"Spicy or Mild" Was The Heartburning Question at TU Law’s Chilifest 2003 Feb. 28

Friday, March 07, 2003

Published on 3/7/03

Would the scales of justice tip in favor of spicy or lean more toward mild? That was the heartburning question surrounding Chilifest 2003, sponsored by The University of Tulsa College of Law. The event returned to John Rogers Hall Feb. 28, where it began nine years ago, filling the TU law school with area lawyers, law students, judges, educators and alums for a highly spiced chili cook-off.

Exotic spices, secret ingredients, costumes, props and mariachi music all played a part in the overall presentation, but the competition came down to hard evidence: taste. The big winner was “Chaotic Brief Encounter,” the concoction of the Doerner Saunders Red Hot Ranch Hand Chili Survivors, taking Best Overall honors and also picking up a win in the Best Traditional category.

Runner-up for Best Traditional was The White House team with their “IRAQ-U Chili” entry. In the Non-Traditional category, The Drain Law Office was the winner with (what else?) “Down the Drain Chili” while the Law Law Sisterhood (TU Law staff ) was runner-up with their “Southern Belle Chili.” Best Presentation also went to Law Law Sisterhood with runner-up honors going to the Part-Time Student Association’s “Skeeter Killin’ Chili.” The Most Creative Recipe award was won by Ducey’s Lucys (TU Law library staff) for their “Red Head Chili,” with Riggs Abney Red Hot Chili Lawyers as runners-up with their “Politically Correct Chili.”

Sponsors for the event included Brian Cather, John Powers, Bob and MaryAnn Hastings, Delpha Pitts and Sonya Nobles of the Original Chili Bowl; Kelli-Marie Stone, Kelli Blohm, Carla Dickinson and Patti Phaneuf of Key Legal Personnel; Blue Bell Creameries for donating mini cups of Blue Bell Ice Cream; and Mars Distributing for the Chilifest judges' pre-party.

Judges for the Chilifest event included many actual judges and other notables such as District Judges Terry Bitting, Darlene Crutchfield, Greg Frizzell, Tom Gillert, Jesse Harris, Kyle Haskins, Edward Hicks, Charles Hogshead, Linda Morrissey, Bob Perugino, David Peterson, Jefferson Sellers, Ronald Shaffer, Darrell Shepherd, Tom Thornbrugh, Caroline Wall, Jane Wiseman and Mike Zacharias; Oklahoma Supreme Court Judge Daniel Boudreau; U. S. District Judge Sven Erik Holmes; U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Terrence Michael, Tulsa County District Attorney Tim Harris; Chilifest founder Joe Bohannon; and Sandra Cousins, executive director of the Tulsa County Bar Association.

Other participants included The Rode Law Firm with their “Gut Buster” recipe; Eldridge, Cooper, Steichen and Leach with their “Unreasonably Dangerous Chili” entry; Tulsa Law Review’s “Masthead Chili”; Brewster and DeAngelis with their “Festivus Chili”; and the Second Judge Advocate Detachment’s “JAG-tastic Chili”.