As presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump compete in this year's election, both have developed words or phrases that students found make for a perfect pairing with debate drinking games.
Multiple websites have lists of those words and phrases or describe how these games work.
Every time Trump said “huge,” “rigged” or “Make America great again," students would take a shot. When Hillary mentioned “stronger together,” “emails,” “my husband Bill's presidency," students would finish their beers.
Because many students believe this is the strangest election yet, with new scandals each week, some find that drinking while watching the debate helps blow off some steam.
Shea Springett, a kinesiology sophomore who planned a debate-drinking party for the final debate on Wednesday, said she believes her vote doesn't matter, so making a game out of the debates caused no harm.
"Because of the candidates of this current election, I completely understand why students nationwide participated in debate drinking games," she said.
Springett said students are not enthusiastic about either candidate. To some, watching the debates while consuming alcohol was an easier way to watch events unfold than staying sober.
"Both Trump and Clinton are crazy, and it is extremely hard to swallow what they are talking about," Springett said. "It's like mindless chatter between the two of them and drinking to their rants makes the crazy debates tolerable".
Political science sophomore Jackie Steinbach said she has seen too many students taking part in drinking games this election season and that she worries they are taking this critical political era as a joke.
"People used to take the debates seriously, and now it’s more like reality TV," Steinbach said. "Because of the way this election is perceived, it makes it almost normal to add a drinking game, because that is what people do for reality tv shows."
Macie Hamblen, another political science sophomore, said it’s a shame that some of her classmates are participating in these games.
"Students should actually pay attention because although the executive powers are controlled with checks and balances," Hamblen said. "The president makes a giant impact on this country, and people are not taking this election seriously enough."
Hamblen said that drinking during the election campaign can affect students' judgement when they are sober at the polls.
"When I hear that students are participating in drinking games, I just feel like rolling my eyes," Hamblen said. "It basically sums up what a joke the entire election is seen as this year. No one is taking it seriously."
Reach the reporter at jhaynie1@asu.edu or follow @jilli_haynie on Twitter.
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