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2014 VEISHEA Task Force Final Report July 11, 2014

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Membership Chair: Tom Hill Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Executive Members: *Ann Campbell Mayor of Ames Hillary Kletscher 2014-15 Government of the Student Body President, junior in biological

systems engineering Warren Madden Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Melissa Pierce General Manager of Campustown Property Management Jerry Stewart ISU Police Chief, Director of the Department of Public Safety Dwayne Vande Krol 1993 ISU alumnus, 2009-10 ISU Alumni Association board chair Pam White College of Human Sciences dean and University Professor of food science

and human nutrition Members: Pamela Anthony Dean of Students *Ann Campbell Mayor of Ames (Withdrew April 22) Bob Currie Director of Facilities Services, Facilities Planning and Management (P&S

employee representative) Chuck Cychosz Chief of the Ames Police Department Karl Kerns 2014 VEISHEA general co-chair, senior in animal science Hillary Kletscher 2014-15 Government of the Student Body President, junior in

biological systems engineering Warren Madden Senior Vice President for Business and Finance Sophia Magill 2005 Iowa State alumna, Assistant Director of Federal Relations, 2004

GSB President (served on 2004 VEISHEA Task Force executive committee)

Nick Morton 2014 VEISHEA general co-chair, senior in environmental science Micheal Owen University Professor of agronomy, VEISHEA Advisory Council member

(Faculty Senate representative) Eric Peterson 2007 Iowa State alumnus, 2006 VEISHEA general co-chair

(the year VEISHEA was reinstated) Melissa Pierce General Manager of Campustown Property Management **Barbara Pleasants Adjunct Assistant Professor of ecology, evolution and organismal biology,

co-president of the South Campus Neighborhood Association (Withdrew May 15)

Richard Reynolds Director of the Memorial Union, VEISHEA adviser Jerry Stewart ISU Police Chief, Director of the Department of Public Safety Dwayne Vande Krol 1993 ISU alumnus, 2009-10 ISU Alumni Association board chair Pam White College of Human Sciences dean and University Professor of food science

and human nutrition Jeff Woody Graduate student in biomedical sciences, co-president of the Student

Athlete Advisory Committee

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Ex-Officio/Non-voting Members: Annette Hacker University Relations Paul Tanaka University Counsel Staff: Kathleen Harrison Communications and Program Coordinator, Office of the Senior Vice

President for Student Affairs Makenzie Heddens Special Projects Assistant, Office of the President *Chris Nelson, City Councilman of the 4th Ward, served following Mayor Ann Campbells withdrawal. **Sarah Cady, Assistant Scientist, chemistry department (College Creek/Old Middle School Neighborhood Association representative), served following Barbara Pleasants withdrawal.

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Table of Contents

PREFACE ................................................................................................................................................................. 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ...................................................................................................................................... 6 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................................... 9

BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................................................ 9 TASK FORCE ANNOUNCEMENT ............................................................................................................................ 10 2014 VEISHEA TASK FORCE CHARGE ................................................................................................................ 11 TASK FORCE TIMELINE AND PHASES OF TASK FORCE WORK ............................................................................. 12

Information Gathering (April 24-June 5) ........................................................................................................ 13 Discussion (May 1-June 26) ............................................................................................................................ 14 Deliberation/recommendations (June 5-June 26) ........................................................................................... 15

ASSESSMENT OF THE 2014 DISTURBANCE ................................................................................................. 16 OVERVIEW OF VEISHEA 2014 ............................................................................................................................ 16

Activities linked to VEISHEA but not part of the official program .................................................................. 16 PREISHEA and unplanned activities .......................................................................................................... 17 Timeline of disturbance .................................................................................................................................... 17 Social Media Impact ........................................................................................................................................ 18

HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND ASSESSMENT FROM THE 2004 VEISHEA TASK FORCE REPORT .................................................................................................................................................................. 21

