State Patty's Day 2010: 365 police calls, 160 arrests, 37 disorderly parties, 24 alcohol overdoses, 10 DUIs, snowball fights, sending a bus driver to the emergency room and projectile vomiting.
Let's cut the BS: If you don't think State Patty's Day is a legitimate problem, you're living in a fantasy.
By now, it would be safe to assume the student body is sick of hearing about it, but you have to admit it's an interesting situation that's cultivating here in State College. We celebrate a made-up "holiday" with excessive, irresponsible drinking and more alcohol-related crime than a common football weekend. Disagree? Read those statistics again.
This year, there was some small hope that regulations on fraternity parties and business-as-usual policies from bars would force participation in the holiday to subside a bit. However, these and any efforts to combat the holiday's exposure -- like cautionary e-mails from college deans or advertisements from student organizations -- did nothing but give the common, immature college kid reason to "stick it to the man" and party even harder.
So, what now? This problem has now grown bigger than simply calling on students to be responsible.
It's now up to the local businesses that take part in hyping up this holiday by feeding into it -- like The Family Clothesline, which doesn't condone excessive drinking and partying but has "a shirt for you when you do all that" -- to put their money where there mouth is. Sure, there's a market for kids who want to celebrate this holiday, but if these businesses truly cared about the reputation and well-being of this school and town, they would know better than to encourage immature behavior.
Next year, there is no doubt someone will create a Facebook event promoting State Patty's Day for 2011.
It would be naïve to hope that all students would learn their lessons and ignore it, so remember this: If you're one of those who objects to this day of faux revelry, then just act like it doesn't exist. Don't wear green, don't refer to that day as State Patty's and, maybe, don't even drink.
But, most of all, stop acting like this weekend is something to be proud of.
