The Ames Jaycees held a debate between mayoral candidates Larry Curtis and Ted Tedesco and the issue of Veishea was a hot topic for audience members.

On Thursday, Oct. 16, at the Ramada Inn, Tedesco and Curtis each gave a five-minute introductory statement and then answered audience questions.

The first issue raised was Iowa State’s Veishea celebration. Tedesco was the first to speak on the topic. He said when Veishea was first started, it was the number one recruiting tool for ISU. He said Iowa high schools let juniors and seniors out of classes on Thursday and Friday to visit the campus.

Since then, he said, it has evolved new philosophies.

Most recruiting is done off campus and Veishea has become known as the largest party in the state.

Tedesco said if Veishea continues or not, there will be problems. ISU students will still have a celebration that is “less than perfect,” he said.

ISU used to have a strong code of ethics, Tedesco said, but the campus climate has changed. He said there should be a student code to make students responsible for their actions and to avoid the termination of Veishea if possible.

Curtis said he is not the most objective person to ask about Veishea. He said has been closely involved in Veishea and feels very strongly the celebration should continue. However, he said it does have some serious problems.

The formal, official Veishea is a very nice experience, but he said the unofficial part of it is ugly and something the Ames community should not be proud or supportive of.

Curtis said restrictions on the ISU campus are not the solution; the outside area must come to grips with the problem as well.

He said it is the outsiders who have nothing to lose who cause the problem, not the ISU students.

“It’s a difficult problem to solve, and it would be very easy to cop out and cancel it,” he said. However, Curtis said 75 years of history and tradition should not go down the drain.

During the debate, Tedesco said he is running for mayor of Ames so he can help create a partnership between the citizens of Ames and the city government. He said he wants to renew values and serve as a symbol to create a city of opportunity.

One of Tedesco’s plans is to ask the city council for permission to appoint a Mayor’s Youth Committee, which would have two students from the high school and two from the middle school serve on it.

He said he hopes problems such as vandalism, skateboards and dirt bike paths can be solved through the committee.

Curtis followed with his statement. He said having an opponent is an important part of the political process in Ames. He said citizens have often not been able to choose a candidate because only one person was running.

Curtis has been involved in city government for the last 20 years, serving eight of those as mayor. He said in that time he has only been contested in two of the five elections. He said this is not the way a democracy should work, and now Ames has the opportunity to make a choice.

Curtis said Tedesco has done a good job on city council, but he said the mayor has an entirely different role.

Ames has a weak mayoral system, and the mayor has to be someone who represents the community beyond its boundaries. Curtis said his eight years as mayor have been a good experience and he is in a position to continue.

“It is a delight to get up in the morning, teach at Iowa State, practice law and be involved with the city of Ames,” he said.

Other issues raised by the audience were the train whistles in Ames, the planning and zoning of the city, other alcohol issues, the Lincoln Way Expansion Project and affordable housing without dropping property rates.