Potential spring event alternatives for Veishea have been announced in the university president’s spring address sent to the entire ISU student body.

The Spring Event Planning Committee submitted a proposal after the end of Veishea for new events and activities for the university, according to the email sent by Leath.

Leath stated in the email, “pursuant to the committee’s charge to identify new ways to showcase the university,” the president has approved events for this spring.

These events include:

• Celebration in February featuring the sale of cherry pies integrated with other Valentine’s Day activities
• Celebration of arts in April in conjunction with Cyclone Market

There will also be events implemented the next academic year:

• Student-led community service project
• Parade and college showcase
• Event to welcome students back to campus for the start of the spring semester

In an interview with the Daily staff, Leath said after the cancellation, he had tasked members of the Faculty Senate and Student Government to put together a team of students and faculty. This committee, The Spring Event Planning Committee, was asked to talk to others and think of the best way to showcase the university while creating entertainment for participants.

“One thing we found, interestingly, was Veishea was so established that people were reluctant to have events during that time in the spring because it was sort of already taken,” Leath said. “So there was a pent up supply of ideas of students wanting to do other things in the spring.”

Along with the new, the committee also hoped to keep some of the old traditions of the event, such as cherry pies and a parade.

Veishea was a long-standing tradition at Iowa State for several decades until a riot took place in Campustown in 2014, causing that year’s events to be discontinued.

After deliberation, Leath announced in a press conference Aug. 7, 2014 that Veishea would be discontinued and the name retired. 

“Doing away with Veishea was the most unpleasant decision since I’ve come here,” Leath said. “We felt like we made the right decision, but we also felt that there were a lot of good things in the spring celebration that unfortunately got caught up in the cancellation.