Editorial Board Disclaimer: We will address this issue once and only once, because, frankly, it will be in the news until the world explodes and we have only one thing to say about it:
Talk of shutting down Madison's beloved Mifflin Street Block Party has been plaguing our news since last year's event turned riotous and violent. According to the Wisconsin State Journal there were, "two stabbings, three sexual assaults, three substantial batteries, four strong-armed robberies and numerous reports of property damage during and after the event."
Because of these events, this editorial board has no right to completely scoff at Mayor Paul Soglin and the Madison Police Department's attempts to end the party just because we want to drink all day, play dizzy bat, do a few beer bongs, order and eat an entire Domino's pizza, pass out and wake up in that detox center off the Beltline.
But how do you shut down an event that students unofficially organize every year?
You don't.
You locate the problem areas, address the issues and modify the party in order to best circumvent the horrors that ensued last year. Fortunately, this is exactly what the Associated Students of Madison's Legislative Affairs Committee is trying to do.
Over the course of the year, Legislative Affairs has been meeting with Soglin to discuss ways to ensure the party's survival, because there absolutely cannot be a repeat of last year. The party is a novelty and tradition for this campus, but we cannot deny the fact that it needs some tweaks. So here are our suggestions:
First, the party can't be sponsored or commercialized. By allowing Capitol Neighborhoods Inc. and The Majestic to sell beer, the city is just asking for more out-of-towners to mar the streets. Vending beer and allowing open containers creates an "everything goes" attitude that non-Madison attendees already embody in the first place. After all, out of the 162 people arrested last year, 125 of them weren't UW-Madison students. Beer gardens only encourage drinking, especially for out-of-towners who may not know anyone living on Mifflin Street.
Second, in order to curb the number of individuals flooding in from different cities, we see reason to patrol the dorms the same way they are patrolled on Halloween. If we prohibit students from having guests over Mifflin weekend, we might see a drop in the number of visitors attending the event. This could help lower the violence and damage usually caused by attendees with no respect for the city.
Third, we strongly support Soglin's idea to promote safety through social media. Student's living on Mifflin should talk to one another and look out for each other during the event. It might not be such a bad idea to turn into those students who gate off their yards with orange, plastic fencing or limit drinking to the house or backyard. In order to limit violent activity and out-of-control behavior we should encourage Mifflin residents to communicate with each other before the event about who to allow in their homes to nurture a safer drinking environment.
Students and guests need to remember they are being watched this year. It's important we show the city that the party can continue without violence or extreme damage to the town. While Mifflin is a treasured tradition, it is a costly one. Showing Soglin that it is worth the investment will ensure the party's survival for our children and our children's children. While we'd like to say to the city, "sorry for partying," in this case, that just won't cut it.
