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Friday, March 15. 1996
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Americans import Irish traditions
U.S. turns religious holiday into a party
By Stefan Hartmann
Kansan correspondent
Eat modestly, search for God and resist worldly pleasures such as alcohol. That is what a good Irish Catholic normally should do during Lent.
But every March 17, some suspend those principles by having a big party. It is St. Patrick's Day.
Many non-Catholic Americans join the Irish in having a good time. On St. Patrick's Day, everyone can be Irish. The boisterous holiday, which commemorates the patron saint of Ireland, a fifth-century bishop, has its roots in the United States.
St. Patrick's Day parades are more of a tradition in the United States than in Ireland. The most famous parade weaves down New York's Fifth Avenue every year. But there also is a big parade in Kansas City, and even Lawrence has its own parade.
"St. Patrick's Day in Ireland is not as big an event as it is here," said Aine Francis, Mountmellick, Ireland, graduate student. "Many towns have parades but on a much smaller scale."
The Irish celebrate St. Patrick's Day in much the way Americans celebrate Thanksgiving, she said.
"People go home to their families and meet people who they haven't seen for a long time," Francis said.
The two most common symbols for the holiday were brought to the United States by Irish immigrants. The shamrock was shown to a king by St. Patrick as a symbol for the Holy Trinity, historians say.
And, of course, there is the color green, which can be seen almost everywhere.
For Francis, it is a bit too much green.
"The day is more commercialized here with all the green badges, ribbons, earrings and 'Kiss me I'm Irish' T-shirts," she said.
Honor O'Hea, Cork, Ireland, graduate student, said that she was
St. Patrick's Day
St. Patrick's Day isn't just a day to drink green beer; it's a celebration of the life of a saint.
St. Patrick, who was known by the name Succat early in his life, was probably born in A.D. 389 near the Severn River in what is today Wales. His father held a low position in the Roman administration. At 16, Succat was kidnapped and sold into slavery and sent to Ireland, where he is said to have converted to Christianity. After escaping from slavery six years later, he went to Gaul — today France — and Italy, where he received his religious education.
Taking the name Patrick, he became second bishop of Ireland in A.D. 432. He traveled the country, made converts and founded monasteries, schools and churches. By the time of his death, supposedly March 17, 461, he had set the foundations of Christianity in Ireland.
Source: The American Book of Days
impressed by the enthusiasm with which Americans celebrate the day
"Americans really go for green beer," she said. "I was surprised when I saw people wearing green and making this huge effort for it."
O'Hea also noticed that St Patrick's seems a secular holiday here, whereas in Ireland the religious aspect is more important.
Robert Smith, professor emeritus of anthropology, said the holiday became widely celebrated in the United States about the turn of the century with the great wave of Irish immigrants.
"When they came to the United States, the Irish decided to celebrate the day as a festival of their identity," Smith said.
Smith said he saw nothing wrong with the tradition being adopted and transformed by non-Irish Americans.
ON CAMPUS
"As a multicultural society, the Americans are seeing the Irish as part of their identity," he said. "I think that's a healthy thing."
OAKS — Nontraditional Student Organization Executive Committee will sponsor an open business meeting at 11:30 a.m. today in 4048 Wescoe Hall.Call Laura Morgan at 864-4064 for more information.
Phi Beta Delta and the Office of International Studies is sponsoring a lecture titled Haiti and Democracy by Sara Lechtenberg from the KU School of Law at noon today at the International Room in the Kansas Union. Call Hodgie Bricke at 864-4141 for more information.
Recovery Medicine Wheel Support Group will meet at 3:30 p.m. today at the Multicultural Resource Center. Call Samantha at 842-4797 for more information.
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center will hold mass at 4:30 today at the center, 1631 Crescent Road. Call 843-0357 for more information
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center will sponsor Stations of the Cross at 7 tonight at the center. Call 843-0357 for info.
KU Women's Rugby will attend a Debanute Ball Tourney all day tomorrow at Highland Park in Dallas. Call Stacey Stringfield at 749-3380 for more information.
more information.
St. Lawrence Catholic Campus Center will have a National Evangelization Team Retreat at 6 p.m. tomorrow at the center. Call Sister Karen Klaffenbach at 843-0357 for more information.
