An effort to inspire west-side unity leads to a unique contest between dorms
By John McCarty
What do Super Bowl Sunday, comedian Dave Chappelle and the west side of campus have in common? The answer: the Unity Bowl, a friendly game of flag football between Villa Maria and Mehling and Corrado.
Named for a Dave Chappelle skit, the Unity Bowl began six years ago. Students from Mehling and Villa faced off against a team from Corrado for the prized Unity Bowl trophy, a wine bottle with a bowl attached to the top.
The score from each game is written down and placed inside the trophy, which is then given to the winners. This year is different, however, as the game ended in a tie, at 38 to 38.
The first Unity Bowl was co-founded by former Corrado resident and current Christie Hall Director Danny Mero, former Villa resident Ryan Henley and former Mehling resident Nicole Schiffer.
"When we first started, there was no unity on the west side of campus," Mero said. "We just wanted something that would bring about more connection between the dorms."
According to Mero, prior to the inception of the Unity Bowl, Villa, Mehling and Corrado would each have their own Super Bowl events. The Unity Bowl came about as a healthy activity before the traditional game-day feasting.
The game itself is akin to an intramural co-recreational flag football game.
Each team must have a certain number of female players on the field for every play and a player is down when their flags are removed.
"It began as a friendly contest and it has never gotten out of hand and never been a blowout," Mero said.
According to Mero, the decision to call the contest the Unity Bowl came from the "Rick James: Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories," skit on "Chappelle's Show."
In the skit, Rick James (played by Chappelle) wears a ring with "unity" inscribed on it to commemorate his new song of the same name.
The same word is later imprinted on Charlie Murphy's forehead when James punches him in the head. "Unity!" Mero shouted in his best imitation of Rick James. "That was me and Ryan's call across the field."
With one minute left in the 2010 Unity Bowl, the Villa/Mehling squad had possession and was up 38-32.
A quick interception gave the Corrado squad one more chance and they wasted no time scoring the tying touchdown.
"The tie is a happy ending to the Unity Bowl," sophomore and Corrado quarterback Eric Holpainen said.
Though the Unity Bowl is about camaraderie, it is not without competitive spirit.
Collisions between players resulted in two minor injuries, and, as with any sporting event, some of the players did not always agree with the referees' decisions.
"Of course it gets heated, it's a bunch of people playing football," Imfeld said.
Though the game ended in a tie, Holpainen stated that practicing together as a team would've helped Corrado's chances. The Villa/Mehling team had four official practices.
"We were trying to give everyone playing time," Imfeld said. "I told the team, if you're going to show up to practice then you are going to play."
The Unity Bowl will likely be a lasting tradition, according to Imfeld, because it is a simple event, is easy to organize and a lot of fun.
"We didn't imagine the Unity Bowl happening five years later," Mero said. "It's a testament to the RA's who organize it."
