After seeing the headlines from the Collegian about PSU Deans “warning” students about Saturday’s State Patty’s Day, I thought that it might be a good idea to tweet Sam Loewner, President of the Liberal Arts Undergraduate Council and an officer from University Park Undergraduate Association (UPUA), so we might engage in a discussion about the celebration. Below is the beginning of our discussion, which we hope will continue in the comments here and elsewhere in the Penn State online and in-person community.
Dean Long: How are students responding to the comments reported in the Collegian and on Onward State in which Deans and other officials are attempting to address the issues around State Patty’s Day?
Sam: I think the students are responding in a defensive manner. The messages from the University range from “Don’t drink” to “if you do drink, there will be serious consequences.”
Dean Long: How could we enter into a discussion about the important concerns regarding responsible drinking in a productive way? Specifically, I am interested in the possibility of a deeper dialogue about undergraduate drinking without falling into a paternalistic mode that often provokes the sort of defensiveness you mention.
Sam: Students are already taking a proactive and responsible approach. The UPUA sponsored a full page ad reminding students to make responsible decisions. The Greek governing bodies took actions that limit the roles that sororities and fraternities will play over the weekend. But let’s not forget that State Patty’s Day was established as a way to bring the Penn State community together.
Dean Long: I think that is an important reminder. In talking to Meghan White, a 2006 CLA graduate working now at Allegheny College, I was struck by her suggestion that “the event attracts alums as well and it should be noted that it is up to alums to set a positive example to undergraduates about how to celebrate the spirit of Penn State in a responsible way.” I think it is important to emphasize the role alums play in this and the fact that it is in some degree a celebration of the Penn State community.
The issue is, can the community respond in a thoughtful and mature way to the real problems that the event can generate?
Sam: The kind of discussion we are having here might serve as a way to begin such a response. Since this is an event based around the Penn State community, I think we can mitigate some of the problems by making sure we are looking out for one another, as I think many of the concerns center around the question of safety.
Dean Long and Sam: How will you look out for your fellow community members this weekend? What should the University response to State Patty’s Day be? How can faculty, students, administrators, and alums work together to address the complex set of issues that stem from the State Patty’s Day phenomenon?
This seems to us to be a good opportunity to open a deeper dialogue about these issues and we hope that you will join in the discussion here.
For those Twitterers, let’s use the #StatePatty hash tag.
Lisa, and others – from my point of view, Penn State students channel their efforts to wonderful things on a regular basis. Recently, we saw THON, but that’s only the famous example. Penn State (not the institution; the community) produces doctors, lawyers, teachers, and engineers that help shape our world positively. These students, and the faculty and staff who guide them, are a product of their experience.
Part of the experience is making decisions. I imagine that of the thousands participating in State Patty’s, only a few will be destructive (to themselves, others, or property). Even fewer will cause any lasting damage. Many will learn from the event that is State Patty’s Day (and I’m not saying that in a necessarily negative way: we learn from positive experiences, too).
What can they (we) learn, you ask? It’s not about how many drinks in an hour. It’s not about how many street signs they rip down. What they can learn beyond those stupid things is that they shouldn’t make reckless decisions. They should learn that when a community event takes place, the community needs to be watchful for each other. The community should come and go together (in the context of these community events). They ought to look out for fellow students and, together, maybe we’ll reduce crime and improve safety. Those are my concerns, anyway.
I am happy to see that Penn State Students have such a great power to organize themselves and influence a generation. I can only hope that one day, Penn State students apply this spirit and commitment to a cause that is really deserving like global poverty.
What do people think of Jay Paterno’s claims on StateCollege.com that State Patty’s Day is just the latest in a long history of student partying and all-day drinking at Penn State?
From my perspective, this context is important as is the reminder that this generation of students should not be condemned as any more depraved than previous generations. However, it does not address the more difficult question about what sort of community we want to be and what values and ideals we want to embody.
The discussion around those sorts of questions do not grab headlines, because it involves the difficult work of thinking in nuanced and reflective ways not only about who we have historically been, but also about who we are and who we want to become.
