Correction appended
After Safeguard Old State (SOS)'s State Patty's Day initiative garnered mixed responses from the Penn State community last week, the student advocacy group is having difficulty finding on-campus support.
The group hopes to coordinate events with local bars while also promoting alternative activities for non-drinkers for the March 1 festivity, SOS Executive Director Gavin Keirans said.
SOS members met with representatives from the Office of Student Affairs on Tuesday, including Gail Hurley, interim vice president of Student Affairs.
While Hurley was unable to be reached by press time, assistant vice president for Housing, Food Services and Residence Life Stan Latta said he applauds SOS's efforts to combat high-risk drinking.
However, he said, Student Affairs will not officially support State Patty's Day.
"I think that any event or activity that promotes excessive drinking is not a good idea, whether it's Saint Pat's or Valentine's Day or Halloween," Latta said.
SOS representatives also met with members of the Student Programming Association (SPA), which runs Late Night Penn State.
Keirans said he was looking into hosting an Irish band from Philadelphia at Late Night Penn State on March 1, but the concert may have to move off-campus if there is no support from SPA.
"It's not something that we really want to be a part of," SPA President Raj Desai said.
"State Patty's Day is not a university-wide event. It's just another day to drink all day."
Desai said offering special activities during Late Night Penn State would attract "all these drunk kids to the campus."
Keirans said he is focusing on offering non-alcoholic programming regardless of whether or not it will be on campus.
While SOS has not specified how it will fund the events, University Park Allocation Committee (UPAC) Director Dan Green said the group has informed him that it is not planning to seek UPAC funding.
In addition, although approached by SOS representatives to provide educational material on preventing dangerous drinking, University Health Services will not support the initiative, said Linda LaSalle, UHS coordinator of health education services.
"Any large-scale drinking day that incorporates high risks and dangerous drinking is not beneficial for our students," she said.
Keirans also met with State College Police Department Chief Tom King and Penn State Police Director Steve Shelow Thursday.
King and Shelow said the police will not recognize State Patty's Day, though both departments will increase staffing.
"If there's going to be a larger amount of people consuming alcohol on the first of March, it is good to know about in advance and pay attention to our staffing levels," King said.
Joe Yamma, general manager of the Cell Block, 420 E. College Ave., said he was "negotiating" with SOS members to host non-alcoholic events on March 1.
Yamma said he didn't see any problem with the initiative.
"The bars are controlled atmospheres -- we'll keep it under control," he said. "It's not just about the drinking."
Other downtown bars, including the Phyrst, 111 1/2 E. Beaver Ave.; Bar Bleu, 114 S. Garner St.; and Tony's Big Easy Bar and Bistro, 129 S. Pugh Street, will open their doors early on March 1, representatives from each bar said.
This article incorrectly stated that Tony's Big Easy Bar and Bistro, 129 S. Pugh St., would open early on March 1. The bar will not open early on that day; it will open early on March 17 for Saint Patrick's Day.
