Thomas Hill announced Wednesday that an unofficial list of events to replace this year’s Veishea is in the works.

Hill, vice president for student affairs, met with members of the ISU community to gather information about the future of spring events by listening to what students have to say about the issue.

“Students have the power, you have the power,” Hill said. “It is important for people not to be quiet. Their opinions will matter.”

Hill said he is working on putting together a list of spring festivities that will be part of a monthlong event in April.

He said he feels the activities will be a good idea since students can enjoy a full month of celebration.

“Instead of blowing it up and getting drunk on one weekend, the activities will be spread out,” Hill said

Hill encouraged students to voice their opinions and made it clear that students’ input is essential.

Wednesday’s open forum, held in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union, was one of a number of discussions intended to get as many students involved as possible.

Similar forums are planned for Feb. 28 — led by the city of Ames — and for March 7.

Dean of Students Pete Englin and Hill led the discussion.

Englin said the issue at hand is more than Veishea; it is about the relationship between ISU students and Ames residents. Community members have had opportunities to weigh in their opinions, and since all the meetings are open, people should take advantage of it, he said.

One of the issues addressed during the discussion was what could be done to ensure the success of possible future spring festivals at Iowa State.

Mike Parsons, construction manager for facilities planning and management, said he would be willing to give up his time to help supervise the evening events.

“This is about two traditions: Veishea and alcohol abuse,” Parsons said. “Veishea should not be responsible for helping people deal with alcohol abuse.”

Paul Fisher, senior in management information systems, said there would not be any way to control these festivals.

“If cops had shown up at a football tailgate in riot gear, they would have gotten the same response [from students],” Fisher said. “There is no way to be able to have any festival without any illegal actions.”

The discussion also focused on a way to ensure non-violent student involvement, like receiving academic credit for attending specific Veishea events.

Government of the Student Body Speaker of the Senate Henry Alliger said academic rewards would not ensure anything.

“This is a larger issue than [receiving] academic credit,” Alliger said. “Students do not want academic credit for Veishea involvement.”

Fisher said students do not care about the consequences of the riot. He said about 90 percent of the students who were at Veishea did not like the city of Ames because of various ordinances and restrictions established in the past few years.

“Students are here for about four or five years and they’re gone,” Fisher said. “They feel they are getting screwed over.”