Prepping for St. Patty’s Day safety

By: Laura Kunas – Sophomore, Geology

As St. Patrick’s Day looms in the very near future and early festivities commence, it is important to be safe while celebrating. We have all begun to see emails popping up from the univer­sity offering safety reminders regarding St. Patty’s Day celebrations, and there are certainly more to come. Across the country, UD is recognized as one of the top party schools and recently snatched the title as the top university to party at during St. Patrick’s Day.

The university takes strict precau­tions to ensure the safety of the student body. From the highly detailed student handbook to the various emails that we all receive months in advance of March 17, there are plenty of notifications to keep students in the loop of the rules and regulations regarding this exciting holiday. There are a number of policies the university places on the student body that come with many punishments if they are broken.

In the event that you do choose to celebrate in St. Patty’s Day festivities remember to be safe and follow some safety tips throughout the day:

• Other than being mindful of the amount of alcohol you choose to consume, know your limits.
• Remember to eat plenty of food prior to any celebrating.
• Drink water throughout the day.
• Do not mix different kinds of alcohol and stay clear of unfa­miliar drinks.
• Count how many drinks you have consumed.
• Most importantly, know the signs of alcohol poisoning, so that in the event of a fellow Flyer becoming ill, you will know what to do!
• Know that there are fellows roaming the student neighbor­hood looking out for students’ safety.

If the situation does arise where a friend is showing signs of alcohol poi­soning and/or you fear for their well-be­ing, remember that the university has instituted a “mitigating circumstances” policy. It essentially states in the student handbook that in the event a fellow Flyer is in medical danger, even if you have been consuming alcohol, you will not be penalized for calling Public Safety for your friend:

“In order to encourage students to seek assistance for their fellow students who may be in medical danger, students who notify Public Safety or other urgent assistance agencies (e.g., a hospital, another police agency, etc.), will not be held responsible for the alcohol policy violation should they have been in violation when assisting.”

Finally, the university also has a number of cool events during the day such as free food and cookouts as well as free water and fun sober events cel­ebrating St. Patty’s, provided by some of the many student organizations. Stay safe Flyers and have an amazing St. Pat­rick’s Day!