The beautified tables are ready to seat dozens. Gargoyle photos by Jie Han & Andrea Park. (Click to create a slideshow)

S4BW president Eunice How (left) and Natsuki Nakamura help prepare the feast. (Click to create a slideshow)

Multimedia note: For an audio slideshow about the Ragin' Cajun dinner, click here.

FOOD, MUSIC, FELLOWSHIP, and a good cause — all the ingredients were there Feb. 15 for successful event when Students for a Better World hosted a Ragin' Cajun dinner at Grace Lutheran Church in Champaign.

The event attracted 120 hungry diners and raised some $800 for the Hurricane Katrina-damaged Wilson Elementary School, which is located in one of the hardest-hit areas of New Orleans and is still struggling to recover.

The meal included gumbo, salad, jambalaya, cornbread, red beans and rice, punch, and dessert.

All the food was prepared by S4BW, except for the gumbo and cake. The Illini Union provided the cake, while math executive teacher Craig Russell and his daughter, sophomore Elizabeth Russell, made the gumbo.

Student musicians Ethan Berl, Grant Loos, Miguel "Teddy" Zamora-Mills, and Clement Dossin enlivened the evening with their jazz performances.

Berl also entertained diners with card tricks, and English teacher Steve Rayburn presided over an auction of homemade food.

A number of Gargoyle staffers attended the event, and they offer their perspectives below.

Senior editor Andrea Park

The Ragin’ Cajun dinner was raging, indeed. The quality of food was a pleasant surprise. I was really digging Mr. Russell’s gumbo. Usually I’m not a big fan of chunks of meat (with the exception of Indian curries), but the sausage really complemented the spicy, aromatic broth-like sauce. Furthermore, the fact that the gumbo was served with rice harkened back to my Asian roots, and was an oddly comforting food.

In fact, prior to the Ragin’ Cajun dinner, I had never tasted Southern cuisine: heavy dishes like chicken-fried steak and chitlins kept me at fair distance away.

However, I was surprised to find that the food was neither overwhelmingly fatty nor questionable in its content. The broths were more watery than creamy in consistency, and the spices were obviously an important component to the overall mouthwatering effect.

But the best part of the evening was the jazz music provided by Clement, Ethan, Grant, and Teddy. Although the makeshift band had only practiced a couple times before their performance at the dinner, the music was quite outstanding.

It seemed as if most of the music was improvisational, which only added to the jazz effect. Clement’s saxophone stylings and Grant’s drum solos really displayed their musical talent.

Overall, the Ragin’ Cajun Dinner was a delightful experience, and I give it an A and a gold star. Major props to S4BW for preparing a top-rate meal!

Assistant editor Elaine Gu

I had a wonderful time helping out with the Cajun dinner. It was really fun to decorate the church because I got to light candles and scatter glitter and confetti all over the tables.

Once people started showing up, I served punch and it was really cool; I felt like a bartender. I also got a view of what it's like to cook in an industrial-sized kitchen. All the pots and pans were incredibly large.

It was great to see everyone enjoying the food and having a good time. Clement, Teddy, and Ethan provided amazing music for the night, and I had a great time working with my friends and helping out for a good cause.

Rachel Hyman (left) and other volunteers serve their customers, buffet style. Gargoyle photos by Jie Han & Andrea Park. (Click to create a slideshow)

Senior Ethan Berl, junior Miguel Zamora-Mills, and junior Clement Dossin serenade their hungry audience with lively jazz music. (Click to create a slideshow)

Assistant editor Jie Han

I loved the food. My favorites were the jambalaya and cake. I was pleasantly surprised by how much flavor each tomato contained — they were like miniballs of thick but squishy tomato juice.

The sausage pieces were equally delicious. Although they weren't as powerful as the tomatoes, their understated flavor was an excellent accompaniment.

The cake was both pretty and amazing. The frosting wasn't a solid sugar mix, like the kind you find in most grocery store varieties.

It was sweeter than Cool Whip and melted on my tongue like ice cream. The stuff looked like a vanilla ganache, a marble smooth surface, but didn't melt. I really must obtain that recipe.

Other dishes included a salad, rice with beans, gumbo, punch, and cookies. The salad was impressive, given a tight budget, containing carrots, fresh lettuce, and cucumber among other ingredients.

The rice with beans was quite spicy and deadened my tongue for a while, but was delicious nonetheless. The gumbo was a gooey mixture, containing sausages and okra, which was also very scrumptious.

The cranberry punch bailed me out several times while I was finishing my rice and beans, which I was quite thankful for. But, unfortunately, I was full after seconds, so I couldn't try the cookies.

All in all, I think the dinner was most definitely worth the $7 admission ticket.

Assistant editor Lizzy Warner

When I went to the dinner, I was beginning to catch a cold and didn’t think I would really have anyone to socialize with; basically, I was fairly pessimistic. No one else seemed to be going.

When I went in very few people were there yet and food was not quite ready. Instead I found a spot at a table and took my seat. Hershey’s Kisses streamed down the middle of the table, along with small little decorative candles. Although I was alone at first, parents and other students soon joined me, and I began to talk to people I hadn't socialized with before.

When food was ready we were able to pile our plates with the available dishes. I was nervous to try some of the choices since all but the salad looked unfamiliar. Nonetheless I took a plunge, and everything turned out to be quite appetizing. Some of the most talented musicians at our school played jazz music, which kept the room alive.

As I finished eating, people came around to collect the trash at the tables, and dessert was served as well. The food auctioneering began, and Mr. Rayburn (with junior Kareem Sayegh’s help) gathered bids of up to $40 on certain items!

I was beyond surprised about how much I actually enjoyed the night out. It was relaxing yet energetic at the same time. I would recommend it for a quick evening out to those considering it next year. You can support your classmates who have taken the time to organize the event, and the money even goes toward a good cause!

March 8 update: We would like to thank an anonymous commenter who alerted us to a mistake (since corrected) in the photo caption at the top of the story.