CHRONOLOGICAL COMPARISON (2014 VS. 2004) ................................................................................................. 21 STATUS OF 1992 AND 2004 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................ 23

ASSESSMENT OF THE ROLE, RELEVANCE AND APPROPRIATENESS OF VEISHEA AND OTHER UNIVERSITY-WIDE CELEBRATIONS FOR THE FUTURE ........................................................................ 25

DATA ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................... 25 Official VEISHEA activities and the nine traditional purposes ....................................................................... 25 VEISHEA in context of todays student population ......................................................................................... 25 Addressing key questions using information related to VEISHEA from 2006-2014 ....................................... 26 General comments and questions from open forum and email feedback ........................................................ 36

RECOMMENDATIONS ....................................................................................................................................... 38 INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 38 DISCONTINUE VEISHEA IN ITS CURRENT FORM ALONG WITH THE USE OF THE NAME VEISHEA ..................... 39 CREATE A NEW, OVERARCHING, UNIVERSITY-WIDE EVENT OR SERIES OF EVENTS ............................................. 40 REDUCE THE PROBABILITY OF DISTURBANCES AT ANY UNIVERSITY-WIDE EVENT AND ADDRESS STUDENT BEHAVIOR ............................................................................................................................................................. 42

APPENDICES ......................................................................................................................................................... 44

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Preface From its beginnings in 1922, VEISHEA has been touted as the largest student-run celebration in the United States. For many decades VEISHEA has provided leadership experiences for students organizing the event and celebrated the connections within Iowa State University, Ames, and the state of Iowa. VEISHEA was more than a spring celebration for the university. Over the years, VEISHEA brought middle school and high school students to campus and served as a very real recruitment activity for the university. It also brought alumni and their families to campus helping to cement the bonds between Iowa State and its graduates. VEISHEA helped strengthen the ties between the university and the community. As disturbances occurred over the past 30 years, the larger community demanded that university administration and VEISHEA leadership find a way to preserve the traditions valued by the community while controlling and containing unaffiliated events. It has been a difficult challenge for students actively engaged in organizing VEISHEA. Those who enjoy officially sanctioned activities are typically not the same students who engage in or encourage disruptive behavior and similarly, individuals who participate in disruptive behavior are not largely involved in official VEISHEA activities. Attempts to restore VEISHEA to an incident-free event have come with financial and human resource costs. The VEISHEA Committee, the VEISHEA Advisory Council, university student affairs personnel and others all operate under pressure to preserve the good parts of VEISHEA yet prevent further disturbances. There is also an unspoken charge to all of those involved in VEISHEA: Give us the beloved daytime activities, and deter excessive alcohol consumption and disruptive behavior. Each year the cost of trying to meet this challenge has increased in terms of operating expenses, staff overtime and other university and community resources. Simply proposing to do more of the same will not satisfy a community beleaguered by the disturbances. The 2014 VEISHEA Task Force must provide recommendations different from past proposals and acknowledge that VEISHEA cannot continue in its current form.

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Executive Summary VEISHEA, one of the nations largest student-organized festivals and one of Iowa States oldest and most cherished traditions, began in 1922. However, over the years, the official VEISHEA agenda student recruitment, showcasing academic programs, linking various communities, developing student leadership, fundraising and positive social opportunities has shared the stage with an unofficial agenda partying, excessive alcohol consumption and disruptive behavior. Since the late 1980s, when the first VEISHEA-associated disturbance occurred, the unofficial agenda began to overshadow the official one.

In 1985, during VEISHEA weekends 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.

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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 weeks 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.

