Iowa State President Martin Jischke requested that the Veishea Advisory Committee pay particular attention to the murder of 19-year-old Uri Sellers when it does its annual review of Veishea.

Jischke asked that the review be done sooner, rather than later.

In light of this tragedy, there is much to consider when reviewing Veishea 1997.

Roc Da Rec, Taste of Veishea and SOV were all exciting events. All went well until 2:53 a.m. on Sunday, when Sellers’ murder cast a dark shadow on this year’s celebration.

Veishea should not be eliminated because of the events surrounding the tragedy.

However, the incident itself should not be considered an isolated one. Instead, it should be considered in the context of the events surrounding it.

First of all, Welch Avenue attracted thousands of people last weekend who came to enjoy the festivities of Taste of Veishea. The bars were crowded. The cafes were crowded. Welch was crowded.

There were thousands of out-of-towners here last weekend. Just look at the names in the police blotters this week.

Alcohol was also a player in last weekend’s celebration. Whether people drank responsibly, off-campus parties and fraternity parties were more prominent over Veishea weekend than any other weekend.

On top of that, there was a concert. It was a Kiss concert that brought many fans dressed in black leather and face paint.

But most importantly, it was Veishea weekend. Yes, this tragedy could have occurred any other weekend.

It could have happened in broad daylight.

It could have been avoided.

It could have happened to someone else.

But it didn’t.

Ames wasn’t your average college town last weekend. Sellers came to Ames last weekend to visit Iowa State and celebrate Veishea, as did thousands of others. But Sellers died. And considering the environment, that isn’t normal.