While the Cyclone Family credo invites members of the Ames community, in addition to ISU students, faculty, staff and alumni, to participate in Veishea, Ames teen-agers’ presence isn’t as noticeable as it used to be.

In the last few years, Ames school officials have discouraged students from attending some Veishea events, particularly those that occur during school hours on Friday.

“Several years ago, a large number of our students would be dismissed,” said John Kinley, principal of Ames Middle School, 321 State Ave. “Parents would call and release their kids for the day. It didn’t seem very productive.”

Now that the departmental open houses don’t begin until 4 p.m. on Fridays, Kinley said it has been easier to stop students from leaving school during the day.

“We just want them to participate at a time that won’t disrupt their own educational opportunity here,” he said.

In the past, the Ames school district didn’t hold classes on Veishea Friday, said Larry Zwagerman, guidance counselor at Ames High School, 1921 Ames High Drive.

“That was so they could enjoy the ceremonies and see the displays and so on, and it was seen as good post-secondary preparation for students,” he said. “What’s happened over the years is, I think, the Veishea Committee and the district administration decided not to do that.”

Justin Chesnut, Veishea co-chair, said very few events are aimed at high school and middle school students.

“They aren’t really encouraged to come onto campus anymore,” he said. “With the whole Cyclone Family thing, we cater toward the faculty, students and staff here at ISU and the alumni.”

Marilyn Haynes, an English teacher at Ames High, said most teachers discourage students from going to parts of Veishea, especially on Friday.

“Years ago there was more of a push to have them visit various departments to see what things were happening on campus and think about what fields of study they’re interested in,” Haynes said. “My opinion would be that’s not as much of an emphasis or big part of Veishea as it used to be.”

Zwagerman said Veishea used to be more of a recruiting tool for Ames High students, but that has changed.

“The university admissions people do a very good job of networking with Ames High School,” he said. “They invite them out as just a special day for our students.”

Stacey McConnell, senior at Ames High, said she plans to go to Iowa State next fall, but Veishea had no influence on her decision. McConnell said she has noticed fewer of her classmates attending the celebration.

“It used to be on the Friday before Veishea, in middle school, half the school was gone,” she said.

McConnell and her friends still plan to come to campus at night, though.

“We just kind of walk around and look at the different things, do Taste of Veishea and stuff,” she said.

McConnell’s older sister, Kristi, junior in accounting, also went to Ames High, and said she sees fewer high school students at Veishea now than a few years ago.

“Compared to recent years, there was just a lot more going on, period,” she said. “There were a lot of people from high school there.”