Roxy Hammond

Another Hobo Day has come and gone, leaving the city of Brookings picking up beer cans, processing arrests and wondering what just happened. College kids are finding their clothes on front lawns and catching up on many hours of lost sleep. Sometimes simultaneously. But we are all content, because this is exactly what we live for every year.

I’m always highly amused after Hobo Day, because people who may not normally wander downtown or crack open a brewski do so for the sake of homecoming. Do they really know why we’re celebrating? No. I mean really, what is the point of homecoming besides to party all weekend?

And so we do. We get away with things that would be socially unacceptable any other day of the year and wreak havoc on this sleepy little town.

Here are just a few things I saw this weekend that really defined why I love Hobo Day.

Saturday morning, after waking up too damn early with a hangover and cigar breath, I attempted to find my way down to the bars for free breakfast (which is awesome in and of itself). While attempting to navigate my way, I saw a random college kid standing on a random corner, holding a beer. Before 9 a.m. By himself. Was there any explanation for this? Had he even slept the night before? More importantly? who cares?! Any other time of the year I would have wondered what trailer park he wandered out of ? but not this weekend!

Later on at the parade, I sat behind a group of adults (like, middle aged … I realize that I’m technically an ‘adult’, but come on), who were later greeted by a group of college girls that exclaimed, “It’s 10 a.m. and we’re bombed!”? at which time the adults laughed and agreed. I’m pretty sure they were the parents of these girls. Oh, irresponsibility.

After the game, I watched a girl drunkenly stumble across campus in a forward-leaning zigzag walk until she finally took a digger into the grass. This was the middle of the afternoon. She looked like a freshman.

Later that night while standing in front of Ray’s Corner, a friend and I watched a very intoxicated man take a pee on the tire of a pickup. On Main Street. We stared in disgust as the urine trickled down the street and reminded ourselves why we watched where we walked.

Finally, during the ride home on the drunk bus, we saw a kid take off running and get tackled by two police officers. The entire bus stood up and cheered as two cops handcuffed this poor sap on the ground. Why did we love to see our fellow student get arrested? Because it was hilarious, come on!

It’s not every weekend you get to see so many college kids doing so many crazy things and get away with them (most of the time). Would I approve of this lifestyle the rest of the year? Probably not. But it’s Hobo Day!?Thank God for that. I’m pretty sure my liver couldn’t handle it more than once a year.

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