West Lafayette: Last on your List, but #1 in my Heart

Earlier this week, big city biased people reporters covering Big Ten Athletics released their poll of the best Big Ten cities, which ranked West Lafayette as the worst of them all. We wouldn’t be surprised if Purdue was rated in the bottom half, but dead last? Come on, man, it’s not that bad! (Especially since the poll talks about Chicago instead of Evanston for Northwestern. I guess that "Chicago’s Big Ten Team" motto has finally paid off, but I digress.)

For non-Purdue people, the rest of this article may seem like "little brother" attitude or just being jealous. But I say to them, screw you!

I have spent almost 2 years in Ann Arbor now, and though I think that A2 is a better college town, West Lafayette is still #1 in my heart.

It may not be the biggest, or best, or even in the top half, compared to the other B1G campuses, but during my four years at Purdue, it was perfect for me. It was simple and had a unique small-town feel to it. It was the best place to get lost in the crowd or just find a quiet space to yourself for the day. I enjoy being able to walk to class across campus with ease (exception for those taking classes at the airport) and not have to worry about taking a bus between multiple campuses just to go from class to class.

You may not like our red brick buildings, but I see something more than brick. I see pioneers, like Neil Armstrong, Amelia Earhart, and Gus Grissom, whose names are represented on these buildings; Boilermakers who have come through Purdue’s campus and pushed the limits of mankind.

You may enjoy campuses with 15+ bars to select from, but I’ll take Harry’s and Jakes over your bars any day. Show me a place that can serve Long Islands and popcorn better than Harry’s and I’ll be there. There’s no better cure for a hangover than a trip to Triple XXX, and if you think Halloween is meant to be celebrated once a year, then I feel sorry for you, bud.

I could go on and on about the different traditions, but I’ll save you from the trouble. If you prefer your amateur bike race or jumping into a disgusting lake in late November, fine, I can’t stop you. West Lafayette may seem small and dead compared to your big city campuses, but it has a heart, and it’s where I spent the best four years of my life.

Hail Purdue, and West Lafayette too.