Every Wednesday at 11:30 p.m., a group of hungry boys gathers at 605 E. Pleasure Ave., Apt. #6. Coming from various socioeconomic backgrounds, representing 10 different clubs and ranging in wisdom and stature, these hungry boys unite together for one common purpose: to enjoy a big bowl of milky cereal.
They call themselves the HU Cereal Killers, and according to their Twitter bio (@HUCerealKillers), they “are a fun-loving, dedicated group of guys who just stinking love cereal.” Modern historians contentiously debate the origin of the group, but the general consensus indicates they began faithfully meeting in October of A.D. 2015. At each gathering they assign a Manna (cereal) Provider and a Milkman for the following week. They also have a full-time Theme Guy and Spooky Banner Bringer.
The first cereal shared by the group was Boo Berry, and ever since, the cereal selection has ranged from rare finds such as Sprinkled Donut Crunch and Kung Fu Panda 3, all the way to epic classics like Life and Lucky Charms. Memorable themes have included “One Time in Middle School,” “New Cereal: New Me” and “#InsertCerealIntoASongTitle.”
Special guest appearances, highlighted by fellow cereal connoisseurs Dr. Monte Cox and Dr. Jim Miller, have immensely blessed the group’s journey. Miller reminisced, “Eating Life was appropriate because Jesus said he came to give us abundant life. One way to live abundantly is to share meaningful moments with friends around bowls of cereal. Milk will curdle, and cereal will go stale, but memories last a lifetime.” Cox reflected, “It was a rare privilege to enjoy my favorite childhood cereal, Count Chocula — now like forbidden fruit to my middle-aged body — with young cereal enthusiasts who showed much appreciation for this sugary, marshmallowy classic with its trademark chocolaty after-milk.”
I write about the HU Cereal Killers today not because they are a historic society or the epitome of collegiate creativity, though they are. Rather, I write about the HU Cereal Killers today because I am one of them (cue gasp from readers). I have only missed one cereal night from the beginning, and it was the hardest week of my senior year as a result.
You see, I have loved cereal ever since I was a baby. My first three words were “two-percent milk,” and my first full sentence was “Pass the Cinnamon Toast Crunch, please.” My parents were supportive of my love of cereal, and were not the kind of stingy parents who limited my brother and me to only one bowl or to only the healthy cereals. I truly was raised in cereal culture. Nevertheless, what this group of guys has been able to do for me is hard to put down into words. They have made manifest my love for cereal in a whole new way, and I will never forget the love, commitment and nourishment I see in their faces every week.
You’ll often hear people complain about how there is nothing to do in Searcy or at Harding. They may be right, in some respects. Yet in my four years at Harding, I have been consistently overwhelmed by the innovative spirit and the ability to create fun on this campus. Whether it’s the HU Cereal Killers, weekly dining at Captain D’s as a joke for three semesters or anything that happens in the dorms, I’m not sure I’ll ever find this atmosphere again away from Harding. So grab your bowl and spoon, find some friends and create some memories. If you want to talk more about my love for cereal, you know where I’ll be next Wednesday at 11:30 p.m.
