Veishea - Problems

Problems

In recent years, rioting and disturbances have tarnished the VEISHEA celebration. The latest incident occurred in 2004, when a riot broke out during the early morning hours of April 18 after Ames Police dispersed about 400 people at a nuisance party. This crowd grew, intensified, and eventually became violent, ultimately causing over $250,000 in damage to public and private property.

Following the disturbance, some students made claims that police used excessive force in controlling rioters. However, a nine-month investigation by the Iowa Attorney General's office found no wrongdoing on the part of police.

The 2004 riots marred what had been a very successful celebration. On April 27, ISU President Gregory Geoffroy announced that VEISHEA would not be held in 2005. This was met with disappointment both on and off campus. One man who had his business damaged had taken out a full page ad asking the school not to cancel the event. Geoffroy also announced the formation of a task force to study the causes of the riots.

2005 marked the first time in 82 years that VEISHEA was not held.

VEISHEA's return in 2006, as well as celebrations in 2007 and 2008, were incident-free. Much of the credit was given to the implementation of new policies recommended by the riot task force, including:

• On Campus Events – Events were moved onto campus and away from the flashpoint that was created by the mix of bars and student housing in Campustown.
• Normal Alcohol Policy – The University's normal alcohol policy was reestablished for VEISHEA. From 1997 to 2004, VEISHEA weekend was governed under an exception to the University alcohol policy, stating that no alcohol was allowed in university residences, even for of-age students. This was believed to have contributed to off-campus parties.
• Police-Student Relations – Police have implemented yearly campaigns to build relationships between students and the police, including running ads and giving out free t-shirts.