Game – University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia

“Andre Pong”

Wendy is a sophomore in college at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia. She is originally from Marietta, Georgia a suburb of Atlanta located just thirty minutes out of the city center. Her parents are both from China and speak Mandarin as well as English. Wendy speaks mainly English but she is capable of understanding written and spoken Mandarin.

In order to play Andre pong, it is necessary to start with some basic materials. Andre pong requires, first and foremost, a large quantity of Andre (a cheap champagne that costs at average $4.99). In addition, it is necessary to have a table of substantial length along with twenty-two cups of the same brand and style as well as a ping-pong ball of regulation size. The table is set up as such: ten cups are placed on each side of the table in a triangular formation wherein the ten cups are in the same position as bowling pins. The remaining two cups are filled with water and used to clean the balls during play. Each team is composed of two team members who alternate taking turns in attempt to throw the ball into the opposing teams cups. Each time a ball lands in the opposing teams cup the team must remove to cup from the formation and subsequently drink the contents of the cup before play resumes. This process proceeds until one team has successfully tossed the ball into each of the opposing team’s cups. The ultimate object of the game is to beat the opposing team, though most players consider it victorious to consume that amount of alcohol in the process of the game regardless of the outcome.

Wendy says she was first taught the game upon her arrival to the University of Georgia in the fall of 2005. She encountered the game at a fraternity party at the Sigma Chi chapter at the University of Georgia. She says that the game is played both for the competition it provides as well as for its abilities to make the process of becoming intoxicated much more enjoyable.

It is interesting to find games such as Andre pong that involve both competition and heavy drinking. It seems that both of these: competition and heavy drinking are largely popular interests among college students in the United States of America. It is obvious that competition is valued at college campuses. If one is in doubt, he needs only to watch a college football game or basketball game and take notice of the intense rivalry and sense of school spirit found at most universities. In addition, teenage drinking levels have been increasing heavily over the last few decades to where it is no surprise that this is common practice at college campuses.