Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day might have never become the celebration it is today if Facebook was never created.
The Champaign Police Department has been monitoring the “UNOFFICIAL 2011” Facebook event, which has just over 23,000 attending.
Secondary events and pages have been discovered with as many as 13,000 attending, according the Sgt. Scott Friedlein of the Champaign Police Department.
“Facebook last year was the first time we really had any kind of measure to what to expect. So this year, we’re seeing that increase in anticipated numbers. It’s Facebook, so how reliable is that information?” Friedlein said.
This is a “significant” increase from last year, where the page had about 17,200 attending.
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Friedlein added that the numbers are the only lead the police have on how many people to expect, but they have no idea on how many people will actually show up.
“It’s the only information we have to work off of. So we’re using it to our best ability to make plans,” he said.
Champaign Mayor and Liquor Commissioner Jerry Schweighart said Facebook has made it easier to spread the word about events in general.
Along with the University Police Department, Champaign Police has also used a Facebook page to ensure students are aware of the guidelines. This page highlights notable laws and consequences designed specifically for Unofficial.
Some students, such as Sam Kane, sophomore in Engineering, have used Facebook to sell their T-shirts on a mass level for this event.
“I originally wanted about 100 people to order, but the event exploded. I also had my friends send out invites to their friends and made the event public so anyone could join and order jerseys,” Kane said.
The Unofficial Facebook event promotes students to “share the event” and states that “more is merrier.”
The popular social media tool creates a chain-like effect, which makes it easier to reach students from miles away, according to Maritza Estrada, junior in LAS.
“I know I have gotten many questions about it, and everyone seems to know this holiday. We had many orders from groups of people coming to U. of I. for Unofficial from different universities,” she said.
