To increase participation in this spring’s Veishea celebration and to define the rules of the weekend, a panel of university administrators and Veishea committee executives will be on hand to answer questions at a forum today. The Veishea Forum will be held from noon to 2 p.m. today in the Gallery Room of the Memorial Union.The purpose of the forum is two-fold, said Brian Nash, Veishea co-chair.”We hope to increase knowledge about Veishea policies and what the official rules are,” said Nash, senior in mechanical engineering. “We also want to let students know how they can still get involved with Veishea in tournaments, open houses and the other activities. There will be pamphlets and brochures to tell people how they can get involved and how to sign up.”Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, and Richard Seagrave, interim ISU president, will join the Veishea executives to round out the panel.The forum will begin with a brief overview of Veishea and what the committees have been will be doing, Nash said. Next, Hill and Seagrave will explain the policies, and then audience members will have a time to voice their concerns and questions. There will be two ways people can communicate — either with note cards given to the panel or open microphones in the room, Nash said.Kathy Craig, Veishea co-chair, said the forum isn’t just about questions, but it’s also a chance for people to voice comments or concerns they may have.”We would like the open forum to clear things up and help shape Veishea policies for the future,” said Craig, senior in Spanish. “We would like people, especially those who don’t like Veishea, to tell us what they don’t like. We haven’t received any negative feedback about the policies, but I feel many people don’t know what the policies are.”Nash said he encourages everyone to stop by the forum, even if they have only a few minutes.”Veishea is a huge part of the university,” Nash said. “This is one way the whole student body can have their say and be involved. It is a great chance to find one thing at Veishea for everyone.”The Veishea committee will answer some of the frequently asked questions at the forum, and the forum will be videotaped. Nash said anyone who can’t make it to the forum but would like that information may watch the videotape later.This isn’t the first Veishea forum. They have been scheduled every so often when the committee feels it is necessary, Craig said. She said the first forum was held in the fall of 1997 to discuss the fate of Veishea.”It was highly publicized and well attended,” Craig said. “This forum won’t have the same effect or purpose, but we will clear up questions that many people may not know much about.”