Happy State Patty's day!

[California_Lion]

They take away the Phi Psi 500, so now the students replace it with State Patty's day.

For a jog down memory lane...see video below.

Maybe some of the older members are shown in the video below?

 

[mal106]

Thanks Lion....memories........

 

[NittPicker]

They pick a random day to wear a green shirt and go out drinking? YAY!!! I'll wear an orange shirt and go drinking on a random day in April and call it "Spring Deer (Beer) Season" or something else equally lame.

 

[Raffycorn]

They pick a random day to wear a green shirt and go out drinking? YAY!!! I'll wear an orange shirt and go drinking on a random day in April and call it "Spring Deer (Beer) Season" or something else equally lame.

Sounds fun. Might be a good substitution for Gentle Thursday.

But in reality, State Patty's emerged as a direct response to Spanier's ill-advised decision to move Spring Break so that students were out of town on St. Patrick's Day in an attempt to cut back on student drinking. Students responded with their own holiday, and even when the administration moved Spring Break again to not conflict with St. Patrick's Day once they realized what was happening, the whole thing had too much momentum. It's gentler now than it was in 2009-2012, but it's reputation and depiction by the school seems to be worse than the actual event itself.

 

[NittPicker]

Sounds fun. Might be a good substitution for Gentle Thursday.

But in reality, State Patty's emerged as a direct response to Spanier's ill-advised decision to move Spring Break so that students were out of town on St. Patrick's Day in an attempt to cut back on student drinking. Students responded with their own holiday, and even when the administration moved Spring Break again to not conflict with St. Patrick's Day once they realized what was happening, the whole thing had too much momentum. It's gentler now than it was in 2009-2012, but it's reputation and depiction by the school seems to be worse than the actual event itself.

I recall reading about the origins of the "holiday". In essence some students felt they were entitled to being on campus and getting hammered on March 17th while classes were in session. Spanier's reasoning for when spring break was scheduled can be debated but the logic behind the "holiday" is something a 10 year old would use. This year spring break is the week before St. Patrick's Day so the purpose of State Patty's Day is defeated. It's not a holiday but rather it's a contrived reason to blow off class and go drinking all day. That can be done any day of the week without the need for an imaginary reason. Kids are going to be kids but that doesn't make State Patty's Day any less lame. Just IMHO.

 

[Raffycorn]

I recall reading about the origins of the "holiday". In essence some students felt they were entitled to being on campus and getting hammered on March 17th while classes were in session. Spanier's reasoning for when spring break was scheduled can be debated but the logic behind the "holiday" is something a 10 year old would use. This year spring break is the week before St. Patrick's Day so the purpose of State Patty's Day is defeated. It's not a holiday but rather it's a contrived reason to blow off class and go drinking all day. That can be done any day of the week without the need for an imaginary reason. Kids are going to be kids but that doesn't make State Patty's Day any less lame. Just IMHO.

State Patty's is on Saturday, so there's no need to blow off class.

Rescheduling spring break to discourage students from celebrating St. Patrick's Day was idiotic. Using tuition dollars to bribe bars into closing in 2013 was even more idiotic. Spring Break hasn't fallen over St. Patrick's Day for almost ten years, and State Patty's still continues. It's essentially a weekend-after-THON party weekend now, and I don't really see anything wrong with that. In that sense it's not really any different than Artsfest, Blue-White, Movin' On, Phi Psi 500, Regatta, Gentle Thursday, or any home football weekend, so I'm not sure why it always attracts so much vitriol.

 

[njlion73]

Ran in the Phi Psi 500 twice, 1972 and 1973. Did it simply for fun and a free t-shirt. I don't recall costumes in those years. I do recall starting the race with 7 quarters, one for each beer you had to drink and the big garbage cans in the bars for those who could not keep their beers down. Very good memories.

 

[Nittany18]

College back then has to be better than now. It was fun in late 90's early 2000's!!!

 

[MtNittany]

There were probably 10 weekends like this per year back in the early 80's. Regatta, Briarwood Bash, Movin' On, Gentle Thursday, Phi Psi, etc.

I don't think today's cops would have appreciated our act much at all.

 

[nittany119]

There were probably 10 weekends like this per year back in the early 80's. Regatta, Briarwood Bash, Movin' On, Gentle Thursday, Phi Psi, etc.

I don't think today's cops would have appreciated our act much at all.

What was the event in 1979 or 1980 out in the IM fields, when Gregg Allman played with the Nighthawks? I remember that being a whole weekend of beer weed and girls in short shorts. It was an annual event.

