Trust.

Trust is what makes any relationship work, be it a friendship, a romance or even a professional connection.

Trust, supposedly, is what is making this Veishea possible. The university is trusting the students to abstain from alcohol and to end the tradition of riots and parties.

If the students come through, Iowa State gets to keep Veishea. Seems pretty simple.

Since the students, via their governing bodies, pledged to go alcohol free, the university has been adamant about their trust in the students.

In October, President Martin Jischke said the responsibility for the future of Veishea rests “primarily on the shoulders of the students.”

In other words, “It’s your celebration, so prove you can save it.”

On Saturday, April 18, Rock Veishea will be held at Lied Recreation Center. This show includes such nationally known bands as Tonic and Crystal Method. The event is supposed to be the headliner entertainment of Veishea, and presumably, it’s purpose is to keep potentially rowdy students out of the streets.

This concert will be great, and ISU students should definitely take advantage of it. But it will probably not be as successful as it could have been, because it will take place at the rec.

It turns out that the rec was not the Veishea Committee’s first choice for the concert. They originally wanted it to be at Hilton, but the folks over there refused to cut the committee a deal. Then, they wanted it on Welch Ave., but that wasn’t really right either.

Finally, entertainment committee members decided on central campus as the perfect location for the huge concert. The area could be nicely fenced, allowing only “The Cyclone Family” in for the show. As long as the weather held up, the event would be a great draw. And what better place to celebrate Veishea than on central campus?

But as soon as the plans were made, the administration stepped in. DPS refused to allow the concert on central campus, because of the potential dangers. Since central campus is an open area, it would too difficult for DPS officers to control.

So apparently, students are only being “trusted,” as long as the administration has ultimate control.

To the university’s credit, officials did give the Veishea Committee enough money to provide for Veishea’s entertainment.

But wouldn’t it be nice if when university officials said they trusted students, they actually meant it?