The University of California – Santa Barbara infamous for the burning of a Bank of America in protest of the Vietnam War and famous as a hard drinking party school has made it to the “Big Dance” as the March Madness NCAA men’s basketball tournament is called. Students appears to be tuning up as one drunken student was arrested for staggering around naked, and an intoxicated woman nearly speared a patrol car while driving down the wrong side of the street.

In a place where “medicinal marijuana” is in ample supply and can be deadly when mixed with booze and gasoline authorities are privately hand wringing for student and community safety as Friday night’s opening game against #2 seed Ohio State looms. It is almost certain that nearby Santa Barbara’s “lower state street” bar strip will be particularly favored this weekend in a contest for the nation’s highest community blood alcohol content with Buckeye celebrants.

UCSB's administration is doing one of its patent Alfred E. Newman imitations.

Drunk driving is a particularly danger as students weave their way to and fro Friday evening along Highway 101. UCSB itself is built on cliffs above the Pacific that have claimed drunk students who plummet the 60 feet onto the beach. One thing is certain there will be more cops on patrol in Santa Barbara and Columbus Friday evening than about anywhere else.

We’ll keep score and let you know.