A review of past VEISHEA disturbances reveals a number of commonalities. First, all were celebratory riots (riots not connected to one, specific issue); all were affected by alcohol use and abuse; and all occurred in weather conditions that were significantly better than the weeks leading up to the event. All of the previous disturbances were taken seriously and reviewed thoroughly. In 1992 and again in 2004, the Task Forces compiled lists of recommendations. The university implemented many of the strategies these Task Forces recommended and many remain in place, with various levels of continuity and adaptation. For example, Iowa State and Ames Police instituted various programs designed to build positive relationships with students. These measures include the implementation of keg ordinances, revisions to the Student Code of Conduct and working within Ames Crime Free Multi-Housing Program to encourage landlords to implement crime-related eviction clauses. Following the 2004 Task Force recommendations, VEISHEA moved all entertainment programs away from Campustown bars and on to campus grounds, expanded late night entertainment offerings designed to mitigate the potential for disturbances in Campustown, and eventually initiated a wristband policy for admission to the large entertainment venue(s) in order to make access to concerts primarily available to members of the Cyclone family. The 2014 disturbance, compared to those of the past, had two stark differences: 1) the disturbance was on a Tuesday night rather than on the weekend; and 2) it occurred before the usual influx of visitors and primarily involved Iowa State students. The VEISHEA riots also are part of a national trend of riots that have increased in recent years. The 2004 Task Force documented the trend at the time: Nationwide, there were 64 of these disturbances between 1985 and 1995, an average of 5.8 per year. There were 29 in 2000, 25 in 2001 and 30 in 2002. A cursory examination of recent news reports indicates the upward trend continues. If anything, campus disturbances have been increasing at an alarming rate. This spring, numerous colleges and universities (including Iowa State) dealt with disturbances that resulted in hundreds of arrests and several injuries. It is characteristic of celebratory riots to have no clear purpose or rationale. Violence may be the goal of a few instigators, but they are enabled by crowds of onlookers, often cheering them on. At Iowa State, crowds and riots were sparked when police enforced alcohol policies or responded to complaints about loud and unruly parties. Over the past three decades, two separate VEISHEA trends have emerged: the official VEISHEA consisting of engaged students, Ames citizens and Iowa State alumni and their families; and the unofficial VEISHEA consisting of some Iowa State students and out-of-town visitors who come to party. A number of factors that contribute to the initiation and perpetration of crowd violence have been present at troublesome VEISHEAs: (1) social cues that a riot may occur, perpetuated by the media, Iowa State policies, student conversations, and the reputation of VEISHEA itself; (2) excessive alcohol consumption; (3) the availability of an instant crowd afforded by large off-campus parties, high-density housing in Campustown, attendance at official VEISHEA events and (more recently) cell phone and social media use; and (4) good weather as winter comes to an end.

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Task Force members agree that the university community must do all it can to minimize the likelihood of future disturbances, including loss of life, injuries, property destruction and reputational damage. The Task Force voted unanimously to discontinue VEISHEA in its current form. Twelve of the 17 voting members in attendance that day also voted to eliminate the name VEISHEA. Additionally, 11 of 17 members voted in favor of having an overarching, university-wide event or series of events. The Task Force has developed recommendations that would accompany a decision to discontinue VEISHEA, and to develop an event that would significantly differ from VEISHEA.

