The decisions of the Inter-Residence Hall Association and the Government of the Student Body to support the alcohol-free Veishea pledge last week has left some students wondering if Ames will see a rise in the number of off-campus parties during Veishea weekend.

Adam Obrecht, governor of the Off-Campus Council, said the organization will be discussing the Veishea pledge Wednesday evening.

Obrecht, senior in agricultural business, said the attitude of the council, from his perspective, is that the members are in support of dry Veishea events but not of the “university’s crackdown of drinking off campus.”

David Bierman, senior in chemical engineering and an off-campus student, said he supports dry Veishea for safety reasons, but he thinks parties will continue outside the university limits.

“It seems like people are going to have parties off campus because they can’t have them on campus,” Bierman said.

Off-campus students, including those who are older than 21, faced stricter penalties during last year’s Veishea if their parties got out of control.

Other students said there will likely be fewer parties in town because the extra consequences during the weekend will persuade students to leave Ames.

“I didn’t hear of any additional parties off campus over the weekend. I think a lot more people left town during last Veishea,” said Marcia Johnson, GSB off-campus senator and senior in sociology.

Johnson also said confusion about Veishea’s rules contributed to the number of students leaving Ames during last year’s celebration.

“I think there were some miscommunications on rules last year; the issue is not clear,” Johnson said. “It’s really ambiguous what’s going to happen if anyone gets busted.”

Yasmine Blackburn, minority senator, said the control placed on the event makes some students nervous.

“Jischke never asked [GSB]; it just kind of trickled down that we needed to take this pledge,” said Blackburn, graduate student in English, rhetoric and professional communication. “People just don’t feel comfortable with all the other restrictions that are being put on the event.”

The idea that the university can enforce its own penalties throughout Ames has some residents upset.

“For Iowa State to try to reach into my apartment and tell me what I can and can’t do; the university is overstepping their bounds,” Blackburn said.

Johnson agrees being hit with consequences from both the city and the university makes off-campus students angry.

“I’ve heard from a lot of off-campus residents that they are upset with the idea that you have to deal with Ames police and then the [university],” Johnson said.

Blackburn said she thinks a lot of the spirit of Veishea has been lost.

“I know I’m leaving [Ames during Veishea]; I don’t know about a whole lot of other people, but I think if people don’t leave, they won’t bother with the activities at all,” Blackburn said.

Blackburn said she has heard alumni say they are not interested in attending Veishea activities because “students don’t seem excited about it.”

“People may go out to some of the things; they may attend some activities, but as far as the overall attendance, I don’t think it will be as high as in the past,” Blackburn said.