After I was unwillingly and promptly woken up at 8 a.m. by the loud music and clamoring of my roommates for “Unofficial St. Pat’s Day,” I was forced to leave my house to find someplace quiet to go to before my first class at 11 a.m. As I walked through campus, I inevitably saw the long lines along Daniel Street for CO’s and Kam’s and for just about every other bar on campus, and suddenly a light bulb in my head came on: I wonder how many anti-Chief crusaders are getting drunk at Murphy’s right now in the name of a bar-driven, fake holiday?

My point is this: I have not heard too many people complain about the rowdiness and the over-the-top nature of Unofficial St. Patrick’s Day, not even the champions of political correctness, the anti-Chief group. Listen, I have never been one to complain about unofficial, even though I myself am Irish, and I realize that it will always be a part of this campus. I also know that there are people, Irish people, on campus who find this event, well, offensive. If the anti-Chief people want to make a stand for one group of people (i.e. the Native Americans), why don’t they expand their cause to encompass all groups that feel in one way or another that they are being stepped on in order to promote drinking, sporting events, etc.? Why don’t they take trips across I-74 to Notre Dame to dispute their little fighting leprechaun mascot?

I don’t think that the anti-Chief group’s top priority is Native American’s rights. I think they just like to complain. If they were truly interested in furthering HUMAN rights, they would try to work on the real issues that plague Native Americans, as well as other ethnic groups, not just fighting mascots.

Jonathan Driscoll

senior in LAS