Falafel contest benefits charities

Amid a room full of approximately 500 falafel balls and roughly 100 spectators feasting on a variety of Middle Eastern food, the first annual falafel ball eating contest was held in the McNutt conference dining hall Monday night. Sponsored by the Helene G. Simon Hillel Center, the falafel ball eating contest was a part of Tzedakah Leads to Community week.\n"Tzedakah, or social action, is a fundamental value in Judaism, and TLC is our way of helping our students to create and participate in some truly fun and easy activities that let them connect this core value to their lives," said Jessie Mallor, assistant director of Hillel. "It is a week of social action and community service programs that tries to get as many IU Hillel students as possible participating in all kinds of service activities, from reading books on tape for blind children to eating falafel for charity."\nThough they appear similar to meatballs, falafel balls are made of chickpeas and fried in oil. Falafel's popularity in Israel is comparable to the popularity of hamburgers and french fries in the United States. \n"I am teaching a freshman leadership class, and (the students) came up with the idea for the (contest)," said program coordinator Leah Weiner. "Students from Hillel made the falafel."\nWhen a plateful of greasy falafel balls were placed in front of the 12 all-male participants, they barely blinked an eye. The participants took turns in groups of six for three rounds. \n"Put the falafel in your mouth, no hands, swallow and no puking!" Weiner said as the participants did not hesitate to dig in. \nMouths were full of falafel and smeared with red Tiger hot sauce and grease in a matter of seconds. \nAlthough senior Robert Smith devoured eight falafel balls and won round one in under three minutes, he was not yet ready to call it a night.\n"I think I'm about to join the next round and try and win it," Smith said only seconds after winning round one. \nThe second round was similar to the first but with less hot sauce. \nNon-student Seth Mahern devoured eight falafel balls in less than three minutes, as well. \n"(Falafel balls are) kind of like the Middle Eastern hush puppy," he said.\nRound three's winner, senior Danny Farahan, also could not eat enough of the falafel balls after already swallowing eight in less than three minutes.\n"Actually, I have some (more) waiting for me (at my table)," Farahan said immediately after winning the round. \nAmong the charities supported by the $2 entry fee were the Bloomington Boys and Girls Club, the Komen Breast Cancer Organization and the World Wildlife Fund. \n-- Contact staff writer Laura Bare at lbare@indiana.edu.