ISU students, faculty and staff warmed themselves with a hot bowl of chili Wednesday after several organizations competed against one another for the best chili recipe in the Senior Day 2000 Chili Cook-Off.

Scott Raymond, adviser for the Senior Class Council, said the event, which was part of Senior Day and was co-sponsored by his organization and the Student Alumni Leadership Council, was a success.

“Based on the response from students, we will definitely have [the chili cook-off] again,” said Raymond, graduate student in exercise and sport science.

Sixteen groups from various clubs and organizations competed against one another to see who could make the best pot of chili, Raymond said.

Mike Todd, member of the Senior Class Council, was one of the founders of the contest, along with fellow council member Katie Isiminger. “I make big pots of chili every winter,” said Todd, senior in electric engineering and physics. “I was sitting there eating my chili, and I started thinking — let’s have a chili cook-off.”

Isiminger, senior in chemical engineering, said she and Todd started working on the contest a month ago. “It was pretty hard getting the teams involved in such a short amount of time,” she said.

Raymond said the chili was a great deal — seniors ate for free; all others paid $2 to cover supply costs. “People could take samples of all the different kinds of chili and could have three bowls of the one they liked best,” he said.

A panel of celebrity judges, such as Interim President Richard Seagrave, and students selected the best chili recipes. A total of five awards, including a decoration and a people’s choice award, were handed out, Raymond said.

Todd said the judges gave away awards for what they thought were the three best kinds of chili. The ISU Foundation came in first place, followed by the Red Hot Chili Makers and the Department of Public Safety.