<p>OK, whats the scoop with unofficial weekend, and when is it? DS and friends (seniors in highschool) were talking about visiting this weekend, and I started to hear noise about this "unofficial weekend"...nonstop drinking</p>
<p>it’s this weekend (Friday more or less). Technically, yes, its basically billed as a day of non-stop drinking, but many students choose to not join in and instead engage in standard St. Paddy’s day fun. The police are out in full force to make sure students and visitors are safe, and the bars are extra stringent on who they let in.</p>
<p>The fact remains whether you drink or not, its a great weekend for friends to get together and hang out at parties, and you should really reconsider if you were thinking about not allowing them to come. If you’re worried about your child getting involved with alcohol, just make it clear to them you don’t approve of it and maybe make them call you at certain periods throughout the weekend.</p>
<p>It can get a bit wild here on unofficial weekend, but if your son is coming around the evening hours, lots of people will already be passed out by then and sleeping off the morning drinking before going out again later that night, at which point it isn’t THAT much more wild than a normal weekend.</p>
<p>As alan said above, though, there are plenty of people who do not participate in unofficial, at least not as heavily as the rumors go. There are lots of people who go way overboard, but there are lots of people who keep it fairly tame. I usually just go out at night and skip the daytime shenanigans, and even then I don’t get blasted. This year I am not even participating at all since, for the first time since I have been here, we actually are not on Spring Break during the REAL St. Patrick’s Day. I will celebrate SPD on the REAL SPD.</p>
<p>there’s not really any standard st. patty’s day fun considering it’s not actually st. patrick’s day. i did hear lucky boy confusion would be playing at the canopy club friday night but other than that, if you’re son is planning on coming down here on this weekend, it’s to drink a lot. if you *do *let him come down…i would suggest you tell him to be careful and only to drink indoors. the last thing you want is for him to go to jail. rumors are that the police are especially hard on out of towners.
if i was you, i would not let him come down and let him make that decision once he’s in college and not high school. high school students during unofficial can only mean bad news.</p>
<p>I attended UIUC for a year about a decade ago.</p>
<p>Even on a normal weekend, partying at UIUC can get quite wild and out of control. Heavy alcohol use, possibly including binge drinking, is commonplace. Additionally, the parties are in uncontrolled environments for the most part. This weekend is somewhat different in that much partying will happen outdoors. Still, much partying will happen indoors just like any other weekend.</p>
<p>Honestly, I don’t think that the parties at UIUC are an appropriate environment for a high school senior even on a normal weekend.</p>
<p>The fact that there will be a heavy law enforcement presence this weekend doesn’t really change the situation because it has no effect on parties which happen indoors. Unless they raid the party, of course. But it’s highly unlikely that with the number of parties this weekend that they will raid every last one.</p>
<p>tennisfan88 has valid points in general, but especially regarding getting arrested. There is always some risk of an arrest if one chooses to drink underage. Even if drinking indoors, if the party is raided, anyone present could have problems.</p>
<p>Finally, traffic enforcement on I-57 is usually effective and strict. This may be especially true on a special event weekend.</p>
<p>Parents of current UIUC students receive a letter warning about this weekend and the letter notes something along the lines of around 200 arrests last year, numerous hospitalizations from alcohol poisoning, etc. as well as a death a few years ago. Considering how many students there are at UIUC these numbers are not high statistically but no one wants to be a statistic. </p>
<p>A HS senior (presumably accepted at UIUC) arrested during a weekend like this would run a high risk of having their acceptance rescinded I would imagine. If current and past students are saying it’s not a good idea, I don’t mind adding my parent’s agreement.</p>
<p>Let’s put it this way: more than any other time of the year, many students actually go away for this weekend because they can’t even put up with the unusual amount of rowdiness resulting from this annual drinking disaster.</p>
<p>Not that I am a huge fan of the weekend, but I think drusba’s last comment is a bit misleading. While many people go away for that weekend, there are many more that come visit that weekend. As far as the weekend itself goes, it is all just personal preference. I tend to side with a lot of the people on here though in saying that letting a high schooler come is a bad idea.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for your input…</p>
<p>I also heard there is a ban on visitors in the dorms this weekend (is this true?) Which of course limits their plans on where they were planning on staying!!!</p>
<p>DS laughed when he heard that I knew what the weekend was and had a “busted!” look on his face. I was also concerned with parking the car this weekend…I know there are alot of car tows, and it is hard to find valid parking. (I had my own car towed a few years ago when I unknowingly parked in a permit only spot.)… All of the shuttle buses are sold out.</p>
<p>To top it off, DS has to work on Saturday…I’m kind of getting the impression that he is relieved that he is not going. Thanks all…</p>
<p>Well yeah parking in CU is a bear. There are free lots, you just have to know where to look.</p>
<p>"I know there are alot of car tows, and it is hard to find valid parking. "</p>
<p>On weekends most parking lots are open to the public.</p>