W hen I walk into the T.I.S. College Bookstore, the Illini Union Bookstore and any other clothing shop on campus, green dominates all other colors. It’s almost that time of year — Unofficial.

Before coming to campus, I had heard about this prime campuswide party that the University is well known for. Unofficial would be a day — or more — of nonstop drinking and partying from the morning until the evening, except classes still go on during this day because this is not a University-sponsored event.

This year, it is set to take place Friday.

While Unofficial started out as a way to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day because this holiday sometimes occurs during our spring break, it turned into an annual student tradition — a tradition that most freshmen have probably heard about, but most likely have not experienced — including me.

I’ve received constant emails from my dormitory hall clearly stating, “(Unofficial) glorifies underage drinking, the abuse of alcohol, and negative alcohol-related behaviors.”

Also, there have been signs in my dormitory hall that tell horror stories of people passing out drunk outside in the snow, almost getting hit by cars and being chased by the police.

My first impression of this holiday while being on campus is that the school does not approve. So is there something immensely wrong with it?

It feels as though the University is trying to reach out to us, freshmen in particular, before any of the Unofficial party invitations are released in order to deglamorize and stress the consequences of this holiday.

As a freshman, it feels as though the University is competing against rumors and word-of-mouth information freshmen receive from others about Unofficial.

Starting from the month of February, the University sends several emails detailing the liabilities that come with celebrating this holiday. The University’s reach extended to the point where I received a call from my worried parents warning me to stay safe — my parents had received a letter home outlining the details of Unofficial.

While the University’s concerns and tell-tale warnings reach out immensely to students, they underestimate the preconceived notions and older peers’ experiences that have already reached many freshmen students. We freshmen who have friends or siblings who attended the University already are probably more apt to take part in Unofficial because of the excitement that surrounds it.

After all, we have been told by upperclassmen that Unofficial is one of the best weekends on campus — and we have been told that repeatedly. As a result, many of my peers are making Unofficial party plans.

This leaves me a confused freshman. And for most of my peers, the influence of the school enforcing Unofficial rules has little to no effect on preventing participation of students in Unofficial. After all, the University keeps sending these emails and warnings out each year, yet the horror stories about injuries and delinquencies keep happening, indicating that students still participate.

As for me, while I love the idea of the tradition and spirit being captured by this holiday, the school’s warnings are making me rethink my peers’ participation in this holiday, mostly because we are inexperienced and underage.

As freshmen, some may get carried away with Unofficial, as it’s probably their first year experiencing something like this. This also may lead to over-participation in the event because many aren’t experienced in taking part in such activities as older students and thus could cause negative effects.

Underage drinking happens at this University, it’s no secret. But in the end, it’s neither the school’s rules or the horror stories that will stop some freshmen from participating in their first celebration of Unofficial.

Simran is a freshman in Media. She can be reached at [email protected].