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H1N1 flu fears affect college drinking games

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By Dave Larsen, Staff Writer Updated 2:25 PM Monday, November 2, 2009

DAYTON — The rules of beer pong and other college drinking games could be changing because of H1NI flu fears.

Beer pong, a game that involves drinking from communal cups of beer, has been the subject of warnings and bans this fall at U.S. college campuses including Cornell University and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, both in New York, due to H1N1 virus concerns.

Nearly 8,900 new cases of flu-like illness were reported at 270 U.S. colleges and universities for the week of Oct. 17-23, according to the American College Health Association. The ACHA has observed nearly 56,000 cases of flu-like illness this year among 3 million college students.

Drinking games are not condoned at area schools, including the University of Dayton, Miami University and Ohio State University.

“So there is no acknowledgment of that other than do not share glasses, cups or drinks in general,” said Edel Jesse, UD’s director of communications and community relations for student development.

Some students are ignoring the warnings.

“There’s a lot of sharing and consumption,” said Dan Phillips, a UD senior from Cleveland. “No one really pays that much attention to it.”

However, other students are taking precautions such as using cups of water for beer pong. “Then, when somebody scores, they’ll just take a sip of the beer that they’re drinking,” said Anthony LoPresti, a UD junior from Cleveland and member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity.

“We’re trying to stay away from anybody sharing any sort of cups,” said Charlie Hank, a UD fifth-year student from Columbus and Phi Kappa Psi member. “Even here at the house we’re trying to keep things as clean as possible.”

Phi Kappa Psi has 43 members at UD, five of whom live in the fraternity facility. It is one of 12 Greek fraternities and seven sororities on campus, according to Jesse. About 1,115 UD students participate in Greek chapters, she said.

UD did not curtail Greek chapter recruiting activities this fall because of H1N1 fears, Jesse said. Recruitment typically involves large, open parties.

“We don’t have any alcohol in any of our pledge events, so we don’t really have to worry about people sharing community cups,” LoPresti said.

Miami and Ohio State’s Greek chapters hold rush week during winter class sessions, according to school officials.

About 3,500 students are involved in Greek chapters at Miami, which saw more than 330 students with flu-like illness during the first five weeks of fall classes.

Miami will have a heightened awareness about the spread of germs during rush week, said April Robles, university director and adviser to the Interfraternity Council.

“We’ll have to monitor the contact and how well people are doing and how much rest they’re getting during that busy time of recruitment,” Robles said.

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Just as long as they're Ukrainian tweens.

Pharrell
6:37 PM, 11/2/2009

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Pharell,

I agree with you. I have a suggestion for Dave's next article. Headline could read: "H1N1 Fears Affect Spin the Bottle games at Tween Parties" He could then go on to write how the flu is really harshing the mellow of many local kids in the area... I have practically written the entire thing for him. I could see where this info could be beneficial to parents and the community at large.

seriously
5:00 PM, 11/2/2009

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Since when is a community made up of just adults? Community means everyone, including college students. I have no children - should the paper not publish articles about parenting because of that? I don't pay attention to college sports - should the paper not cover UD, WSU, and OSU? But let's use your example anyway and single out adults. Don't adults have children in college? Won't this article have some bearing on their lives then?

Pharrell
4:24 PM, 11/2/2009

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This should be in college newspapers. Not a supposed "real" news source for communities of adult readers most of whom are not in college and could care less about binge drinking college kids getting sick because of sharing cups.

wat
2:36 PM, 11/2/2009

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My point is that there's nothing sophomoric about the article. Schools are banning beer pong in the wake of the H1N1 outbreak. Dave Larsen, the DDN's education writer, is doing his job. Furthermore, the DDN is adding a local angle to a national story, which is a standard newspaper survival tactic, especially here in the information age. Whatever's going on in the Ukraine is CNN's territory. Dayton can’t and shouldn’t try to compete with them.

Pharrell
2:20 PM, 11/2/2009

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