Purdue’s homecoming was a week ago. Like every other college/university, Purdue’s homecoming has those traditions like parades, returning alumni celebrations, tailgating, king/queen elections, etc. that have been unchanged for decades. However, there is one tradition that is uniquely Purdue’s that is celebrated early Saturday morning of every home football game: The Breakfast Club. The Breakfast Club isn’t a pep rally, but a mash-up of Halloween, beer, and football (although the latter is just an excuse for being).
Sometime in the 1980s, the Breakfast Club was born. It probably started with a bunch of students dressing up in costume and drinking somewhere before home football games. However, it didn’t take campus bars long to figure out a way to “cash in” by opening their doors at 7 a.m. And then the Breakfast Club grew exponentially! It’s not surprising to see students dressed in costume begin to queue up outside these bars sometime after 3 a.m. waiting for the doors to open at 7. (see the video link) And because of fire regulations, each bar will only admit people as code will allow, which leaves a sizeable number of people lined up outside waiting to enter.
The costumes are what make the Breakfast Club unique. They range from “off the rack” to ones that are homemade and very creative; but no prizes are awarded. My girlfriend said she once saw a guy dressed like the Pope making out with someone dressed as a Catholic schoolgirl! Not that my friend is all “preachy”, but she thought this was so wrong, so she interrupted them and they moved on. J
The Village where the campus bars are located is very congested, the lanes are narrow, and it’s a state highway!! The City of West Lafayette has responded by putting more police on the sidewalks and erected barriers to keep people from stepping/stumbling off the curb into the street, lowering the University’s enrollment. Local business owners cringe on these mornings. Many do not allow Clubbers into their establishments to use the restrooms and are annoyed to find them sitting on their doorsteps or barfing/urinating near their entryways. One business owner I know has delighted in “pranking” Clubbers by gluing coins to the asphalt in front of his business. Clubbers stagger by, see the coin, attempt to pick it up and fall over.
The Breakfast Club makes any trip to the Village an adventure since students are lined up waiting to get into the bars, as others leave. It’s uncertain how many end up at the football game, probably few. Police do arrest many for public intox. Imagine that walk of shame: dressed as a banana, drunk as a skunk, and appearing before a judge. All I can think of is my favorite movie line: “Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son.”
The University does attempt to discourage “high-risk” drinking by handing out brochures to parents during freshman orientation pointing out the risks and encouraging “talks” with their students about getting involved in extra-curricular activities, etc. It sounds like a coming of age movie centered on a college campus, right?? But, it hasn’t slowed the Breakfast Club attendance, who many view as a “rite of passage”. So, for the rest of us who have “been there, done that” and moved on, we look away and avoid the area. “Boiler up-chuck”!!
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