UMass Dethrones Berkeley with Team Spirit and a 422-Foot Sushi Roll

Try this one on for size: a 422-foot California sushi roll. No, it wasn't fashioned in Japan, but on the first day of school at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. More than 300 volunteers participated in a team-building, sushi-rolling event on Sept. 7, claiming the record for the world's longest California roll.

The sushi, which was made under the discerning eye of Food Network chef Jet Tila, was created from 650 sheets of nori (seaweed), 200 pounds of sushi rice, 200 pounds of crab, 100 pounds of avocado, 100 pounds of cucumber, two pounds of sesame seeds, five gallons of soy sauce and six pounds of wasabi. The sushi-makers included students, staff and volunteer chefs, all wearing T-shirts created especially for the occasion.

Tila (photo at right) told the crowd in a Zen-like pep talk beforehand, "You must believe, you must visualize, you must know you can do it."

"Seafood and local vegetables — that’s the key, and this is a perfect example of what can happen when you tap into a nutritious, sustainable local food supply," said UMass Amherst auxiliary enterprises executive director and former dining hall director Ken Toong, who believes that UMass Amherst has been the rightful heir to the sushi record all along.

"Each day, more than 2,000 sushi rolls are served here," says Toong. "I would not be surprised if UMass students eat more sushi than any other school in the nation."

UMass-Amherst Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Jean Kim expressed support for an endeavor she saw as a way to build a sushi roll and build a sense of community at the same time. The previous record had been held by the University of California-Berkeley.

"I would literally wait in line a half hour for my sushi in the DC (dining commons). I wish I could have been there for this magical moment," says Marisa Fields, UMass class of 2008 and 2009. "I loved the sushi so much I graduated twice."

Photo courtesy of the University of Massachusetts Amherst.