UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- Informational materials are now available for any Penn State faculty members interested in learning more about the State Patty’s Day drinking holiday, set for March 1.Since 2007, the student-organized event has brought destructive alcohol usage, vandalism and traffic congestion to the campus and downtown State College. Multiple steps are being taken to combat the drinking holiday by the town-gown State Patty’s Day Task Force.Careen Yarnal, a member of the task force, has created a set of brief PowerPoint slides that can be used to stimulate classroom discussion about State Patty’s Day, highlight alternative activities and inform about task force’s efforts."This is an opportunity to have a dialog with students about choices and values,” Yarnal said. “The toll on the community from this event is enormous both economically and socially, yet students have the power to bring it to a grinding halt -- now."To obtain the PowerPoint slides, contact Yarnal, an associate professor in recreation, park and tourism management, at 814-863-5559 or cmy122@psu.edu.
For more information on the task force’s response to State Patty’s Day, go to http://news.psu.edu/tag/state-pattys-day-0.
Student Affairs Research and Assessment’s most recent survey of student alcohol trends can be found at http://studentaffairs.psu.edu/assessment/pdf/174.pdf.