Campus, cities poll and plan for Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day ’07
By Sharita Forrest, Assistant Editor 217-244-1072; slforres@illinois.edu University officials are preparing for the unbridled revelry known as “Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day,” an annual event at some local bars. “Unofficial,” which is not supported or condoned by the UI or the cities of Champaign or Urbana, attracts participants from other communities, and in past years has resulted in drunken people disrupting classes, vandalizing Foellinger Auditorium and Lincoln Hall, harassing pedestrians, interfering with vehicular traffic, and throwing trash in campus buildings and on the streets. The March 3, 2006 “Unofficial” celebration resulted in more than 100 arrests and the death of a 22-year-old alumna who was wearing an “Unofficial” T-shirt when she fell off a motorcycle and sustained fatal head injuries at the intersection of Wright and Healey streets in Champaign. During “Unofficial” 2006, calls to Champaign police increased by 42 percent, with 157 calls in 2005 and 223 in 2006; calls to Urbana police increased by 57 percent, with 21 calls for service in 2005 and 33 in 2006. Overtime costs for UI, city and state police and firefighters during “Unofficial” 2006 were nearly $10,000, an increase of 47 percent over 2005. Clean-up costs increased 70 percent as well, reaching $1,530 for the 2006 event, and losses from theft or destruction of city property totaled $750. This year, “Unofficial” is expected to take place March 2, and the Champaign Liquor Advisory Commission has proposed a city ordinance that would amend Mayor Jerry Schweighart’s emergency order powers as liquor commissioner giving him authority to prohibit all Champaign bars from selling kegs for 48 hours, March 1 and 2. Also, campus bars would not be allowed to sell undiluted spirits, or “shots,” and would be required to have employees who were at least 21 years old at the entrances checking patrons’ IDs. Additionally, Schweighart plans to restrict Champaign bars from opening to sell alcohol before 11 a.m. When the Champaign City Council meets on Feb. 15, it also will consider a proposed amendment that would give police the authority to shut down out-of-control parties on private residential property. The proposed amendment defines “nuisance parties” as events where anyone commits two or more lesser code violations, such as public indecency, public urination or defecation or possession of cannabis; or commits one or more serious code violations, such as falsely pulling fire alarms or obstructing roadways, possessing drug paraphernalia or firearms, fighting or damaging property. Hosts of nuisance parties or the owners or tenants of the premises where the parties are held could receive minimum fines of $290. An ad-hoc task force of faculty and staff members, students and community leaders was formed last year by Chancellor Richard Herman to address the problems associated with “Unofficial” and other alcohol-related events. The task force, which is chaired by Associate Chancellor Peg Rawles, recently submitted its report and recommendations, which included the results of online surveys of faculty and staff members and students that the task force conducted on Dec. 4 and Dec. 12. Faculty and staff members who responded to the survey were concerned about drunken people disrupting their work environments and classrooms as well as being nuisances in local restaurants and on city streets. Some respondents said that they avoided hosting visitors on the day of “Unofficial” and were made uncomfortable or were concerned for their personal safety. One respondent said a staff member was physically threatened and beer bottles were thrown at her as she walked from her office to a meeting; another said that while driving on Green Street he/she “was stopped by drunken students who walked onto the street at random.” Some faculty members reported low class attendance, thought that the event tarnishes the image of the university and said that a campus culture that supports alcohol use contributes to the problems experienced during “Unofficial”, on weekends and on game days. University officials will conduct a public relations campaign prior to “Unofficial” 2007 that will promote safety and responsible behavior – and that will promote alternate activities to drinking, will discourage disruptions to classes and discourage outsiders from visiting for the event, and to educate students about state and local laws and university policies. “Students see it as their Homecoming, and it’s an event that alumni will come back for,” Rawles said. “A number of measures that we took in 2006 – such as the public relations campaign, working with the cities and getting the word out to faculty and staff members about how to handle disruptions –will be in place again this year. More faculty and staff members will be keeping an eye on things, and we hope that their presence will discourage problems and mitigate the disruptions.”
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