Students dressing up head-to-toe in green each year to celebrate the Saturday before St. Patrick’s Day has become both a college tradition and a concern for public safety.

Fake Paddy’s Day is synonymous with all-day binge drinking and large parties, which can cause the potential for citations, arrests and student conduct violations. Last year, police made 17 arrests on the holiday.

“Fake Paddy’s Day has certainly become one of our busiest days of the year, if not the busiest day of the year,” said Michael Lewis, administrative lieutenant at the Kent Police Department.

University and city officials reached out to students and organizations early this year, including canvassing six streets near

campus known for hosting parties. There, they let students know of the potential risks involved with binge drinking and the legal consequences of hosting a party.

The university also prepared for Saturday by gathering information ahead of time for events planned, allowing the police to keep track of areas of interest.

“Prevention really comes first, and that’s trying to find out when are people going to be gathering in large numbers that can create safety concerns,” said Todd Kamanesh, the associate dean of students and director of student conduct. “My primary hope is that people are safe.”

While education and communication with students goes a long way, Kamanesh said, violations of university policy and city ordinances still happen. Because of this, police will have an increased presence throughout the day, including foot patrols in active neighborhoods.

“We’re going to have to be prepared for an increase of activity,” Lewis said. “We’re going to have to be prepared and have the staffing necessary to address any large parties that get out of control, violate city noise ordinances or open containers of alcohol, underage drinking, disorderly conduct, whatever the case may be.”

Students participating in Fake Paddy’s Day should be aware of both local ordinances and university policy. The code of conduct follows a student off campus and any legal trouble will result in a referral to the Office of Student Conduct. The best way to stay out of trouble, Kamanesh said, is to treat the day like any other.

“On a day that people have proclaimed as a holiday, there’s nothing different about that,” he said. “So walking around with an open container, not a great idea, right? Drinking to excess, not a good idea, right? That’s not any different than any other day. What we’re hopeful for is that students are aware that they don’t have to treat this different than anything else.”

Alton Northup is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected].