The Veishea Task Force has officially voted to “discontinue Veishea in its current form,” resulting in a major revamp or complete elimination.

The Veishea Task Force spent some time reviewing several major data points provided by the members.

Major data points included the ISU police data, showing consistently much larger numbers of arrests and incidents correlating to “non-official” scenarios compared to official events such as concerts.

Ames police data showed similar points, with both ISU police chief Jerry Stewart and Ames police chief Chuck Cychosz agreeing that the “official” Veishea has not resulted in the multitude of arrests that the “unofficial” Veishea has.

“We’re seeing that Saturday afternoon dynamically be a little more challenging,” Cychosz said.

The committee also began its final reviews regarding options for the future of Veishea and the collective recommendations submitted by the public.

The group was presented two options: continue Veishea in its current form (with minor tweaks and changes) or discontinue Veishea in its current form.

The task force voted unanimously to discontinue Veishea in its current form. Discussion began on whether large scale revamps or a complete elimination would be recommended.

The vote gives the task force multiple options for altering Veishea. Under a complete revamp, the task force could recommend keeping the official Veishea event with a strong focus on the “true meaning” and an elimination of all evening activities.

The task force can also discontinue the Veishea, which would result in the end of the name “Veishea” and recommendation for either:

a) Spreading the official events throughout the year (e.g. cherry pies and the parade during homecoming, concerts for graduation)

b) A new “overarching university-wide event/showcase,” such as an ISU Fair, that could include a different timetable and list of activities

c) Allow colleges and organizations to put on their own events without a full university-sponsored umbrella like “Veishea”

There was also some discussion about a plausible option d, resulting in a complete elimination and strong discouragement of a university-wide sponsored event on the scale of Veishea.

A “minority report” was suggested, with several group members asking if it would be appropriate to include with the final recommendation should the group fail to reach a consensus.

Discussion continued on whether Veishea still fits within the 1992’s “Nine Traditions of Veishea” and whether the university as a whole benefits from such an event.

Hillary Kletscher, Government of the Student Body representative, mentioned that there was a “resounding opinion” that Veishea was an experience for the whole of the student body.

“Iowa State really is about choosing your own adventure and having these opportunities,” Kletscher said. “And Veishea brings them all together.”

Next week will continue the discussion on Veishea’s meaning and whether it warrants a continuation of the celebration or elimination.

The task force will meet at least two more times before the final recommendation is due. All meetings are open to the public. For more information visit viesheataskforce.iastate.edu or contact [email protected].