Although it was declared a success by Iowa State administrators, city officials and members of the Veishea committee, students gave Veishea 1999 mixed reviews.

Overall, this year’s Veishea was enjoyable, said Kate Pellett, freshman in animal science. She had a different take on the event because she was working student security over the weekend.

“I worked on student security, so I was all over the place,” she said. “I thought it went quite well. Working security, I got to meet a lot of people and work with the kids in the parade, so it was really fun to do. I thought everything went pretty well.”

Missy Hoover, freshman in biology education, agreed that this year’s Veishea was a fun experience because of the family atmosphere.

“I went to the parade, and there where a lot of kids there … with their grandparents,” she said. “There was a lot of that at Cy’s Big Top. There were a lot of different clubs around that I didn’t think would have a float or a booth.”

But some students were not very enthusiastic about Veishea and did not get involved.

“I didn’t do all that much this year. I kind of stayed away from it, with all of the families and alumni,” said Tammie Krausman, sophomore in political science and environmental studies. “It has nothing to do with drinking or anything like that; it’s just like it is for fraternities and the alumni and stuff like that. Just let them have it.”

T. J. Nielsen, senior in sociology, thought many students simply left for the weekend.

“My impressions were that it was a lot more lame this year,” he said. “A lot more students went home then stayed around this year because it was dry. We should not have a dry Veishea next year if we want students to stay.”

Nielsen said he believes the administration should not impose an alcohol-free Veishea on students who are of legal drinking age.

“We should have the same expectations of Veishea but let students drink where it is appropriate,” he said. “People that are of age should not be told what to do. It basically comes down to a person’s autonomy of making their own decisions.”

Hoover said she thought the low attendance at some events had more to do with the chilly weather than the ban on alcohol.

“I don’t think dryness had that big of an effect; I think it was just the weather,” she said. “I liked it more without alcohol. I don’t know if more people would have come if it were ‘wet,’ but it is better to have it this way then to have the riots.”

Going dry is not that big of a deal, Krausman agreed.

“The dryness of Veishea didn’t really have that much of an effect,” she said. “People are going to drink if they want to drink, and making regulations isn’t going to do anything.”

In order to make Veishea 2000 a success, more students need to get involved, Pellett said.

“Get out and try all the stuff and different activities out there,” she said.