Following MayFest’s overhaul last year, students and university officials have begun to meet this semester to plan the preliminary stages of MayFest 2011.

‘We started immediately following last year’s event, as far as the breakdown that happened last year,’ said Neal Casey, Student Association Student Life Committee chair.

SA and University Union members recently met with Thomas Wolfe, senior vice president and dean of student affairs, to begin discussing plans for next year’s event. 

A committee made of administrators and students across campus will help plan the event using MayFest 2010 as a reference to make improvements. 

‘I think it was a success, and I think we’ve got a good template,’ Wolfe said about MayFest 2010. ‘I think we’re going to reflect on changes that will make it even better.’ 

Although discussions have begun, no plans are ready to be released until more work has been done, Casey said. Meetings with the administration will continue throughout the semester, but will become more frequent as the event gets closer during the second semester, Wolfe said. 

‘We really don’t anticipate a movement being made until possibly next month,’ Casey said. 

MayFest, an SU event since 2005, used to be held on the same day as academic presentation day SU Showcase and took place on Euclid Avenue. Nearly a year ago, Oct. 23, the administration announced classes would be reinstated on the day SU Showcase was held, seemingly putting an end to MayFest. After several meetings, SA and the administration were able to find a compromise: a separate university-sponsored day dedicated to students in Walnut Park called MayFest.

Walnut Park was split into three sections for beer for students over 21, food and music.

Students also had the opportunity to go to Block Party, which was organized by UU, right after MayFest. This year, Casey said they are talking about having MayFest and Block Party on the same day again. 

Despite MayFest 2010’s revival, there was still controversy over whether students would attend MayFest in Walnut Park or party on Euclid Avenue. A Facebook event called ‘MAYFEST — Walnut Park can s**k my ba**s, I’m getting wasted on EUCLID!!!!!’ was created in response to the event’s initial announcement. 

No plans for this year’s MayFest have been released so far, but SA began to consider improvements at its last meeting of the semester following the event. 

Suggestions from the assembly included having guest passes, places to sit and eat, new activities and allowing students to bring in backpacks, according to an article published by The Daily Orange on May 4.

Both returning and new students throughout the campus have their own suggestions for MayFest 2011. 

Dhaval Parikh, a senior finance major who went to Euclid Avenue last year, said MayFest is not as fun with security at the event, like at Walnut Park.

‘It’s not as fun when security is watching you and just controlling you,’ he said. ‘What happens on Euclid is not controlled by anyone — it’s independent.’ 

The Department of Public Safety and Syracuse Police Department increased enforcement on city ordinances on Euclid Avenue and surrounding streets. City ordinances include open containers and noise violations, among others. 

Police presence also increased. Chestnut Street Security, Inc., located at each entrance of Walnut Park, checked student IDs and made sure students under 21 did not enter the beer section, according to an article published by The Daily Orange on April 29.

‘We had no problems at MayFest last year, and we’ll likely use the same plan if the event is held this year,’ DPS Chief Tony Callisto said in an e-mail. 

Joseph Prosnitz, a senior information science major who went to both Walnut Park and Euclid Avenue, said Euclid Avenue was more fun, but everyone was trying not to get in trouble with DPS. He also said he felt the university was trying to extinguish the traditional MayFest.

‘It would be cool if they shut down Euclid, but that’s probably not going to happen,’ Prosnitz said. ‘Then you could have stuff on the street and actually have drinking and the academic organizations do their stuff, but that’s probably a hype-dream.’ 

Tesia Elder, a freshman engineering major, said she would like to see a known artist performer, prizes and giveaways. 

‘I’ve never experienced MayFest before,’ she said, ‘so that’s what I figure MayFest to be.’ 

lgleveil@syr.edu

Published on September 27, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Laurence: lgleveil@syr.edu | @lgleveille