This year’s Veishea Entertainment co-chairs are linked not only by their strong desire to get involved on campus, but through their genes as well.

Co-chairs and first cousins Scott DeSotal, junior in agricultural business from Dows, and Brett Showalter, junior in agronomy from Hampton, have been involved with Veishea since their freshman year when they were both on the Marketing Committee.

In 1997, DeSotel was in charge of A Taste of Veisha and Showalter was involved with Rock Da Rec. Several applicants applied to be this year’s entertainment co-chairs, and after an application process and an interview, DeSotel and Showalter were chosen.

Both DeSotel and Showalter are heavily involved in on- and off- campus activities. DeSotel was involved with Homecoming Special Events in 1997, has been an Agriculture Business Executive for two years and was on NAMA Executive Board for one year.

Showalter is the 1998 Homecoming co-chair and has been on the Student Alumni Association Executive Board. Both DeSotel and Showalter are involved with Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity and a number of honor societies, including Cardinal Key, Order of Omega and Mortar Board.

When preliminary plans for Veishea were underway last fall, however, many plans were held off by the vote to see if the Veishea tradition would continue.

As soon as this year’s Veishea was announced, “we were working the next day,” DeSotel said.

As committees began to develop, there were only a few problems encountered. The main one was a time constraint.

“We had to make sure we’d get things done on time,” DeSotel said. “Our deadlines were very clear.”

“There is a lot of behind the scenes work that needs to be done,” Showalter added. The entertainment sub-committees include Vendors, A Taste of Veisha directors, Campus Events, Dew the Rec, Music Coordinator and the Taste Stage.

Both of the co-chairs feel they have hard-working committees. “Everyone’s always looking for a weak link in a committee, and we don’t have one,” DeSotel said.

Showalter agreed. “We are very happy with the way our committee is going,” he said.

According to DeSotel, the entertainment committee has worked hard for a variety of entertainment and came up with an entertainment plan that will provide family- focused entertainment during the day and student-focused entertainment at night.

“I can’t see people not wanting to come,” DeSotel said.

This year the committee is also happy to have national acts, with comedian Kevin Nealon headlining on Friday night and Tonic and The Crystal Method on Saturday night.

DeSotel and Showalter have also been working closely with Assistant City Manager Sheila Lundt while planning Veishea. Lundt helped coordinate events and activities through the city in order to get the correct permits and gave general advice.

Showalter said that all of the people involved with committees do not get to enjoy all the fun at Veishea. Many of the students involved in planning Veishea will be Veishea Aids, working with security and cleaning up afterwards.

“Our enjoyment is seeing people have fun,” Showalter said.