This was my second year attending the annual Chili Cook Off in the commons and it does not cease to surprise me how it, as all downtown festivals, brings so many diverse people together. Everyone at the cook off gathers for one sole purpose — tasting the ultimate chili recipe — yet the event is about so much more than the food available. You can get a taste of over 25 unique chili recipes (including some vegan and vegetarian options), but there are also people selling cornbread to fundraise for healthy kid snacks and others who are enabling others to register to vote locally while informing the community about different political candidates. If anyone is seeking to learn more about Ithaca and the local community, the Chili Cook Off is definitely on my list of recommended events to attend. Part of getting off campus and going to a downtown event is getting to know more about the people whose lives influence ours during our stay in Ithaca, just as we influence theirs. You get to have conversations with people at the chili stands or the ticket booths. You get to know more about local shops/vendors that you had no idea existed. You get to learn more about the issues this community cares about or faces. Most of all, however, you get to be an active citizen in this community by being more informed and supporting the local events. It was worth getting all bundled up and spending time outdoors.