Veishea came and went again this year, but the ISU campus is still warm from its afterglow.

After a period of doubt and debate about its purpose, activities and popularity with the student body, the largest student-run festival in the nation made huge strides back to its original glory.

Friday and Saturday saw a huge turnout as Taste of Veishea, the parade and central campus were flooded with students, alumni and members of the Ames community.

There never seemed to be a dull moment as Veishea-goers listened to Battle of the Bands, watched the parade and danced to the beat of the ISU Groove on central campus.

The International Food Fair and Taste of Veishea also kept people happy, filling their stomachs with Nigerian curry chicken and gyros.

Veishea events such as Dew the Rec with Wayne Brady, Stars Over Veishea’s production of Oklahoma! and the Vertical Horizon concert also enjoyed incredible crowds.

Students were kept busy from morning to night enjoying the activities and participating in some of their own as numerous clubs and organizations set up booths and attractions across campus.

All the components were there – and people had fun.

This is what Veishea is all about, having fun, seeing friends and learning about what’s happening at Iowa State.

There was no worry of riots, no drunken students littering the sidewalks, no need for the Veishea pledge.

Veishea proved the ISU community doesn’t need a keg of beer or a pledge of sobriety to have fun and stay safe at the same time.

It reflected the vibrant energy and activity flowing through the lives of its students, accomplishing its original goal and purpose perfectly.

Due to the participation and positive attitude of the ISU community, Veishea critics were proven wrong this weekend, killing the negative attitudes and ideas which had been so dominant before.

This is what Iowa State and Veishea need more of – let’s do it again next year.

editorialboard: Carrie Tett, Jocelyn Marcus, Katie Goldsmith, Andrea Hauser and Tim Paluch