The afternoon of Monday, April 21 was straight out of a postcard: the sun was shining, cotton-ball clouds overhead, a slight breeze blowing on the lawn in front of the HUB, the murmuring of happy students walking in and out of the HUB. In other words, a perfect day to watch dozens of UW students inhale heads of iceberg lettuce.
Yes, it was the annual competition of the UW Lettuce Eating Club. Now, before you take a bite, don’t let that club moniker fool you. Sure, these students put down their computers and notebooks for a little while to see how fast they can consume a head of lettuce. This club is focused on climate justice. And if gorging on lettuce can help spread the word, then, why not?
As the student announcer told the assembled lettuce eaters before starting the competition, “May the odds romaine in your favor.” And they were off.
The competition was intense (and a little hilarious), as dozens of students huddled around foldout tables tackling the orbs of greenery (purchased for $4 a head before the show), employed every possible tactic: Some bit straight into the lettuce, others cut it into pieces, others shredded it on a paper plate, some used salad dressing, many didn’t, all to the cheers and support from pals and puzzled onlookers wondering what was going on.
In the end, it was Ewen Lister, a first-year master’s student in electrical engineering, who made his head of lettuce go down the gullet in a mere 3 minutes, 37 seconds to earn the crown of Sultan of Salad.
A couple of fans asked Ewen for selfies after he was honored with the construction-paper crown. “This is the closest to fame I’ve been,” said Navia Nangipudi, another electrical engineering master’s student and a big fan of Ewen even before he took down the iceberg.
Ewen had been eyeing this day for years, as this was his third lettuce-eating competition. Two years ago, he finished 11th. Last year, he was runner-up. His secret to success? “Drink lots of water,” he explained. But a bit later, he admitted, “I almost blacked out.”
It was another huge success for the club and a fun afternoon, and more than one competitor said they were already planning for next year.
Jon Marmor is the editor of UW Magazine.