Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day

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Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day
Green Street Unofficial.jpg
Students dressed in green for Unofficial, on Green Street in Champaign, 2009
Also calledUnofficial
Observed by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
TypeLocal
Celebrations Binge drinking
DateFirst Friday in March
2022 dateMarch 4  (2022-03-04)
2023 dateMarch 3  (2023-03-03)
2024 dateMarch 1  (2024-03-01)
2025 dateMarch 7  (2025-03-07)
FrequencyAnnual
Related to Saint Patrick's Day

Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day, commonly known as Unofficial, is an annual holiday at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. It is celebrated by students on the first Friday of March as an alternative to Saint Patrick's Day, which has historically fallen during the university's spring break.

Contents

The holiday has become a "destination event", with alumni and visitors from other universities joining students in celebration. [1] Participants typically wear green clothing, attend parties, and engage in binge drinking, often beginning early in the morning. [2] Not officially sanctioned by the university, Unofficial has received criticism by the university and local government after leading to several fatalities. [3] [4]

History

The first event resembling Unofficial took place in March 1995, when Saint Patrick's Day at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was scheduled during spring break. [5] To avoid losing profits, ten bars in Champaign's Campustown, including several owned by Scott Cochrane, held a Saint Patrick's Day-themed event called "Shamrock Stagger" on March 8, 1995, two days before the university's spring break. [2] [6] Shamrock Stagger was promoted as the university's "official Saint Patrick's Day party", despite not being officially endorsed by the university. [2]

The following year, in 1996, presumably after pushback from the university, events held at Cochrane-owned Campustown bars the week before spring break were advertised as "Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day" for the first time. [2] In 1997, Unofficial Saint Patrick's Day was moved to the Friday eight days before spring break, and it has since fallen on the first Friday of March each year. [2] [4] [7]

Cochrane, who is credited with creating the holiday, acquired a service mark and later a trademark on the name "Unofficial". [4] [8] In 2016, the "Unofficial" trademark was sold to apparel company UpMerch, with a licensing agreement allowing two other companies to use the name on merchandise. [9]

According to University of Illinois Police Communications Director Patrick Wade, Unofficial reached its peak sometime between 2006 and 2011, with interest somewhat dwindling since then. [6] During the event in 2011, Champaign police officers issued 364 court notices to students, compared to only 12 issued in 2020 in what Champaign Police Sergeant Greg Manzana called "essentially a non-event". [10] In 2021, amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Cochrane declared "Unofficial is dead", citing the local government and university's opposition to the holiday, but some student celebrations still took place. [4] [11]

Incidents

Due to the chaotic nature of the event, Unofficial has led to several incidents, including at least three deaths. In 2006, 22-year-old Caroline Yoon died from injuries after falling off a motorcycle. [12] [13] In 2011, 21-year-old Brad Bunte died from injuries after being struck by two cars on University Avenue. [12] [13]

In 2017, 23-year-old university student Jonathan Morales, a junior majoring in communications from Franklin Park, Illinois, fell over the railing of a fourth-floor balcony during an Unofficial party. [1] He was taken to Carle Foundation Hospital, where he was pronounced dead later that night. [13] [14] Toxicology tests later confirmed that Morales had been drinking. [14] In response, the university chancellor Robert J. Jones issued a statement mourning Morales's death and calling for an end to Unofficial. [13]

Other negative consequences of Unofficial have included vandalism of university bathrooms, disruption of classes, an uptick in parking violations on campus, and a significant increase in tickets and arrests, especially for underage drinking and drunk driving. [2] [12]

Response

Campustown sees heightened police presence during Unofficial, including officers representing the university, the cities of Urbana and Champaign, and the state of Illinois. [2] [5] Champaign has also imposed limits on packaged alcohol sales at campus bars and convenience stores during the event. [1] [12] The university has repeatedly condemned the event, routinely sending a letter to parents and a mass email to students discouraging participation. [4] The university has also banned overnight guests in residence halls and prohibited fraternity and sorority parties during the weekend. [1] [12]

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Shenfeld, Hilary (March 5, 2017). "Illinois Student Dies at Early St. Patrick's Day Event". People. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Grennan, Rory (March 6, 2014). "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day: The Official Story – University of Illinois Archives – U of I Library". University of Illinois Archives. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  3. ↑ Moran, Dan (March 6, 2020). "Long before St. Patrick's Day, U of I parents warned about the 'Unofficial' bacchanal in the time of legal weed". Chicago Tribune. Lake County News-Sun. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Zigterman, Ben (February 8, 2021). "Unofficial St. Patrick's Day: 'It's dead'". The News-Gazette. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  5. 1 2 Kang, Julie (March 1, 2018). "Unofficial: 22 years too long". The Daily Illini. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Metsch, Abigail (March 4, 2021). "The community prepares for Unofficial St. Patrick's Day". WCIA.com. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  7. ↑ Hynes, Bridget (March 5, 2014). "How Unofficial stacks up to other Big Ten school-wide drinking events". The Daily Illini. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  8. ↑ Winkler, Jenny (March 1, 2006). "Unofficial, 10 years in the making". The Daily Illini. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ Navarro, Aaron (March 2, 2017). "Unofficial officially trademarked". The Daily Illini. Retrieved March 2, 2023.
  10. ↑ Schenk, Mary (March 8, 2020). "In 25th year, Unofficial St. Patrick's Day 'essentially a non-event'". The News-Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  11. ↑ Hensley, Evan (March 3, 2021). "U of I students say 'Unofficial' is still taking place". WICS. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  12. 1 2 3 4 5 Wade, Patrick (March 7, 2014). "10 things to know about Unofficial St. Patrick's Day". The News-Gazette. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  13. 1 2 3 4 Meadows, Jonah (March 4, 2017). "Officials Want to End U of I 'Unofficial St. Patrick's Day' After Third Death Since 2006". Patch. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Rosenberg-Douglas, Katherine; LaVito, Angelica (March 6, 2017). "U. of I. student falls to death on Unofficial St. Patrick's Day: 'I won't ever forget what I saw'". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
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