The Interfraternity Council has placed a ban on parties and socials during the weekend of the student-created holiday State Patty’s Day, falling on Feb. 23 this year.
The President’s Council, which includes the presidents from all fraternities that are a part of IFC, voted unanimously to “have no social functions at all on Feb. 23 and to hold no parties on Feb. 22,” said Jordan Rolon, vice president of communications for the IFC.
This ban is in an attempt to “further eliminate the presence of this event at our university,” the IFC said in a statement released Thursday.
Rolon (junior-recreation, park and tourism management) said all presidents in the council gave their reasons for supporting the ban and agreed that it was a “betterment to the greek community as a whole.”
The council declared a similar ban on parties surrounding the weekend of State Patty’s day in 2012.
“Last year, when we took the stand, it was a huge asset to the police,” Rolon said. “They didn’t have to worry about fraternities. They could focus on bigger problems like apartment buildings.”
The State College Police Department could not be reached for comment as of press time Thursday.
According to figures provided by the State College Borough in June, police made 222 criminal arrests on State Patty’s Day in 2012. Of the arrests made, 154 were students from other schools, 132 were Penn State students and seven were residents, according to the report.
In last year’s report, SCPD cited the IFC’s self-imposed sacntions as one of the reasons for a decreased amount of crime — on State Patty’s Day in 2011, 234 criminal arrests were made.
Rolon said that with the ban, the IFC is doing everything it can to help the community combat the “pseudo-holiday.”
“We understand we are not the problem in this, but we want to be part of the solution,” Rolon said.
Phi Kappa Psi President Cuyler Lewis also said State Patty’s Day issues are not related to fraternities.
“Most State Patty’s incidents come from apartments. At fraternities, it’s regulated; we have rules to follow,” Lewis (sophomore-accounting) said. “I don’t think the issues come from fraternities.”
Lewis said another contributing factor around the issues of State Patty’s Day is the number of non-Penn State students participating in the event.
President of the fraternity Sigma Tau Gamma Tyler Kraese declined to comment on the situation, directing comment to the IFC.
Rolon said that the IFC Executive board will tour fraternity houses during the weekend to ensure no social functions are held.
