Excelsior Scores a Touchdown with Annual Tailgating for Taste Chili-Cook-off for Employees
鈥淕o team!鈥� takes on a dual meaning the Friday before the Super Bowl, when employees of Excelsior College show their support for their favorite sports team and show their team spirit for each other and the College.
For the past three years, Excelsior College鈥檚 employee enrichment committees have organized the Tailgating for Taste Chili Cookoff during the lunch hours. Employees, either as a department team or as individuals, display their culinary skills by preparing chili for others to taste. Employees sample the chilis and vote for winners in such categories as the best-tasting chili and the heathiest chili鈥攕ometimes they鈥檙e one in the same, sometimes not! There are bragging rights and a trophy, too.
Excelsior, an online higher education institution that helps adult learners complete their degrees, encourages health, wellness, and team spirit among its employees. Events throughout the year bring employees together to learn, to celebrate, to meet, to collaborate, and to volunteer.
In addition to the cook-off, the pre-Super Bowl event has games, raffles prizes, and a 鈥淭eam Spirit鈥� award. Departments are encouraged to get creative, cook something healthy, wear sports-themed attire, sports team colors, and display signage with Excelsior team spirit.
The event consistently draws a good-size crowd.
鈥淲e tend to underestimate the impact of having informal opportunities for staff to get together and have some fun, and it doesn鈥檛 always require a huge investment of time and money either 鈥攕ome creativity and willingness to participate or help out is all you need,鈥� says Mark Howe, vice president of human resources. 鈥淎nd if we鈥檙e able to promote health and wellness while we鈥檙e at it, even better.鈥�
The Tailgating for Taste and other events, such as picnics and holiday parties, are important to the College since employees are in different buildings and don鈥檛 always meet others outside their units. Bringing employees together helps bridge distance and creates a culture that employees look forward to while taking a break with each other. For enrichment events, employees lead events, create themes, and enhance employee engagement via collaboration outside the units. The College has been around for more than 45 years, and these events are a big win for employees. In the case of the Tailgating for Taste Chili Cook-off, it鈥檚 like a touchdown with a two-point conversion to break a tie!
