This letter is in response to to April 19 letter “Sadly, Veishea must end: Part III,” written by alumnus Christopher Nelson. From four ISU students who were not on Welch Avenue taking part in the riot, because we were sitting at home, “controlling ourselves,” we were irritated after reading your comments.

First, there are approximately 25,000 students currently attending Iowa State University, but only a few hundred participated in the destruction of property and harassment of public officials and innocent students. Furthermore, the acts of these few hundred “selfish drunken fools” do not accurately portray the actions of the thousands of other students who were taking part in Veishea celebrations.

We sincerely hope that these events on early Sunday morning do not result in the loss of Veishea. Veishea is not just for the students; it is for the alumni and the city of Ames as well. It is the largest student-led celebration in the United States. We should not let the riot overshadow the hard work and dedication of students and the success of many other events over the course of Veishea.

There were more than 300 students on committees and countless others who contribute their time and energy to the celebration.

So while we do not believe we are “the center of the freaking universe,” we do believe Veishea should continue. See you at Veishea 2005, Mr. Nelson.

Lindsey Miller

Junior

Marketing

Kacia Kriener

Junior

Child and Family Services

Megan O’MearaJunior

Health and Human Performance

Sara Miller

Early Childhood Education