writing is a portable skill. You can be an English major, but there are many different industry routes within that field.”
In April, the course put together the official program for the Walker County Fair BBQ & Chili Cook-Off event. The in-depth, 30-page book included schedules, rules, interviews and feature stories that brought the cook-off to life and highlighted a rich local history of barbecue. Students also attended the event and served as competition judges.
“All of the people we interacted with throughout the semester came back to campus for our class competition, making for a really cool moment for our students and alumni,” Demson said.
The April 16 competition featured three teams, the Meat-aphors, Sizzlin’ Squad and The Spice Girls. While the judges were impressed with all entries, they awarded the top prize to the Meat-aphors, a team consisting of Cross, Brennan Aston, Larry Merchant and Arnesha Young.
“We really wanted to keep it true to culture and Texas,” Cross said. “The class focus is Texas barbecue culture and feasting, so we aimed to combine those two elements that we learned about into our plate.”
The Meat-aphor’s winning plate consisted of ribs, smoked by Merchant, beans, mac-and-cheese, elotes and pecan pie. At the conclusion of the semester, all students will submit a 10-minute video essay outlining their projects and experiences in the class. Demson will then combine the videos to showcase for the campus community.
“These students have steeped themselves in Texas barbecue over the last three months,” Demson said. “The whole experience, especially the community building, has been amazing.”
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