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Published: January 15th 2012
A week before his arrival thedribbleman received a message from a reader asking permission to use some photos from this site for a presentation at the main theatre in front of 3000 students at an American college – Virginia Tech. Accommodating I didn’t ask for money, I didn’t say you have to do me this favour or no photo. I just informed that we will be passing through next week on our way to Nashville from D.C and asked if they were able to get me and my travel buddy into a few college parties. If not that’s fine you can still use them.
That request to show us a good time was accepted and thedribbleman and Robert Parish were invited to stay at their place - Invited to parties again with the big red cups. Is it just pure luck or have I worked it well? I don’t know? But as of yet I have not met another traveller that has had the true college experience and for a 4
th time I hit the college scene.
Virginia Tech is based in Blacksburg close to many National Parks, which unfortunately was just twigs. We drove
passed the stadium of the Virginia Tech football team and drove to our accommodation and newfound friends who didn’t know what we looked like or vicar-versa.
Our plan was to go to Knoxville for the weekend but with an insiders chance we chose Virginia Tech. Not known as the biggest party college town it still packed a punch. Our GPS lines us up at a white house with Greek Cyrillic on its house front (A typical frat feature). I call up Bailey who says we are at the wrong address.
It turns out she lives next door in a student apartment on the fraternity street. I suppose it should be about time I explain all those terms the movies have for the college scene.
Fraternity stands for a brotherhood and is the most common scene you see on the movies. First year students are freshmen, 2
nd year are juniors 3
rd senior and you are a senior for the rest of your time. But I heard there is another segregated group called the sorority group, which is the female version of the Fraternity.
In Blacksburg there is an old
southerner rule I was told. Houses that have more than 3 females living in them are not allowed to be in town because it will be classed as a brothel. So the frat guys are close to campus whilst the sorority girls are miles out of town. I tried to get one of the girls to get myself and Robert Parish in since one was in the crowd but it was in vain. I was looking forward to speaking in Sorority talk too. Like “We totes go downtown on the reg" and “Sorry I’m not sorry”. Instead we headed to a college pre party instead.
Pre parties are a chance to “pre-game” which is just drinking before the real drinking begins. These vary from just general chit-chat to almost being a party in itself. This pre-party I was introduced to a new game “Civil War”. Basically its the same as Beer Pong this time however with 4 on either side. Unlike beer pong where each side has a turn to shoot in a cup. Civil War is a free for all. Each player with 3 cups each.
My side was getting annihilated and I
was the lone soldier trying to hold the fort. 3 left against me, Robert Parish dramatically killed off what turned out to be the Confederates team with a new rule I was unaware of. Apparently if you can knock over the cup its out and my cup and contents fell in a deadly kill.
From there it was upstairs to the party and flip cup where again I lose. My record in college sport is pretty miserable at this stage I was 0 wins from multiples tries (0-??). For a tourist, college parties go really quick because of the multiple conversations you have because you are Australian and the multiple games that pop up and the drink. So many times I heard Scott saying from the other side of the party “Yeah I’m here with another Australia. HEY DREW!” I put one hand up wave, like “I’m here! That’s Me!!”
Generally a keg is involved which takes a bit of skill to solo pour. There is a pump and at this party I was able to pump, hold the cup and pour in one go. There is a little guilt because the whole time
you are getting drunk you are not paying a cent. But that is American’s, hospitality is very important when a guest is around. It is one thing I have noticed on my travels that family and being kind and generous to your guests is what USA and the Middle East and Iran have in common. (Side issue there, back to getting pissed.)
We went into town mid way through the party but in truth we could do that at any time, anywhere. It was still good to witness the legal aged night out in Virginia Tech though. The next day we were shown around campus, to the architecture rooms and to the theatre that will show my photos (not just mine others too.) So I got a little kick out of it.
There is a pretty big cafeteria, which has excellent food at a ridiculously affordable price. It’s no wonder students don’t know how to cook until they leave college. Something like $4 for a roast with sides and a fruit slushy.
That night we headed to another party and we finally hit our straps. At last I was winning at college drinking
games. I’ve always had a problem with drinking games because I always drink between the times I am suppose to drink and that means my concentration wains.
But at beer pong teaming up with Robert Parish we were on a major streak. It was also our best pre-game effort before the pre game party thus far with a bottle of wine and 1 litre of beer. We were just willing big nights and at this point we only had one night we hadn’t got drunk in 15.
We were on court (a couple of tables put together) pretty much within the first minute and what would happen was about a 7 game winning streak including a dramatic overtime victory. Some clutch shooting and a proclamation that if we do not lose for the rest of the night we will personally sign a pong each and they can put it up on the party hosts wall (possibly non-existant at the time).
Upon that statement we would lose two games later but only narrowly. Within 5 seconds we are invited to a new table, a round table for a game called Quarters. This
is where you use the 25c coin and try and bounce it into a shot glass. There are two going around at a time and once one gets it in. The other needs to get it in before the next person otherwise they have to drink. I had general success on that one.
So at this stage we are both hits at the party but Robert Parish was in his element from here on and I am sure if they talk about ‘the Australian’ they will be thinking of Robert more so than me. Asking for a new game that Australians play I was left to look boring, as I can never remember these things or card games.
Parish on the other hand was right in there with “Hands in the middle!” Hands go to the middle of the table sparkle your fingers than the lead off slaps his hands to either left or right until some one forgets to go or goes when its not their turn. It was a hit.
Rob’s wanted to revamp it a bit with no “Hands in the middle!” call. We tried it for a
few games and people started saying, “Hands in the middle!” “Nononono you don’t say that anymore.” One more game without it and a few say. “Can we just go back to hands in the middle?” “Okay. Hands in the middle!”
We have made a few jokes about it. Like can you imagine somewhere down the track that game will be in the movies. Or lets say in 20-30 years time we come back or have a child that studies here and they say, “It’s still here dad. I played “Hands in the middle!”
Each college night I’ve had so far I have treated as if it’s my last because it could well be. This was an unexpected experience and in such short notice to enable two complete strangers into their home and invite to random parties and be welcome like you are part of the group is something that I don’t take for granted.
USA up to this point is easily the greatest travel experience to connect with the locals and Americans make it so easy. Sure there are some dumb idiots like every nation in the world but unless you
have travelled the states and especially getting out of the big cities you can’t really have an honest opinion of who Americans are and the college scene is probably the most entertaining way to discover it.
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His Dudeness
Ralf Kreuze
Duuude
Far out dude...