Oddly, for a school recently ranked as the most dangerous in Oregon by the federal government, the environment is very typical. Throngs of students mingle in the halls as teachers move among the crowds, everyone trying to get somewhere. With enrollment approaching 1,800, space is a precious commodity.

Tucked away in a well-equipped classroom where the original color scheme is dominated by a deep orange that clashes with attempts at modernizing the place, Slack and Barton oversee the students in a last practice session before the meet. Barton has taught the art of cooking for several years, first at North Salem, now at McKay. Four years ago, she went looking for a professional to help mentor her students and came across the path of Slack, the executive chef at Willamette Valley Grill and Red Lion Hotel.

"They encouraged us to find a professional to help mentor the students," she explained.

"Darla just showed up one day and asked to speak to the chef and she gave me the run down," Slack said. "And I said yes."

The McKay program is part of a nationally-recognized network of schools where students learn and compete. With support from a variety of companies and the Oregon Restaurant Association Education Foundation (OREF), a series of competitions starts with something called the ProStart State High School Culinary Championships at the end of February, this year hosted in the Oregon Convention Center. It's a vocational school-to-career program encouraging high school students to consider careers in the hospitality industry.

Ten students from McKay are part of the team, four for the cooking portion and four for the knowledge part with one alternate for each group. The ones on the culinary team, in particular, have been working hard. The stifling heat in their classroom doesn't seem to bother them. They are busy boiling barley and reducing rosemary, working together with an array of cutting boards, pots and pans.
"I really enjoy the teaching part, helping the students to explore their creative sides," Slack said.

Using only two butane burners, students in the culinary part of the competition must prepare two identical copies of a three-course meal including an appetizer, entrée and dessert, all in 60 minutes. It must be done from scratch and they cannot use any prepared ingredients nor equipment that uses electricity, whether from batteries or an outlet.

They've been planning and practicing since the early days of November. Practices have been outside of regular class time. All four regulars on the cooking team -- Kenneth Grimberg, Levi Zachary, Bethany Nichols and Reyna Zavala -- had their eighth period free and either use that time or stay after school to prepare.

Several incentives, primarily scholarships, help motivate the students as well. The top three teams receive scholarship packages from institutions such as the Western Culinary Institute. The Art Institute of Seattle offers every participant a $500 scholarship. The Portland affiliate does not have a culinary program.

Barton's students do quite a bit of real-world work. Known as Royal Scot Catering, kids prepare food, mostly simple items like hors d'oeuvres, for school and district events. For example, beyond life at school, Kenneth worked as a baker at Hometown Buffet while Reyna is now a server at the Olive Garden. The ProStart events offer more opportunities to learn about the working world, offering on-the-job experience.

Slack, or Chef Mathew as he likes to be called, has kept in touch with some of his former students, even hiring some to work with him at the kitchen servicing the Red Lion Hotel and Willamette Valley Grill. Particularly proud of the 2006 team, he noted how the students got back together after graduation to compete at The Bite of Portland.

This year's group will also be at the Junior Iron Chef competition at The Bite of Portland in July. In 2006 the McKay team placed second at ProStart, though slipping to 11th out of 33 last year. Three of the four students are veterans from the 2007 group and are determined to improve their standing.