Administrators have placed a "moratorium" on Modfest, indefinitely cancelling the popular outdoor party because they say it promotes excessive drinking and results in an abnormally high number of ambulances dispatched on campus in response to intoxicated individuals.Dean of Student Life Rick Sawyer said he worries for student safety more on the night of Modfest than he does during other nights of the year.

"Modfest seems to have become an event which typically sends the message that the need is to get pretty floored," Sawyer said. "We don't have a lot of trouble on the weekend with regular activity. But it's as if when there's a Modfest there's a signal."

Director of Social Affairs Edgar Ndjatou '06 said he and other senior senators met with Sawyer and Assistant Dean of Student Life Alwina Bennett on multiple occasions, but discussions never produced an official proposal or date for Modfest.

Bennett said the primary reason the event is not feasible this semester is because there is no space on the calendar for it.

There are no free weekends between now and May commencement, she said, listing SunDeis, Ridgewood-stock, Bronstein Weekend, Festival of the Arts and Springfest as major events already scheduled that require significant University resources.

"The timing is awful," she wrote in an e-mail to Student Union officials. "There are a number of big events planned over the next few weekends. Staff resources to assist with events are stretched to the limit."

On the night of Modfest last semester, the Police Log reported that three ambulances were called to treat intoxicated individuals. Sawyer said more ambulances are called during Modfest than on a typical weekend. He said the problem lies in the party's culture. The drinking that goes on at Modfest is not the issue, but rather the binge drinking that occurs beforehand, Sawyer said.

"The dangerous behavior most often happens behind closed doors and there's no reasonable way to prevent that," Sawyer said.

Ndjatou agreed that preventing "pre-gaming" is impossible, but he disagreed that this issue justifies not holding Modfest. "You can't be in every single dorm room," he said. Ndjatou said it was unreasonable that the administration cancelled the event because it was an overall success last semester.

"It's unfortunate that a lot of people had to go to the hospital that night, but I don't think it was a failure," he said. "Why take away something that the entire community is looking forward to?"

This is not the first time Modfest has caused debate. In October 2004, Bennett announced that Modfest might be cancelled due to concerns from local residents and campus police over noise level and students' safety. The event was eventually scheduled, but was then postponed to the spring semester due to cold weather.

Modfest will go on as planned during Senior Week, Bennett said. "We cannot afford to have a negative incident impact our ability to conduct Senior Week programs," she said. "It's a risk I'm unwilling to take," she said.

Administrators and students said they are disappointed there will be no Modfest this semester. "We don't like doing these things," Sawyer said. "We don't like the Modfest moratorium; we just don't feel like we have any choice right now."

"I'm an optimist, but I wouldn't be surprised if next fall we have the same song and dance because the administration just doesn't want to do it," Ndjatou said.