The Mifflin Street Block Party has long served as students’ last chance to let loose and enjoy the return of warm weather to Madison before the realities of final exams and summer break settle in. It’s the last hurrah for those graduating, returning home for the summer months or studying abroad for a semester or two. It serves as an opportunity for high school friends and childhood pals to gawk in awe at our university’s renowned social scene and enjoy the atmosphere of a top college town.
As every University of Wisconsin student is now well aware, city officials inadvertently undercut this year’s tradition, failing to plan the date in accordance with the very schedules of those who make Mifflin, well, Mifflin. Though Madison students seem to champion juggling hard work with hard play, it’s quite contradictory (both symbolically and literally) to place the semester’s biggest party on the semester’s biggest day of academic preparation. With the harrowing ultimatum of a decision between studying and partying pushing their backs against the wall, it’s natural that students would seek alternatives in order to do both.
It’s just as reasonable, however, that city officials and the Madison Police Department would refuse to adhere to those who want to see Mifflin’s date changed. The obvious loss of scheduling extra officers on May 7 notwithstanding, additional costs for an April 30 party could easily exceed $100,000. Taxpayer dollars would need to be used to compensate for these losses and it would be hard for council members to explain to constituents that their money helped fund UW students’ parties. Mutual understanding of both sides’ arguments is vital, as Mifflin’s success in the past years (unlike its fall counterpart, Halloween) can be mainly attributed to cooperation between UW students and police.
Yet last week’s comments by Chancellor Wiley, in which he was quite adamant in his support of holding Mifflin the day before finals, fails to abide by the same logic. Wiley, of all people, should realize the necessary preparation that comes with the accumulation of four or five final exams all squeezed into a period of several days. The chancellor is correct in asserting that anyone who waits to study until the last day “is in worse trouble than the Mifflin Street party is going to add to.” But with that “last day” being the one study day between the end of classes and the beginning of exams (in part due to the university’s insistence on beginning finals on a Sunday) it is vital for students’ preparation.
The assumption that those with May 8 exams can spend their one free day enjoying Mifflin in its entirety and still be primed for their 7:45 a.m. tests may truly depict how out of touch some university officials are.
As Mifflin has proved to be quite the proverbial pickle, it’s tempting to adopt a ‘you-screwed-us-and-now-we’re-going-to-screw-you’ demeanor when planning to party on April 30. Yet there is a solution that would not only fix this year’s fiasco, but provide for successful and festive block parties in the future.
Let’s make the block party an official event. The university’s involvement, with the Associated Students of Madison acting as a sponsor, means the city would not have to bear the full costs. With the MPD no longer having to endure the financial burdens of an April 30 party, the date could be effectively and officially moved. From a safety standpoint, a sponsored Mifflin would inject stability in an otherwise chaotic event. Activities, including live music, could be more centrally located and more carefully organized. Making Mifflin official would be desirable for years to come, ensuring more thorough preparation by multiple planning groups — which would diminish the odds of future scheduling conflicts. Though the university would undoubtedly be hesitant to endorse ASM’s involvement in an alcohol-related event, Mifflin would not be the first school gathering made up of intoxicated attendees.
Our student government in particular should salivate at the opportunity. Imagine the publicity: “ASM saves Mifflin Street Block Party.” If nothing else, it would help bolster the student government’s battered reputation.
Adam Lichtenheld ([email protected]) is a sophomore majoring in political science and international studies. He is a member of the city of Madison’s Public Safety Review Board.
