With St. Patrick’s Day quickly approaching, safety and well-being is on the minds of many students and community members who may want to celebrate the holiday.

In preparation for St. Patrick’s Day, NMU Public Safety Detective Guy Laplante explained that their department increases their patrols and has “all hands on board.” While Public Safety gears up for the holiday, he added it’s important for students to be mindful of their behavior.

“Be responsible. Always go out with a buddy. Make sure you’re always together. Never leave anybody alone. If you have an emergency dial 911,” Laplante said. “Just utilize good judgement. If there is some assistance needed, make sure to contact somebody.”
But it isn’t just law enforcement gearing up for the holiday.

Owner and cofounder of Ore Dock Brewing Company Andrea Pernsteiner said the holiday brings people together, but added that the safety measures the brewery takes during high traffic holidays like St. Patrick’s Day are necessary.

“Holiday’s like these are an opportunity for people to take a minute from all craziness that is the world and enjoy themselves and enjoy one another and take a mental break from everything,” Pernsteiner said. “People are out to have fun because we’re bogged down with a lot of stress, so when we have the opportunity to let loose you can enjoy yourself.”
Communication is key for Ore Dock staff members who are working during busy holidays like St. Patrick’s Day.

“Anytime we think it may be a busy night we do a big huddle before hand and just make sure the communication is always flowing with everyone who’s working,” Pernsteiner said.
Ambassador of Fermentology and cofounder of Black Rocks Brewery David Manson shares some advice and insight on how Blackrocks Brewery handles nights that draw big crowds of people.

“When you have a place that serves alcohol it’s kind of a common vigilance that you have to do whether you’re monitoring what people are drinking or how they’re coming into your establishment, and just being a good human and offering people a chance to drink some water or maybe call them a cab if they’ve had too much to drink. Our staff is just as great as any other staff in town as far as recognizing those situations,” Manson said.
Being aware of your surroundings is important when to keep everyone who’ll be celebrating safe.

“I think it’s a two fold of self preservation. Drinking all day, it could be dangerous. It could be hazardous to your health and then on second note it could also create a social hazard for people who are trying to navigate the streets,” Manson said. “It’s something fun if you want to celebrate, just be respectful of your fellow man.”