50 Day Club gets ready to start guzzling

By Brian Cook
Transcript Correspondent

The Backstretch Bar will hold sign-ups for their annual 50 Day Club on Saturday, March 23, according to owner Joanne Meyer.

The club, which started ten years ago, involves ordering at least two drinks at the Backstretch every day for 50 consecutive days leading up to Ohio Wesleyan’s graduation. Drinks don’t have to be alcoholic.

According to Meyer, it was inspired by two employees who decided to come to the bar every day for the last semester of their college career.

They only made it 32 days, but from that semester Meyer decided to make a change.

Meyer said it made her think about the emotional experience of finishing college and being part of the Delaware community and the “Backstretch family.”

Senior AJ Alonzo likes the idea of the challenge, but has limitations that will keep him from participating this year. “I would like to do the 50 Day Club, but I’m part of the ultimate Frisbee team, and we travel to tournaments often during the semester so I would miss too many days,” Alonzo said.

Senior Ethan Chapman, on the other hand, said he has “no interest in participating.”

The challenge is typically geared towards seniors, but it is open to anyone who is at least 21 years old at the start of the challenge.

Participants may miss up to three days if they have a valid excuse for each day, but must make up the drinks they missed within five days of their excused absence.

The 50 Day Club started with just 20 people signing up, according to Meyer.

She also said the highest entry rate ever was 178, but most people do not finish the challenge; so the highest number of completions in any one year was 69.

Recently, according to Meyer, the club added a team aspect to the game, where people are randomly assigned to one of four different teams that compete in games every Wednesday night.

Meyer believes team play has made the club better.

“Teams provide interactions between the OWU and Delaware community,” she said.