History

HISTORY OF THE
GRADUATE COLLEGE "SUPERFLY" BREAKFAST CLUB
OF PRINCETON UNIVERSITY
Volume II
by Anita Adhitya

Introduction

"If you're an early riser who dislikes silence with your breakfast, sit down and join us," invites The Graduate College "Superfly" Breakfast Club of Princeton University. Indeed: Its partakers, regular or otherwise, share an ability to appear in Procter Hall at 7:30am (or thereabouts) and a desire to converse at this time. Happily, those bestowed with this unique pair of properties are sufficient in number and in words, coherent or otherwise, as to maintain this fine institution through thick and thin, and indeed any consistency of that which purports to be orange juice. And so conversations and camaraderie over breakfast continue, and this brings me to my present purpose.

I undertake here a continuation of the History of The Graduate College "Superfly" Breakfast Club of Princeton University, a fine work propitiously begun by Eric Adelizzi. This work was also propitiously concluded by Mr. Adelizzi, but time and bagels and the Breakfast Club did forge on regardless. Thus, I now begin where Mr. Adelizzi left off: after "Part Seven, The End of an Error".

Part Eight, The Beginning of Another

Indeed the Breakfast Club did not end, though the semester did and three months of breakfasts along with it. But summer passed by and soon all returned...except for Garrett, whose nightmares were hopefully lost over a pothole on the fine road to Lawrence. Late Portuguese dinners could not be translated into the Princeton meal plan unless Joao joined us for breakfast, and so another regular was recruited. His arrivals rivalled Steve's, who still came. Murat breakfasted for a while, as Secretary General or otherwise; Gabi graced us with her presence; Peter's alarm clock was trapped in the time warp of generals; Asa's bag still demanded bananas; and Eric and I co-presided over an empty cider bottle. Alas I missed an extraordinary meeting -- with minutes, besides! -- and more breakfasts after that, but no doubt our delightful company of breakfasters continued blissfully onward betwixt bagels and doughnuts and bagels and doughnuts and bagels.

Part Nine, The Golden Age

If silence is golden, then this was a year rich indeed. Eric departed in October, thus ending an era (but this time not an error). Quiet times ensued. Puns and politics and points had not perished -- nay! -- but neither did they proliferate. Joao continued to breakfast, until his departure in April; Luke journeyed from Lockhart and then Lawrence to bring tales of foreign lands; and Arno manifested on mornings coincident with his mathematical menagerie. There were visitations from Dormouse-in-residence Donna, and Nick, Patrick and others. But breakfasts remained quiet and no other regulars joined us. What fate, oh Breakfast Club?

Ah, but one more regular did in the spring appear. A toast to Mr. Pease, in whose oration of Oreos would golden silence flee. From Mongolia to France did conversation range, and a merry trade of music theory and Korean proceeded over the breakfast table and napkins -- gamsahamnida!

Just as foreign at this university is change. But Joe did succeed..

       'Twas the night of the Formal, when all through the House,
       Was a creature a'stirring, to rearrange the route;
       The tables were moved, at 2am with care,
       In the hopes that Harry Potter soon would be there.

Four rows non-magically appeared, and the central table toasted by the Breakfast Club was no longer. Which house to choose? New coordinates were resolved.

Part Ten, Revival and the Reign of Physicists

A new year began, and new gifts to behold. The new chairs arrived -- all praise to the good Dean's wife, and to Leonard and Joao's CPUC chair-carrying expedition -- and so did new breakfasters. No longer would we silently sink. New bagel flavours did also appear, though some of yore did not. [Your author wishes to note her preference for the "everything" bagels]. Guest Breakfasters joined us, and attendence was indeed a sight to be seen...but where was the Dean? And there was talk of a batter-field trip, oversightedly Passovered but perhaps yet to PJ's.

The first years came, they saw, and Nik conquered the cream cheese. Undeterred by fare or friendship, they stayed. Thus enlivened was the Breakfast Club, and your author did rejoice. It was a merry band that breakfasted this year: a polyphony of physicists and an ensemble of economists. The physicists did prevail.

Regulars settled, and even formed a Commonwealth. Luke continued his Lawrencian stroll, well-attired as always. Adam became Baron of Well-Browned Bagels; Sam joined us from the Imperial Island; and Ashley attended and added good cheer. Other fine friends also graced the table. Donna remained our resident Dormouse; Nik continued to connoisseur cream cheese; Leo did indeed sometimes wake up for food; Susan resolved to be a member, hurrah!; Andrew attended, at least pre- prelims; Ethan was as ephemeral as enlightenment; Sarah some Times; and Warren visited and vegemited.

Part Eleven, there will surely be, though likely written by another. Alas, your author's residence comes finally to an end. Farewell for now to the Breakfast Club, and Karen and the toaster too; but, as Eric propitiously concluded,

       "Procter Hall breakfasts will always have a place in our hearts,
known as heartburn, but only because our stomachs refuse to accept the
bagels.  The Breakfast Club will last until the very stone of the Graduate
College crumbles to dust, and, judging by the state of my ceiling, this
may be the better part of a week. And what, you may ask, brings us to
breakfast each morning?  What driving force could so motivate such a group
of people to gather each day?  We will know the answer once we examine the
friendship, camaraderie, support, and good humor, shared amongst members
of the Breakfast Club. Deep down inside, they all share the same, common
feeling. That feeling is hunger, and the bagels will do until we get
something better."

So hurrah for "everything" bagels!