WHRW’s Moefest was originally planned to take place on the Peace Quad, but the April 29 event has been moved to the Old Dickinson Co-rec Field.

Moefest is WHRW’s largest event of the year and operates with an over $20,000 budget. According to Student Association president Zachary Vigliani, this venue change stems from a conflict with the theater department’s production of Hamlet at 8 p.m. the same day and a conflicting Binghamton University policy which restricts loud events on class days before 5:30 p.m. The event was held on the Peace Quad last year and the Newing Co-rec Field the year before.

James Scott, the general manager of WHRW and a junior triple-majoring in business administration, economics and philosophy, said he had first communicated WHRW’s intentions to book the Peace Quad in early February. He received official confirmation from Orrin Kenyon, the assistant dean of the University Union and the contact responsible for event space bookings, two weeks ago. Scott said Kenyon then contacted him Friday with news that Moefest could no longer take place on the Peace Quad because of the conflicts.

“It was a complete lack of communication on their part,” Scott said. “We all knew [Moefest] was happening; why do they tell us a week in advance?”

According to Isabella Castiglioni, the director of public relations for WHRW and a junior majoring in geography, the University is putting student-run events on the back-burner without considering their importance to the student body.

“[Hamlet] comes first,” Castiglioni said. “They’re ignoring the fact that this is a huge expensive event to throw and that the student activity fee helps to pay for it.”

Castiglioni also said that the Peace Quad’s central location would increase turnout and accessibility for students and allow the event to reach its full potential. WHRW also prepared promotional materials and organized Moefest with the Peace Quad venue in mind, the last-minute change undermines the station’s plans.

“We have to change fliers, our Facebook event and go back to everyone we’re working with — from outside sound groups, to BSSL, to the bands, to the tabling groups — and change our location from a place that’s shared by everyone on campus to a place that we will have to guide people to and hope that they find it,” Castiglioni said.

Vigliani said that Suzanne Howell, the associate dean of the University Union, was apologetic about the conflict but did not waver with the decision. According to Vigliani, the University will absorb any extra costs the change incurs, such as the reprinting of promotional materials with the updated location, so that WHRW does not have to expend any extra funds.

“They’re essentially paying for everything that has to do with the relocation,” Vigliani said. “Any marketing and advertising, they’re incurring costs so WHRW won’t pay more.”

Scott and Vigliani both said that this issue could have been prevented with increased efficiency and transparency.

“It was a communication issue with all the different parties going on,” Vigliani said. “The University is following University policy. Should this have happened? Absolutely not.”