If the mayor's office refuses to change the date of the Mifflin Street Block Party from the scheduled May 7 date to April 30, Associated Students of Madison said it will propose to support and sponsor an alternative party.
This alternative party would take place on April 30, Chair of ASM and UW-Madison senior Emily McWilliams said at the ASM Student Council meeting Wednesday. McWilliams and other ASM members plan to meet with the Mayor's office today at 4:30 p.m. to discuss negotiating the Mifflin date.
\I think it's really messed up that the Mayor's office has scheduled Mifflin Street Block Party for the day before finals,"" McWilliams said. ""Clearly, that that's an attempt to quell the [potential] chaos of Mifflin Street.""
ASM representative and UW-Madison freshman Andrew Gordon agreed.
""It's really clear that the Mayor's office and the Madison police are trying to pressure students into doing this because that's what they scheduled and that's what they want to do,"" Gordon said. ""This is our choice not theirs, indirectly.""
Many residents of Mifflin Street wrote letters requesting ASM to hold discussions with the Mayor's office, according to McWilliams. She stressed that the party date should be the choice of the students and the residents of Mifflin Street.
McWilliams plans to be ""diplomatic"" tomorrow and ""not show all the cards [she has]"" in an attempt to compromise with the mayor's office and Madison Police Department.
""I think that the meeting has the capacity to be productive,"" ASM Secretary and UW-Madison junior Adam Schlicht said. ""This is another classic example of ASM working on issues that directly affect the students.""
If ASM and the Mayor's office are unable to reach a compromise in the meeting today, McWilliams will propose the sponsorship and promotion of an alternative April 30 party at an April 20 ASM meeting.
