MayFest has officially been recreated as a university-sanctioned event that will offer free beer to students over 21, free food and live music.

Following months of deliberation, Student Association, University Union and university administration have made April 30 a day for students to relax before finals and socialize with friends in Walnut Park.

MayFest 2010 will be held on the same day as UU’s Block Party and from 1 to 5:30 p.m. The area will be split into three sections that will offer food, music and alcohol for students above age 21. All Syracuse University and State University of New York College of Environmental School and Forestry students with a valid student ID can attend free of admission. Hip-hop artist Drake will headline UU’s Block Party starting at 7 p.m., following the day’s events.

In light of past MayFest traditions, Mayor Stephanie Miner informed the university that the Syracuse Police Department will be taking precautions on both April 19 and April 30 in order to prevent parties on Euclid Avenue.

“We’re going to have officers throughout the neighborhood, mostly on Euclid Avenue and on side streets,” said Officer Joe Cecile of SPD.

Students over 21 who live on Euclid Avenue and choose to have friends drinking on their property will not be penalized if they comply with local ordinances, including those regarding noise violations and open-container laws, he said.

If students attempt to crowd Euclid Avenue, local ordinances will be strictly enforced, Cecile said. Syracuse police are prepared to begin ticketing students who attempt to carry on the Euclid block party early in the day, said Department of Public Safety Chief Tony Callisto.

SA and UU began working with the administration following the Oct. 23 announcement that classes were reinstated the day of SU Showcase. Their goal was to support SU Showcase as an academic day and to create a separate day dedicated to students. SU Showcase is scheduled for April 19.

“One of the things we really wanted was to keep this from becoming an entirely programmed event because MayFest isn’t programmed, Euclid isn’t programmed,” said Neal Casey, an SA member active in the planning of MayFest. “That’s what’s so great about it — that students go out and do their thing.”

When classes were reinstated for SU Showcase in October, students reacted by calling for the return of MayFest. They voiced their concerns at the SA meeting that followed the announcement, as well as created a Facebook group called ‘Operation Rescue Mayfest’ that garnered more than 5,000 members.

SA and UU began to meet with the administration on behalf of student concerns the Monday following the announcement. Since then, they have met once a week to discuss possibilities for the event with Thomas Wolfe, the senior vice president and dean of student affairs.

Students over the age of 21 will be served free beer along Waverly Avenue in the section closest to E.S. Bird Library. Chestnut Security will be checking IDs in order to prevent underage drinking.

Alcohol can only be served at campus events when more than 75 percent of the students attending are over 21. This is why a section of Walnut Park was specifically dedicated for beer. Free food and beverages will also be offered in the park, which will extend to Harrison Street.

Students under 21 may not enter the section of the park where alcohol is being served, and students drinking alcohol must stay in the designated area until their drink is finished, Casey said.

There will be various performances in Walnut Park between Marshall Street and East Adams Street throughout the day. These concerts will include student-performer Delirium, Rapper XV and RJD2.

Both Casey and Darren Goldberg, UU’s president, said they were satisfied with the specifics of the new event. They said the administration was open to all concerns.

“They really went above and beyond to listen to what we had to say,” Goldberg said.

Fraternities and sororities on Walnut Place must participate in a “social blackout” the day of the event, Casey said, which means they cannot hold parties on their lawns or porches during the event. Fraternities, sororities and other buildings on Walnut Place had to sign an agreement about the use of the park for the day’s activities.

Goldberg said he thought holding Block Party on the same day as MayFest would build momentum for the concert and increase Block Party’s ticket sales.

“We liked the idea of Block Party being at night, culminating the end of the day,” he said. “We looked at the whole day as a picture.”

Casey and Goldberg said it’s impossible to predict whether students will attempt to party on Euclid anyway.

“We’ve been struggling with that a lot…trying to forecast what’s going to happen on Euclid, if anything at all,” Casey said.

 

Published on April 6, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Laurence: lgleveil@syr.edu | @lgleveille