Each spring, the Mifflin Street Block Party is both a reward for, and final celebration of, all of our hard work. This year, the scheduled date for Mifflin is Saturday, May 7, the day before finals week begins. Although I do not have any finals on Sunday, I have a number of tests during the week and the weekend has been allotted for study time.
Police officials refuse to change the date because of contractual obligations. Because students are planning to host the event on April 30, police are treating students without consideration when it is their own lack of foresight that created this mess to begin with. Categorizing the situation as \too late to do anything about"" is nobody's fault but their own. A simple check of the academic calendar would have avoided this entire fiasco.
Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4, has shown more understanding for the students than the police, but the work of one man isn't enough. Students have attempted to petition for a change of date but rightly fear police will take unnecessary actions in shutting down the annual party. Accidental mishaps and controversy surrounding the celebration have already forced authorities to consider eliminating the melee altogether and opposing the scheduled date could lead to increased debate about the legitimacy of the festivities.
While some students admittedly partake in out-of-hand behavior, the majority of students are responsible enough to prevent catastrophes from occurring. We understand how the thought of thousands of students packed on one street can worry officials, but keg limitations and frivolous arrest procedures will only add fuel to the fire. Students have shown conscientiousness throughout the year in academic and occupational dependability and stand behind the block party not as a way to forget those liabilities for a day, but to prove that the same conscientious attitude can be displayed in a well-deserved day of relaxation.
If the current date is kept, many students will conform to the reality of the situation and find themselves at the library. Mifflin Street residents may be unable to open their homes to fellow students knowing they have an exam the next day. As understanding young adults, our intention is not to have to break the rules, but to be given the rightful chance to attend the party without the added stress. In reality, moving the scheduled date would be quite simple, but our extension of cooperative efforts has only been met by increased stubbornness by the police department.
The Mifflin Street Block Party has been a success for many years. With impending threats to do away with the tradition altogether, it's no wonder that such an effort has been made to make the date undesirable. What authority figures fail to understand is that the implemented date will not decrease the size of the crowd to manageable numbers, but only encourage students to challenge the system. If police and faculty wished to calm the festivities, they may instead be facing increased resistance by students who intend to end the year with a bang.
Jessica Sprang is a sophomore majoring in journalism. She can be reached at opinion@dailycardinal.com. Her column runs every Monday in The Daily Cardinal.
