Sculpture Created by SCC Students Unveiled at New Culinary Space

In five short weeks, students in the Welding Technology program at Southeast Community College (www.southeast.edu) created a distinct sculpture with a Midwest essence that has become part of the new Great Plains Culinary Institute.

Six welding students did the majority of the work on the bronze sculpture, which involved creating computer designs and then trying to emulate the wheat stalks and seeds. The bronze “wheat” creation consists of donated scrap materials. The students designed and created it in the Fabrication and Repair class. It is now part of the exterior wall of the new Great Plains Culinary Institute, which opened in January and is located at SCC’s Lincoln Campus.

SCC President Dr. Paul Illich came up with the idea for the College’s welding program to create something decorative for the front of the new culinary space as a way of bringing the programs together. “They went well beyond what was asked,” Illich said. “That in itself is very inspiring. They wanted to make something special. Every faculty, staff and student who walks by will be inspired by it.”

The Great Plains Culinary Institute features state-of the art kitchen areas for students to train, as well as a new restaurant that is open to the public.

SCC’s Welding Technology program, also located on SCC’s Lincoln Campus, has approximately 135 students.