Sweat formed on Dan Tress' '07 brow as he narrowed his eyes and bent his knees. As soon as the ball left his hand, he knew it was going in, and when the orange ball hit the target, his opponents moaned and tossed back their beer. Tress and partner Lisa Kaplin '07 won the 16-team student-planned beer pong tournament in Ziv Quad last Saturday night. Informal matches and tournaments like this can be found on any Friday or Saturday night-not to mention many weeknights-throughout the Brandeis social scene.Beer pong is a highly competitive game that is often overlooked as a major function of the Brandeis nightlife. Although competitors range from dedicated pros to casual party-going contenders, once opponents are behind the pyramid of cups, the alcohol factor makes every game impossible to predict. Unifying all social groups, genders and levels of athleticism, beer pong is the quintessential college drinking game and a primary activity at Brandeis parties.

It may also be the de facto pastime for a University that takes great pride in its egalitarianism. After all, what makes for a more level playing field than the debilitating effects of a six-pack of Milwaukee's Best? At any Brandeis party, on any given Saturday night, you don't have to be Teddy Bruschi or Kevin Millar to dominate the beer pong table-all you need are some brewskis and a few racks of Miller.

Unexpected friendships bloom when random students are paired for a 20-minute beer-pong match. A varsity soccer player and a soprano from an a cappella group can bond over a well-timed bounce-shot, or the guy from ITRC and that girl from Java City might slap a high-five after the sudden-death chance from the opposing team bounces off the rim of their last cup. Disparate individuals suddenly transform into teammates, united in their common goal to abolish the two fools standing on the other side the table.

Beer pong is also the perfect excuse to talk to that girl or guy you've been too nervous to approach when sober, either because of the potential for rejection or because they do not jibe with your particular Brandeis clique.

"Anyone can play it; the game isn't complicated," Tress said. "Any team can go on a run for a night, win a lot, get drunk and have a story to tell the next day."

With trash-talk, intrigue, and games decided by one final shot, beer-pong constructs a scenario that rivals the drama of the 2004 ALCS. Pulled in by the mounting pressure as cups disappear, gadabouts hover around the table for a brief respite from the usually lackluster party.

"It provides a central activity that a lot of people can get involved with because, even if there are only four players, there are people lined up to play and people watching," Tress said.

Although Saturday's tournament did offer a small cash prize to the winners, most players would say they compete for pride. A semester of gamesmanship led to tension when Tress and Kaplin were paired against their good friends David Weiss '07 and Daniella Gold '07 in the first round of the tournament. According to Tress, a loss to this team would have resulted in weeks of verbal harassment. Luckily for Tress, he and Kaplin managed to sink 10 cups in seven minutes to finish the game, walking away with only two of their own cups missing.

"[It was the] quickest game any of us have ever seen," Tress said. "We were on fire. We just couldn't stop hitting cups."

Beer pong is perfect for Brandeis for one more reason: At a school with so many unique individuals, beer-pong is always as crazy and distinctive as those who play it. Take Weiss for example, who relies on cutting verbal barbs to throw off his opponent's mental game: "I try to think of the most horrible disgusting things I can, and I say them," Weiss said.

Fun at other schools, but a social necessity at Brandeis, beer pong may just be the one activity that can unite the campus.