Plans for a large-scale event that will bring together all ISU students will be unveiled within the month, officials with GSB said.

While planned for late October, the events will be separate from Homecoming festivities, said Government of the Student Body Vice President Joe Darr in a meeting with Daily reporters and editors.

The venue, act and date have not yet been determined, but details will be made public in coming weeks, Darr said.

“The idea is to bring outreach programs to students, probably in the form of a concert or a comedian,” he said.

“We hope to have a few thousand students and bring a sense of cohesion to the campus.”

“It’s a time for a lot of laughs – something that will appeal to everyone,” Darr said. He said he does not foresee the planned event replacing Veishea.

“I don’t want to drop a lot of money and then have no one come,” Darr said. “It depends a lot on who’s routing through Ames. We can get better deals that way.”

CyRide and Dead Week

In addition to student-focused events, GSB is planning several policy changes throughout the year, including later hours of operation for CyRide’s Moonlight Express route.

The buses will now run until 2:30 a.m., said GSB President T.J. Schneider.

“We worked on increasing the hours by a half-hour, so that it goes until last call at the bars,” Darr said.

Additional student fees will not be required for the endeavor, effective immediately, because cost was minimal and covered by GSB, Schneider said.

GSB also passed a new Dead Week Policy that encourages professors to have all major papers and projects due before Dead Week, the week before finals.

“This policy will be more enforceable,” Schneider said. “Students can go to the provost and vice provost [with complaints] and professors will receive a letter from the provost for breaking policy.”

He said he believes this will give students another option for academic appeal.

The budget situation

Budgets and the quality of education at the Regents’ institutions have also been a concern for GSB officials.

“We have been talking with the Board of Regents about tuition and budgets,” Schneider said. “We have also been talking with other student governments, trying to work together again to take a unified approach.”

President Gregory Geoffroy and Schneider said at this point, next year’s tuition increase is still difficult to estimate.

“The Board of Regents is in a tight spot,” Schneider said. “We are trying to work to get students out there to vote. It is the state Legislature that is really hurting us as students.”

Geoffroy said budget cuts will cause the school to either sacrifice quality of education, restrict access to education or raise tuition.

“It’s not an easy tradeoff,” Geoffroy said.

Basketball seating

In addition, GSB opened up more student seating at men’s basketball games and have similar plans for women’s games.

“We also completed the reorganization of seating at men’s basketball games,” Schneider said. He said this made 700 more courtside seats for students by seating students behind the two baskets.

Some donors have complained about this reorganization of seats.

“The donor issue is more of the athletic department’s thing,” Schneider said.

“The donors are important, but we really think the students are the most important. We are lucky to have an open dialogue [with the athletic department].”

GSB at a glance

WHAT’S CHANGED:

GSB officials said policy changes on Dead Week will now be enforced.

The new policy states that professors should not have large projects or exams during Dead Week, the week before finals.

Also, CyRide’s Midnight Express bus route will now run until 2:30 a.m.

WHAT’S PLANNED:

Festivities that will act as a community outreach program.

Possibilities include a comedian or a concert, though officials say it will not replace Veishea.