Even though the temperature outside was freezing, things inside Hirst Lounge in Wilson Commons heated up with plenty of people, games, fun and, of course, lots of pizza on Saturday, Feb. 3.
The annual Pizza Wars began with a long line of people that reached to the outside of Wilson Commons, all awaiting free pizza from the local pizzerias. Bene Pizza, (Aramark’s product) Piatza’s Pizza and Papa John’s were the participants. The numerous students in line to get their favorite pizza and a ballot to vote for the best one did not stop any pizza lovers from pushing through to the end for a chance to get a hot slice of pepperoni or cheese pizza and, if lucky, both.
The purpose of the event was to display local pizzerias and to attempt to determine UR students’ favorite pizza. When asked which pizza was his favorite, Salim Furth, a Ph.D. student, stated brilliantly, “I enjoyed Piatza’s Pizza. I liked it because it exploded the concavity of my utility function.” Although the people around him were confused and humored, the consensus from that group was in favor of Piatza’s Pizza.
However, the longest lines came from Papa John’s Pizza, where boxes of pizza were flying faster than they came in. “I liked Papa John’s the best,” Freshman Sarah Brown said, “because I like that taste of the tomato sauce best – its just a little different than the others.”
What’s their secret? According to Papa John’s delivery man, Graylynn Passineau, “Because our pizza is made with the best ingredients, because it’s made fresh and because I made it.”
The lines for Bene Pizza were not as long, and it did not seem to be a favorite among students – it is the same pizza that is served at the Pit, Hillside and other dining services on campus. “The crust on the bottom part of the pizza is too thin – not the top part, but the crust beneath the sauce,” freshman Katie Litts said after making the decision that she was not a fan of Bene’s.
In addition to the delicious pizzas, Pizza Wars was also host to games and prizes, which made the whole experience even more pleasurable. One of the games at Pizza Wars was UR’s own rendition of “The Price is Right,” where the items on display were from the Corner Store. Another game, just as challenging, was geared towards pizza lovers claiming they could tell the difference between Piatza’s, Bene’s, and Papa John’s.
So who was the winner of Pizza Wars? Though the ultimate victor was Piatza’s, to most people it did not matter, as they had gotten their free pizza and were ready to officially start the festivities during this Winterfest weekend.
