Despite lingering winter temperatures, students flocked the streets in the early morning hours to local watering holes, many of which opened at 7 a.m. for St. Patrick’s Da y.
Outside
For some students, the party started before classes even began on Monday.
For those dedicated few, pre-8 a.m. constituted as “taking it easy.”
“I got up at 7:30 a.m.,” said human biology junior Courtney Bandemer, who was headed to a house party near Division street.
“Last year I woke up way earlier, but this year I slept in a little bit,” she said.
The streets were left mostly quiet in the morning, likely a result of the 13-degree temperatures that made March 17 feel more like New Year’s Eve.
For those who did celebrate, the atmosphere in town felt more dead than in years past, dampened by classes and the cold weather.
“It was a day of class so it felt different,” finance junior Michael Boulus said. “You don’t see that many people out, but it’s still a solid turnout.”
Boulus said he also celebrated on Sunday and noticed a better turnout than on Monday.
Inside
When it comes to holiday spirit, warm weather means streets filled with green, East Lansing police Capt. Jeff Murphy said.
He said 2012 saw record-setting temperatures in the seventies, bringing people out to celebrate the day.
As of 2 p.m., Murphy said the department had received no calls regarding St. Patrick’s Day.
He said the cold weather and regular Monday classes attributed to the day being more quiet than in years past.
Warm weather and a weekend date can lead to a busy day for the police, like in 2012.
Murphy said with the Big Ten Tournament during the past weekend and St. Patrick’s day looming additional police officers were on staff on Monday to make sure the celebrations didn’t get out of hand.
“It’s just something we have to plan for, like other days in East Lansing,” he said.
Murphy said East Lansing police have called on different departments they have mutual aid agreements with, something they didn’t have to do this year.
MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said MSU police increased their number of officers on staff as well to combat the added stress of the holiday and the Big Ten tournament.
“We are always diligent in watching the activities that are going on,” she said.
“We will have extra people on watching to make sure that people are safe.”
On-campus professors noticed the normal dip in class attendance, especially in the afternoon.
Forrest Carter, a marketing professor who teaches two classes on Mondays, said the attendance for both of his classes was on par with other years.
His Managerial Marketing class at 3 p.m. saw about a 50 percent attendance, he said.
Many of the students interviewed said they did not go to class or skipped at least one class.
“You always wonder, do I go to class or do I skip class?” Boules said. ” It depends on how you feel.”
The afternoon
As the day wore on the sun began to come out, and so did the partiers.
A lot of the house parties were stationed in the Bailey neighborhood, with Collingwood Avenue being a particular hot-spot. A group of students walking down Albert Avenue towards the bar district said the turnout was not as big as in years past.
“It’s not as good as it was last year,” finance freshmen Carter Bastien said. “If it was any day after Wednesday honestly it would be better, but it’s St. Paddy’s day so people are going to be out.”
Bastien and Boulus said the recent success of the basketball team and even the football team’s Rose Bowl win on New Year’s day makes this year’s holiday even more special.
“MSU won the Big Ten and Rose Bowl in the same year,” Bastien said. “They’ve been doing excellent and I feel like people are going a little harder because of that.”
To Boulus, the holiday marks more than opportunity to skip class and hit the town, it has a cultural importance as well.
“I’m part Irish, so it’s nice to go out and celebrate the holiday,” he said. “Especially being a Spartan it’s really nice to be out here wearing the Green and White.”
