I am writing after many discussions that have gone on for several years now about making Veishea an alcohol-free event, and I am asking myself is this a decision or an obligation to the students of Iowa State University?

We need to reconcile what Veishea was and should still be.

I was born and raised in Ames and am looking forward to taking in the sights of my 24th Veishea this spring, and it appalls me that this is what it has come to.

Over the years, I have seen Veishea go from presenting Iowa State as an outstanding and top-notch university in the areas of science and technology to a performance to see who can end up on the T.V. news.

The reason that I am so disturbed by this whole turn of events is because of an e-mail that I received from Jason Darrah (an off campus GSB senator) recently giving me three choices: A dry Veishea, a dry Veishea, or a dry Veishea.

What kind of decision is that?

If you answered that it is not, you are entirely correct — it is another attempt to satisfy the administration.

What happened to a “student run” event?

I understand that in the course of my previous 23 Veishea celebrations, things will change, and in the case of this celebration, it has changed, only for the worse.

I remember Veishea as a child for the cherry pies, buying cotton candy from a university club vendor and most of all the parade.

There were demonstrations or displays from all of the clubs on campus, and the students put their time into that rather than drinking.

What has it come to when there are couches being burned on the corner of Welch and Knapp, and the only way to disband the mob was to call out the basketball coach and have him ask everyone to return home?

Veishea is not about imitation sumo wrestling and closing Welch Avenue for off campus vendors and a DJ playing the latest hits on an overgrown boom box.

Veishea, as I understand it, is a function for the different colleges to show graduating high school seniors and prospective students the bountiful and extraordinary opportunities that ISU can offer them.

If you want to, you can call it showing off, but it is not about partying until you puke.

I am in no way saying that Veishea should be a totally alcohol-free event, but if that is what it comes down to, I am all for restoring the dignity to the celebration that it once had.

This is a plea with the Veishea committees, college councils and university clubs to bring back the true and original Veishea and its grand celebration.

Let’s continue the tradition of cherry pies, club vendors with their hot dogs and cotton candy and the parade.

This is a student celebration, and let us as students bring it back to the basics.

Let’s show the incoming and prospective students all that ISU is and what it means to wear the cardinal and gold.

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Kelley Seyller

Senior

Forestry