Despite increased safety measures, students start Unofficial with high expectations

Dressed in the traditional Unofficial St. Patrick's Day t-shirt, freshman in LAS Stephanie Roadman was unsure of what to expect on her first Unofficial. She said her expectations for the "holiday" were hampered by the constant attention given to police and enforcement concerning the event.

"I don't like it because I never got to experience it and I never got to see what it's like," Roadman said.

For students, Unofficial St. Patrick's Day usually serves as the largest party on campus. Yet both the University and the Champaign City Council have taken measures to decrease the dangers associated with binge drinking during the "holiday."

Last year, a 22-year-old alumna Caroline Yoon was killed in a motorcycle accident.

The University, along with the Illinois Student Senate, passed a resolution saying that students who disrupt class while under the influence could face being expelled.

Champaign Mayor Gerald Schweighart enacted the increased emergency powers granted to him by the city council to place certain restrictions on the sale of alcohol during Unofficial.

Such restrictions include the banning the sale of alcohol in pitchers, the sale of shot, and the sale of more than one keg per residence.

"I still expect Unofficial to be fun," Roadman said.