Despite the recent uprisings during which students protested the alcohol-free Veishea policy, Iowa State President Martin Jischke said he expects a safe and celebratory weekend.

“[Veishea] ought to be a more attractive weekend to Iowa State students in general,” Jischke said.

Although he said many people have concerns surrounding the event, including whether it will be supported by the student body, he hopes it will be even more successful than last year.

Jischke acknowledged the Veishea committee members’ efforts to garner and examine students’ ideas about the celebration.

“We will assess this Veishea after it’s over,” he said. “Clearly, lots of people will be watching.”

Jischke said the March 25 “disturbance,” in which many students involved yelled profanities about dry Veishea, reflected poorly on the university, and especially on the students.

He said he does not believe the uprising should be labeled a “riot.”

“My conception of a riot is a different thing — that’s more like Veishea ’88. That was a riot,” he said.

Jischke also said participants in the recent gathering were not influenced by alcohol.

“I was told it would have been unfair to characterize this as a drunken crowd,” he said.

Much of his information about the event came from Thomas Hill, vice president for Student Affairs, and Loras Jaeger, director of the Department of Public Safety, he said.

Jischke noted that some members of the student body do not approve of an alcohol-free celebration.

“Make no mistake, there are students who wish Veishea weren’t dry — I understand that,” he said.

However, Jischke said the Ames community is very much in support of an alcohol-free Veishea.

“The business community of Ames wants Veishea to be a safe and alcohol-free celebration, and I see nothing to change that expectation,” he said.

Many businesses are eager to sign this year’s Veishea Pledge, Jischke said.

“It’s quite clear to me that we enjoy a great deal of support from the community for the changes we have made in Veishea,” he said.

Jischke said students also need to renew the pledge and understand how much the community stands behind it.

“We need to be clear about what kind of Veishea we’re going to have if we’re going to have one at all,” he said.

To continue Veishea in the future, Jischke said students need to take responsibility to make it successful as an alcohol-free celebration.

“If we had to come to the judgment that we can’t manage it … it would reflect very poorly on the students,” he said.

Student apathy toward the event not only could cause the university to cancel it, but it could endanger the educational environment at ISU, Jischke said.

“It’s not just maintaining tradition; it’s maintaining the role of students in this university,” he said.

Students must communicate openly with the administration and use all available resources to voice their opinions, he said.

“My sense is students don’t take advantage of the channels that are open already,” he said.

Jischke said one channel students do not take sufficient advantage of is the Government of the Student Body.

He said the March GSB elections turnout of about 1,500 students was not surprising.

“My initial reaction is it’s a typical turnout,” he said.

Students would be better served if there were greater participation in student government, Jischke said.

“I think democracy works, but for it to work people have to participate,” he said.

Jischke said this apathetic trend is occurring not only at ISU.

“It’s a challenge to find students who want to participate in those kinds of activities,” he said.