Union snubs application to create Beer Pong Society

The Union have rejected an application to create an official Leeds University Union Beer Pong Society (LUUBPS).

The rejection email  stated that the university cannot support any society using peer pressure, and that societies cannot have a list of drinks to consume.

Rejected co-founders of the society, third year Civil Engineer Louis Wilson and second year law student Elly Larkin, have been left devastated by the news.

Elly and Louis with the tools of their trade

The Union’s email said: “Many thanks for your recent application to form as an LUU society. Unfortunately we are unable to proceed with your application.

“The activities that you propose by their very nature are in direct contravention of LUU’s social guidelines which make up a part of all societies’ constitutions.

“While you have shown in your application that you are aware of some of these social issues, LUU cannot now pass any society which includes, as part of its core activities, compulsory drinking.

“The rules of beer pong itself do not accommodate these obligations to any potential members. ”

The pair behind the society have been quick to highlight the fact that the Union hosts Real Ale and Wine societies, and that beer pong can be played without, well, beer.

Elly said: “The society’s constitution was focused on socialising, good sportsmanship and the promotion of responsible drinking.

“Regardless of the fact that Louis dealt thoroughly with the problems highlighted by the Union, the application was rejected.

“Our constitution states that pressuring others into drinking could result in being asked to leave a society event.

“The consumption of alcohol is not compulsory. Beer is not crucial to the game – we can use water, or even air. The physics of the game are not obstructed in any way by doing this.”

None of this at LUU

The Union apparently had a problem with the simplicity of the game. Elly added: “At one point a Union representative said to us ‘Beer pong is simply throwing a ball into a cup. Why would the university need a society for throwing a ball into a cup?’

“It made me think, ‘Oh, I’m not sure. Perhaps for the same reason you have a society for throwing a ball into a hoop, or kicking a ball into into a net?’

“We were told there wasn’t enough depth to the sport to constitute it becoming a society. I’m not sure how SocieTEA got through that stage of the process.

“The Union were unbelievably patronizing when we had our meeting to contest the rejection. We’re still going ahead and creating the society, it’s just going to be an unofficial one.”

Activities Office Piers Cottee-Jones said: “LUU was not prepared to promote and endorse a society whose only society function was centred on a drinking game, a which involves peer-pressured binge drinking.

“Assurances over a safe environment were not adequate as the main assurance was ‘You can trust us, we’re from Blackpool’. Whilst this is a lovely area of the UK, it is not the most concrete reassurance over safe and responsible behaviour.

“This does not mean that the prospective committee cannot hold beer pong events with friends and co, in their own time. They just cannot do it as an official society within LUU.

“We welcome all society formation applications as we continue to cater to our students in a safe and responsible way.”