This year’s Fear Factor was Super Bowl themed foods. Each house had people eat cream cheese and jalapeños, raw spam and burnt toast, salty soda, cake in a cup, can of beans, hot wings and blue cheese and chips, onions and olives. Regester won for the girls and had the best time overall, and Moser won for the boys. Previously the challenge has been less food, but it has been very odd food combinations. This year, the food was not as gross, but the portions were larger. Freshman Brantley Wade is new to the RUMPUS scene but jumped right in when Moser needed another Fear Factor participant. He gave his thoughts right as the competition ended.
“We have been killing it, we have first place finishes in three events right now,” Brantley Wade said. “We are currently in first, and we placed first in Fear Factor, so it has been really fun.”
Sophomore Cooper Laliberte was given the task to eat the hot wings and blue cheese, and he finished it without throwing up. This was his second time participating in Fear Factor.
“My house means everything to me, I bleed red, literally, Neville Fear Factor and Neville RUMPUS means everything,” Laliberte said. “Even if we don’t win, the ability to come out here and compete, with my friends and against other houses is a great opportunity.”
Senior Julian Swett was the final person to go for Summerbell House, and finished the cake in a cup without it coming back up. Summerbell finished the food first but ended up coming in second behind Moser who finished all of their food without any penalties. Summerbell took two penalties because two members of their team vomited, costing them eight minutes.
“Definitely an honor, can’t say I can complain, every other food was much worse than mine, and mine was kinda delicious,” Swett said. “Definitely traumatizing for some dorm students because the food was similar to the food trucks that got everyone sick last year. But I did not get food poisoning, so I guess my trauma starts now.”
Wade has been active is the dorms early, competing in RUMPUS events, and other dorm activities as a freshmen. Not many freshmen were active this year at RUMPUS, but Wade stepped up in a crucial spot, to help give Moser a shot to win it all later Saturday night, which they inevitably fumbled.
“I get to interact and build relationships with the people in my house,” Wade said. “Also I get recognition of me participating in RUMPUS my freshman year.”