One of the perks of college life is that otherwise normal days often morph into holidays, and at Cornell, this phenomenon is especially true. The spring Wednesday after our last day of classes? That’s no normal Wednesday — it’s Slope Day. The men’s hockey game against Harvard? That’s no ordinary weekend match — it’s a rivalry weekend. And Homecoming is no normal day — it’s an all-day darty. For my roommate and I, the first Saturday in March is more than just an ordinary Saturday — it’s the most important day of our school year: The Downtown Ithaca Chili Cook-Off (better known as the Ithaca Chili Fest). Celebrating its 27th…