In the past week, the Government of the Student Body elections have taken a back seat to an issue that fires up students more than any issue that has been addressed by either of the campaigns.

The Veishea decision to limit the concerts to 7,000 people and sell wristbands disappoints me, as well as more than 5,000 students in the respective Facebook group. These decisions go against the spirit of involvement of Veishea, and will only create more problems such as rowdy and upset crowds, and poor relations between students and administrators.

The Veishea Executive Committee, made up of all students, works very hard to provide students with a great event every year, but many of the final decisions are outside the hands of the student leaders. Many university administrators are afraid of a small minority creating another nightmare, and these administrators usually end up having the final say.

But that doesn’t mean we as students should give up on letting our voice be heard. This week was the first that nearly all students outside the Veishea Advisory Committee, made up of administrators, various student leaders and the GSB president, could have any idea of this year’s policies. From a policy-making standpoint, it is important that GSB leaders listen to all of the students of Iowa State, and then communicate and convince administrators to take these concerns and wishes of all students into account, especially with an issue of this magnitude.

Last year, only one concert had any element of disorder, and nearly all of it could be attributed to the unprofessional Mike Jones. The other concerts had punctual performers that truly worked for their paychecks. At these other events, there was never any scare. The concerts do not need to become unattractive performances, but they do need to be by truly professional artists. These concerts must also be held at a venue that does not limit the participation of students and guests, but they must also be in areas that ensure the safety of performers and guests.

With that said, students and guests are privileged to have an event like Veishea, but with it comes a huge responsibility.

If elected, we pledge to listen to your concerns and communicate these with administrators; however, we as the entire student body can do more than any one GSB or Veishea leader, by acting maturely and maintaining order throughout these concerts. It may be essential to the future of the event, and all of us can agree that we want the wonderful tradition of Veishea to continue.

Daniel Fischer

Senior

Agricultural Business

GSB Presidential Candidate