With his monthly pancake breakfasts, Lerman provided an opportunity for students to engage with the local community through support for the once-bustling industry of cakes fried in pans.
“These never really were about me,” he reflected at one of the final events Sunday, “It was an opportunity for all of us to look unto the glory and majesty of what I liked to think of as the unquestionable flapjack capital of the world”.
Gallup reports that, as of August, pancakes are the basis for 81% of all goods and services exchange in the Foggy Bottom area, with waffle sales tailing considerably behind at 11%. It is estimated these numbers shall drop into single figures in the months to come.
“For decades, my family has been one of many participating in the pancake trade,” said area syrup merchant and associate member of the George Washington Chamber of Breakfast, Sergei Talpowski, in tears.
“It’s a terrible shame and indicative of the University’s larger problems in getting funding for its once world-renowned programs,” explained Professor Stanley Rudy, head of the university’s department of cakes.
A call for a day of mourning for the outgoing industry has been put out by several of the many pancake-themed student organizations, but the university claims there is only enough in the budget to declare a morning of mourning.
In protest, several students have threatened to begin a hunger strike. If this were to happen, there would be no telling when they would break fast.
Early negotiations are underway for a potential bailout of the industry so as to save it from demise. Options on the table include a billion-dollar fundraiser.
