Grand Alternative offers substance-free events for Purdue

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Several substance-free activities will be offered through April 25 for Purdue students as part of the annual Grand Prix celebrations.

Many campus organizations, offices and departments will participate in this year's Grand Alternative, which will feature a wide range of events.

The Student Activities and Organizations Office sponsors Grand Alternative with support from the Student Wellness Office, Purdue Student Government and the Fraternity, Sorority and Cooperative Life Office.

All Grand Alternative events are open to the public unless otherwise noted. The following is a list of activities and sponsors:

* Saturday (April 18). 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Purdue University Airport, Hangar 5. Eighth annual Purdue University Fly-In, hosted by Alpha Eta Rho. Breakfast will be served for $5. The event features a static display of aircraft, and students will be available to give tours of the facility and simulator rides. The rain date is Sunday (April 19).

* Saturday (April 18). 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Parking lot of Hilltop Apartments. Auto Show, sponsored by the Undergraduate Chinese Association. A local Chinese auto dealer will have automobiles on display. Students can learn more about cars and how to buy auto insurance.

* Saturday-Sunday (April 18-19). Noon to 10 a.m. Sunday. Purdue Armory. BoilerFrag 8.0, sponsored by the Purdue University Gamers Group. This gaming party event features tournaments for both PC and Console sides as well as games such as CS: GO, LoL, DOTA 2, Hearthstone, CoD and Halo 3: 2v2. Tickets are $10 for PC and $5 for console and are available at TooCOOL.

* Saturday (April 18). 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Purdue Mall foundation. The Amazing Speed, hosted by Delta Phi Lambda. Students will form five teams and play games around campus. A point system will decide which team will be the winner by counting each team's points. The top three teams will win the prize. The event will open at Purdue Airport and close at ARMS Kirk Plaza.

* Saturday (April 18). 4 p.m. to midnight. The Harrison/Hillenbrand residence halls lawn and MacArthur Drive. West Side Boiler Block Party, sponsored by Shreve Club. The social event will offer free food, inflatables, music and performing groups.

* Saturday (April 18). 7 p.m. Black Cultural Center, 1100 Third St., West Lafayette. The New Directional Players Spring Production, "Split Second." Written by Dennis McIntyre, the play is directed by Rufus Burns.

* Saturday (April 18). 7-10 p.m. Slayter Center. Purdue Pandemonium, sponsored by the Purdue Electronic Dance Music Committee. An electronic dance music concert.

* Sunday (April 19). 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Ross-Ade Stadium North parking lot. Grand Prix Car Show, sponsored by the Purdue Automotive Performance Association. The show is open to anyone. Awards will be given for best in show, best engine, best paint.

* Sunday (April 19). 6:30-9:30 p.m. Slayter Hill. Rock the Quad, sponsored by Cary Club. New Politics headlines this year's show, which will be opened by White Vinyl Sky.

* Monday (April 20). 7-9 p.m. Matthews Hall. Purdue Timmy Global Health Benefit Concert, sponsored by Purdue Timmy Global Health. A concert featuring local musicians that will benefit Timmy Global Health, which will purchase medical supplies for its partner hospital, Tierra Nueva, in Quito, Ecuador.

* Monday (April 20). Johnson School of Nursing. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Blood drive, sponsored by the Grand Prix Foundation.

* Tuesday (April 21). 6 p.m. France Córdova Recreational Sports Center. 5K Delta Dash for Diabetes, sponsored by Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. The annual race benefits the American Diabetes Association. Participants will engage in physical activities ranging from an obstacle course, jump rope, or walking.

* Wednesday (April 22). 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Agricultural Administration Building lawn. Moonlight Pancake Breakfast, sponsored by the Agricultural Council. Free pancakes, music and a mechanical bull are featured. Sponsored by the Purdue Agricultural Council.

* Thursday (April 23). 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Outside the Materials and Electrical Engineering Building. Pancake Cookout, sponsored by the Purdue Society of Women Engineers. Free pancakes and trivia games are part of this event.

* Thursday (April 23). 7 p.m. France Córdova Recreational Sports Center. SCC Concert, featuring Sol with opening acts Grey Lamb and Ghost Club and Pat App. The performance is presented by the Purdue Student Concert Committee with support from the Student Fees Advisory Board, Purdue Student Union Board, and Purdue Student Government. More information is available from this news release.

* Thursday (April 23). 7-10 p.m. St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church, 535 W. State St., West Lafayette. Root Beer and Karaoke Night, sponsored by Purdue Catholic Students. There will be root beer floats, games and karaoke.

* Friday (April 24). 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Memorial Mall. Krannert Culture Fest, sponsored by Delta Sigma Pi. Campus-wide event aims to promote diversity at Purdue and bring students together. Different nationalities and cultures will be showcased through activities such as the Amazing Race, a Food Crawl and cultural dance performances. There also will be inflatables, a henna station and water pong tables.

* Friday (April 24). 3-6 p.m. Haas (Felix) Hall lawn. Soul Food BBQ, sponsored by the Purdue chapter of the NAACP. "Down home" cuisine will be featured at this event that also explores cultural meals from an African-American perspective. African-American style music also will be featured, and guests can learn how to step and do the Cupid Shuffle.

* Friday (April 24). 7-9 p.m. Memorial Mall. Boiler Health Fair-Healthy Snack Shop, sponsored by Phi Beta Sigma fraternity, Sigma Gamma Rho sorority and the Society of Minority Managers. Outdoor event aims to promote healthy living. Participants can learn about health and fitness.

* Friday (April 24). 8 p.m. to midnight. Engineering Mall. Rain location is the France Córdova Recreational Sports Center. Carnival Night and Battle of the Bands, hosted by Purdue Student Union Board. The Battle of the Bands competition features Make it Last, The Indigos, Folky Kong, Grey Lamb & Ghost Club and Dynamic Imbalance. Event also includes carnival games, face painting, an obstacle course and free food.

* April 25. 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Kampen Course, Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. Golf Tourney, sponsored by Engineering Student Council. Tourney is open to students and faculty, and is free.

* April 25. 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Grand Prix Track, near corner of Cherry Lane and McCormick Road. Qualifying heats for final six positions start at 11:30 a.m. Feature race at 2:30 p.m. Free shuttle from several campus pickup points; recommended due to very limited parking at track. Tickets: $10 at gate, $7 in advance; children under 12, $5. For more, visit http://www.purduegrandprix.org/

* April 25. 7 p.m. to midnight. Christian Student Center, 115 Waldron St., West Lafayette. Annual Root Beer Kegger. Event will feature catered food from local vendors, root beer and games such as Rock Band, corn hole and fooseball.

* April 25. 7 p.m. Loeb Playhouse. Black Cultural Center's Jahari Dance Troupe Spring Revue. Jahari's performance is themed "Carnival: Unveiled." Tickets are $5 for Purdue students and $7 for the general public.

* April 25. 9 p.m. Slayter Hill. Stewart Center's Fowler Hall is the rain location. Movie on the Hill, featuring American Sniper. Hosted by Purdue Student Union Board.

* April 25. 9 p.m. Fairway Cooperative, 1320 David Ross Road. Fairway Luau. Event includes outdoor luau with music, food, sports and inflatables. For more, visit Fairway Cooperative. 

Writer: Greg McClure, 765-496-9711, gmcclure@purdue.edu 

Source: Martia King, senior assistant dean of students, 765-494-1231, mbrawner@purdue.edu