Chili Cook-Off tantalizes senses

The smell of spices and peppers float through the air. Eddie Money’s “Two Tickets to Paradise” is drowned out by the sound of chatter and laughter.

Toddlers giggle as curious dogs come their way. Cheerleaders stand next to elementary school students. Students reconnect with old friends while meeting new people. All of these different groups joined together over one simple dish: chili.

Every year for homecoming, the Student Government Association throws its Chili Cook-Off to kick off Homecoming weekend.

“I don’t know where it started, but it has become a Homecoming tradition.” says Homecoming Director Mallory Phillips.

For $3, guests could sample the variety of chili recipes that the MTSU community has to offer. Student organizations were invited to participate, as well as alumni and local restaurants.

“I wanted a diverse group,” Phillips says. “I tried get non-Greeks involved with Homecoming.”

While the majority of contestants were Greek organizations, some of the other contestants were the MTSU chapter of Habitat for Humanity, Student Programming and the Wesley Foundation.

“It shows we’re supporting Rutherford County and our school,” says Whitney Morris, president of Habitat for Humanity. “It brings every organization together.”

Because of the rainy weather, there were some changes made to this year’s event. Instead of being held in the Murphy Center Forest, the event was moved to the courtyard in Peck Hall. Though unexpected, the shift proved to be beneficial.

“Since the Murphy Center Forest was muddy, we move here,” Phillips says, waving at the courtyard. “For the first time we have a dining area.”

The dining area was a major focal point of the event. During the two-hour event, the area was never completely empty. There was always a group of people gathered around, sharing stories and eating chili. When the sun began to set and the sky began to darken, the dining area filled up.

Since the event was a cook-off, guests had their own expectations about the entries.

“If it’s a Chili Cook-Off, it needs something unique; you need to add something new to give it zest” says Josiah Stevenson, junior history major.

The entries were judged on taste, presentation and incorporation of school spirit. Keeping this these different areas in mind, each team had its own strategy for victory.

The team from the Wesley Foundation showed off its school spirit by wearing blue referee uniforms and waving a picket sign that declared “MTSU rocks my socks off.”

Arms/GrammyU, an organization for students in the recording industry, represented the major by presenting its condiments in bowls shaped out of old records.

Tau Sigma believed the secret to a good batch of chili is random ingredients. Keeping with that belief, the team used dark chocolate in its chili.

“We have a colorful display with the dark color from the chocolate and the bright corn,” says Crystal Barton, the sorority’s vice president, as one of the other cooks stirred the chili. “We don’t need that extra stuff.”

As the sky finally turned black and a cool breeze drifted through the courtyard, the event started to come to an end. By 6:30 p.m., displays were being torn down while the judges prepared to announce the winners.

First place in the Chili Cook-Off went to Adriana Holt, while the people’s choice award was taken by Tau Omega.

The winners were thrilled with their victory. The cheers of second place winners Lambda Sigma echoed through the courtyard as the organizations continued to tear down their displays. But the competition was not the focus of the event.

“When I think Homecoming, I think community.” says Miranda Martin, treasurer for Lambda Sigma. “Everyone is uniting for a good cause.”

All of the money raised by the Chili Cook-Off will go to benefit Habitat for Humanity. While many groups participated in the event to help Habitat for Humanity, several of them also expressed personal reasons for entering the competition.

Some groups wanted a chance to get their names out.

“We’re trying to get out there and become larger,” says Taylor Hutchins, vice president of Lambda Sigma. “We just started back up last year.”

Others wished to show their support for the school.

“It shows our organizations pride in school spirit,” says Maria Fleming, vice president of member education for Kappa Delta. “All the different student organizations together screams MTSU Blue Raider pride.”

Large groups of people enjoying good music, good food, good company and for a good cause describes the Chili Cook-Off. No matter who was presented with a trophy, everyone there walked away with fond memories and a full stomach.