By Alex Altman
For The State News
Since its creation years ago by a group of unknown college students, the controversial drinking game beer pong, also known to some as Beirut, has evolved into a popular college pastime.
This lifestyle, for some, has even sparked the initiation of the World Series of Beer Pong, which was recently won by two University of Michigan graduates in Las Vegas. So as you and your roommates consider interior decorations for your new home, consider building a beer pong table if you are looking to bring the party to your place.
"I enjoy the game of beer pong because of the competitive spirit of the game," physiology senior Joe Griffith said. "You get to play with a partner, and people seem to get really into it."
For the uneducated, beer pong can be played with either two or four people, however, it is most commonly played with four people coupled into teams of two.
In a regular game of pong, each pair arranges six 16-ounce cups on their respective sides in a triangular shape and fills them about a third full with beer. In addition, each team is allowed a "rinse cup" to wash the sticky beer off the ball.
But these rules can all be trumped by house rules that students create.
The goal is to throw the Ping-Pong ball into a cup of the opponent. Each player on a team gets one chance to shoot the ball into one of their opponent's cups. If someone scores, then one of the opponents has to drink the beer in that cup, then the other team gets the opportunity to shoot.
Once a team eliminates all of the opposing team's cups, they win and the losers have to drink the remaining beer on the table. The winner moves on to the next round.
When building a table, the most important thing to consider is how much money you want to spend.
If you're looking to make a Charles Schwab-like investment on this table, then your best bet is to use a piece of fine wood such as oak or maple. But for the average college student, who can only use the money that he or she hasn't already spent on beer, pine is probably your best option.
The table should be about 8-by-4 feet in length, and at least three-quarters of an inch thick. The table also needs four legs that should be about 30 inches long.
Once you have all of your materials, bolt everything in using a screw gun for efficiency. Make sure you use at least two bolts per leg to assure sturdiness.
Students should be aware that the East Lansing City Council is looking to add "outdoor drinking games" to the list of party noise indicators. These factors could result in a noise violation and potentially a $1,000 fine and jail time.
Rebecca Allen, a health educator in Olin Health Center's Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs department, said students should be sensible about drinking while playing.
"Most students would concur that drinking games typically encourage (players) to get drunk fast and go outside your limit," Allen said. "It's important not to do that."
