More organizations continued to release their State Patty's Day statistics yesterday, and there's unquestionably a common theme -- the drinking holiday was much less destructive this year than in years past.
Preliminary data from Penn State Police, State College Police and the Centre County Alcohol Task Force revealed a big drop in crime on State Patty's Day as compared to last year -- total crime was down 47 percent and arrests decreased 61 percent.
The initial State College Police crime numbers are in, and it looks like the drinking holiday might be losing its luster. Through 8 a.m. this morning, police are reporting a 45 percent drop in crime. Only 20 arrests were made all day Friday and into Saturday.
It has already been one of the coldest winters in recent memory, and it's about to get even worse. AccuWeather is calling for a foot of snow through Monday morning and beginning tomorrow night.
Not all Penn State students will be partying this Saturday for State Patty's Day. For the fourth year in a row, many students will be countering the drinking event with the State Day of Service, which will include community service projects on campus and throughout State College.
So where is this pay-out money coming from? Penn State's PR machine has been quick to mention that it is not coming directly from tuition dollars, which is technically true, although it stands to reason a six-figure dent in another university account still affects students. Instead, the bribe money is coming from the Student Parking Endowment fund, which goes to fund a number of important student services.