Story by Mitchell Brown, for The Muleskinner

Many traditions are associated with Homecoming at UCM, ranging from alumni revisiting their alma mater, to the main events of the game and the parade.

Another tradition revered by a large segment of the student body is Breakfast of Championships, which isn’t at all surprising.

Warrensburg has a reputation as a “party town.” Of course, that’s not all that goes on here.

You’ll also find dedicated students working towards obtaining degrees. The ability to jump over and through all of the academic hurdles a student encounters proves dedication.

I don’t think one could get an accurate picture of Warrensburg without acknowledging that a lot of partying seems to go on here.

It’s as if much of the partying that goes on here is in response to the constant refrain of, “there’s nothing to do here.”

Is the tradition of Breakfast of Champions a part of the acceleration of the party life, or is it just more of the usual?

The time at which the party starts during Breakfast of Champions is what separates it from the average weekend here.

The bars open very early in the morning, as a legion of thirsty students march down to Pine Street to start drinking.

But for many, it’s not a start of the festivities, but rather a continuation of what started the night before.

I have to wonder why so many feel the need to pull an all-nighter with partying during Homecoming.

I don’t see anything wrong with that, but is there a concentrated effort to extend the partying on that particular weekend?

Dillon Hughes, senior public relations major, said the tradition of Breakfast of Champions is a matter of coming of age for college students.

“You have to wait until you’re 21, which is normally three years into college, and then you can finally participate in something that your older friends and most alumni have done before,” Hughes said.

Recent UCM alumnus Ryan Marler described the experience of Breakfast of Champions as fun.

“There are less idiots in the bar at 6 a.m. than there are at 11 p.m.,” Marler said.

As other people tell me about the experience of going to Breakfast of Champions, I can honestly say that I’ve never been. I’m not the partying type.

In the past year, I’ve gone down to Pine Street a total of three times, and two of those times were in relation to stories I was working on.

It’s an environment that holds little appeal for me. But seeing as my apartment is located in close proximity to Pine Street, I am privy to the activities going on there.

I can always tell when it’s closing time, even without looking at a clock. I’ll hear a cacophony of voices hooting and hollering outside, and during Breakfast of Champions, I hear those sounds at 6 a.m. The sounds of early morning merriment are just as much a part of Homecoming in Warrensburg as the sound of marching band drums.