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Introduction Background Iowa State Universitys annual VEISHEA celebration was interrupted the night of April 8, 2014, after a large crowd moved into Campustown following the break-up of a large house party at 11 p.m. at 2621 Hunt Street. By 11:20 p.m., the group grew to a 500-600 person crowd as they moved to Welch Avenue and overturned a car. Officers then staged crowd control equipment and had the flipped vehicle towed. Ten minutes later the crowd, which had grown to approximately 1,000, moved to Stanton Avenue and overturned a second car. Ames police officers blocked the north end of Stanton Avenue with their cars to prevent the group from spilling onto Lincoln Way, prompting the crowd to erupt into further violence by throwing beer cans and bottles, rocks, fireworks and other objects at the officers. Members of the crowd broke out the windows of two additional vehicles. The officers then backed their two squad cars out of the crowd, and the crowd continued north on Stanton Avenue, west on Lincoln Way toward Welch Avenue, and then ran to the clock tower. At this point people climbed trees, the clock tower, ATM machines and buildings chanting USA and VEISHEA. At 12:25 a.m. the crowd tore down four stops signs and two light poles on Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street. One light pole struck a male Iowa State student who suffered a serious head injury and was transported to the intensive care unit at a Des Moines hospital. Haven Security assisted police officers and fire fighters in retrieving the injured student from the crowd and transferred him to the ambulance. Additional off-duty Ames police officers were called to help handle the situation. At 12:40 a.m., police gave commands in person and by bullhorn to disperse the crowd, and people gradually moved on. For a detailed account, see page 17. Many participants appeared to view the situation as an entertaining and engaging spectacle or game. Rapid communication via cell phones and social media, lack of awareness of or adherence to riot law, and a general sense of police versus rioters were elements of the disturbance. In addition to the one serious injury reported, there was significant risk to those at the scene. Those with minor injuries were treated on scene and at a local hospital. Over the following days, video and images of the violence and destruction were transmitted by news agencies across the country, resulting in millions of dollars of negative publicity for Iowa State University and the City of Ames. The following values are a summary of the damages and arrests from the entire week, including the Tuesday night disturbance. Most of the cost estimates below arise from the Tuesday night disturbance, however, Event OT covers the cost of additional officer presence for the remainder of the week.

Damage Light Poles $12,523 Signs $ 1,038 Event OT $27,600 Cars $ 8,694

Ames Police Department (Ames PD) charges/arrests

Week: 82 arrests; 59 citations; 760 incidents/calls Friday-Saturday: 57 arrests; 31 citations; 275 incidents/calls

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Iowa State University Department of Public Safety (ISU DPS) charges/arrests

Total Charges: 1,033 Total People Charged: 873 Total Arrests: 376

Iowa State University Office of Judicial Affairs (OJA) charges The Iowa State University Office of Judicial Affairs charged 12 students in connection with the disturbances. Charges in the various cases include violations from the following list from the ISU Disciplinary Regulations:

Harassment Disruption of Rights Public Disorder, Group Violence & Mass Disturbance Contempt Theft or Damage to Property or Services Violation of Any Local, State, or Federal Law

Three cases have been finalized, with one still pending an appeal. Each finalized case included sanctions that involve a period of suspension, written apology letters, community service and financial restitution. Two cases were recently adjudicated and outcomes are forthcoming. Four cases are scheduled for adjudication at the time of this writing. Three cases are in the process of being scheduled.

Hearing routes used in adjudication of the cases: Agreed Resolution 1 All-University Judicial Committee (AUJ) hearings 4 completed; 3 pending Administrative Procedures Act (APA) hearings 4 pending

As of July 11, 2014, no additional students were charged in association with the April 8 disturbance.

The events of April 8 marked the sixth time serious VEISHEA-related incidents had occurred since 1988, although the previous eight VEISHEA celebrations (2006 through 2013) were relatively peaceful. The following afternoon of Wednesday, April 9, Iowa State University President Steven Leath suspended the remainder of VEISHEA 2014, effective at 5 p.m. that day. The cancellation included the majority of official VEISHEA activities: the parade, VEISHEA Village, Stars Over VEISHEA, all evening concerts and performances, and all food vendors. President Leath stressed the importance of concern for the injured student and the need to ensure the safety of the community.

Task Force Announcement On Thursday, April 17, President Leath announced the appointment of members to the 2014 VEISHEA Task Force. Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill was appointed to chair the Task Force. President Leath requested a final report with recommendations by the end of June. President Leath indicated the report would be reviewed with city and campus leaders before making a final decision about the future of VEISHEA.

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Members were selected based on the need for representation from community and university constituents involved and affected by VEISHEA. Localized representation (neighborhoods), city leadership, university leadership, individuals with institutional knowledge (including those who were present during past disturbances) were appointed to the Task Force.