Lawrence Apple Users Group is sponsoring MacinTax at 4 p.m. Saturday at the KU Computer Center Auditorium. Call Shawna Rosen at 749-2168 for more information.
The Art and Design Gallery is sponsoring the KU MFA Thesis Show: Julie Green from Sunday to Friday at the Art and Design Gallery. Call Chris Fasano at 864-5501 for more information.
KU Dance Club is sponsoring a dance lesson at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Kansas Room in the Kansas Union. Call Sonia Ratzaff at 864-1581 for more information.
Help heal pre-med jitters
Conference to help students understand life in medicine
Kansan staff report
It is everything you wanted to know about medical school but were afraid to ask.
The conference is sponsored by the University of Kansas School of Medicine and the KU Medical Alumni Association, but it will be held at the K-State Union.
While almost every reservation has been filled, KU students with a desire for medical school information might still have the opportunity to attend the Pre-Med Student Conference tomorrow at Kansas State University in Manhattan.
Carol Trissell, director of student life at the KU School of Medicine-Wichita, said organizers didn't try to have the conference at one of KU's rival schools.
Trissell said it would be held at different Kansas universities each spring.
"The first thing high school students always ask me is, "I go to KU, do I have a better chance at getting into KU Medical School?" Trissell said. "I always tell them that it doesn't matter."
Jason Kish, Atchison junior, said he was attending the conference to learn about the issues students face outside of the classroom.
"It's much more than getting good grades," he said.
The conference includes a panel discussion by current medical students, a session Kish said he didn't want to miss.
For more information about the conference, call (316) 261-2616.
"I know what biology is about, but I want to know about what it's like to be a medical student," Kish said. "It's one thing to say I want to be a physician," but I'd like to hear what a physician has to say about being one."
Weather
$SOurce:$ Gateau Hunnininkage, KU Wetterber Service
$SOurce:$ Gateau Hunnininkage, KU Wetterber Service
ON THE RECORD
An 18-inch-by-36-inch glass window was broken about 10:15 p.m. Wednesday at the Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity house. The window was valued at $75, Lawrence police reported.
A Sony car stereo, 100 compact discs and a compact disc case were stolen from a KU student's car, and the car door handle and door lock were damaged between 6 p.m.
Monday and 10 a.m. Tuesday in the 1300 block of West Campus Road. The damage was estimated at $300, and the items were valued at $1,700, Lawrence police reported.
A Rockhopper mountain bike was stolen between 4:30 and 6 p.m. Tuesday from the bike rack near Lindley Hall. The bike was valued at $500, KU police reported.
The University Daily Kansan (USPS 650-640) is published at the University of Kansas, 119 Stauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, Kan. 66045, daily during the regular school year, excluding Saturday, Sunday, holidays and finals periods, and Wednesday during the summer session. Second-class postage is paid in Lawrence, Kan. 66044. Annual subscriptions by mail are $90. Student subscriptions of $1.86 per semester are paid through the student activity fee.
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Stauffer-Flint Hall, Lawrence, K. 66045.
Look, if you think a talking stuffed moose is pretty amazing, listen to this. I was hanging out with some of the boys the other evening. One of them just bought a new Macintosh: Evidently, Apple is offering incredibly low campus prices on Macintosh computers right now. So he pops in this CD-ROM. Man, you wouldn't believe what this thing could do. No wonder the Mac is one of the most advanced multimedia computers. We're talking sight, sound, full-motion video—the works. Gee, wish I could move like that.
For more information visit us on the Internet at http://bed.apple.com/
Apply for an Apple Computer Loan. Get a Mac. Pay later.
Third Floor Burge Union
Offer above expires May 15, 2015. See your computer store for details about the Apple Computer Lease. © 1998 Apple Computer Inc. All rights reserved. The apple logo, Learner, Mirrorless, PowerBook and StyleWriter are registered trademarks of Apple Computer. Inc. Mac and Power Mac are trademarks of Apple Computer. Inc. PowerPC is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation, used to address individuals with learning to learn more (USL, contact). Apple.com 600-740-8790 PTY 800-755-6601
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