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Education news and issues in the Ozarks.

New Cooking Competition TV Show, Produced by MSU Students, Set to Air

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Students with Missouri State University’s Media Journalism and Film Department will get their hands dirty later this month with the premiere of its new show entitled “Show-me Chefs.” The show will feature various chefs and their restaurants from the Springfield area.

The idea for the show was pitched a little over a year ago to MJF Associate Professor Dr. Deb Larson. Once Larson realized how feasible it was she was ready to take on the project.

“They had the kitchen setup, we have the equipment, it’s just a matter of making it happen.” Larson said.

According to Larson, chefs competing in Springfield is nothing new. But this will be the first time those competitions will be broadcast, and that increased the interests of local chefs to get involved.

“Once they realized that this is going to be a big thing and it’s to be broadcast on television everyone kind of wanted a share of it. Then it was easy,” said Dan Jansen, who is one of Show-Me Chefs’ three student producers.

Jansen was chosen by Larson, along with Chelsea Eichholz and Ryan Gilyard, all graduate students. They’re tasked with helping in the show’s development and managing its crew, which is comprised of MSU undergraduates.

Eichholz explained how this project has helped prepare them for their future careers.

“We’ve learned so much from all these previous courses and now we just get to apply all this knowledge and we just get to work for ourselves now,” said Eichholz.

Ryan Gilyard’s role focuses on communications and promotions.

“This is a great opportunity to learn real live tactics on how to get people to come to an event, how to plan an event and ways to use social media in ways other than jokes,” said Gilyard. 

A lot of Gilyard’s promotional duties have also focused on the Cooking With Care Gala scheduled the day before the Show-Me Chefs debuts. Proceeds will benefit the second season of the show. It will be held in conjunction with Care to Learn, a nonprofit that serves children in need throughout the Springfield area. It will include a multi-course meal prepared by the eight chef who are to be featured on this season’s show. There will also be live entertainment, silent auctions, and a chef-showdown competition.

“Because we are an educational institution and part of our mission statement is community engagement and ethical leadership, one of the things we really want to do is give back to the community,” said Larson.

The gala is September 25. The first episode of Show-Me Chefs will air Saturday, September 26 at 1 p.m. on KOZL-TV, and continue each Saturday through November 7. Find additional information at www.facebook.com/ShowMeChefs.