RIP, Veishea

[cyclone87]

Doing some quick research online, I came across this:
1985: During VEISHEA weekend’s “Ash Bash,â€￾ cars were overturned and burned. 1988: Disturbances took place on three consecutive VEISHEA weekend nights. During the
Sunday morning riot, people in a crowd of approximately 5,000 threw bottles, bricks and rocks
and made a bonfire from furniture. Of the 45 people arrested, 25 were ISU students.
1992: During VEISHEA weekend, people in a large crowd (est. 8,000) threw rocks, cans and
bottles at police. Twenty-seven rioters were arrested and 47 were treated for injuries.
1994: During VEISHEA weekend, people in a large crowd threw cans, bottles and rocks at police.
A total of 20 people were arrested, 11 of whom were students.
1998: Prior to VEISHEA, students in a crowd of approximately 300 chanted profanities, set off
fireworks, and attempted to tear down a light pole in the Towers Residence Hall courtyard before
being dispersed by police. The event was viewed as a protest against the first “Dry VEISHEA.â€￾
1999: During a planned event three weeks before the second “Dry VEISHEAâ€￾ and near the
anniversary of the previous Towers Residence Hall disturbance, students committed acts of
vandalism and chanted profanity in a crowd that moved from the Towers to The Knoll and then to
Jack Trice Stadium, stopping at various points on campus in between to rally loudly.
2000: Following an NCAA basketball victory participants damaged cars, pulled down light poles,
marched to The Knoll and then to Jack Trice Stadium, where they tried to pull a goal post down.
They then tore down pieces of fence and threw them in Lake Laverne.
2004: Rioters in a crowd of approximately 2,000 destroyed property in Campustown and three
objects at police. Police arrested 37 individuals, including 22 Iowa State University students and
three recent alumni.

There is a good bit more that isn't on here: People falling from buildings and being severly injured or dying and murder as well for starters.

 

[RubyClone]

People can argue that cancelling VEISHEA is or is not the right thing to do. I get that - and I'm a bit upset by the cancellation as well.

But please - do not act like the rioting and violence has nothing to do with VEISHEA itself. It's just a dumb, dumb, dumb premise. The videos show it, history has borne it out. The two go hand in hand. It's absolutely undeniable. And it's not worth anyone's time to argue it. "It was a Tuesday - VEISHEA doesn't happen til the weekend." Really? People are going with that?

Also - please stop equating VEISHEA to an instance of a goalpost in 1997 or the like. Umpteen times someone has tried to compare the VEISHEA problem with something that happened 20 years ago at an athletic event once. Yes it happened (and it happened several other times). And the university addressed it. They fixed the situation and it hasn't happened in about 18 years since. Same can't be said about VEISHEA. And the number of athletic event violence is miniscule to number of VEISHEA incidents. Seriously - cancel athletics? That's a legit comparision to some? That is just sad. Probably some 100 athetlic events hosted by ISU over the course of a year - and we have to go back to 2000 to show a problem that's not even comparable? And here's the simple answer - if there were enough incidents to warrant a change - damn sure the University would look into doing so.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

People can argue that cancelling VEISHEA is or is not the right thing to do. I get that - and I'm a bit upset by the cancellation as well.

But please - do not act like the rioting and violence has nothing to do with VEISHEA itself. It's just a dumb, dumb, dumb premise. The videos show it, history has borne it out. The two go hand in hand. It's absolutely undeniable. And it's not worth anyone's time to argue it. "It was a Tuesday - VEISHEA doesn't happen til the weekend." Really? People are going with that?

Also - please stop equating VEISHEA to an instance of a goalpost in 1997 or the like. Umpteen times someone has tried to compare the VEISHEA problem with something that happened 20 years ago at an athletic event once. Yes it happened (and it happened several other times). And the university addressed it. They fixed the situation and it hasn't happened in about 18 years since. Same can't be said about VEISHEA. And the number of athletic event violence is miniscule to number of VEISHEA incidents. Seriously - cancel athletics? That's a legit comparision to some? That is just sad. Probably some 100 athetlic events hosted by ISU over the course of a year - and we have to go back to 2000 to show a problem that's not even comparable? And here's the simple answer - if there were enough incidents to warrant a change - damn sure the University would look into doing so.

Well we need to win to be able to get to the point of rioting for athletic events... just saying. If they didn't have 30 cops surrounding the goal posts at the Okie State game in 2011, then for sure those were coming down. I don't care how indestructible they are. People were still attempting to climb, even with the cops surrounding it.

