Students say ‘no’ to alcohol for Veishea week

Arianna Layton

Tables have been set up on campus for students who wish to show their support of the Veishea pledge to be non-alcoholic during Veishea weekend.

“We’re asking individuals to pledge that they will support an alcohol-free and safe Veishea,” said Dave Haden, a student activity specialist who works specifically with substance abuse prevention.

Signing the pledge, he said, shows students are willing to support the pledge.

When students sign the pledge, they are given buttons to wear that say, “I took the Veishea Pledge — Keepin’ it Safe and Alcohol Free.”

Haden said he hopes students who wear the buttons will create an atmosphere of positive peer pressure for others to support the pledge.

There is a table set up at the Memorial Union and one at the Hub. The tables are staffed from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. until Friday.

Booths will also be set up during Homecoming events including the barbecue and mass campaniling, Haden said.

The booths are being staffed primarily by sorority members, Haden said, although the Student Athlete Advisory Board has helped, as well as the Student Health Advisory Committee in conjunction with Alcohol Awareness Week.

One of the volunteers at the booth in the Hub said things were going pretty slowly there.

“We’ve been here for a half hour and only gotten two signatures — hers and mine,” Deanna Clements, a member of Alpha Chi Omega, said.

Clements said a few people had looked at the booth and walked away, but no one had made any comments about it.

Clements pointed out the pledge states violators of the pledge will be punished, even if they don’t sign it.

“Really all they have to do is sign their name, because they’re going to get the same penalties,” she said. There are no negative consequences, she said.

Stephanie Erusha, a volunteer from Alpha Phi, said they were faring better at the booth in the Memorial Union.

“We’ve had probably about 10 or 15 people sign in a half hour,” she said. “There’s a lot of people from off-campus, too, that are signing — not only on-campus people.”

Haden said they are trying to get as many signatures as possible to support the decision, which student groups have already made. He hopes President Jischke also will will support the decision.

“We hope that it will help to create some environmental change around [Veishea],” Haden said.

Haden said the booths have been successful so far.

“I know that we have over 300 signatures. It looks like people are taking it seriously and participating in it so I have every reason to believe it will be successful,” Haden said.

Information about making responsible decisions concerning alcohol abuse is also available at the booths, as well as recipes for mocktails, non-alcoholic drinks, Haden said.