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 Ģ������ƵStories      October 13, 2025

By Bill Studenc

Chili might not be the entrée that most people think of when discussing weekend brunch options, but that’s exactly what will be on the menu the morning of Saturday, Nov. 15, at Ģ������Ƶ’s fourth annual Faculty and Staff Chili Cookoff.

Originally launched as an intimate gathering of colleagues in WCU’s College of Business after the COVID-19 pandemic, the cookoff has risen to a full boil rivalry pitting copious campus colleagues in a competition of culinary cleverness.

About 30 people gathered at a tailgate spot in the Field House lot in the fall of 2022 for the first year of the event to shake off the shackles of canceled activities and social distancing while sampling assortments of chili concocted by faculty and staff from the College of Business. The College of Education and Allied Professions got into the act in 2023, with about 60 folks on hand to taste the epicurean creations at the battle of the bowls.

Last year, faculty and staff from four colleges – including newcomers from Arts and Sciences, and Engineering and Technology – competed for campus “best chili” bragging rights and a traveling trophy. To accommodate a larger crowd of attendees that topped 100 people, the event moved to exterior pickleball courts adjacent to the Ramsey Regional Activity Center.

New for 2025, another challenger is getting into the chili con-carnage, as faculty and staff from the David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts will try their hand at staging some crowd-pleasing entries.

“The competition is growing,” said A.J. Grube, dean of the College of Business and the mastermind behind the cookoff. “This year, faculty and staff from across the entire university are invited to join the challenge in addition to teams from the five colleges. With campuswide participation, the stakes are higher, and the excitement is building. As defending champions, we in the College of Business must step up our game.”

The 2025 edition of the Faculty and Staff Chili Cookoff will be held between 9 and 11 a.m. in advance of the noon kickoff of WCU’s final home football game against Southern Conference foe East Tennessee State University.

Check-in for faculty and staff cookoff contestants will be from 8 until 9 a.m. Official judging will get underway at 9 a.m., with awards presented at 10:30 a.m. Prizes will be awarded for best overall chili, best vegetarian chili and hottest chili.

Public tasting will begin at 9 a.m., with the presentation of the “Whee Choose” Award at 11 a.m.

Cookoff organizers have assembled a distinguished panel of judges to sample chili from the various categories. This year’s judges are Dennis Brown, WCU’s first gentleman, and a group that Grube affectionately calls “Huffman and the Historians” – Scott Huffman, professor of chemistry and physics; David Dorondo, professor of history; associate professor of anthropology and sociology; Alex Macaulay, associate professor and head of the Department of History; and Libby McRae, professor of history.

Although the competition is open only to Ģ������Ƶemployees, community members are invited to attend and sample chili prepared by faculty and staff chefs, Grube said.

“We welcome our friends and neighbors to join us for a sizzling showdown as our university’s chili enthusiasts battle it out for the title of ‘chili champion.’ Bring your taste buds and your appetite to this fiery and fun event,” Grube said.

“Don't miss out on the chance to taste some of the most mouthwatering chili recipes in town and cast your vote for the ‘Whee Choose’ Award,” she said. “Let the chili games begin.”

Registration for faculty and staff interested in participating in the competition is .

Entrants with questions should contact a member of the contest’s “Spice Squad”:

College of Business - Melanie Lewis mlewis@wcu.edu.   

College of Education and Allied Professions – Regina Aton rgaton@wcu.edu.

College of Arts and Sciences – Maggie Ashley mashley@wcu.edu.

College of Engineering and Technology – Alyssa Dunn adunn@wcu.edu.

David Orr Belcher College of Fine and Performing Arts – Theresa Marie Arnold tmckenzie@wcu.edu.