 

[cyclone87]

This one includes some of the other disturbances/problems:

In 1985, during VEISHEA weekend’s “Ash Bash,” which was sponsored by Greek houses on Ash Avenue, cars were overturned and burned.

In 1988, a riot took place early Sunday morning during VEISHEA weekend. People in a crowd of approximately 5,000 threw bottles, bricks and rocks and made a bonfire from furniture on Welch Avenue and Lincoln Way. The rioting followed smaller disturbances the two previous nights associated with parties being shut down in the Campustown area, which resulted in policies regarding keg sales. Of the 45 people arrested, 25 were Iowa State students.​

In 1992, an 8,000 person disturbance received national media coverage. A total of 27 rioters were arrested and 47 were treated for injuries. The number of students arrested and injured could not be determined at the time this report was submitted.​

In 1994, during VEISHEA weekend, people in a large crowd threw cans, bottles and rocks at police. A total of 20 people were arrested; 11 were students​

.​

In 1997, a VEISHEA visitor (non Iowa State student) was murdered near the Iowa State Adelante fraternity house, prompting Iowa State administration to rule that in the future,VEISHEA would be alcohol free.​

In 1998, students in a crowd of approximately 300 chanted profanities, set off fireworks and attempted to tear down a light pole in the Towers Residence Hall courtyard before being dispersed by police. The spontaneous event was viewed as a protest against the first “Dry VEISHEA,” which took place later that spring.​

In 1999, during a planned protest event three weeks before the second “Dry VEISHEA” and near the anniversary of the previous Towers Residence Hall disturbance, students committed vandalism and chanted profanity in a crowd that moved from the Towers to The Knoll and then to Jack Trice Stadium. The crowd stopped at various points on campus in between to rally​

loudly. The event was viewed as a protest against “Dry VEISHEA.”​

In 2004, a riot of approximately 2,000 people disrupted the festival and prompted Iowa State University President Gregory Geoffroy to suspend VEISHEA for 2005. A total of 37 people were arrested, including 22 students and 3 recent alumni. VEISHEA returned as an annual event in 2006.​

In 2009, a large fight erupted at the clock tower on Welch Avenue.​

In 2012 a fatal fall occurred on Chamberlain Street.​

In 2013, a large crowd overturned a car on Welch Avenue.​

In 2014, a Tuesday night disturbance involving approximately 1,000 people compelled Iowa State University President Steven Leath to cancel the remainder of the week’s activities. Soon after, President Leath appointed the 2014 Task Force to assess the role, relevance, and appropriateness of VEISHEA and other university

wide celebrations for the future.​

​

 

[roundball]

I'm sorry, I think you're just arguing to argue here. First of all, you can hear a car getting tipped, you can hear hundreds of people chanting "VEISHEA" over and over. You can hear glass breaking, etc. And you don't think that the entire crowd was talking about what was going on? People knew exactly what the perpetrators were doing, which is why they were following along like sheep to watch it. There are dozens of videos, there were hundreds chanting at/taunting the police - not just the first people in line who could see them easily.

And actually, yes, I DO expect that every single person should know exactly what to do in the event of a riot. Don't frigging get in the middle of it, walk away. That's not exactly higher thinking, you just walk away. One-year-olds know to not touch something if it's hot; I don't think it's asking a lot of people in their late teens and twenties to do the same.

Not at all. I just don't know why you would heedlessly equate rioters and observers and give no latitude to people for not knowing (and following) proper riot protocol, especially when you seem to be taking such a position with little experience or understanding of what it was actually like to be there among the crowd.

I'll ask again: have you ever tried to rapidly escape a large crowd? Were you present for any of the VEISHEA riots? Have you ever exited a bar, anywhere, and found yourself smack dab in the middle of a riot? Unless you can answer "yes" to any of these questions, I don't see how you can so inflexibly conclude that so many people are at fault.

For what it's worth, google the phrase "what to do in a riot". You'll find a lot of varied and contradictory advice...some say GTFO as fast as you can, some say to stay put and wait for law enforcement to clear the area and guarantee you a safe exit. Even if there is a "standard operating procedure" for what to do in a riot, I don't know how you fault people for not knowing what it is.

