An interesting run of hashers took place this weekend on and off campus.

A group of six runners was heard blowing various types of whistles and seen chasing piles of white fluffy powder.

The Rubber City Hash House Harriers, “a drinking club with a running problem,” held its monthly Kent city hash run Saturday. The harriers names are Dick Long, Busted Semen, Bailing Semen, Wind Tunnel and Short Hairs.

A typical hash run involves a “hare” laying a trail for the hashers to follow. The object of the hash is to catch the hare. The hare gets a 10-minute lead and uses flour and chalk to lay the trail. If the hare is caught, he/she loses his/her pants.

Part of joining the club involves being “renamed.” Each member loses his/her birth name and is given a new name, which symbolizes an embarrassing or funny moment that took place during a hash run. It is actually a violation of the rules if a person’s birth name is used, and the violator is forced to drink.

“If you have half the desire to wanna run and half the desire to wanna drink beer, then hashin’ for you,” Busted Semen said.

Busted Semen’s girlfriend, Bailing Semen, said, “You might expect a hardcore running group — maybe even a hardcore drinking group. We just like to drink and run.”

Once the hashers take off running, they must find the marks on the trail to catch the hare. Marks may include a check, where the direction changes, requiring hashers to find the new trail. A back check means to turn around. A boob check (for the ladies) means they have the option of flashing the other hashers or hunting for the new trail. And of course, the most famous mark of all, the “beer near,” means beer is near and waiting to be drunk. Needless to say, the more one drinks, the harder the trail is to find.

“I had been running for 13 years, and I never heard about this, not until I went to Florida in 1996,” Dick Long said. “If I would have known about this, I never would have graduated.”

After a couple hours of chasing trail, hashers and hares meet up at a designated location — usually a bar — and drink more beer, sing songs and have a good time.

According to Short Hairs, the cost is $6, which includes “beervrages” and snacks as well as “non-beervrages for the wanks.”

“It’s amazing how many doctors and lawyers and other professional people take part,” Hairs said. “I’ll be in Cleveland next week, then back in Kent the following weekend.”

On April 23, the Rubber City Hash House Harriers will hold another hash in Kent at 2 p.m. All those interested may meet in the parking lot downtown by BW3’s.

“May the hash go in peace. May the hash get a piece,” the group said in unison.

Contact ethnic affairs reporter Michael Lewis at [email protected].