<p>For anyone who's child is considering Penn State UP, here is a link to this past weekend's events. I have lived in State College 20 years, and am continually amazed by the difference between what you see as a visiting parent, and what campus life can actually be like. That being said, I have one child at PSU, and another at a much smaller out-of-state school. I just know that if I were from far away, I would want someone to give me the opportunity to see a much less attractive part of life here, but feel free to judge for yourself.</p>
<p>I think you could find the same type thing at similiar schools (Umass, other big state schools). I think the 21 drinking laws have not worked how we wanted. We have eliminated whatever adult supervision bars could muster. the house parties are worse. If it were up to me, I would say this is the deal. You get a drivers license at whatever age your state says (and same restrictions, night, passengars etc). At 18, your initial drivers license expires and you get a choice. You get a senior drivers license and can drive. Or you geta non-drivers license and you can not drive, but you can drink.</p>
<p>"
As with previous years’ festivities, many of those getting in trouble are not Penn State students. Fishel reported misdemeanors involving students from the University of Pittsburgh, St. Joseph’s University, Slippery Rock University, Virginia Tech and the University of West Virginia."</p>
<p>Sounds like fun. Most will remember this more than anything they learned in statistics or poli sci classes. Cops should just manage the crowds and try to make sure nobody gets seriously hurt.</p>
<p>With all due respect, you’re missing the point. St Patty’s is a “destination” event the town loathes. Where the students come from is irrelevant and the VAST majority are either PSU students or invited by a friend who is. There’s nothing “fun” about assault, destruction of public property, DUI, alcohol poisonings, and oh yes, the young woman who flagged down an ambulance – she had a broken nose and missing teeth, but couldn’t remember anything about who punched her. Again, I think parents who only see the “official” face of PSU might want to have a window into what happens here on a regular basis. Not to say PSU isn’t trying to combat it, but they are losing.</p>
<p>It’s “fun” unless it’s you getting the call that your kid is in the hospital with alcohol poisoning, or arrested (which goes on his record; my daughter’s friend was arrested for public intoxication in her junior year - so much for three years invested in a teaching degree as she will never be able to get a teaching license now). It’s “fun” unless your front yard is being used as a public toilet.
My daughter comes home every St. Patty’s Day weekend because her college town turns into a major drunkfest as well. This is a kid who is probably drinking at the moment (in Spain, on spring break, where it’s legal - she drank wine during her Italy trip over the summer because it was cheaper than softdrinks and likes it) and who serves as designated driver when going out with friends since she won’t risk ruining her chances of getting her medical license.</p>
<p>greenbutton - yes, I can see how living there could make having to deal with it tough. I feel the same way about much of Mardi Gras. Why do you think schools in New Orleans often give kids the whole week off? Because so many people leave town! The traffic, the tons of rowdy tourists (of all age), the trash, the closed streets, etc - just really aren’t fun to “live” with. But it’s part of New Orleans and is a huge revenue source for the city. </p>
<p>To be honest, I had not heard about this until my son mentioned it recently. He went to a party, had fun, but knew better than to do anything stupid. To me, it sounded like fun - but yes, easy to see how it could get out of hand.</p>
<p>If I had known about this beforehand would it impacted my feeling about the campus? Would I have steered my son in a different direction? No and no.</p>
<p>Grcxx3, That’s interesting; this year was the first time I thought about the similarity to Mardi Gras. My S is also a PSU student. He and his friends went to a bar on the north side of town Saturday night, to celebrate a birthday without having to deal with the obnoxious crowds. On the flip side, some student groups organized an alternative “State Service Day”, while many downtown bars and restaurants either closed for the day or didn’t serve alcohol. And just the weekend before was 'Thon, when Penn State Students raised a record $9.56 million for pediatric cancer research and care in the largest student-run philanthropy in the world. 15,000 students are involved in the charity each year, a number that is far greater than the number of students who where involved in the disgraceful activities on Saturday.</p>
<p>[Penn</a> State IFC/Panhellenic Dance Marathon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penn_State_IFC/Panhellenic_Dance_Marathon]Penn”>Penn State Health Children's Hospital - Wikipedia)</p>
<p><<it’s “fun”=“” unless=“” it’s=“” you=“” getting=“” the=“” call=“” that=“” your=“” kid=“” is=“” in=“” hospital=“” with=“” alcohol=“” poisoning,=“” or=“” arrested…=“”>></it’s></p>
<p>Those situations are sad, frightening and sometimes life-changing. But they can happen anytime, anywhere. They are not limited to events such as State Patty’s Day.</p>
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<p>1moremom - Mardi Gras can be great fun. There is so much more to it than what is shown on TV. It really can be a great family event. But for the 2 weeks before Mardi Gras (this year, next Tuesday) - it can be a real PIA for the people living there. You have to keep up with what parades are on what nights/days so that you can anticipate road closures. I have often “forgotten” and ended up crossing the Mississippi River Bridge because the exit I needed was closed!</p>
<p>I too thought of how ironic it was that this St. Patty’s day nonsense happens the weekend after 'Thon, which is such a well organized charitable event.</p>
<p>234 arrests. That means that if you just count the PSU students, 39,766 were not arrested. And, as another poster pointed out, this is a “destination” event.
Yes, we should do all that we can to change the culture on campuses to promote positive activities and cut out this immature, ridiculous binge drinking. But, in order to do that, we need to recognize and celebrate the students who are acting mature and responsible.</p>
<p>Moving Thon up a week is one of the tactics being discussed to limit the workable weekends for students to schedule State Patty’s Day. Thon is, truly, an awe-inspiring series of events (there’s a run-up to the marathon that lasts 100 days) and is everything good about PSU. And while I’ve heard the comparisons to Mardi Gras, you have to remember that State College is nowhere near the size of New Orleans, and consequently doesn’t have the infrastructure to finance or support that kind of event. We borrow ambulances and police services from every township around us just to provide a measure of safety for the students.</p>
<p>My D is at PSU off-campus in an apartment close to downtown. Her elevator was filled with trash, someone urinated in it, and it was jammed open with a beer bottle so that it broke the door, forcing her to walk up 7 flights for 2 days. Still, she said that it was mostly kids from other schools as far as she could see. She and her friends got together at someone’s house. She said a lot of the bars shut down but it was still pretty crazy. We are from far away (California) so no I don’t see the day to day life on campus, but it doesn’t sound much different from many other campuses or from when I went to school for that matter.</p>
<p>[Penn</a> State’s THON raises $9.5 million ‘For The Kids’ (UPDATED) - Bucks News - Bucks Local News](<a href=“Bucks County – thereporteronline”>Bucks County – thereporteronline)
THON. That is all.</p>