Beer Pong 1

Title: Beer Pong

General Information about Item:

Informant Data:

(Note: Some information was not recorded in order to maintain anonymity)
The anonymous informant was born in 1978, grew up in Connecticut, and received her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth. She has lived in the Czech Republic, Boston, and now lives in Hanover, NH. Her Grandparents were in the military which she felt had a large influence on her due to the stories she heard from them growing up. She had an East Coast upbringing and indicates that her family origins are European countries, likely England and France.

Contextual Data:

This drinking game was observed between 1996 and 2000, during the informant’s undergraduate years at Dartmouth. The game was observed in one of the college’s fraternities.

Item:

Ping pong with plastic cups filled with beer. You hit (volley) the ball back and forth and if you get the ball into your opponents cup they have to drink it. You use regular regular ping pong paddles, but with the handles removed. In stead of a ping pong table, you use a 4×8 plywood that’s painted – sometimes with frat symbols. The cups are lined up in a V-shape, with the wide end closest to each player. One would win once the opponents sides cups were filled.

Informant’s Comments:

The game was played for fun, to pass time, and get drunk. The game was played this particular way to maintain tradition. When asked for her interpretation of the experience the informant explains that back then, it was harmless fun and a way to socialize in a loud basement without talking. The informant also says that drinking games now create problems such as sexual assault and alcohol abuse which is very concerning.

Collector’s Comments:

Informant does not drink a lot nor does she play a lot of drinking games now or in her undergraduate years.

Collector’s Name: Kyle Carlos

Tags/Keywords:

Dartmouth Folklore Archive