University of Maryland Starts First Competitive Eating Team

"Feed the turtle" is the motto of Maryland's competitive eating club, which gained university recognition last week. We're just shocked it wasn't a Big Ten school.

Gorging yourself on the all-you-can-eat laxative substitute that is dining hall food is a college tradition, that everyone usually gets sick of roughly halfway through freshman year. But a group of enterprising UM students took it further, gathering 30 like-bellied members, drafting a constitution, and gaining official university sanction.

After a roll call and reports by the president and committees, Maryland's hungriest students will start with "stretching and [a] warm-up lap," followed by "speed training" and "endurance training," the constitution notes.

But without competition, competitive eating is just plain old eating. So the environmental engineering major is trying to develop a network of competitive eating clubs at other colleges that could become his club's future rivals.

"The goal is that we get these teams started at other universities so we could compete intercollegiately," said Solomon, who has not yet cut his teeth in a sanctioned event but says he's particularly skilled at consuming large portions of hamburgers and Jell-o.

Bully for them. Extracurriculars are a great way for students make friends, let off steam from studying, and meet girls. This will help with the first two.

University of Maryland Students Start Competitive Eating Team [AOL News]