Yesterday was State Patty’s Day here at Penn State. State Patty’s day started 4 years ago because St. Patrick’s day fell over spring break, and the students wanted to celebrate together. And celebrate we have! Despite all sorts of controversy surrounding this year’s celebration, students dawned their green, and celebrated the only way Penn Staters know how to.
In the days and weeks leading up to this weekend, State College Borough officials, State College Police, University Officials, (and Collegian staff writers) were all decrying the evils of such a holiday. Students were warned of “500 undercover police officers,” “Paddy wagons to bring the arrested to arraignment,” as well as other various forebodings.
While a day of drinking just to drink does have its inherent evils, I was upset by the apparent hypocrisy of the situation. Consider a home football game. It’s no secret that many “fans” of my Nittany Lions come to Happy Valley solely to tailgate–and by tailgate I mean drink, and drink a lot. There are hundreds, if not thousands of underage drinkers at all home football games. And certainly a higher than average number of arrests, citations, etc.
Now consider State Patty’s day. There are hundreds, if not thousands of underage drinkers and certainly a higher than average number of arrests, citations, etc. Sound similar? The only difference is that there is no football game–as if the football game somehow makes obscenely excessive drinking okay.
Well, no. It’s not particularly the football game itself that makes all the drinking okay. It’s all the alumni (thousands) that come back every Saturday–and bring with them their checkbooks…
BUT! In all, fortunately no one I know of had a run in with the law, and everyone had a great day!
