Purdue is located in West Lafayette, Indiana. With about 30,000 permanent residents, it isn’t the largest of towns, but students seem satisfied with the opportunities it provides. West Lafayette is about 70 miles northwest of Indianapolis and 120 miles south of Chicago, so undergrads often trek to those cities for more extensive cultural offerings. Purdue has a pretty diverse student body, and the area restaurants tend to reflect that. Café Hookah is in the Chauncey shopping center, and the Egyptian Café and Hookah Bar recently opened on Northwestern Avenue. Both bars are well-known for their amazing food and atmosphere. In this same general area, Purdue has many coffee shops that attract students all day long. The Village Coffee Shop is of course right in the Village, and offers a variety of drinks, snacks, and chairs and tables where people study. They also have live bands on the weekends, which are often made up of Purdue students. Café Royale just moved out of the Village and over to the corner of Stadium and Northwestern Avenues. They serve a variety of coffee drinks, other beverages, and food. They also offer tables and booths that are great for studying as well. These coffee shops tend to be popular spots because they are close to the center of campus yet far enough away from the chaos to allow students to actually get some work done. They are also nice places for meeting friends to either study quietly together (as opposed to the Union, where it tends to be louder) or to get together for a quick cup of coffee and a chat between classes. For all the undergrads balancing classes, homework, jobs, and other activities, having a place to stop in and catch up with people can make a huge difference. Harry’s Chocolate Shop has been a traditional Purdue haunt since its doors opened in 1919. Primarily a soda shop in the early days, Harry's got its liquor license soon after. There is a myth that the name Harry’s Chocolate Shop remained so that it could continue to sell alcohol during prohibition. Harry’s is best known for its 'Go Ugly Early' slogan (ask a student), but it is the area's most popular bar. Every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night, there's a line stretching out the door of people waiting to get in. Before football and basketball games, tons of alumni come back and go to Harry’s because, well, Harry’s is the true Purdue bar. It has always been owned by Purdue grads, and probably always will be. As a freshman I remember learning about Harry’s and then going to a bookstore and buying the Harry’s 'drink ‘em cute' t-shirt even though I had years to go before I could set foot in a bar. Before most students graduate, they're bound to have a Harry's T-shirt as well as the requisite Purdue apparel: Boilermakers are, after all, proud of their traditions. Within a 15-minute drive is the Tippecanoe Mall, which has over 100 stores, including Macy's and Dick's Sporting Goods. Recently featured on the Food Network, Triple X is a Purdue landmark. In business for over 100 years, this '50s-style diner is famous for its Purvis burger, a hamburger with peanut butter. It's open 24 hours a day and is located just down the hill from the Chauncey Hill area.

The campus is marked by a distinctive redbrick and limestone architectural design. The Engineering Mall is the central quad on campus, where one can find the Purdue Bell Tower (which includes a time capsule that is to be opened in 2095) and the Engineering Fountain. Memorial Mall and University Hall are the older, more historic parts of campus; here you can find the gravesite of the school’s founder, John Purdue. There are many well-known hangouts at Purdue, whether you want to grab a bite with friends, catch up with someone you haven’t seen for a while, or just grab some drinks. On the edge of campus is the Purdue Memorial Union, which is the best place to hang out during the day. Students often meet friends for lunch or coffee to break up a long day of classes. Also, the Union can be a really great place to meet friends to study if you don’t mind a little bit of commotion going on around you. Another great hangout close to the Union is Boiler Market. Most students come to Boiler Market for the pizza, but they also make great pasta, sandwiches, and salads too. Occasionally there will also be live bands playing there. For the over-21 set, Boiler Market offers a pitcher and pie deal that tends to attract a crowd on the weekends. Students often hang out here with friends before going out for the night.

Purdue University’s residences are home to almost 12,000 students, making it the largest voluntary on-campus housing system in the country. For most incoming freshmen, co-ed dormitories are a popular choice. In these halls, males occupy one wing of the building, with females in another. Residents must share a room with another person and share one large bathroom with the entire floor, and a Resident Assistant lives on each floor as well. Located primarily to the west of campus, these halls include: Earhart Hall, Owen Hall, Wiley Hall, McCutcheon Hall, Harrison Hall, and Shreve Hall. Most of these dorms contain laundry facilities, study lounges, recreational lounges, and computer labs. Shreve Hall is the only freshman dorm with air conditioning, making it a more desirable choice among the incoming class. Purdue also has two all-male halls and one all-female hall. Cary Quadrangle is one of the largest male housing units in the country. Recently renovated, it offers a suite-style layout in which one bathroom is shared between two rooms, and it also boasts a large courtyard. Tarkington Hall is the second all-male dormitory. Unlike in Cary Quadrangle, residents share one bathroom with their floor. Tark Mart, a convenience store that honors students' dining card points, is located in the basement of Tarkington Hall. Once home to Amelia Earhart, Windsor Hall is one of the oldest dorms on campus. This all-female hall is comprised of five buildings. For upperclassmen, Purdue offers Hillenbrand Hall, Hilltop Apartments, Hawkins Hall, Young Hall, and Purdue Village. Hillenbrand Hall is a popular choice for sophomores wishing to remain in the dorms. It offers a suite-style layout, as well as air conditioning. Each floor in Hillenbrand Hall also has a kitchenette and lounge area. Across from Ross-Ade Stadium, Hilltop Apartments is similar to an apartment complex, though there are Resident Assistants living there as well. Each apartment houses four students. Hawkins Hall is primarily for graduate students, though any student aged 20 or over can apply. Opposite the Purdue Memorial Union, Young Hall is available to a limited number of students. It offers air conditioning and some private bathrooms. Purdue Village is another apartment-style living arrangement. While it is open to undergraduate students, it’s popular among graduate students and students with families. In fall 2009, Purdue will open its newest resident hall. Expected to house 365 students, this dorm will be comprised of single rooms, each with a private bathroom.

The NCAA Division I Purdue Boilermakers compete in the Big Ten Conference. There are 18 varsity sports, and basketball is the biggest show in town (this is Indiana, after all; basketball is in locals’ blood). The men’s and women’s squads have taken home a 27 conference championships, more than any other Big Ten school. The football team, as Rachel Adler ’08 reports, is currently “growing and recruiting.” Regardless of the team’s performance, it still attracts big crowds and helps to foster a sense of school spirit. Other notable athletic programs include men’s cross country, women’s soccer, wrestling, and volleyball. Purdue’s main rival is the Indiana Hoosiers; for those who bleed Black and Gold, Indiana University makes them see red. Purdue University and Indiana University are the two largest public colleges in the state, and each competes in the Big Ten. The Purdue-IU basketball rivalry is one of the most intense in the nation, dating back to 1901. During football season, Purdue and IU play for the Old Oaken Bucket. The Old Oaken Bucket, first bestowed in 1925, is one of the oldest and most famous football trophies in the country, given to the winner of the annual football game between the two schools. Purdue and IU also compete for the Crimson and Gold Cup. Spanning a variety of athletic competitions, the schools win points by winning individual contests. A fairly new tradition, the Crimson and Gold Cup is awarded to the school with the highest point total at the end of the year. - Rachel Adler ’08 and Melissa Paniaguas ’08 contributed reporting