I’ve been wondering if the ISU students who say they don’t WANT a dry Veishea should maybe check their vocabulary and say they CAN’T have a dry Veishea.

I wonder if the challenge were put to them to do without alcohol for one weekend if they could actually do it. Not that they were forced to do without alcohol, but were challenged to do without it. I wonder how many students could actually go without alcohol for the time period of the Veishea event. Would it be like getting some two year olds to stop sucking their thumbs?

Think of what could be done during Veishea if students stayed out of a drunken stupor. Groups of students, fraternities, sororities and other groups on campus could adopt a favorite charity such as Big Brother/Big Sister, Youth and Shelter Services and AIDS Research. And they could think up fun and profitable events to raise money.

They could even throw in the money they would spend on alcohol to fatten the donation. It would take some time and imagination, but it would be a much better use of time and add to the esteem of Veishea than getting tanked for the entire event.

I would think ISU students would like to accept the challenge and break the stereotyped college student who just drinks and thinks of nothing else except themselves and how much fun they can have. Who knows? Some students might even see things at Veishea they never knew existed or had forgotten about.

Why not dedicate this next Veishea to Uri Sellers and to the new reputation of ISU students so Veishea will be remembered for imagination, creativity and their concern for others who are not as fortunate as themselves? But maybe ISU students don’t have what it takes. Or do they?

Marsha Harmon

Project assistant