COMIC LIFE STORYLINE aka Blog #10

Upon my arrival at Washington State University in the fall of 2005, the extent of my literacy in the area of alcoholic beverages and the drinking patterns and games associated with it in this particular college setting was nonexistent. I heard talk of thirty bombs, shot-gunning a Busch, beer-bonging, Kings Cup, and Beer Pong. This new and foreign language was somewhat of a necessity in order to be considered “hip” to this college community. Not wanting to be outside of the “hip” group I knew there was only one thing to do: study the new language, practice its rituals, and become completely literate. Now, I first had to consider what exactly literacy is. So, I researched long and hard and found the most intuitive and profound definition I had ever heard in my entire life. Literacy is “the ability to comprehend and compose a message and apply that information in a specific context. This includes the ability to do so across cultures, time settings, and languages.” Being that I had the exact definition of what I was trying to accomplish I began to question my fellow dorm mates and learning this secret code that was so pivotal to my future success in the social environment of my university. I learned that this “thirty bomb” was not some weapon of mass destruction; it was simply a pack of beer that contained thirty twelve-ounce cans. “Shot-gunning a Busch” was not shooting a can of Busch light with a shotgun; it was stabbing a whole in the bottom of the can and then drinking the beer out of that newly made hole by popping the tab to achieve ultimate flow. “Beer-bonging” was not some science fiction method of consuming liquor; it was placing a can of beer in a funnel that was connected to a hose that allowed for someone to drink a beer at an extremely fast speed as well. Lastly, this “King’s Cup” was not a cup that once graced the presence of a king; it was a game played with cards to delegate when and how much one should drink, with a cup in the middle of all the different types of alcohol being consumed by the players. Finally, I learned and conquered the game of “Beer Pong”. While this game at first sounded to be playing ping pong while drinking beer, I learned it was actually shooting a ping pong ball in cups that contained beer and trying to eliminate all of the opponent’s cups before they eliminated mine. I now am affluent in this new language and feel confident to say I am completely literate, knowing that the main goal of this society and all of its secret code is simply to attain a state of drunkenness as soon and exciting as possible.