Two time Gumbo Cook-Off winner, Janet Moran, tastes her competing gumbo. This year, Moran competed against her husband, Richard Moran, who went on to win the Fan’s Choice Award based on the amount of funds raised at his table.
Regina Pergola/The Lion's Roar

Gumbo Cook-Off during tailgating had a diverse audience of students, graduates, local people and, of course, gumbo. Gumbo Cook-Off was part of the Gold Day tailgate before the Lions home game against the Central Arkansas Bears. The tailgaters were able to taste the gumbo made by the competitors and support the chefs by making monetary donations. These donations were used to judge the Fans Choice Award Winner.

Brian Shirey, market manager at Kajun 107.1, was a participating chef in the 10th annual Gumbo Cook-Off.

“We tailgate in front of Dyson Hall, we’re Northshore broadcasting, a local news station,” said Shirey. “We always do a two and a half hour tailgate show and whatever the event is, we participate in. The Gumbo Cook-Off and Homecoming, we do it up a little extra. All of our employees and all our customers come and hang out. We get a lot of students coming through.” 

Fan choice winner, Richard Moran, prior to the winners’ announcement, explained his and his wife, Janet Moran’s, previous involvement with the Gumbo Cook-Off.

“We do it every year since they first started it,” said Moran. “Janet won the first year they held it. This is my first year entering it.”

Moran, 2005 I.T. alumnus, was competing against his wife, Music Alumni Association President, Janet Moran, for the first time during the 10th annual gumbo competition.

Jenafay Foster, an alumnus, expressed her love for tailgating and the significance it held for her. She enjoyed herself by the 2015 Gumbo Cook-Off winner’s stand.

“Tailgating with them is so much fun,” said Foster. “The first tailgate I ever did was here and I loved it.”

Foster was able to reconnect with many people she knew around Friendship Circle. 

“It is so much fun and everyone is so nice and you see people you haven’t seen in years,” said Foster. “You get to see all these people you know, but from a long time ago. You see past coaches and that’s really all fun. It’s a good thing.”

She also represented the Lions in her gold gear. As she was tailgating, people she knew would come up and say hello.

“Today was gold day,” said Foster. “I’ve got my gold hat. It’s just wonderful. I love it. It’s just great.”

Janet Moran, who had won the first Gumbo Cook-Off, reminisced her previous gumbo competing years while expressing her current appreciation for the football team.

“It was very humbling,” said Janet Moran. “I don’t eat seafood, and so for my seafood gumbo to win was a big deal, I thought. I won the paddle twice. I’m here to enjoy the game and support my lions. Win or lose, I’m always a supporter.”

Carl Wells, a 1966 alumnus, is a Golden Alumni that was present at Gold Day tailgate last Saturday. He will walk the stage with the December graduates in honor of graduating half a century ago. 

“It’s been 50 years,” said Wells. “Can you believe it. I graduated when we were still a college.”

Wells belongs to an Alumni Association group that supports current university organizations. He mentioned the other members in the group and his family is also university alumni.

“A lot of them still stick together and meet up,” said Wells. “All of them are old guys like me. I’m a little older than the rest of them because I spent three years in the military before I came back to school. We support all the programs now. Both of my sons graduated from here.”

There were two winners, the Fan Choice Winner and the Judge’s Choice Winner. The two winners were Richard Moran and Russell Putolo. The Fan Choice Winner was judged based on the amount of money raised by each competitor. The funds went to support the University Athletic Advisory Committee who have claimed Gumbo Cook-Off as their annual fundraiser.  The Judges Choice Award was determined by a blind taste test of each gumbo.

Foster supported the gumbo making efforts and gave the chef her compliments. She showed her true green and gold colors as she wholeheartedly endorsed the university’s pregaming.

“Where else would you get good gumbo,” said Foster. “Nowhere else and such a cute little guy that made it. It’s just great, this tailgating. I don’t want to go to nobody else’s because to me, this is the best. I don’t wanna go nowhere else.”