Campus Celebrates St. Patrick's Day

For Boston College, as a Jesuit Catholic university initially founded to serve the sons of Boston's Irish immigrants, March 17 is a day of celebration and tradition on campus. The Jesuits at BC, as well as students and faculty, shared in the abundance of festivities on St. Patrick's Day.

Boston has been the mecca for St. Paddy's Day fun since 1737, when the first ever parade in honor of the holiday was held in the city.

The annual celebration, named for the patron saint of Ireland, is something that the residents of St. Mary's Chapel – decked out with shamrocks in advance – eagerly anticipate. "Breakfast will be bigger than normal," said Rev. Richard McGowan, S.J.
"There'll be Irish soda bread, hot cross buns, and Irish sausage. For dinner, there'll be corned beef and cabbage, and drinks like Guinness, Irish whiskey, and Irish coffee."
As for the actual saint, McGowan said he sees St. Patrick as the ultimate example of one who turned the other cheek. "He was raised a Roman, kidnapped by the Irish, escaped, went to France, and was sent back to Ireland to save them," he said.

McGowan said that due to a combination of St. Patrick's Day falling during Lent and being on a school day, there would be less celebration, and the holiday would be a little muted.

 "People will still greet each other on the holiday, but there won't be any wine at the dinner table," he said.
"March 17 is also Evacuation Day – a holiday commemorating the evacuation of the British troops during the Revolutionary War," McGowan said. "In Suffolk County, which encompasses Boston, all the government offices and schools are closed for the day."
McGowan found it a rare coincidence that St. Patrick's Day and Evacuation Day happened to fall on the same day. "How did we know when the British evacuated?" he said.

As for students, McGowan's thoughts were that celebration, for the most part, is appropriate. "It's an excuse to have a little extra," he said.
Brent Estepa, manager of Roggie's,  said, "St. Paddy's Day is just a great day." For the occasion, BC students paraded down Commonwealth Ave. and Cleveland Circle, venturing into establishments including Roggie's, CitySide, and Mary Ann's looking for a good time. "We try to be a fun establishment, so students say, ‘Hey, lets go to Roggie's, we had fun there last year,'" Estepa said.

One Roggie's customer, Melissa McKernon, A&S '10, said, "I associate this day with marginally acceptable behavior," as she and her friends shared "Roggie's punch," a green-dyed St. Paddy's Day concoction.

 "BC students basically celebrate St. Paddy's Day every day," Estepa said. "[The holiday] is just an excuse to come out and drink and party."

Friends Suzie Mullen, A&S '10, and Cara Lynch, CSOM '10, shared an early holiday meal together. "We have midterms tomorrow," Mullen said. However in past years, Lynch said, "[St. Patrick's Day] is more like Marathon Monday."

With the holiday in mind, Roggie's, for the most part, sticks to its usual routine, but does make a few modifications.

 "We don't do anything out of the ordinary, per se, short of having green beer and partying," Estepa said. "In addition, we have a theme that night, with giveaways and prizes. All of our alcohol reps also come in, so, for example, Budweiser and Guinness are there to do promos."