ISU President Gregory Geoffroy formally announced Tuesday that no Veishea celebration will take place next year.

The decision to suspend the event until at least 2006 came after what Geoffroy described as extensive conferences with city officials, student leaders and school administrators.

“While I and many others would like to see Veishea continue in some form, we must look objectively at the risks associated with Veishea, especially with the disturbances like the one that occurred this year,” Geoffroy said at a press conference in the Campanile Room of the Memorial Union. “In addition, during the next academic year our student leaders will work with university officials and city leaders of Ames to sponsor activities designed to enhance a sense of community between the city and the student body of the university.”

Geoffroy said he would make his decision about whether Veishea will continue in coming years after a task force has investigated the issue. The Veishea Task Force will be selected by Ames Mayor Ted Tedesco, Government of the Student Body President Sophia Magill and Geoffroy.

A separate task force will examine the relationships among students, Iowa State, the city and its residents.

The findings of the two task forces, which are expected by Nov. 30, will determine whether Veishea will continue at Iowa State, Geoffroy said, but he added he was very optimistic and personally hopeful that the event will continue.

“I think all of you know that, if we were to have another disturbance very quickly on the heels of the one we had this year, it would put the long-term future of Veishea in very, very serious jeopardy,” Geoffroy said.

Call made early

Originally, Geoffroy’s decision was slated to be made during the summer, but he said he decided to address the issue sooner due to the long planning process involved in Veishea.

“Typically the planning would start right now for the Veishea of next year,” Geoffroy said. “And, as I thought about this and consulted with many people and reviewed all the input that I’ve received, I think it’s absolutely imperative that the next Veishea we hold, we get it right, and that we do everything we can possibly do to make sure that it’s designed in such a way that we have all the procedures and policies in place that will minimize the likelihood of another disturbance. And I just came to the conclusion that we would not be able to do that for 2005.”

Geoffroy’s announcement was followed by positive reactions from those present at the press conference. Tedesco said he and other members of city government stood behind Geoffroy’s decision.

“In keeping with a theme of open government, we wholeheartedly endorse the actions that are proposed by Dr. Geoffroy as we conferenced over these issues,” Tedesco said.

Vice President for Student Affairs Thomas Hill, who has met in the past 10 days with groups of student leaders, applauded the president’s decision, saying the next year will allow investigators to better answer some of the many questions posed by the April 18 riot in Campustown at the end of Veishea 2004.

“I think there needed to be a cooling-off period, an opportunity for us to step back, analyze what’s going on,” Hill said.

Students’ request considered

The student group, composed of GSB, greek and Veishea officials, asked Hill to communicate to Geoffroy its desire to go ahead with a somewhat diminished form of the festival for next year. Although Geoffroy’s decision to suspend next year’s Veishea went against the group’s advice, Hill said the message had been heard.

“Their opinions were very, very influential in [Geoffroy’s] decision,” Hill said. “For example, with the history of Veishea, you have riots in ’88, ’92, ’94, ’97 and now 2004, with a death in there, too. The thing you would think is, it’s over. Their influence was essential in getting him to make the decision that he has made. The decision has not been to kill Veishea. The decision has been made to look at it and see what we can do to preserve it for the future.”

Less approving of Geoffroy’s choice was Kyle Chesnut, co-chairman of the 2005 Veishea committee. With the event suspended, Chesnut and co-chairwoman Ashley Glade find themselves without a Veishea to plan.

“Well, obviously we’re very disappointed,” Chesnut said. “We would have liked to have planned another Veishea for next year, but we do agree with the president’s decision. We understand why he made the decision he did. And I know both of us are personally very excited about the opportunity to plan the new, improved Veishea and the changes that are going to be made to ensure that something like this doesn’t happen again.”

‘Tough road ahead’

Magill also supported the president’s decision, saying the path before the task force would likely be an arduous but rewarding one.

“It’s definitely a tough road ahead, but I think it’s going to really give us time to assess things and take people’s concerns about the disturbances and the way Veishea really works with everyone so that we can make this, in the future, exist,” she said.

Shawn Eagleburger, president of the InterFraternity Council, which is heavily involved in Veishea, had argued against canceling the event at Monday’s meeting with Hill, but said he would agree with Geoffroy’s decision.

“What we need to [do] is figure out what’s best,” he said. “And if all parties involved think it’s best to take that year off and re-evaluate it, then I think that’s what needs to happen.”

He said one of his concerns was students’ reactions.

“I have concerns about what the student reaction will be, and how we deal with that,” he said. “But I think that’s our job as the leaders of our different organizations to go back and communicate with students, and say [Veishea] is going to happen again, and it’s going to be up to us to make it happen.”

A charge to the community

For Vernon Wall, adviser to Veishea Inc., Geoffroy’s decision marked a challenge.

“I see it as a charge to us as a community to step up and be involved and to make some decisions about the future of Veishea,” Wall said. “I think that, given the situation, there was a variety of different decisions he could have made, and this was a good one. We need to move forward and we need to decide what we want to do next.”

GSB Speaker of the Senate Henry Alliger said 2005 would represent a turning point in Veishea’s history and an uphill battle to determine what will need to happen for the festival to continue. He said he expected a number of smaller events to replace the larger festival next year.

At Tuesday’s press conference, Geoffroy finished his official statement with a hopeful message about the festival’s future.

“I believe we will be successful in developing a plan that not only preserves Veishea, but strengthens it for future generations,” he said. “I have great faith and confidence in the students of Iowa State to address these issues positively and to take control of Veishea and bring it back to the great celebration it is intended to be.”