We have a golden opportunity if we take it. President Jischke is considering canceling Veishea because of the abuse of alcohol. The drinking problem has gotten out of hand and is threatening to destroy a good tradition that could continue to be a showcase for ISU, but only if we use the common sense that we do have. Jischke’s threat to end the celebration is with good reason. Too much drinking does go on. There are good ways of dealing with this.

One way to deal with this would be to give a warning for the first offense, a one-term dismissal for the second offense and a year dismissal for the third. The list of names would come from one printed on a regular basis — alcohol violations. Sounds unfair? That is the real world.

This would be quite a change from today’s business, but my father, a graduate of lowa State College’s engineering program, describes a dry campus of some forty years ago. What a difference.

To those who would complain about the changes, I look at all the hangovers, worshiping the porcelain god, the long days following the long nights at the bars and the life that goes by so fast from the forgotten weekends and weekdays.

I know of some members of the greek system who had to dry up to finish college and get on with their lives. Many of the greek houses are now banning alcohol partly due to their reputation of being alcoholics.

National organizations are telling local chapters to dry up or be history. Good enough.

Some would argue that many of the troublemakers are high school students or people otherwise not connected to the university. There are also ways to deal with this. Sometimes by limiting what they can do, maybe they will not be allowed to come to ISU for awhile. Many times the problem comes from home. They may have to deal with the problem for themselves. We do seem to live in a drug culture.

One thing we need to do is set a good example. The university could start by eliminating alcohol from events. That way there would be no hypocrisy. I know that a few drinks are fine, but a keg apiece is a bit much.

I do not drink because of low blood sugar caused by hyperinsulinism. I often have little sympathy for those who have hangovers and choose that lifestyle. I have seen what drinking problems can do to marriages, especially for those I went to school with.

Losing Veishea would be a tragedy, especially since in recent years it has returned to being the open-house showcase the founders intended. It has also become more family oriented. I hope that we can dry up campus so Jischke has no reason to cancel Veishea, and the tradition can be celebrated well beyond its 80th year.

Dayton Heins

Senior

Biology/journalism