Beirut: From Lebanon to the frat basement
|
Now, Beirut can proudly boast the title of national college drinking game. You may be nervous to go visit a friend at a different school, but fear not, take comfort in the fact that all the kids there will probably be playing Beirut as well, or some version of it. Feel free to join in on their game ... when there is music, people and alcohol it doesn't matter if you go to their school as long as you help continue the drinking process. You may be nervous about your lack of aim or that you may have little talent in the art of throwing ping pong balls. Not to worry, you can always blame your inabilities on the high quality of Beast or Natty Bo (Natural Bohemian).
Every school, house and individual has their own rules for Beirut. Because of this, we shall discuss the basic rules for the fantastic game. Usually everyone starts off with six cups at the table. Each cup should have approximately the same amount of beer in it. You will also need an extra glass filled with water in it. There are two people on each team. Each team should have two ping pong balls as well. Each team must start off with just one ball. If this is the first game of the night, then the different teams must fight out who gets to shoot the ball first. If there is a returning team, then the new team gets to shoot the first ball first. Whether the new team gets the ball in a cup or not, the returning team gets to go next with their original ball and the ball newly acquired.
During the game, each time that a person throws the ball into a cup, one of the opposing team members must drink the beer in the cup. The team members must alternate who drinks from each cup. If both team members get the ball in the cups in their turn then they get to keep throwing the ball until they miss. They can only keep going, however, if the fourth ball gets into the cup. If the third ball gets in, but the fourth does not, then their turn is up. At this point, you should probably rejoice and make sure that you stall a little before they repeat their previous play.
Once there are four cups left, then the team must, or should for their benefit, ask to have the opposing team reorganize the cups into a diamond shape. If there is only one cup left on your opposing team members' side and you get both balls in, then the other team will not get a chance to win. If you only get one in, the other team can still try to win. Warning, the game can go into overtime.
If you've ever wondered why this wild party game is named after the Lebanese capital, let me offer two very logical and convincing theories. Beirut gained much of it's popularity during the early-to-mid '80s around the time of the conflict between the United States and Beirut. Since the ping pong balls were being lobbed into opponents' cups like bombs dropping from the sky, instead of the light tap of the ping pong paddle, the new term was coined for a game that was soon to spread across campuses nationwide.
The other angle on this mystery focuses on the original rules of Beirut. In early versions of the game, a ball that did not hit a cup or even the table was up for grabs for either team. Thus, a drunken mad dash for the tiny ball ensued, leading to what may have looked like a battlefield during the '80s conflict.
Though the game has evolved into a tamer version of itself, the high stakes and full cups of cheap beer remain the same. That said, here is some advice for the lovely young ladies braving the tables: use your sex-appeal and your dancing skills to your advantage. Never under estimate the power of breast-distraction. Men, do not let the women distract you. Look at the cup, not that the attributes of the person behind the cup.
At Johns Hopkins, Beirut is not the determinant tournament of the year. While I would say that is a good thing, other students find that college is about the drinking games and competition. At such schools like Dartmouth, drinking game tournaments last from September until June. They include such games as actually playing beer pong with paddles.
Iverson Long, a sophomore, states "anyone who has ever played 'pong' (as it is called at Dartmouth) will soon realize that Beirut is for second rate schools. I am proud of Johnny Hops and full of pride, but Beirut is a second rate game for second rate minds and second rate competitors." He adds that at other schools, "they play with real ping pong paddles, and get really serious about crafting their 'pong' tables. None of this mass of broken boards ... they make big sturdy tables and paint them with detailed designs of beer logos, their frat symbol, chewing tobacco mascots, etc. I just think this place needs to add a little class to itself, and I think that can all start from the bottom up, even if the bottom means the basement of a fraternity."
Before we can graduate to the Ivy League drinking games, we should probably perfect our own skills first. This, of course, can be done at http://playbeirut.com or any of the other hundred pages on the Internet that are dedicated to improving our drinking game skills. While you're at it, you may as well sign up for the National Beirut League. That's quite popular I hear.