Why yes, I am a beer pong champ. Funny you should ask.

My coconspirator, Alumni Editor, Gwen Walsh seems to come up with topics for her weekly editor’s corner like magic. Over winter break, I thought she was having email issues; I had not one, not two, but five separate emails from her, all titled “EC.” Somehow each week, she experiences some incredibly interesting event that comes out of nowhere. This week, I think she has a run for her money.

Yeah, it's totally a sport.

Wednesday afternoon. I still have no topic for my editor’s corner. Sure, I’ve encountered many interesting ideas and concepts in my classes this week. I could write pages about Noam Chomsky’s Manufacturing Consent or the importance of companies exercising transparency. But that’s not nearly as interesting as what happened to me later that afternoon.

While sitting in my room, catching up on work and reading, I got a phone call from a number I didn’t recognize. Usually, I’m apprehensive, but I went for it. “Hello?” A slow, staggering voice on the other end: “Yeah… Hi… is this The Scarlet?” Yes, I am the student newspaper incarnate. How can I help you?

After a few exchanges, the caller’s point became clear.

The bumbling, twenty-something was asking whether we cover off-campus events. While I told him not usually, I am open to the occasional opportunity to open our pages to happenings in the community, if I think students need to hear about it. What did this guy have to pitch to me?

“Yeah, I’m working for a business, WorldPong.com,” and he proceeded to inform me about the national beer pong competition happening in Atlantic City. “It’s not about the drinking, really, but about it as a sport… So, what’s the party scene there? Do people do a lot of partying?” I stifled my laughter and answered his questions.

This guy wanted me to do an article… not an ad or a mention… an article about their “sporting event” for beer pong. Really? We might not be the most focused school in the world. We might not all spend every evening in the library. We all enjoy house parties, but I honestly can’t see many being interested in a full article about beer pong, can we? (If you are, you now know the website to visit.)

“So, uh, you’re probably great at beer pong, right?”

I nonchalantly told him it comes with the title of Editor-in-Chief: yes, I am Clark’s beer pong champ. If anyone would like to challenge this, I’ll see you in Atlantic City.

Still reading? Seriously interested? Worcester’s round in the competition will be held at Jillian’s at 6:00 p.m. the 22nd. The first place team at each tournament will win a 2 night hotel stay at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City. Go for it.