Chili Cook-Off featuring more than chili

University of Houston-Clear Lake’s 26^th Annual Chili Cook-Off, originally scheduled for April 11, was postponed due to inclement weather and has been rescheduled for Saturday, April 18, from noon to 4 p.m. on the SSCB North Lawn.

The Cook-Off is hosted by the Student Life Office, and is one of UHCL’s most iconic traditions, dating all the way back to 1989.

There will be fun-filled entertainment for all ages throughout the day. Activities of the day will include a DJ, a karaoke booth, kid friendly amusements, a Student Life social media “selfie” contest, as well as a celebration of Hunter The Hawk’s second birthday. The face behind Hunter the mascot will be revealed and, of course, the main attraction, CHILI!

“It’s a fun day on campus where you really get to experience the spirit of UHCL,” said Andrew Reitberger, interim director of Student Life.

Competition will be hot at the cook-off with awards given out by UHCL judges as attendees’ popular votes.

Attendees will have the opportunity to purchase “tasting kits” at the Student Life Booth for $4 with a UHCL ID and $5 without a UHCL ID. Purchasing a tasting kit will also allow attendees to vote on their favorite chili and booth.

Contests include best chili, best booth, best spirit and the coveted Student Government Association (SGA) Award.

In addition, judges will award a “Spirit Award” to participating teams. The teams will be judged on theme, group enthusiasm, creativity and other elements. The team the judges deem portrays the best spirit will be the winner.

Teams will decorate their booths and dress in costume in hopes of winning the “Best Booth” award. Past “Best Booth” award winners have handed out “freebies” and/or performed skits. This award is based on popular vote.

The SGA trophy is the most celebrated prize of the cook-off, which will contain an engraved name plate with the winning organization’s name. It will be awarded to the student organization with the highest combined calculation of chili and spirit.

Participating teams will not only serve Chili, but also offer their own non-chili “cook’s choice” dish, which will be judged based on popular vote.

Some of the themes students have planned include camping, science/math, Disney characters and even a theme from the movie “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” Other teams plan to focus on the chili.

“Me and my team of math geniuses will dress up in regular, everyday clothes such as denim pants and cotton knit shirts,” said Allen Cox, director of the Math Center. “We look forward to our glorious victory.”

All members of the UHCL community are invited to attend the Cook-Off. For more information, visit www.uhcl.edu/studentlife.