 

[golfnutpsu]

1975 neighbor took me to Hub lawn for Gentle Thursday. Met mr whip it and after a rather insane day woke up the next day not rembering too much. Looking back can you believe how students would act today.

 

[BigTimeBig]

There were probably 10 weekends like this per year back in the early 80's. Regatta, Briarwood Bash, Movin' On, Gentle Thursday, Phi Psi, etc.

I don't think today's cops would have appreciated our act much at all.

It's not the cops, it's the social media and 24/7 news cycle. Cops today don't care any more than they used to, but the coverage everything gets instantly puts them in a situation where they have to either crackdown or get beat down by the media.

 

[MtNittany]

It's not the cops, it's the social media and 24/7 news cycle. Cops today don't care any more than they used to, but the coverage everything gets instantly puts them in a situation where they have to either crackdown or get beat down by the media.

I left out the salamander eating contests during the Bowery Ball at Phi Delt (since confiscated by the univeristy), which I attended at 16. OMG!

 

[bjf1991]

State Patty's is on Saturday, so there's no need to blow off class.

Rescheduling spring break to discourage students from celebrating St. Patrick's Day was idiotic. Using tuition dollars to bribe bars into closing in 2013 was even more idiotic. Spring Break hasn't fallen over St. Patrick's Day for almost ten years, and State Patty's still continues. It's essentially a weekend-after-THON party weekend now, and I don't really see anything wrong with that. In that sense it's not really any different than Artsfest, Blue-White, Movin' On, Phi Psi 500, Regatta, Gentle Thursday, or any home football weekend, so I'm not sure why it always attracts so much vitriol.

Have you actually been downtown during a "State Patty's Day"?

I am probably about the last guy in line as far as being "against" allowing the kids to have a good time ......... And even I would say "State Patty's Day" is bad news

 

[interrobang]

Aren't most that are in the news regarding State Patty's day right now non-PSU students?

 

[getmyjive11]

State Patty's is on Saturday, so there's no need to blow off class.

Rescheduling spring break to discourage students from celebrating St. Patrick's Day was idiotic. Using tuition dollars to bribe bars into closing in 2013 was even more idiotic. Spring Break hasn't fallen over St. Patrick's Day for almost ten years, and State Patty's still continues. It's essentially a weekend-after-THON party weekend now, and I don't really see anything wrong with that. In that sense it's not really any different than Artsfest, Blue-White, Movin' On, Phi Psi 500, Regatta, Gentle Thursday, or any home football weekend, so I'm not sure why it always attracts so much vitriol.

The problem with it in the past is that it drains local resources like police and emergency services. Arrests and alcohol related ER admittances spike and sometimes the craziness results in property damage.

 

[NICNEM_PSU80]

I left out the salamander eating contests during the Bowery Ball at Phi Delt (since confiscated by the univeristy), which I attended at 16. OMG!

Been there, done that as well as Gentle Thursday and Phi Psi 500. My first Phi Psi 500 was when I was a junior in High school visiting an older friend. There was no turning back after that day.....

I went up there for 5 years as an AE and sent two kids who recently graduated. I had lots of reasons to go up to school. now I have my wife trained to knowing that I am going and she occasionally comes.

 

[psualum10]

Couple quick things ... jut so you know when it is every year it's basically always THON weekend -- State Patty's Day weekend -- Spring Break weekend.

The administration kinda made SPD what it was. While the original reason of SPD was creative 10 years ago ... it got to it's worst because the administration and the town decided to rebel as much as they did against it causing students to rebel just as bad. Closing the bars was asininely stupid. All it did is push more people into binge drinking at house parties. Most of the things people complained about also did happen by out of towners who didn't care. I would say right now it's at a level above where it started but below the "height" of how bad it got. But yea i'm not saying "embrace" the holiday but treat it as normal it isn't going anywhere currently and treat it like a normal FB weekend without the football

 

[psrurock]

My memories kind of foggy, but I recall the band Hooter played there one year good times!

 

[PSU_Nut]

It's not the cops, it's the social media and 24/7 news cycle. Cops today don't care any more than they used to, but the coverage everything gets instantly puts them in a situation where they have to either crackdown or get beat down by the media.

On top of that you now have an instant way of communicating what going on. Back before social media and cell phones you had to spread the word via word of mouth, flyers or individual calls. No a student can notify hundred in a matter of seconds. So when something breaks out you have a hard time controlling it because people start coming in mass.

 

[PSU_Nut]

Aren't most that are in the news regarding State Patty's day right now non-PSU students?

It popular with all students. Defenders always like to try to pass it on as non PSU students but they are just as guilty.