As the rich smell of malty sweetness fills your lungs, the sense of floating dreamily is cut by the quick and organized movements of student bakers gliding across the room. The hustle and bustle of the kitchen floor is dazzling, with clangs of oven doors and sheets on metal tables almost sounds rhythmic. Amid this, orders from Michael Nakada, professor of fine and applied arts, can be heard ending his sentence with an emphasized ‘’Heard?” as students reply with a synchronized ‘’Heard!’’

This is the American River College Hospitality Management Course 326: Retail Bakery Product, which prepares students for the intensity of a professional kitchen, all while being fun and informative.

ARC runs a famous culinary program known as one of the best in the state; in 2007, the program won an exemplary award from the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges.

The program offers many baking, cooking and management degrees and certificates—all with hands-on classes in a professional grade facility and experienced professors at a community college tuition price.

HM 326 is one of these; the class focuses on rich doughs such as sourdough and brioche, as well as cookies and pastries, which are common in the retail bakery scene.

Although the rock-and-roll nature of the lab makes it the most exciting aspect of the class, each day starts off with a lecture. Here, students learn the theory behind the aeromatic crust of a chocolate sourdough as well as every other aspect that goes into baking.

In the lab, students have the privilege to use the many professional appliances and tools, familiarizing themselves and learning how to use them in order to physically see the theory in person. 

The class allows space for students to test and understand the theory; using what they learned to be effectively creative. 

“You learn a lot, not just the baking but the science behind it,” said Jesus Miranda, a student in HM 326.

This aspect is appreciated by many of the students who attribute this enjoyable learning experience to Nakada.

“The way that Michael presents the material and the way that he teaches makes it so that it’s a very friendly but serious learning environment…which is important,” said James W. Ochi, a student in HM 326.

In Nakada’s class a sense of community is felt, built from his goals, principles and relationship with his students, he creates an effective environment that teaches students to enjoy the grind of learning. 

Nakada knows what he wants to teach the students and what the students need in order to be successful.

“I really want to introduce students to a lot of new topics, help develop and foster their passion, and the other big piece, along with their technical skills, is their creativity and critical thinking,” Nakada said. “They take the base knowledge that they’ve learned and start applying it in new and creative fun ways.”

With these elements implemented into the structure of the class the student’s creativity organically grows off each other.

Troy Bernard, a student in HM 326, says the class is unique and that you can’t easily find a community with distinct and varying opinions as they have.

“Everybody has a different view,” Bernard said. “All these guys will walk around the table at the end of the class and give you a different idea about the same bread. It’s pretty cool.” 

These elements all come together to create an enjoyable class experience.

“It’s been extremely important, I’ve learned so much,” Ochi said.

This sentiment is echoed by the professor.

“I feel really lucky to have the students that we have,” Nakada said.