Daily Columnist

Primary Recommendation

The 1997 Veishea Advisory Council recommends that the annual celebration of Veishea continue. Suggestions for improving the planning process and promoting the safety of all in attendance are included in the body of this report.

Sanctioned Events

The perceptions of both Veishea Advisory Council members and community members were that the events sanctioned and conducted by the Veishea Committee were very successful The final figures were not available on Stars Over Veishea at the time the council met, but it was apparent that the production had taken in more than S40,000 and would therefore realize a profit, which has not always been the case in recent years.

As to other of official events, only three complaints reached the council: Project Cybot (College of Engineering) was not permitted to participate in the parade; the College of Veterinary Medicine was not considered in the judging of open houses; and the Agricultural Assistance Technology Club was disappointed at not being selected as a specialty unit for the parade.

l here may be some merit to the Project Cybot complaint, as the issue was whether or not the organization filed its application before the deadline, and that point is disputed. It seems clear that the College of Veterinary Medicine did not complete the necessary paperwork to be considered for the open house competition.

In addition to the complaints summarized above, some council members expressed concern over the process of registering Veishea activities. The late applications for a tent city and rally made by the Black Student Alliance this year were honored at the request of Interim Vice President Robinson. Although no difficulties developed from these particular arrangements, Council members feel that there is potential for significant problems in space allocation, safety, and participant satisfaction when these applications come in late.

The Veishea Advisory Council makes the following recommendations concerning Veishea’s official events:

Organizers for Veishea 1998, should it take place, should begin the process of advertising Stars Over Veishea in the fall, giving more aggressive attention to soliciting group sales and fully utilizing the resources of the Iowa State Center staff.

The rules regarding timely registration of activities (thirty days before Veishea) should be strictly enforced.

A process of formal acknowledgment of the receipt and disposition of applications and other paperwork should be established by the Veishea Committee.

Special effort should be made to increase participation in college open houses and other events which showcase the university and its students.

Should Veishea Change

Numerous comments and suggestions received were based on the assumption that Veishea would continue. The Veishea of the future was, however, pictured differently by different parties.

The question posed on the Web concerning a “dry” Veishea elicited two main categories of response: attempting to ban alcohol will only create a “roaring Twenties” climate of hidden alcohol, which would be even harder to control, the sanctioned events of the ”official Veishea” are alcohol-free already, so the issue is not “Veishea” but “Veishea weekend.”

In a memorandum to the Veishea Advisory Committee, dated May 9, 1997, the presidents of the Panhellenic and Interfraternity Councils set forth recommendations they will submit to all Greek chapters for a vote. These cover increased security and cooperation with Ames Police, timing of events, controlling access to Greek events, and clean-up policy. These recommendations were developed on the assumption that Veishea will continue in an improved version of its current format.

On the other hand, a memorandum from Chuck Cychosz, Substance Abuse Coordinator, to Interim Vice President for Student Affairs Daniel C. Robinson advocated a dramatically re structured Veishea, one which would reflect the “contemporary university mission” by diverting human and other resources from building floats to community service projects. This proposal assumes that Veishea events would be alcohol-free and that university living areas would be “dry” throughout the duration of Veishea, a condition that would be effective only if the students themselves were willing to impose the “ban.’

While the Veishea Advisory Council makes no specific recommendation on changing the nature of the festival, the council does support an effort to review the official activities with the aim of developing new activities, as well as transforming traditional events into contemporary formats.

The Veishea Advisory Council makes the following specific recommendations regarding any planning for future Veisheas of any kind:

University administrators and representatives for the City of Ames should meet to review and discuss their shared concerns and responsibilities prior to any commitment being made on staging future Veishea celebrations.

The l992 Presidential Task Force on Veishea emphasized the need for a variety of recreational options; in response, a Recreation Services representative was added to the Advisory Committee. The council should consider proposals from this representative at the earliest stages of planning for any future Veisheas The Veishea Committee should add positions dedicated to risk management and liaison with the city and local businesses.

The Alcohol Issue

Ames police and the Iowa State University Department of Public Safety cited or arrested approximately five hundred people during Veishea 1997, the majority of them for alcohol-related incidents. Ames Police Chief Dennis Ballantine indicated that they could have cited hundreds more, particularly in the area of the Greek houses on Saturday night. There were more arrests than for Veishea1996, and as always, the majority of those arrested were not Iowa State university students or Ames residents.

Some have questioned whether or not there are enough officers and other public safety personnel available at Veishea, but both the Ames Police Department and the ISU Department of Public Safety feel the numbers available this year were adequate. Chief Ballantine has written to Interim Vice President Robinson commending the work done by Peer Security at A Taste of Veishea.

It is interesting to note that there were fewer than a dozen individuals arrested or cited for aLcohol-related behaviors at the Kiss concert at the Iowa State Center. All these incidents occurred before the concert began. This observation combined with the success of a Taste of Veishea and other sanctioned evening events, has led some to conclude that the alcohol problem rests with those who choose to entertain themselves with alcohol only.

The council remains divided on the questions of who has responsibility for the “unofficial Veishea ” There are those who say the Veishea Committee must take responsibility for all of Veishea, the good and the bad, the official and the unofficial others believe that the merchants who sell the alcohol, as well as other businesses which profit from the festival crowd, must share in accepting responsibility for the public welfare during the Veishea weekend.

However, there seems to be a consensus regarding the issue of alcohol abuse by students, at least insofar as the need for expanding services and education are concerned, and there is a specific need to develop an initiative to address the problems of alcohol and Greek life, which is currently an issue for both Iowa State University and campuses across the nation.

Acknowledgment

The Veishea advisory Council and the Division of Student Affairs would like to commend the students who devoted so many hours to making the events of Veishea 1997 as successful as they were.