Many events making up the Veishea celebration have been around for more than 50 years, and some traditions date back to before Veishea was established in 1922.

The original goal of the spring Veishea celebration was to combine all the individual department celebrations to be more effective, according to material from Veishea archives.

The word Veishea is derived from the initials of Iowa State’s five colleges at the time – Veterinary Medicine, Engineering, Industrial Science, Home Economics and Agriculture.

Cherry Pies

With Veishea comes the finger-licking goodness of hundreds of mini cherry pies.

“It wouldn’t be Veishea without the pies,” said Virginia March, senior co-chair for the cherry pie committee.

The tradition began the year before Veishea and was celebrated on Home Economics Day. The department chose to make cherry pies to celebrate George Washington’s birthday, the day of the first cherry pie event.

Pies were free the first year, but now they cost $1 to raise money for the College of Family and Consumer Sciences, said March, junior in hotel, restaurant and institution management.

“Students do all the work for the pies, and it’s a good builder for the department,” she said. “The money goes toward trips, computers and scholarships. I know what this means to the students, because I have gotten a scholarship because of it.”

The cherry pies are an opportunity for students to apply knowledge learned in the classroom, March said.

Cherry pies will be sold in Room 16 of MacKay Hall, called the Tea Room, from 9:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. Friday. The pies left Saturday will be sold beginning at 9:30 a.m. until they sell out.

Open Houses

Open houses have been around longer than Veishea, and were an integral part of Veishea’s formation.

“Each college used to have an open house before Veishea, and Veishea brought it all together,” said Erin Stockdill, chairwoman for Cy’s Big Top. “Veishea brought more attention to the open houses, and they have always been a big part of Veishea.”

Stockdill, senior in animal science, said open houses have become such a tradition in Veishea that clubs plan all year for the weekend.

“Being in a club means participating in Veishea,” she said.

Open houses allow the clubs to showcase what they do and why, as well as raise awareness about the clubs, Stockdill said.

“If people lose interest in open houses, they won’t hear about new things the club is doing or see what a valuable part of Iowa State the clubs are,” Stockdill said. “Veishea is about students and showcasing Iowa State, and the clubs represent what Iowa Sate has to offer.”

Open Houses will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday throughout campus.

Campaniling

Considered an age-old tradition at Iowa State, mass Campaniling will return to Veishea after an absence of a few years. Kathy Craig, Veishea co-chair, said the committee wanted to provide an opportunity to students who might not have participated in the tradition.

According to ISU myth, no student becomes a true Iowa Stater until kissed under the Campanile at midnight.

Mass Campaniling will take place 11:55 p.m. Thursday.

“I think it’s neat we are doing it this year because it’s the last chance for graduating seniors to get into the tradition,” said Craig, senior in Spanish.

Canoe Races

Beginning in 1944, canoe races sparked competition between dormitory, fraternity and sorority teams, according to the Veishea Web site archives. This annual event, held at Lake Laverne, has been canceled in recent years due to weather.

“The canoe race is a chance for students and alumni to enjoy themselves,” said Craig Stenberg, special events chairman.

The race starts right after the parade at the north shore of Lake Laverne, said Stenberg, senior in architecture. The first team of two to circle the lake will win a Veishea Tournament of Champions T-shirt.

“Not a lot of people get to go [on] the lake,” Stenberg said. “I encourage anyone interested to participate.”

Stars Over Veishea

Initially named “The Nite Show” because it was held outside at night, Stars Over Veishea has been around as long as Veishea.

This year, SOV is performing “Oklahoma!” Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at Stephens Auditorium. Tickets are available at the ISU ticket office and at all Ticketmaster locations.

“There is something about a musical that is magical,” said Jen Spencer, Stars Over Veishea co-chair. “The shows are always family oriented and highlight the family tradition Veishea holds.”

A lot of tradition goes into the shows, and this year is no exception, said Spencer, senior in journalism and mass communication.

“Many people have ties to “Oklahoma!,” a lot of people have been involved with it before and SOV is an easy way for the public to get involved with a Veishea tradition,” she said.

Veishea Voyage

Veishea Voyage was created in 1949 to show the state how big Veishea was becoming and to raise awareness of the campus celebration among people in surrounding areas, said Rebecca Miller, Veishea Voyage co-chair.

The run is held during the week before Veishea to symbolize the start of the spring festivities, said Miller, junior in English.

This year, runners will be visiting college campuses around the state and will finish in Ames Friday.

Miller said the voyage is a good activity for students because “it is a great way for people with a similar interest to be involved, and it doesn’t take a lot of time, so students are free Veishea weekend.”