Crock-pot cooking and cupcake decorating are two skills that a person can use throughout their lifetime, and they are also things that many Simpson students probably would not know how to do.

Through the Junior-Senior Experience Program, upperclassmen are now able to learn skills like these in a friendly group environment before they enter the real world.

The cupcake decorating program took place on Wednesday, Sept. 26 in Dirlam Lounge. Students were shown a brief demonstration of how to use the tools and what they can do, such as the open star and closed star tips, as well as a few different techniques for frosting, such as a rose. Then students were given free rein to make their own frosting, as well as dye it whichever color they chose and decorate as many cupcakes as they wished.

“I’ve dabbled at home but nothing like this using like piping and the tips and everything like that,” junior Kelsey Allison said. “I feel like it’s beneficial. Like, I’ve never really done this before, and so it lets me see what I could do if something else in my life plan falls through. It gives me something I could potentially fall back on.”

Senior Sarah Morgan was the student in charge of the program, and she has only been decorating cupcakes for about a year herself.

“I really like decorating cupcakes, and I just kind of taught myself through Pinterest and YouTube,” Morgan said. “I feel like it’s kind of a useful thing to know. It makes things look a little bit nicer than just using a knife to put it on. So, if you’re making cupcakes for someone’s birthday or for a party or a work party or whatever it’s a good tool to have.”

The crock-pot cooking program took place on Thursday, Sept. 27 at 6 p.m., also hosted in Dirlam Lounge. It was attended by both students new to cooking and those who have significantly more experience.

“I love cooking, I cook at home all the time,” senior Shannon Gehrig said. “I’ve cooked in a restaurant before, too.”

Those students more experienced with cooking, advocate the use of crock-pots.

“I have like three crock-pots at my apartment,” Gehrig said. “It’s so much easier to cook out of a crock-pot than anything else; you can just throw it in and let it cook.”

Senior Kirsty Riggert thought the program was a good experience for students less familiar with cooking.

“This is really beneficial because the meals are really easy to make,” Riggert said.

Gehrig thought the program was a good place for students to start thinking about their future.

“As you’re growing out of college life into the real world, it helps you learn how to cook in your home.”

Students thought the programs were a good option to spend time with each other and learn valuable skills before the next few years go by.

“It’s a good experience for juniors and seniors to get together before the seniors go off and prepare the juniors for next year,” Allison said.