Thursday, December 11, 2014

2014 Chili Cook-Off



This year’s UT Arlington Homecoming was jam packed of entertaining events that all led up to the highlight of the week, The Big Game; Houston Baptist vs. UTA Mavericks . I had never attended a homecoming and I don’t know why I hadn’t because it was a lot of fun. I love that the university allows events like these to happen because they really do showcase school spirit. It just amazes me how a large group of people can come together and celebrate their school spirit. 

Good Chili

Potbelly Chili
Needless to say there was plenty of food and music to go around. One of the events that I attended was the 2014 Annual Chili Cook Off hosted by UTA Accounting Department.  Another thing that I had never tried was chili. To my surprise, it was really good. It’s such a comfort food, like meat loaf or beef stew. Of course, not all of the chili I tried was amazing but it’s still nice to go around and sample different types of chili. 


The Setup

UT Arlington Campus Rec Staff
The chili cook-off was setup in the UC Mall. There were tents setup outside and 16 UTA organizations who had prepared their version of chili. It began at 12pm and students had the liberty to walk from tent to tent and try all the chili you’d like. The only rule it seemed you had to follow was, bring your own spoon. I wish I had known this because at one point I was drinking chili from a Styrofoam cup. Another mistake I made was arriving 30 minutes late. By the time I arrived, most of the “good” chili was gone. If I had to pick which organization had the best chili, it would    be the Chili Mac made by the Campus Recreation staff. It was wonderful, to say the least. It had pinto’s beans and my favorite part about it was that it was spicy. When I got my chili, I asked them for the recipe and they just smiled and said it was a secret. 


The Chili Environment


UTA judges waiting for the chili
The environment was very laid back and inviting. There were games and prizes at the Chili Cook-Off and the 8 judges that were sat on stage were very friendly. Somehow I missed which organization had the best chili, but to me they were all good. Besides who doesn’t like warm chili on a cold day, right?


What was your favorite part of Homecoming? What’s your favorite type of chili?