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Unofficial St. Patrick's Day at University of Illinois

School is cracking down on booze in class

By Jodi S. Cohen | Tribune reporter

March 5, 2009

College students drink. College students go to class.

But mixing the two? It has happened with shamelessness at the University of Illinois during "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day," an all-day celebration of excessive drunkenness that occurs each year around the time of the Irish holiday.

Students line up as early as 8 a.m. outside campus bars in their green shirts to drink green beer. Others hold parties at their campus apartments, and some have tried to take their drinks into classes.

So on Friday, the date of this year's celebration, U. of I. officials will stand guard at classroom buildings to search backpacks and confiscate liquids, including water bottles that may be used for, let's say, vodka.

"It is surprising, to say the least, that students would actually decide to both celebrate 'Unofficial' and go to class. We do have kids who think they might want to do both," said U. of I. spokeswoman Robin Kaler.

That's where the administrators-turned-bouncers will step in. "We have people at the door who are trained at searching through backpacks," Kaler said. "They will confiscate 50-gallon garbage cans full of this stuff."

Champaign officials are trying other ways to tone down the event, which draws students from other campuses and was linked to a student death two years ago.

For that day only, campus bars—which started the tradition—are banned from serving alcohol before 11 a.m. They can't sell pitchers of beer or shots of liquor at all. And although 19-year-olds are normally allowed in Champaign bars (though they can't drink), on Friday you must be at least 21 to get in.

jscohen@tribune.com