Members of the Veishea committee were on hand at Wednesday’s Government of the Student Body meeting to explain their reasoning for the new policies in place this year.

Alayna Marks, public relations co-chair for Veishea and senior in animal science, spoke about the student backlash concerning recently announced Veishea policies.

Marks said after releasing the entertainment lineup and ticket policy, the Veishea committee received “a lot of concern” from both students and alumni.

“What we’d really like to do is help the students understand the reasoning behind our policy,” she said. “We understand these concerns. This was not something that Veishea 2008 just decided. This was not something that we wanted to do, but it was a collaborative effort to increase the safety of the student population and the Cyclone community.”

GSB senator Anthony Maly, sophomore in political science, said that his biggest was concern was the number of his constituents that were upset that their friends and families would not be able to attend the events.

“They’re pretty much disgruntled that most of them won’t be able to attend the concerts,” he said.

GSB senator Sarah Rammelsberg, junior in agricultural education and Veishea Village co-chair, said Veishea is for Iowa State students first and foremost.

“We want to keep it here, we want to keep it safe. We want to keep it for Iowa State students,” she said.

Brady offered her concern that with a maximum capacity of just 7,000 people – less than 30 percent of the student population – the concerts would not be able to allow fair attendance.

Marks said the committee considered other venues for the concerts, such as Jack Trice and Hilton Coliseum, which would not have worked out.

With the concerts moved to the current location, officials can “better monitor those who enter and leave the band field.”

“The concern is the safety issue. You never know what’s going to happen,” she said. “It just concerns me that a lot of students wouldn’t be able to go.”

Marks added that Veishea cannot reconsider the wristband policy due to capacity at the band field.

“We’ve explored every possible option,” Rammelsberg said. “There’s not really very many places for concerts to go.”

Along with discussing Veishea, GSB also discussed its goals for the rest of the session.

Paul Keppy, Senate speaker and junior in political science, gave the Senate a list of projects he deemed feasible and asked the Senate to prioritize them and form groups in order to take the projects on. Some of the projects included obtaining new furniture on the Memorial Union terrace, installing a handicap-accessible lift in the union, lighting the north side of the parking ramp, increasing swim time at the recreation facilities and forming constituent groups.

Senator Taleen Brady, senior in sociology, said that, with the time GSB still has left this term, all of the projects should be accomplished.

“I think they’re all feasible projects,” she said. “[In] 41 days, I think it is possible. I think they’re all feasible projects.”

Senator Charles Wakefield said the idea of replacing chairs and furniture on the MU terrace was extremely important given their current condition.

“A lot of them are rusting out,” he said. “It would be a nice addition.”