Editor’s Note: A name was retracted due to discretion and best interest from the publication.
As March 9 looms around the corner, EIU’s students are preparing for their beloved holiday: Unofficial.
Unofficial is one of the biggest events in the Charleston community. Students spend the entire day hopping from bars to house parties in honor of St. Patrick’s Day.
As the event approaches, the EIU Police Department said it is important for students to remember the importance of drinking responsibly.
EIU police said they take the potential dangers of Unofficial seriously and prepare their course of action in advance.
According to EIU Chief of Police Marisol Gamboa, additional officers will be added to the patrol on Unofficial day to ensure students’ safety. The Charleston Police Department has also been in contact with Gamboa to help plan the patrol of Unofficial.
Gamboa said that she understands that her and her patrol cannot stop students from drinking, but she sincerely hopes that students will use good judgment and stay safe.
“I’m not going to encourage them to drink, but I know it’s gonna happen,” Gamboa stated. “So, I just want them to be responsible. Be wise, make wise decisions, be aware of your surroundings, don’t over-consume, don’t drink and drive. Remember you’re not the only ones that will be affected by that.”
As students of Eastern, partiers should be aware that they have a reputation to uphold, and that their decisions affect everyone around them, police said.
“When we’re in the city of Charleston, we have to be respectful to our community members here,” Gamboa said. “Be respectful and be considerate and mindful that you’re partying in their backyards. I think that just fosters better understanding from our community when they see our people out there, our students, and our students are being respectful towards them.”
Gamboa also advises that students keep their phones fully charged, stay in groups and contact the police if they see anything that doesn’t seem right.
“Cooperate with police officers because we’re just there to secure the environment,” she said. “We’re just there for safety. That’s our main goal.”
Unofficial can get pretty rowdy, with many students and community members participating.
Caleigh Parsley, a graduate student studying health promotion, said the event seems overhyped.
Parsley also said she believes the event can be dangerous but can also be fun if people party responsibly. “But I don’t think most people do,” she continued.
To educate students on safe drinking habits, Eastern’s Health Education Resource Center provides a free Myth Busting Alcohol event on Tuesday, March 12, a few days after Unofficial, in preparation for spring break.
“It’s about harm reduction, not just preventing people from doing behaviors that we know to be unhealthy,” Assistant Director of HERC Matthew Warner stated. “We also want to make sure that if they’re participating in those habits that they are taking precautions, that they’re being safe.”
The event will be held in the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., and Warner is expecting a pretty good turnout.
HERC also provides free alcohol testing strips and kits in the office, available for any student to take as they please.
Warner also stated that the HERC plans to be active on social media on the day of Unofficial to remind students of safe habits and how to drink responsibly.
The HERC hopes to help students stay safe, as the CDC reports that 21% of people from ages 18-24 participate in binge drinking.
Audra Gullquist can be reached at 581-2812 or at agullquist@eiu.edu.
