Double the Green
Cassidy Pazyniak
Issue date: 2/9/09 Section: News
Some urban myths exist at Miami: Don't walk on the seal or you'll break your mother's back ... or something along those lines. A long-lived tale for Miami students has "The Man" playing the role of villain. For those of you questioning who this "Man" is, I'll clarify. He is the long arm of the law and he's holding us back from greatness in these carefree college years. So in what urban myth does the Man of Miami play a role? It's the simple fact that St. Patrick's Day never occurs while we're in classes. Out of 90 students surveyed, 69 percent of the participants believed that the administration makes sure that the school year calendar happens without St. Patrick's Day year after year.
The famous saying declares "stick it to the Man," hence the great Miami student response to this calendar void - Green Beer Day.
The in's and out's of Green Beer Day have been passed down by generations of students by word of mouth. Everyone who is anyone gets the memo - forget the cliques, for once embrace one color only, Green Beer Day has come for all to enjoy!
But this year, The Man threw us for a loop. Both St. Patrick's Day, March 17 and Green Beer Day, on March 5, are happening while Miami students are still in class. So does this mean double the pleasure, double the fun? Or as one cautious student warned on the survey, "St. Pat's Day should be a good time, but it needs to be known that GBD is the Thursday before break, and that is when the bars open early … if we celebrate both wildly, they will be watered down (especially GBD), and kids will say something like 'Well I skipped classes on GBD, so I can't drink/skip on St. Pat's Day.' I almost think Miami changed the break to do just that."
Many of the students expressed their surprise over this schedule change as well as Uptown merchants. Terry and Andy Amarantos, the owners of Skipper's, expressed that they aren't really sure how to handle all this green and are wondering if both days of celebration are cause for 5:30 a.m. openings.
"We kind of talked about it a little bit; I haven't talked to other bars around though. I know we're going to do Green Beer Day," Andrew Amarantos says.
And while many respondents expressed their joy over the celebrations with a simple "wooo-hooo" or "I'm really excited about this tremendous opportunity. Finally in my four years here the University does something right," the Skipper's owners explained with a laugh that it's not a holiday they particularly look forward to.
"Green Beer day is a fun day for everyone except for guys who work it. It's a killer day - you're up for umpteenth hours; you close the bar by 2:30 and you have to be back at 4:30 … I'm lucky to go home by 6 o'clock [p.m.]; [Green Beer Day] is a 14-hour day. I'm glad we go on Spring Break right after, I need two days to recover," Andrew Amarantos says.
Whatever they decide to do, students express their willingness to paint the town green and support Skipper's and all bars across the red brick road. If green eggs and beer were to be served both days at 5:30 a.m., 53 percent of the 21-year old participants say they would show up. And even if it remains that GBD is the only holiday for such an exception, it is no reason to fret-90 percent of all the students said they still plan on living the dream and participating in both holidays this 2008-2009 school year.
So with the building of tension as the day's inch by to March 5 and 17, the administration remains cautious and alert.
"We are always concerned about any occasion or event that may provide opportunity for students to make decisions that jeopardize their health and safety," says Susan Mosley-Howard, the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students.
Mosley-Howard explained via e-mail that there is a calendar committee, chaired by Mr. Steve Snyder that plans the school year dates at least three years in advance. But the big question remains, is The Man behind this all and does it hurt his ego a wee-bit that we have foiled him this year?
"To my knowledge, we do not plan the academic calendar around something like St. Patrick's Day. Our calendar is based upon providing appropriate instructional days according to best educational practice and applicable state requirements," Mosley-Howard assures.
Whether the urban myth can now be set on the back burner or if The Man was too busy with the stock market to take notice, no matter the reason - Miami still plans on taking full advantage of it and turn this campus greener than a hippy convention. Merry St. Patrick's Day and Happy Green Beer Day Miami Student, your Thursdays may never be the same.
The famous saying declares "stick it to the Man," hence the great Miami student response to this calendar void - Green Beer Day.
The in's and out's of Green Beer Day have been passed down by generations of students by word of mouth. Everyone who is anyone gets the memo - forget the cliques, for once embrace one color only, Green Beer Day has come for all to enjoy!
But this year, The Man threw us for a loop. Both St. Patrick's Day, March 17 and Green Beer Day, on March 5, are happening while Miami students are still in class. So does this mean double the pleasure, double the fun? Or as one cautious student warned on the survey, "St. Pat's Day should be a good time, but it needs to be known that GBD is the Thursday before break, and that is when the bars open early … if we celebrate both wildly, they will be watered down (especially GBD), and kids will say something like 'Well I skipped classes on GBD, so I can't drink/skip on St. Pat's Day.' I almost think Miami changed the break to do just that."
Many of the students expressed their surprise over this schedule change as well as Uptown merchants. Terry and Andy Amarantos, the owners of Skipper's, expressed that they aren't really sure how to handle all this green and are wondering if both days of celebration are cause for 5:30 a.m. openings.
"We kind of talked about it a little bit; I haven't talked to other bars around though. I know we're going to do Green Beer Day," Andrew Amarantos says.
And while many respondents expressed their joy over the celebrations with a simple "wooo-hooo" or "I'm really excited about this tremendous opportunity. Finally in my four years here the University does something right," the Skipper's owners explained with a laugh that it's not a holiday they particularly look forward to.
"Green Beer day is a fun day for everyone except for guys who work it. It's a killer day - you're up for umpteenth hours; you close the bar by 2:30 and you have to be back at 4:30 … I'm lucky to go home by 6 o'clock [p.m.]; [Green Beer Day] is a 14-hour day. I'm glad we go on Spring Break right after, I need two days to recover," Andrew Amarantos says.
Whatever they decide to do, students express their willingness to paint the town green and support Skipper's and all bars across the red brick road. If green eggs and beer were to be served both days at 5:30 a.m., 53 percent of the 21-year old participants say they would show up. And even if it remains that GBD is the only holiday for such an exception, it is no reason to fret-90 percent of all the students said they still plan on living the dream and participating in both holidays this 2008-2009 school year.
So with the building of tension as the day's inch by to March 5 and 17, the administration remains cautious and alert.
"We are always concerned about any occasion or event that may provide opportunity for students to make decisions that jeopardize their health and safety," says Susan Mosley-Howard, the Associate Vice President & Dean of Students.
Mosley-Howard explained via e-mail that there is a calendar committee, chaired by Mr. Steve Snyder that plans the school year dates at least three years in advance. But the big question remains, is The Man behind this all and does it hurt his ego a wee-bit that we have foiled him this year?
"To my knowledge, we do not plan the academic calendar around something like St. Patrick's Day. Our calendar is based upon providing appropriate instructional days according to best educational practice and applicable state requirements," Mosley-Howard assures.
Whether the urban myth can now be set on the back burner or if The Man was too busy with the stock market to take notice, no matter the reason - Miami still plans on taking full advantage of it and turn this campus greener than a hippy convention. Merry St. Patrick's Day and Happy Green Beer Day Miami Student, your Thursdays may never be the same.
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