Government of the Student Body President Rob Wiese urged senators to honestly represent their constituents in the pledge for a dry Veishea during Wednesday night’s meeting.

Wiese stressed to senators their vote on Veishea must be made in good faith. Wiese also encouraged GSB senators to talk to their constituents.

“The thing to get across to people is that this is serious. If people won’t take the pledge in good faith, Veishea will end,” Wiese said. “Be sure that you take that fact to the constituents.”

Terri Houston, adviser of GSB, said GSB would pass a resolution with their decision on Veishea. GSB can either vote to pass a resolution making Veishea a non-alcoholic celebration or to effectively cancel the event.

“President Jischke is looking for us to say that we’ll save Veishea,” Wiese said. “If we can give up alcohol for three days, we can save a 75-year tradition.”

Senators expressed concern that the pledge for a dry Veishea would not be taken seriously by students.

Yasmin Blackburn, off campus, said most students do not listen to GSB. “We don’t even have a quarter of the students voting to seat us on senate,” Blackburn said. “What happens when we pass this resolution and no one listens?”

Wiese said he hoped senators could serve as an example. “President Jischke is hoping that as student leaders, we have some influence over our peers,” Wiese said.

“It won’t be easy, but it’s something I’m willing to try,” Wiese said of the pledge. “It’s the only chance to save Veishea.”

Milton McGriff, non-traditional, shared the view that many students would not take the pledge seriously.

“A pledge is talk and talk can be cheap,” McGriff said. “I think something more serious has to be done when we have no way to enforce the non-alcoholic pledge.”

McGriff said he believed a moratorium for a year would be an effective way to improve Veishea.

“When you have something happen as serious as someone losing a life, you can back off and reflect by taking a year off,” he said.

“The pledge is a way to keep Veishea going by saying that we’re working on it, but we’re not really doing anything,” McGriff said.

Hamilton inquired about community support for a non-alcoholic Veishea.

Wiese discussed comments by the Ames City Council which questioned the feasibility of a dry Veishea.

“I don’t see why the city wouldn’t back us up,” Wiese said. “I think they’re thinking with their pocketbooks, not their heads.”

The deadline for GSB to pass a resolution on Veishea is Oct. 15. John Hamilton, business, said he will write the bill.

In other news

* Terri Houston and Dr. Dan Robinson were seated as the 1997-98 GSB advisers by unanimous consent. This is Houston’s third term as an adviser, and Robinson’s first term.

* A bill to correct 1997-98 regular allocations was passed by a vote of 31-0. “The bill is simply a correction of some math errors and typographical errors,” Christopher Wisher, TRA, said. The corrections are for allocations to various student groups.

The next GSB meeting is scheduled for Sept. 10 at 7 p.m. in the Pioneer Room of the Memorial Union.