Driving Tradition with the Purdue Reamer Club

Officially founded in 1923, the Purdue Reamer Club created “spirit” on campus. However, they really found their purpose on campus when they were named the “caretakers” of the newly created official mascot, the Boilermaker Special, in 1940.

Lauren Barnette (Perrysville, IN; Agribusiness; Junior) is currently Pilot #83 for the Boilermaker Xtra Special 8 and Pilot #62 for Boilermaker Special 7! She found the Reamer Club at the “Get Involved” Fair during Boiler Gold Rush of her freshman year. She was one of only 10 picked for the Fall 2022 Pledge Class and spent 8 weeks learning the history and traditions of Purdue and the Reamer Club.

Her longest drive thus far was to the Wisconsin football game in the Fall of 2024. Lauren’s favorite event has been driving business professionals on campus from across the Big 10 during Summer 2024 and the Oregon duck mascot finding them on campus.

Lauren shared, “Driving the train has given me the opportunity to make so many people happy. Whether it is in West Lafayette or in a different state, people always get so excited to see the train. Being in the Purdue Reamer Club has given me knowledge about our amazing university that I would have never known otherwise. I love being part of the school traditions and sharing school spirit!”

To learn more about the history of the Reamer Club, visit https://purduereamerclub.org/reamerhistory/