A group of people young and old alike gathered on Central Campus on Friday in front of the Campanile stage to witness the lighting of the Veishea torch and the official beginning of Veishea 2007.

The crowd was greeted at noon by members of the ISU Groove Drumline, who presented a number of short, complex percussion pieces to get the audience involved and excited.

At 12:15 p.m., Valerie Morrison, Veishea ceremonies chairwoman and senior in communication studies, welcomed those present with a brief introduction.

“Veishea celebrates our university and the impact it has on the surrounding community,” Morrison said.

Before the tradition of the torch was completed, Morrison explained how the VEISHEA Voyage Torch Run was done a little differently this year. Two torches were brought to Ames on foot: one from the Minnesota state border and the other from the Missouri state border.

ISU women’s basketball coach Bill Fennelly jogged into the area, crossed the stage, climbed the ladder and set the Veishea torch aflame, all to the cheering of the crowd.

As the torch blazed, the Veishea general co-chairpersons, Christina Dvorak, senior in advertising, and Nate Johansen, senior in agricultural business, took the podium to briefly touch on the day’s events and introduce ISU President Gregory Geoffroy.

President Geoffroy delivered a celebratory greeting, but then shifted gears and asked the audience to take a moment of silence in light of the shooting at Virginia Tech earlier in the week.

After the period of silence, President Geoffroy continued his exposition.

“Everything indicates that this is going to be the biggest and greatest Veishea yet,” he said.

Recipients of the VEISHEA Scholars scholarship and Cardinal Key awards were then presented. The VEISHEA Scholars program awarded scholarships to high school seniors from around the country. The Cardinal Key program recognizes ISU students who display such attributes as leadership, scholarship, service and character, said Lindsay Quilling, president of the Cardinal Key Honor Society and senior in apparel merchandising, design and production.

Up next was keynote speaker Ann Bryant Borders, ISU alumna and 1994 Veishea general co-chairwoman.

Bryant Borders graduated from Iowa State in 1994 with a degree in biology. She continued her studies at Harvard Medical School and worked in places all over the world, including London, Boston and Kenya.

She recently helped develop a medical procedure that could eliminate the transmission of HIV from HIV-positive mothers to their children.

Bryant Borders attributes much of her success to Iowa State.

“My experience at Iowa State, and specifically at Veishea, has made such a difference in my life,” she said. “Here, [students] are not just learning, but learning how to make a difference.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill closed the opening ceremonies, with a “short but sweet” recap of his favorite Veishea events.