Most local bars are slating tomorrow a normal business day, though students -- and police -- say they're still preparing for "State Patty's Day."
After realizing St. Patrick's Day would fall over spring break, students began to search for a way to reclaim the holiday in Happy Valley -- and now, despite recommendations from the Penn State administration, students are planning an early celebration at the bars.
State College Sgt. Dana Leonard said there will be a 30-percent increase in the police officers patrolling the area this weekend. He said he doesn't know what to expect for the weekend's activities, adding that "it remains to be seen -- I don't recall a movement like this before, so we will have to wait and see."
Leonard said he is not sure how Friday's alcohol activity will compare to last year's St. Patrick's Day.
"We try to prepare for the worst and hope for the best. If we become aware of something like this, we need to make reasonable preparations. We would be irresponsible if we didn't adjust our schedules and planning," Leonard said.
Ted Macdonald (senior-electrical engineering) said he will head for the bars as soon as he wakes up, "probably around nine [a.m.]."
He said he hopes tomorrow will be as fun as March 17 was last year.
"I hope there will be a lot of people out at the bars -- I think State College kids want to party," he said.
Eric Kirse (junior-information science and technology) and Joe Veltre (junior-biochemistry and molecular biology), creators of the facebook.com group "The Official Group to Move St. Patrick's Day 2007," created T-shirts for the holiday, dubbed "State Patty's Day."
Kirse said the duo sold 415 T-shirts in a day and a half. As of yesterday, the group had more than 4,600 members.
Chris Mehrman (senior-electrical engineering) said he would be going to the bars tomorrow with a large group of friends.
Mehrman said his friends have been talking about it and everyone seems excited, adding he has heard of a lot of green-themed parties this weekend.
Kirse, who is not yet 21, said he is attending parties to celebrate, adding that his 21-year-old friends will be getting up at 4 or 5 a.m. to start pregaming before heading to the bars.
"I have heard a lot of talk, especially this week -- it is all I heard," he said.
Two weeks ago, 14 bars were listed on a letter submitted by Lew Kamin, CFO of Dante's Restaurants Inc. that said the bars had decided "not to lend their names to an event historically celebrated with excessive drinking."
The letter went on to say if the demand is there, the bars will "plan their staffing and menus according to what event(s) were taking place in the community."
The bars named in the letter are Beulah's BBQ and Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St., Bill Pickle's Tap Room, 106 S. Allen St., Café 210 West, 210 W. College Ave., Hooters of State College, 538 E. College Ave., Players Night Club, 112 W. College Ave., The Brewery, 233 E. Beaver Ave., The Deli, 113 Hiester St., The Gingerbread Man, 130 Hiester St., The Lion's Den, 118 S. Garner St., The Phyrst, 111 E. Beaver Ave., The Saloon, 101 Hiester St., The Shandygaff, rear 212 E. College Ave., Tony's Big Easy, 129 S. Pugh St. and Zeno's, 100 W. College Ave.
Although Irish bar The Phyrst has long been considered a St. Patrick's Day staple, there has been varying information regarding what time it would open tomorrow.
A sign inside the bar originally said it would be open at 8 a.m. Friday. However, the time was crossed out and changed to noon.
Sports Café, 224 W. College Ave., had originally planned to do "something" to celebrate the early St. Patrick's day; however, manager Brooks Fisher said yesterday the bar will no longer be celebrating and will employ normal hours of operation.
"It's kind of almost like a regular day for us," he said.
Tony's Big Easy will not be opening early or offering any drinks specials, owner Tony Sapia's secretary, Dorothy Hall, said yesterday.
The Gingerbread Man and Hooters of State College would not comment on their March 2 activities.
Mike Desmond, co-owner of Hotel State College, which owns Player's Night Club, Bill Pickle's Tap Room, Allen Street Grill and Zeno's and Kamin, whose company owns Belulah's BBQ, The Deli and The Saloon, could not be reached for comment by press time yesterday. However, both Desmond and Kamin previously had said their restaurants would not be participating in Friday's event.
The university issued a statement Tuesday on the dangers of alcohol consumption and listed several alternative non-alcoholic events for the weekend.
"These events are guaranteed to keep you out of the ER, away from underage drinking charges and off the list of weekend DUI arrests," the statement said.
The statement is the second from the university regarding a March 2 celebration.
On Feb. 9, in an e-mail message to The Daily Collegian, Mahon expressed his concern for another day devoted to drinking, citing extra costs for the university, police and hospital.
"I just hope this year we don't have a repeat of last year," he said yesterday, adding that last year, there were a lot of student and non-student arrests and 10 students ended up in the emergency room.
Mahon said his concerns are more for the downtown than the university.
