For 75 years, Iowa State University has been home to the country’s largest student-organized festival. The name of the festival is Veishea.

Every university has traditions that are cherished by students and alumni. Veishea is one of Iowa State’s most beloved traditions. It annually provides an opportunity for Iowa State faculty, staff, students, alumni and members of the Ames community to come together to enjoy and experience the strengths of this university. More importantly, it provides hundreds of Iowa State students with invaluable, resume-worthy leadership experience.

Unfortunately, Veishea also is a tradition and an experience that Iowa State is in great jeopardy of losing forever.

Since I987, several Veishea celebrations have been marred by rioting, and last spring, 19-year-old Harold “Uri” Sellers was fatally stabbed outside a fraternity house during Veishea weekend. All of these incidents have been tied in some degree to alcohol abuse. As a result, the image of Veishea has gone from a positive showcase of a great university to a nearly uncontrollable weekend dominated by irresponsible and underage drinking.

The time for changing Veishea — changing it dramatically — has come.

Last fall, Iowa State University President Martin Jischke announced that Veishea could continue only if the weekend was alcohol-free. The announcement came after student organizations representing Veishea, student governments, the greek system and the residence hall association pledged that Veishea weekend will be safe and alcohol-free.

The significance of the changes Veishea is going through cannot be overstated. Large parties involving alcohol had become a familiar part of Veishea weekend, particularly in the greek community. The party-dominated portion of the weekend had come to be called “the unofficial Veishea” or “the dark side” of an otherwise positive event. An alcohol-free weekend means “the unofficial Veishea” is a thing of the past.

Planning Veishea is a challenging, year-long process. Students planning Veishea 1998 have the added challenge of creating an event that will help begin the process of restoring the positive image of Iowa State’s tradition.

To do this, student planners have refocused Veishea from an event for everyone who wants to come to an event for “The Iowa State University Family,” which includes Iowa State students and their families, Iowa State staff and faculty and their families, Iowa State alumni and their families and the Ames community. Some events, such as major headline entertainment events at night, will be open only to “The Iowa State Family.” Other events, such as the Stars Over Veishea production of “The Music Man,” and the annual Veishea parade, will remain open to the general public. The campus and greek community parties that attracted so many people in the past no longer are part of the alcohol-free Veishea.

These actions are being taken to return Veishea to the people who truly care about it — the members of the Iowa State family — and to substantially reduce, if not completely eliminate, the number of people who apparently don’t care about Veishea and who come to Ames during the weekend just to find a party and a keg.

For many years, critics of Veishea have cited the hundreds of arrests that occur during the weekend as a reason to either end or drastically restructure the event. The majority of arrests that occur Veishea weekend have been for underage drinking, public intoxication and public consumption. The majority of those arrested have been non-Iowa State students and non-Ames residents. The two men now in jail for the murder of Uri Sellers also fit those two categories.

The changes being made to Veishea are to ensure a safe, alcohol-free weekend for the people who care about Veishea and about Iowa State. The changes are not being made so more people can get arrested and face fines. However, it is important to know that over the last year, changes in state law have substantially increased fines for the kinds of offenses that occur Veishea weekend. For example, a public intoxication charge can result in a $90 fine, while underage consumption carries a $145 fine.

The city of Ames, in response to the need to ensure a safe Veishea weekend, has approved two new ordinances that address off-campus parties that are beyond the jurisdiction of the university. One is a “nuisance party” ordinance that will allow police to shut down a gathering that has gotten out of hand and charge the party hosts and anyone who refuses to leave the premises. The second ordinance requires a party host to take steps to prevent underage drinking.

Universities across the country are struggling with issues related to alcohol abuse. Iowa State is no different. It would have been easy to escape the problems associated with Veishea simply by ending the tradition. Iowa State students, however, care about Veishea — care enough to have the tradition continue as an alcohol-free weekend.

For years, Iowa State promoted Veishea as the largest student-organized festival in the country. Even that description is changing.

Veishea is now the largest alcohol-free student organized festival in the country. We intend to keep it that way, because we intend to keep Veishea.

Ben Dohrmann and Kathryn Whitaker are co-chairs of Iowa State University’s l998 Veishea celebration.