Finally, after weeks of anticipation, months of diligent behind-the-scenes negotiating and year of waiting, the Mifflin Street Block Party has a sponsor (again). When WSUM agreed to host a sound stage last week, the guys from DCNY PRO jumped back on, and the whole shebang was approved by a unanimous vote on Wednesday.

Of course, there are some catches. First, the police are playing their cards close to the chest as to whether or not there will be a substantial change in the policy that produced over 438 arrests at last year’s celebration and 366 the year before. Many — including Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4 — seem guardedly optimistic there will be efforts to educate first and enforce second.

Indeed, police say they will work on processing arrests more quickly, as well as make a better effort to inform partygoers of the ground rules before they end up handcuffed to a lawn chair in a parking garage downtown. But honestly, if you don’t know you can’t walk down the street pulling on bottle of Fleishman’s, no amount of signage will be able to save you from your own stupidity.

What really remains to be seen is how having an official sponsor for the first time in 14 years will affect the policing of the event. In past years, the line from the Madison Police Department has been since no street use permit was being issued, Mifflin was technically an illegal party — and therefore warranted a more aggressive enforcement of the law. That point has been vociferously debated by alders, editorial boards and residents alike, but now it’s moot, and it will be interesting to see just what that actually means when Saturday rolls around.

Second, due to financial constraints, we’re looking at about seven hours of DJs on the WSUM soundstage. Given the limited funding for planning the event and the security requirements for a band to play, it was not feasible to bring live music to Mifflin this year. However, the good news is DJs won’t be held to the three-house rule (I hope).

Basically, it sounds like students have good reason to be skeptical in regards to how this year will be different from years previous — if at all. That line of reasoning, however, misses the bigger picture. Sure, it might get annoying if some guy named DJ Jazzy Mustache insists on playing “Soldier Boy” every 20 minutes, but that’s not the point. Of course, the sponsors and their supporters are concerned with making sure everyone has a good time this year, but the real focus is on the coming years.

At worst, this year’s Mifflin will be the same as the non-sponsored variety would have been. The important thing is that what happens Saturday will lay the groundwork for the celebration in years to come. Most people realize Mifflin will never return to the political/counterculture celebration it was in its heyday, and few seem content with the current format of aimless drinking and heavy-handed police presence.

To their credit, those behind this year’s sponsorship seem keenly aware of these realities. Verveer seems particularly resolute to guide this event to a point where sponsorship can be a yearly reality and police and partygoers alike can find a happy medium between zip-ties and Mai Tais. He seems equally determined that it not turn into another Freakfest, which is a good thing, because the surest way to ensure a riot might be to subject the crowd to seven hours of O.A.R. on Saturday. And nobody wants that.

Joey Labuz ([email protected]) is a junior majoring in biomedical engineering.