While members of the Inter-Residence Hall Association prepare to vote on whether to support an alcohol-free Veishea tonight, some residents are divided over the pledge.

Ben Chamberlain, president of IRHA and senior in agricultural studies and agricultural business, said the outcome of this vote may play a part in Iowa State President Martin Jischke’s still undecided decision on whether to continue Veishea.

The current residence hall policy allows those residents who are 21 or older to consume alcohol only in their own rooms. If IRHA supports the Veishea pledge, all the residence halls would be alcohol-free during weekend celebration.

Chamberlain said he is confident the vote will be passed tonight after being tabled at the last IRHA meeting.

“The reason that it was tabled was to get a wide variety of student feedback,” Chamberlain said.

Residents’ opinions range from partial to positive to negative support of the pledge.

“There’s a lot of residents, and I’m sure there’s a whole lot of difference in opinion,” Director of Residence Randy Alexander said.

Alexander said he thought Veishea went “very well last year,” and he credits the student leadership for the success.

“If people continue to do that, I think it would be a very fun celebration,” Alexander said.

Most residents who were interviewed based their opinions of the pledge on the perceived success of last year’s dry Veishea.

“[Last year], there were hardly any problems at all,” said Sara Heideman, Upper Friley Hall resident assistant and junior in interior design. “But I think the amount of people and the business it brought to Ames drastically dropped.”

One student said he thought last year’s Veishea was “a failure from any objective standpoint.”

“The students were totally removed from having any control over it,” said Randy Morfitt, Buchanan Hall resident and junior in philosophy. “People made a point of purposely not going to any events because of the way the police punished people.”

Some students agreed that police were too noticeable at many of the activities.

“I think [the pledge] is a good idea that’s been necessary, but I think it gets a little bit too enforced,” said Jayme Gaul, Storms Hall resident assistant and sophomore in biology.

Some residents believe students will most likely obey the limits of the pledge.

“[The students] think the idea of Veishea is more important than one weekend of alcohol,” Gaul said. “It should be focusing primarily on a showcase of Iowa State, and alcohol needs to be no part of that.”

Heideman said she thinks it would be great if the event could be non-alcoholic.

“All the students want to have Veishea; most want to have it wet, but I think they are going to lie and say they will be dry just to have it,” Heideman said.

However, some residents say forcing students into a pledge is not the university’s job.

“The students can take the pledge if they want, but I really don’t think it should be mandatory,” said Sander Ludeman, Willow Hall resident assistant and junior in meteorology.

“If residents are going to drink, they are going to drink regardless if there is a pledge or not,” Ludeman said.

Steve Brooks, Wilson Hall resident and sophomore in computer science, said he does not think the university has the right to have the students go dry for Veishea.

“But students should still be responsible,” he said. “Coming to college, part of the experience is not being under an authoritative thumb, especially for the new students.”

Some students voiced concern that so much attention is focused on the presence of alcohol at Veishea instead of every weekend.

“There is definitely a problem with [drinking] on this campus, but the university is acting like it’s just this weekend that’s the problem and ignoring all the other weekends,” Morfitt said.

Ludeman said residents do not drink any more during Veishea than they do every weekend.

“Alcohol is a major part of every weekend for students. The fact that it is Veishea doesn’t change that. We as RAs don’t catch more drinking during Veishea than we do any other time of the year,” Ludeman said.

“[The pledge] really doesn’t solve the problem, it just moves the partying somewhere else,” he said.