When we were kids, I think it’s safe to say that we all associated the following with St. Patrick’s Day: big, green four leaf clovers; dancing leprechauns with fluffy red beards; and shimmering pots of gold at the end of the rainbow. This special day of year was at most recognized as a commemoration of the Irish Saint Patrick, and at the very least known as an elementary school day devoted to St. Paddy’s bingo and word search games. As college students nearing the dreaded concept of real responsibility, however, the values of the holiday have morphed quite a bit. These days, St. Paddy’s is another special occasion — aside from weekends, obviously — to partake in adult activities suited for our childish tendencies:
“Here at Michigan, St. Patrick’s Day is a day devoted to honoring our Irish ancestors… even if we aren’t actually Irish. This means we get up at 6 a.m. and have house parties until the bars open in the morning. Then, we drink with our friends all day: whiskey, vodka, and of course green beer to get in the spirit of the holiday. Naps are crucial so you can survive long enough to make it out for the bars at night too. St. Patrick’s day is definitely a day for getting bolloxed, as the Irish say.”
-Ryan L., Senior, University of Michigan
“This year is March Madness, so the obvious plan is to drink all day. There’s a parade and crazy bar scene in the city for St. Paddy’s, so we’re planning on waking up at 11, getting a lot of beer, and drinking for the games that start at noon. Eventually, we are trying to make our way into the city for bar hopping and we’ll continue watching March Madness.”
-Dan L., Senior, University of Pittsburgh
“Since we are all Irish, my roommates and I are going to decorate our apartment in green streamers, green lights and green wall art for St. Patrick’s Day. We planned a day party at our place along with a bunch of other houses on our street, so we’re going to be having a huge block party. We bought a few kegs and have green beer so it will feel extra festive!”
-Melissa R., Junior, Lehigh University
“At my school, my friends and I do the normal stuff most college kids do on St. Patrick’s Day. Everyone wears green, we drink all day and local bars serve green beer. We actually have a bunch of parents coming in this year to get drunk with us. I have no idea how that happened, but it’s going to be awesome.”
-Marissa C., Vanderbilt University
Based on these responses, I hope everybody’s ready to put on their drinking shoes (green ones, of course). This St. Paddy’s is bound to get rowdy!
