Despite concerns about violence at the event last year, many members of the Madison community, including city officials and University of Wisconsin students, vowed to keep the tradition of the Mifflin Street Block Party alive for 2012.
At the beginning of the school year, Madison Mayor Paul Soglin said he did not support future block parties. Despite the mayor’s comments, most of the attendees at the meeting expressed support for going forward with the block party if it could be done in a safe manner.
“I’m really encouraged by the non-students in the room – they do not share the sentiments of the mayor, and there is a lot of common ground,” UW student Jacob Miller said.
However, one alder felt that while the party should remain, it needs to undergo a cultural shift.
“I have many strong feelings towards making it a Madison-centric event. … Mifflin has become a disrespectful event similar to Halloween,” Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said.
Police influence on past events has been excessive, Larry Warman, the West Mifflin District Chair for Capital Neighborhoods Inc., said.
“The police have been overbearing at past Mifflin events,” he said. “I would like to see us move more into policing the event ourselves.”
At the meeting, the results of a recent Associated Student of Madison survey about the block party were released by Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers.
Sixty percent of those polled attended last year’s Mifflin Street Block Party. When faced with the statement “I plan on attending the Mifflin Street Block Party this year,” 78 percent of those polled either agreed or strongly agreed with the statement.
The survey was sent to all UW students in an email earlier this semester and 7,038 students responded.
“When I first heard the response rate I was blow away,” Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, said. “The quality of the energy amongst students is really amazing.”
Seventy percent of those polled agreed that the block party is necessary. Fifty-four percent of those polled agreed that the purpose of the party is to drink. Thirty percent of those polled agreed that last year’s event was out of control, and 64 percent agreed that outsiders caused the problems last year.
Sixty-nine percent of respondents agreed that they would be affected if the block party went away, and 51 percent of respondents agreed that they would come to meetings about the block party.
Approximately 3,000 respondents commented at the end of the survey. The most common responses said no people from out of town should be permitted, followed by getting rid of the open carry and that the party should move away from standing around drinking.
Tom Seeger of CNI expressed support for future parties.
“The question is, how do we work with the city? What are their intentions”? he said.
The meeting ended with a general consensus to meet sometime in early February when everyone will be back from break. There was also support for ideas to have student town hall-type meetings regarding this year’s party.
