COTTonLINE wishes all of our readers a Happy St. Patrick's Day. We suggest, if you celebrate it, do so in moderation.
Speaking of which, my university career was largely on a residential, as opposed to commuter, campus. In the bad old days our students would begin drinking the night before St. Patrick's Day, skip classes to drink all day - green beer and other ghastly potables - and generally OD on ethanol. Some got very sick and, sometimes, one would die from alcohol poisoning or drunk driving.
Unsurprisingly, university administrators are sensitive about accusations these things happen "on their watch" even though they have little actual control over student drinking. My university solved the problem by scheduling Spring Break week so that St. Patrick's Day is always a time when the university is not in session.
Some youngsters stay in town to drink with their friends. Most go home or go to a "spring madness" destination like Palm Springs, San Diego or Cabo San Lucas.
The upshot, whatever they do there isn't the "fault" of the school's administrators. And, of course, this move had the added benefit of it no longer being "Easter vacation," which smacked of the establishment of religion.