 

[Judoka]

Well we need to win to be able to get to the point of rioting for athletic events... just saying. If they didn't have 30 cops surrounding the goal posts at the Okie State game in 2011, then for sure those were coming down. I don't care how indestructible they are. People were still attempting to climb, even with the cops surrounding it.

You sure have a history of being just out of range when people are doing stupid things. I'm noticing a trend.

 

[mclatch]

No, it being VEISHEA week was the cause of drunken riots on a Tuesday night.

So next year, these kids/adults that have somehow carried on a tradition from 1985 will magically forget it's "that time of year" because we don't use that naughty word "VEISHEA"? They end up sucking on lollipops and fudgsicles and singing praise to Jesus?

 

[cyclone87]

A football game isn't meant to be celebration of the University and its achievements. Having these kinds of problems at a celebration like VEISHEA is a major black eye for the University.

 

[cycloneG]

Easy solution for those like myself that are upset about it being canceled. Stop giving money to the university. The next time they call asking for money tell them no and tell them why. I have a feeling Leath just ****** off a ton of alumni. Donations to the university are going to start drying up.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

Easy solution for those like myself that are upset about it being canceled. Stop giving money to the university. The next time they call asking for money tell them no and tell them why. I have a feeling Leath just ****** off a ton of alumni. Donations to the university are going to start drying up.

I never started!

 

[00clone]

Easy solution for those like myself that are upset about it being canceled. Stop giving money to the university. The next time they call asking for money tell them no and tell them why. I have a feeling Leath just ****** off a ton of alumni. Donations to the university are going to start drying up.

There seem to be a similar amount happy about the decision. I'm on the fence, myself.

 

[Sighclone Fan]

The story I heard from someone who was in the crowd that night was that a huge rager on Hayward/or Hunt got busted and hundreds of people who had left the party started walking down the street and it begun. Shoulda kept the party going...

 

[Mr Janny]

So next year, these kids/adults that have somehow carried on a tradition from 1985 will magically forget it's "that time of year" because we don't use that naught word "VEISHEA"? They end up sucking on lollipops and and fudgsicles and singing praise to Jesus?

some might, but with no official event to bring them to town, and no official promotion of the event, the numbers will be fewer. And every year there will be even fewer, until finally it will be just another spring weekend. That's how VEISHEA ends, not with a bang, but a whimper.

 

[cycloneG]

Even if it is a 50\50 split. That is a lot of alumni you just alienated.

There seem to be a similar amount happy about the decision. I'm on the fence, myself.

 

[cloneswereall]

So next year, these kids/adults that have somehow carried on a tradition from 1985 will magically forget it's "that time of year" because we don't use that naught word "VEISHEA"? They end up sucking on lollipops and and fudgsicles and singing praise to Jesus?

Just a question, but if there isn't an event to throw these gigantic parties for, why are so many of them going to be popping up for a week-long party in mid-April? Just because?

 

[Mr Janny]

Even if it is a 50\50 split. That is a lot of alumni you just alienated.

judging by the response on a message board isn't a good representation of alumni, though. Look at the Register's story on it. A whopping 13 comments. I don't think as many people care as you think.

 

[ISUCyclones2015]

You sure have a history of being just out of range when people are doing stupid things. I'm noticing a trend.

That's me in the speedo next to the "Brrr" guys and Captain America. Front row, in a speedo, painted body in 30 degree weather. You bet your *** I was on that field right away. Hate all you want though.

 

[cloneswereall]

The story I heard from someone who was in the crowd that night was that a huge rager on Hayward/or Hunt got busted and hundreds of people who had left the party started walking down the street and it begun. Shoulda kept the party going...

The people that began the party called the cops. What should they have done? Told the tenants to get bent?

 

[cycloneG]

judging by the response on a message board isn't a good representation of alumni, though. Look at the Register's story on it. A whopping 13 comments.

Alumni that live out of state aren't going to comment on the dmr website. Thousands of alumni come back every year and now they won't. They won't be bringing their families back either who could have become Iowa staters. Canceling this event is going to hurt Iowa state for decades.

 

[cloneswereall]

Well we need to win to be able to get to the point of rioting for athletic events... just saying. If they didn't have 30 cops surrounding the goal posts at the Okie State game in 2011, then for sure those were coming down. I don't care how indestructible they are. People were still attempting to climb, even with the cops surrounding it.

I doubt they would have. They didn't come down in 2005 after the Iowa game when the crossbar was practically twisted to the turf.