How to ensure the best weekend of the semester doesn’t turn into the worst day of your life
By Melissa Niemiec, Staff Writer
March 2, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
To some, “tips to being safe” fits with Unofficial about as well as a square peg fits in a round hole. On a weekend when you’re supposed to be wild, drink unceasingly and raise hell, safety can sound awfully boring. So don’t think about it like taking safety precautions. Think about it like you...
The Chief is gone, retire its Unofficial apparel
By Zack Fishman, Contributing Writer
March 2, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
A bright green tee displaying Chief Illiniwek with his headdress replaced with the letters “U-N-O-F-F-I-C-I-A-L” has become a common sight in the days leading up to the University’s infamous drinking holiday. Whether displayed in T-shirt stores or touted by anticipating students, Unofficial merchandise...
Moving from drunk to drastic: alcohol poisoning and you
By Yoav Margalit, Staff Writer
March 2, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
A day that’s all about drinking: it's a marathon, not a sprint. Days like Unofficial are for forgetting about everything and partying like there’s no tomorrow. That’s a great idea, until suddenly there’s a consequence. That’s when the fun stops. So here are a few symptoms for recognizing alcohol...
Frequently asked questions about Unofficial
By Arden Youn, Staff Writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
What is it? By this time of year, most of campus, even out-of-state freshmen, have a pretty good idea of what it is. Unofficial is said to have originated in 1995, and it is essentially an alternate St. Patrick’s Day on the University of Illinois campus. Because St. Patrick's Day falls during spring break...
Bring the luck, then go drinking
By Yifan Gu, Staff Writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
Drinking-related trouble can be upsetting, not to mention embarrassing, for everyone. However, such misfortunes can also be meaningful shared memories. I still remember one awkward time when my friends and I were not allowed into a bar and I must admit, I’m still confused as to the reasons why. Last...
Is Unofficial really worth the risk?
By Ashley Rayan, Staff Writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
As a wide-eyed freshman, I had long heard stories about the incredible day-drinking festival known as Unofficial. Students live for it, teachers abhor it and the administration is on a mission to get rid of it. I remember hearing about Unofficial from former UI students, as they described skipping c...
Unofficial: 22 years too long
By Julie Kang, Staff Writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Special Sections, Unofficial Edition
Unofficial is famous — or maybe notorious — for being a day full of partying and binge-drinking in celebration of a premature St. Patrick’s Day. Despite past accidents and the endless number of tickets given out on the day, the made-up holiday continues to be one of the University’s biggest t...
The top six coaches I’d like to get a beer with on Unofficial
By Cole Henke, Sports Editor
March 1, 2018
Filed under Columns, Men's Sports, Sports, Top Stories, Unofficial Edition, Women's Sports
I have spent a lot of time around Illini coaches in my four years here at the University of Illinois, and with my time as a reporter at The Daily Illini and it being Unofficial season, I figured it’s time for a nice power ranking. I am not going to rank who the best coaches are at this school. No,...
Irish exchange students talk ‘twisted, transmoglified, and dushty’ Unofficial party culture
By Molly Zupan, Staff writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Life & Culture, Top Stories, Unofficial Edition
Katie Cullen, Cormac O’Cleirigh and Rob Keenan were all born and raised in Ireland. As foreign exchange students from the University College Dublin, they have grown up immersed in Irish culture. Right now, they are preparing to witness a celebration that has quite the reputation. This weekend they...
Private Certified Housing adopt different Unofficial policies
By Elizabeth Sayasane, Staff writer
March 1, 2018
Filed under Life & Culture, Unofficial Edition
University Housing strengthens its regulations and policies during the weekend of Unofficial, but Private Certified Housing is left to handle Unofficial at their own discretion. On Feb. 25, one week before the campus-wide event, University Housing sent an email to residents reminding them that ther...
Police say Unofficial is much less wild than years ago
By Emma Palatnik, Assistant features editor
March 1, 2018
Filed under Life & Culture, Unofficial Edition
Patrick Wade was a student at the University from 2006 to 2009 when he said Unofficial was at its peak. Since then, Wade, communications director for the University of Illinois Police Department, said it has calmed down and generally become less eventful. For Champaign police Sgt. Joseph Ketchum, la...
Editorial | Put the St. Patrick’s Day back in Unofficial
By The Daily Illini Editorial Board
March 1, 2018
Filed under Editorials, Opinions, Top Stories, Unofficial Edition
Has anyone else noticed that Unofficial has seemed lackluster in the last couple of years? The upperclassmen members of the Editorial Board have noticed. In the last couple of years, Unofficial has become just another day to go out, day drink and go to the bars. On a bar-heavy campus like our own, this is no...
