Phone-flipping

Phone-flipping is the practice of the creation of upside-down phones.

In order to restore order in the universe, there must be a balance between "oing" and "boing". (In 1991, the "oing" and "boing" theory had not yet arisen; instead, phone-flipping was necessary to maintain the Bonq-Oif Continuum, as notably evangelized by Chris Sakal.) To establish this, pay phones around the Lancaster campus (such as those in the halls of the former CTY office in North Ben) have the actual telephone receiver turned upside down and then put upon the handle. Phones were flipped at Siena as well, though primarily with the pay phone in the Ryan lobby. This display is easy to miss if passed by, but if one needs to use such a pay phone, it is an obvious act of good will to humanity.

The Nomorenomicon refers to oing and boing as Bing and Bang, and also as Hodge and Podge.

RA's discourage such acts, saying "It is harmful to the cords that connect the reciever to the actual pay phone. It stretches it out, etc.". It was banned in 1991(?) This is doubtful since the actual cord of most pay phones are wrapped in a metal coil. It is probable that the counselors just don't like being surprised by an upside down phone.

Who needs to use the pay phones anyway? Bring two cellphones to Lancaster. On the first day the RAs tell you that every night, they are going to confiscate all phones/cellphones before lights out, and that students can pick them up in the morning. If one brings two cellphones, one can give the RA the not-used cellphone, while the working one is kept under a bed/pillow during the night/day. Just remember to pick up the old cellphone in the morning. As of LAN.07, however, Baltimore decreed that cell phones were no longer to be confiscated at night, and therefore the two phone plan could go the way of the pay phone.

There are those who consider phone-flipping to be dead now, since the phone booths have been closed off or had their pay phones removed, although there are a few wall phones scattered among the dorms. (However, some people flip the phones in the academic buildings.) The RAs and F&M themselves don't believe that anyone uses pay phones anymore and think that we'll use the booths for PDA. Adam Roush was heard lamenting the fact that a girl had asked him what the little room was for and not known what a phone booth was.

However, phone-flipping is certainly not dead. In fact, in 08.1 there ensued a all-out war between those that wanted the phone on Stager right-side up and those that wanted it upside-down, due to certain OCD-like tendencies, namely in the Crypto B class. The result was that the same phone was flipped about 10 times every break/lunch/coming/leaving time. One day, a professor from F&M stood by and watched this flipping ensue, complained to the authorities and students were forbidden from touching the phone. The excuse was that people would need to use the phones (I don't get it either). The phone remained right-side up for about a day before being permanently flipped until the end of the session. In 09.1, the phone was upside down through most of the session. In 18.2, at least one phone in South Ben was flipped for most of the session.