In the midst of the controversy surrounding the date of the Mifflin Street Block Party will take place, Chancellor John Wiley announced Thursday he supports the decision of the city to hold the event May 7.
Associated Students of Madison presented a request to the chancellor to move the party to April 30.
\I see no valid reason to move it,"" Wiley said in response to the request. ""The university is absolutely in support of the city's decision to keep it on May 7.""
That day is the semester's designated study day before exams begin, and the placement of the party on that date is the reason for conflict.
""If you're a student carrying 18 credits who has class up until that Friday, then it's completely conceivable that [May 7] is the one study day you have. It's a delegated study day for a reason,"" said ASM chair and UW senior Emily McWilliams.
The effect that the party's May date will have on the residents of Mifflin Street is also an issue of concern. According to McWilliams, the city has put in place a music ban beginning at 6 p.m., so that the noise of live bands will not obstruct the studies of Mifflin residents.
""If they're enforcing a live music ban on [May 7] for our own good, it's completely ludicrous to have the party on that day,"" McWilliams said.
City officials expressed concern for the inhabitants.
""Mifflin residents should have the luxury of being able to study in their own home on their one and only study day,"" said Ald. Mike Verveer, District 4.
Despite this concern, another area of disagreement and point of contention for city officials is the cost of moving the event. Verveer said that if the party is moved to April 30, the Madison Police Department will be forced to pay the officers for both dates because of the union's rightful demands to be paid for the day on which they were contracted to work.
Regardless of the official date of the party, many Mifflin residents have voiced their intent to hold the party on the more traditional date of April 30.
""It's not that we don't care about our studies, it's that it's a tradition."" McWilliams said. ""We're going to have it anyway and we'd prefer not to have it infringe on our studies.""
