Student leaders from the Veishea Committee and the Government of the Student Body met with visiting alcohol education expert Alan Berkowitz on Wednesday night to discuss implementation of an alcohol-free Veishea.

Berkowitz said Veishea leaders needed to change the image that the celebration has developed over the years.

“You’re trying to change the culture, the environment that Veishea has come to represent,” Berkowitz said.

Berkowitz related his social norm theory, which implies that students drink more because they believe the majority of their peers are binge drinking.

He said this mentality applied to implementing a dry Veishea, as well.

“My hypothesis is that you have a silent majority of students who are willing to give it a chance, but don’t, because they think they’re in the minority,” Berkowitz said. “It’s our job to bring them out into the open.”

Berkowitz suggested a similar survey to estimate the level of alcohol use during Veishea, and in general, at Iowa State.

“What you need to do is find the places of support you have here with your students and find out what questions you need to ask to elicit that support,” he said.

He also suggested surveys during Veishea to find out why people came to Ames and what they expected. Berkowitz also encouraged student leaders to express their support for a dry Veishea through their home communities and high schools, in addition to their activities at ISU.

Kathryn Whitaker, co-chair of the Veishea Committee, said while most of Berkowitz’s suggestions focused on long-range change, she was reassured by his message of the “silent minority.”

“What was reassuring to hear, and what we tend to believe is that the majority of students will follow through on this pledge and want to see Veishea succeed,” she said.

Whitaker said she and co-chair Ben Dohrmann planned to bring the survey issue to next year’s general co-chairs.

Whitaker said applications for peer security and the party response team currently are being accepted. The risk management efforts will be increased this year, she said.

“That’s a critical area this year because we realize that risk management is really important, especially during the night hours when we don’t have the family environment that exists during the day and things are geared more toward students,” Whitaker said.

Whitaker said peer security would expand to the greek system this year.

Berkowitz said Veishea leaders needed to realize the entire problem could not be solved in one year.

“Every time you decrease the problem, you’re successful,” he said.

Berkowitz described a media campaign instituted in the past 10 years at Northern Illinois University, which surveyed students and published results about the percentages of students actually involved in binge-drinking activities.

Whitaker said she was encouraged by Berkowitz’s message of collaboration between groups to address alcohol-related problems.

“[Veishea 1998] is the first time all five groups [GSB, Inter-Residence Hall Association, Interfraternity Council, Panhellenic Council and Veishea] have worked together, and I think that’s a great step in helping solve a really big problem,” Whitaker said.