Student organizers of Veishea 1998 are confident the celebration will continue, said committee co-chair Kathryn Whitaker.

Iowa State President Martin Jischke is expected to announce his final decision on the future of Veishea Wednesday at 3 p.m. in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union.

Veishea, which has been called the largest student-run festival in the nation, began in 1922. The celebration is under review by ISU administrators due to problems attributed largely to abuse of alcohol.

Rioting in past years and the fatal stabbing of Harold “Uri” Sellers, 19, last spring during Veishea have marred the reputation of the celebration.

Whitaker said she and co-chairman Ben Dohrman expect Jischke to give Veishea the green light following the approval of no-alcohol pledges by the Government of the Student Body, the Inter-Residence Hall Association, the Inter-Fraternity Council, the Panhellenic Council and the Veishea Executive Committee.

A supportive student body is key, Whitaker said. She encouraged students to take and observe the pledge.

“Students need to take the pledge seriously,” Whitaker said, adding she thinks ISU students can be counted on to behave responsibly.

If Veishea ’98 gets the nod from Jischke, it will be a pivotal year for the annual celebration. This year’s events will play a major part in deciding the future of Veishea, Whitaker said.

“If we can’t go three days without drinking, then I think we have a much bigger problem,” she said.

The ban of alcohol in residence halls, campus buildings, greek houses and on university property is intended to discourage large numbers of non-ISU students from spending the weekend in Ames, Whitaker said.

To promote a safe Veishea environment, this year’s committee is beefing up the Peer Security staff and the Party Response Team, she said.

About 65 students served as Peer Security officers last year, but Whitaker said she would like to see twice as many on the streets this year.

In addition, she said she wants to enhance training and membership in the Party Response Team, a group that works with DPS and the Ames police to monitor off-campus trouble spots.

This year, she hopes to increase the number of personnel to 40.

Whitaker said Taste of Veishea activities will be held on Welch Avenue again this year.

She said Taste of Veishea is an important resource for pacifying Campustown bar patrons, many of whom tend to “get creative” if there is nothing else to do as they leave the bars. She cited the 1988 and 1992 riots as examples of this behavior.

Roc da Rec is another dry event sponsored by the Veishea committee which Whitaker hopes will discourage drinking this year.

She said the Lied Recreation Center celebration is geared toward the under-21 crowd, though it does not exclude people of legal drinking age.

Whitaker said organizers are also working to educate students about the dangers of excessive alcohol use and drunk driving.

She also thinks many undergraduate students would be dissuaded from drinking if they were fully aware of the consequences, including possible loss of financial aid money or expulsion.

Drinking is not Whitaker’s only worry this year. She expressed concern about the lack of students applicants for Veishea committee positions.

According to Whitaker, there are about 150 executive positions to fill this fall, with another 250 volunteers to be recruited later in the year.

With the Oct. 28 application deadline approaching, Whitaker said she is concerned the uncertainty about this year’s Veishea may be contributing to the lack of interest in committee service.

Whitaker said student involvement this year is crucial to saving Veishea.

“Students need to offer their ideas, because the central committee doesn’t have all the answers,” she said.