Shouting disrupted my peaceful dinner last Wednesday night when the men of Simpson swarmed A.J.’s Café for the wing-eating contest, chanting “Kill! Kill! Kill!” Yet perhaps a more apt chant might have been “Exclusion! Gluttony! Pride!”
As homecoming rolls around each year, I look forward to the events and the hope of toppling Simpson that it brings. I abhor, however, the eating contest. Every other event brings the dorms together and allows many people to participate. For the eating contest, you have a small chance of being able to participate. And unless you happen to be absurdly tall, you will not even be able to watch.
Worse, eating contests do not promote school spirit but rather the spirit of gluttony. Hillsdale College purports to follow the tradition of Aristotle, who recommends moderation in all things. Where is the mediation as you devour 12 wings in three minutes? Many aspects of Roman culture are admirable, but do we need puke buckets in Saga?
As I walked away from A.J.’s that night, I passed a poster for the Simpson Food Drive. This year’s eating contest was not only repulsive, but also poorly timed. Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma wreaked devastation on the southern United States, but up north, we continue to revel in our excess of food. Each week the King’s Kupboard here in Hillsdale asks for volunteers. Yet at Hillsdale College we would rather use food to nourish our pride instead of our bodies or souls.
Rose Schweizer is a senior studying mathematics.