Out-of-State students lack connection to Unofficial
Students walk on Green Street during Unofficial on March 2, 2012.
March 3, 2017
As far as campus holidays go, Unofficial is far from lacking in enthusiasm. Every year, thousands of students wake up early, put on their green shamrock shirts and head out for a day of binge drinking. Though thousands find this holiday a deep-rooted part of student tradition, there are still many that oppose the concept, remain indifferent to the celebration or plainly have no idea what Unofficial is.
Being a University well represented by in-state students, who constitute just under 75 percent of the undergraduate population, it’s not surprising that the viewpoints of those from other states are often forgotten.
Wendell Thomas, a senior in LAS, grew up in New Jersey and had never heard of the University holiday before coming to Illinois in 2013. After learning that the holiday was an alcohol-based event, Thomas didn’t have much of a desire to partake.
“Freshman year I just studied and stayed in the lounge,” Thomas said. “You just saw drunk bodies walking down the hall and then after that I never celebrated, I was always working.”
Thomas said that he believes most out-of-state students probably didn’t know about Unofficial before coming to campus. While it has grown to national prominence and become a part of campus culture, he doesn’t see that as an excuse for partaking in such a “destructive” holiday.
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“I personally hold the belief that people should not do things just because they are a culture or tradition,” he said.
Cyrus Wang, freshman in Engineering, came to the University from Missouri. Though Wang was unaware of the celebration until just a few weeks ago, he is fairly indifferent towards the whole matter.
“If you want to drink then go drink, I guess [just] don’t get caught,” Wang said. “People drink when there’s no holiday, people drink more when there is a holiday, so it doesn’t really matter.”
Wang, on the other hand, will be staying home.
Andy Liu, freshman in Engineering from Louisiana, compared the holiday to Oktoberfest, an annual fair held in Munich, Germany that emphasizes beer consumption. He was surprised with the seriousness that some people seem to place on it.
“I didn’t think it was that much of a big deal,” Liu said.
While he doesn’t see Unofficial as “special or anything,” Liu does plan on going out that day to see what the hype is all about.
