First of all, there is an Urban Dictionary Showdown happening on the popular website. For the last few months, the only entry of "Unofficial" was a post detailing the event at UIUC. Early this week, however, a second definition was added to the UD database. The second definition mocks the Unofficial holiday at the University of Illinois. Click the link below to read (and vote) for either of them:
Urban Dictionary: Unofficial
Monday evening, Chancellor Richard Herman called on the cities of Champaign and Urbana to end Unofficial. Nothing will likely come of these pleas, however, as both cities make a large profit from the taxes brought in by this "holiday."
"Many of us are working hard to make Champaign-Urbana a destination for people to come to," Herman said. But Unofficial St. Patrick's Day, a promotion founded by bar owner Scott Cochrane, is giving Champaign a black eye, with busloads of students from other colleges expected to hit campus this Friday and Saturday to drink.News-Gazette: Chancellor calls for end to Unofficial
Last week, UIUC law professor Francis Boyle asked Illinois State officials to end unofficial.
"The good citizens of Champaign and Urbana will suffer from civil disturbances, large-scale public drunkenness, destruction of property, physical assaults and batteries, rapes and more deaths," Boyle said in his complaint.News-Gazette: Professor pushes for prevention by state intervention
3 comments:
"But Unofficial St. Patrick's Day ... is giving Champaign a black eye"
According to whom? We are increasing the number of visitors to the area who go because Champaign is great, not because they want to be rubberneckers to some 'black eye.' Unofficial is known as a great holiday; Champaign is becoming more well-known to many, and I believe that is a good thing. I do not see the problem with Unofficial at all, and wonder if he is just taking a stand so he can claim to have done something about it rather than endorse it.
What a fun-hater.
The Chancellor is killing tourism and tax revenue for the town!
He says it will cost the cities $18,000 this year to have a safty/police force out. This is easily paid for by the liquor taxes in the towns, not to mention other taxes and citations collected upon.
The Chancellor is also trying to cross into boundaries that he does not belong in.
Please read the petition below and sign it if you agree with what it calls for.
http://www.gopetition.com/online/17243.html
The petition site removed the petition, but here is the text of it.
Chancellor Richard Herman of the University of Illinois over the past several years has been trying to improve the quality of education at the University. He has tried to do this by alienating students, alumni, faculty, and staff. He has invaded their personal lives stronghold the surrounding towns to give in to his requests, trying to make decisions for them. He also has focused on making a more diverse campus, which is beginning to hurt the core of education at the University. This diversification has brought people who cannot even read or write beyond the third grade to this University. He has yet to focus on making changes to the broken core education process at the University. He has not addressed the issue of over-crowded classrooms, teachers, specifically TAs, not being proficient enough in their subject or in English to teach a class, and furthering the curriculums that are already in place.
We, the signers of this petition, call on Chancellor Richard Herman to resign or the Board of Directors to dismiss him immediately. He has wasted too many University resources in areas that do not really have University authority and he has actually lowered the quality of education during his tenure.
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