While the original purpose of State Patty’s Day was to make up for not being in State College during St. Patrick’s Day, I believe the day has taken on a form of it’s own. Because State Patty’s Day was held the weekend before Spring Break, it was perfect timing to see all of your friends before a week packed with exams (since every Professor on campus seems to schedule their midterms for the week before break!) and then going home to spend time with family. Perhaps the original intent is no longer relevant, but the things I just mentioned still hold true. And why not give it a theme, give it a name, and allow more people to get involved.
Penn State was the #1 party school in the nation last year, and while this may not be the sorts of awards the university is looking to uphold from year to year, I think it’s a great part of what makes Penn State fun. Little student-made traditions that stick and develop a life and a meaning all their own throughout the years. Students are drinking to excess on a weekly basis all over State College – just because the cops are actively seeking them on this one day doesn’t mean it’s out of the ordinary. Just because a few people may take a fun escape from the real world a little too far shouldn’t ruin it for the rest of us who just like to use this day as a simple excuse to let off some steam and party with friends!
Of course, I see where the opposition is coming from. This is the first year I’ll be participating in State Patty’s Day, so I can’t speak from experience. Just from what I intend to make of it.
Whether or not State Patty’s day has become or should be considered a Penn State tradition is moot at this point. The students love it and I dont see it going away anytime soon. That said, the University has to comment on the event, given the press it will receive, as Suzanne pointed out.
I think the message should be centered around caring for one another – and for oneself. As a student at PSU, you’ll learn lessons in drinking. You learn how far you can go, how important your friends are when you’ve had too much. This is an opportunity for students and alumni alike to show those that denounce events like this one that it is possible have a great time AND keep each other safe. And safe does not have to mean sober. It means you stay out of traffic, dont drink and drive, dont end up in the hospital/a police car.
I applaud the University, UPUA and others for casting aside the “dont drink” message and instead adopting a message of drinking responsibly, especially on such a “visible” weekend.
Penn State loves traditions because the University celebrates and honors its past; it does not love tradition because it leads to more drinking. Alumni donate to the University because Penn State transformed their lives while they were Undergraduate students. State Patty’s Day is not a tradition, it is a huge joke. The above comment from Ms. Bennett is incredibly accurate – Why are we having a State Patty’s Day when we will be at school for St. Patrick’s Day? To paint State Patty’s Day as tradition is simply a ploy to make it sound like an acceptable valued event. It is not. Homecoming, Founder’s Day, THON, Senior Class Gift, Guard the Lion Shrine are Penn State traditions. Do not conflate a day of binge drinking with celebrated and respectable traditions.
I’m struggling to craft a comment that doesn’t make me sound like a middle aged woman sitting on a rocker shaking her head, but I am a middle aged woman and although my office is not outfitted with a rocker – I might shake my head.
I remember State Patty’s was started to make up for the fact that the students were on break during St. Patrick’s day and so they created a way to celebrate together. But this year they will be back in town for St. Patrick’s day, so why are they holding on to a second holiday? If there is a deeper meaning to State Patty’s day I don’t think it has been communicated to the university community. Perhaps if I understood I could buy in to the idea. I’m willing to listen.
It seems so sad to me that coming off a big weekend of making the papers state wide for doing something so wonderful at Thon, our university is very likely to make the papers for such a disappointing reason this weekend. One event is all about encouraging each other to do great things and the other just isn’t. One is about being proud to present yourself as a Penn Stater, and the other…. you get the picture.
Please do take care of one another and do your best to stay safe.
Penn State loves the party culture and don’t let anyone from the administration tell you otherwise. Cause guess what, it works out really nicely for their alumni donations. Why do you think Penn State is such a tradition school? Everyone knows what goes on here. Its a drinking school with a football problem, and everyone loves it. Thats why they come back every year till they physically cant, and still get hammered. Hey Penn State- leave us alone. Whatever happens this weekend will be between that individual and their own conscience or law enforcement. Do your job and teach. Otherwise- BACK OFF.