Disgusted. That’s the only feeling I could muster while sitting in the Campanile Room last Wednesday night, about 10 minutes before 11 p.m., when it became painfully clear that the Government of the Student Body senators weren’t going to do what their hype had promised.

They were supposed to challenge President Martin Jischke’s ultimatum for the Veishea celebration. They were supposed to voice the concerns of their constituents who are opposed to the celebration, who don’t want to forget their civil liberties for 48 hours just so alumni can have some cherry pie or milk a cow.

They weren’t necessarily supposed to kill it, but they were supposed to take a stand for all the students. Judging by the letters the Daily receives, there are plenty of people who have a big problem with the alcohol-free aspect of the celebration.

But the senators didn’t. They postured and had a bunch of lousy speeches, all pre-planned on notebook paper, but they ended up cowering before Dr. J and voting on a pledge that didn’t even need to be discussed this early.

But that was last week, and I’m sorry for wasting your time just rehashing the fact that GSB blew it big-time. The real news is that GSB has another chance tonight to make things right.

The GSB senators are talking about making a motion to reconsider the resolution. Wendell Mosby, FCS, has said he will make the motion because he didn’t really vote the way he wanted to.

I wonder how many other senators are having similar thoughts.

Of course, some senators have said they are pleased with the way last week’s vote went. Luke DeKoster, RCA senator and author of the bill which did contain language that criticized the ISU administration, said in Tuesday’s GSB preview that much progress has been made between GSB and the administration about the Veishea celebration.

As Michel Pogge, off-campus senator, was quoted in Tuesday’s GSB preview, “I received in the order of 800 e-mails, and roughly 70 to 80 percent have supported Veishea. I stand by my vote of ‘yes.'”

Good for him. But how many other senators can say the same?

In more optimistic news, Towers Residence Association senators discussed a bill Monday night to flatly reject the Veishea pledge. It was given its first read at the meeting, and if the senators vote it into effect, only six non-TRA members of the Inter-Residence Hall Association need to vote “no” on an alcohol-free Veishea to kill the pledge.

The reassuring thing about the Towers senators is that they don’t seem to care what member of the administration is looking over their shoulder when they’re making this important decision. And it is an important decision; it’s not just about whether we want a dry Veishea or a wet Veishea or a somewhat damp Veishea. It’s about whether we are willing to continue letting the administration dictate the rules in what is supposed to be a student-run celebration.

I can understand the administration’s concern that students be safe; even those who want Veishea to have alcohol want it to be safe. But it’s about trusting the students to make these sorts of decisions on their own.

What a fair number of people believe, and what only a handful of people are saying is this: Veishea didn’t die with Harold “Uri” Sellers. It died when President Jischke issued his ultimatum; it died when the five student organizations just went along with his decision without questioning it — until two years after the fact.

And the spirit of the celebration — not that there must be alcohol involved, but the fact that it’s not student-run anymore — dies a little bit more every time people dance around the issue and bring up that fact that students are upset but don’t really do anything about it.

So here’s yet another chance for ISU students to get involved. If you have an opinion on an alcohol-free Veishea, actually go to the meeting or call your senator.

Last week’s vote was a pretty darn big deal; all the senators decked out in their Sunday best could reveal that. There were some concerned students who packed the gallery, and the majority of them said they weren’t in favor of an administration-style Veishea.

But the point is that there wasn’t nearly as many students there as the number of students who will bitch if there’s an alcohol-free Veishea. It’s not fair to say that GSB doesn’t represent your feelings if you don’t bother to voice your concerns.

So whatever your feelings about Veishea — whether you want the stupid cherry pies or not — show up and be ready to make your senators work for you, the way President Jischke should be working for all of us.

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Kate Kompas is a sophomore in journalism and mass communication from LeClaire. She is head news editor of the Daily.