The announcements that the Goo Goo Dolls and comedian Dave Chappelle will be this year’s Veishea entertainment have invoked varying but mostly positive reactions from Iowa State students.

The Goo Goo Dolls will be headlining Veishea Center Stage on April 16, and Chappelle will be the featured performer for Dew the Rec on April 17.

Some students said the Grammy-nominated Goo Goo Dolls are appropriate for the ISU community.

“It’s a better choice because more people here would like [Goo Goo Dolls] than if you brought in hard rock or rap,” said Ryan Hoffman, junior in mechanical engineering.

However, Jason Lanning, sophomore in transportation logistics, said he was disappointed with the selection.

“I was hoping they’d try for Offspring,” he said. “They’re trying to choose for popularity, but on a budget I’m sure they’re not going to get a lot.”

Some students said the acts lined up for Veishea Center Stage will bring in a more diverse audience than last year’s Rock Veishea, which featured Tonic, Crystal Method and The Flaming Lips Experiment.

Janae Wise, junior in early childhood education, said she plans to attend this year’s event.

“I didn’t go last year; I really wasn’t interested in the bands,” she said. “This year will be better because it’s something a lot of students are interested in.”

Several students cited last year’s entertainment acts as the reason they were not impressed by Rock Veishea.

“Last year with The Flaming Lips [Experiment] was really, really bad because nobody knew who they were,” said Liz Stachour, junior in aerospace engineering.

Sara Helgeson, sophomore in finance, agreed that the headliners for Rock Veishea weren’t household names.

“It wasn’t a big band last year. They were up and coming,” she said. “I didn’t even try to get tickets, but everybody said it was bad because they didn’t know the songs.”

Some students said Chappelle, who has appeared in HBO specials and movies such as “The Nutty Professor,” also should appeal to a diverse group of students.

“He will be much better than Kevin Nealon was last year,” Helgeson said. “Nealon was too clean almost. Chappelle will be more to our level.”

Nicole Lowe, junior in exercise and sport science, attended last year’s Dew the Rec. She said Nealon was “good, but he didn’t relate well.”

“I didn’t understand all of his jokes,” she said.

Students also expressed their approval about the revamped ticket system for Veishea ’99.

Last year’s Dew the Rec and Rock Veishea were limited to the “Cyclone Family,” which included ISU students, faculty, alumni and members of the Ames community.

This year’s policy allows each ISU student to bring one guest. Tickets are going on sale to ISU students first, then they will be made available to the rest of the Ames community.

“I’m pleased with being able to bring someone. I don’t have to sneak them in this year,” Helgeson said. “It’s good that we get first priority.”

Bryan Riensche, junior in mechanical engineering, also supports the policy.

“I had relatives that wanted to come down last year to the concert but couldn’t,” he said.

Tickets for ISU students go on sale Saturday from noon to 3 p.m. at the Iowa State Center.

Tickets are $7.50 for Veishea Center Stage and $5 for Dew the Rec. Guest tickets are $15 for Veishea Center Stage, and $10 for Dew the Rec.

ISU community members, which includes ISU faculty, staff and alumni and Ames residents, can purchase tickets starting Monday.

To purchase tickets, students will be required to show their ISUCards and fee cards.