2014 VEISHEA Task Force Charge The Task Force began its work immediately following the appointment letter from President Steven Leath: Dear 2014 VEISHEA Task Force Members: Thank you for your willingness to serve on the 2014 VEISHEA Task Force. This is a very important assignment that will be critical in assessing the role, relevance and appropriateness of VEISHEA and other university-wide celebrations for the future. I have appointed Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Tom Hill to chair this Task Force. I am charging the Task Force with:

1. Gaining an understanding of the underlying causes of the 2014 VEISHEA disturbance; 2. Identifying how the 2014 disturbance was different and/or similar to previous disturbances; 3. Developing recommendations regarding the future of VEISHEA and other university-wide

celebrations. The complete membership of the Task Force is listed in the attached excel document. I have asked that recommendations be provided to me by the end of June. The first meeting will take place on Thursday, April 24th from 6-8 pm in the Pioneer Room (3rd floor) of the Memorial Union. I would like to thank you in advance for your time and effort and for representing your constituencies. Sincerely, Steven Leath President As the Task Force began its work, the charges were modified to include President Leaths statement regarding assessment: 2014 VEISHEA Task Force Charge

Assess the role, relevance and appropriateness of VEISHEA and other university-wide celebrations for the future.

Gain an understanding of the underlying causes of the 2014 VEISHEA disturbance. Identify how the 2014 disturbance was different and/or similar to previous disturbances. Develop recommendations regarding the future of VEISHEA and other university-wide

celebrations. An executive committee was created and consisted of eight members in addition to the ex-officio members from the full Task Force (see page 2 for member listing). The executive committee met nearly

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every Tuesday prior to Task Force meetings to plan the agendas and review information before presenting to the Task Force, media and public.

Task Force Timeline and Phases of Task Force Work The Task Force used the following timeline to schedule meetings, collect data, develop recommendations and complete the report. DATE TASK

June 30* Final report submitted to presidents office

June 26 Task Force meeting

June 20-June 27 Updates/edits made to final draft

June 20 Task Force final draft feedback due

June 19 Task Force meeting June 16-20 Task Force reviews final draft

June 16 Final draft submitted to Task Force for review

June 12 Task Force meeting -final Task Force recommendations due to writers

June 11-16 Writers edit and update first draft June 11 Task Force edits/feedback due to writers June 6-11 Task Force reviews first draft

June 6 First draft is submitted to Task Force for review (except final recommendations which are due 6/12)

June 5 Task Force meeting -deliberations & recommendations discussion during this meeting

May 29 Task Force meeting May 23-June 6 Write first draft of Task Force report

May 23 All data collection content for the report submitted to report writers (except final recommendations which are due 6/12)

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May 22 Task Force meeting May 15 Task Force meeting May 8 Task Force meeting May 1 Task Force meeting April 24 Task Force meeting * The deadline was extended to July 11

Task Force meetings were scheduled for every Thursday, April 24 through June 26 from 6-8 p.m. There were three phases of Task Force work:

Information Gathering Discussion Deliberation

Information Gathering (April 24-June 5) As the Task Force began its work, members focused on public engagement in the process. Transparency was essential and feedback extremely important. All Task Force meetings and open forums were open to the public and the media. (Note: The last VEISHEA Task Force meeting on June 26 included a closed session so that members could fully and freely discuss and prepare final recommendations to be included in the report.) The Task Force posted video of all forums and meetings on the Task Force website (http://www.VEISHEAtaskforce.iastate.edu/). The Task Force also created a cloud storage folder (CyBox) to share documents such as videos, spreadsheets, agendas, presentations and other various reports. All information was uploaded to the folder to ensure Task Force members had access to documents to prepare for each meeting. Through CyBox, members could also add, edit and comment on each document added to the folder. This folder was accessible to Task Force members only. During the information gathering phase, the Task Force used several avenues to solicit information, and offered the public options to send in comments, suggestions and feedback:

Dedicated email account (VEISHEAtaskforce@iastate.edu) Website feedback form (http://www.VEISHEAtaskforce.iastate.edu/feedback) Open Forums with constituent groups

Open Forums All forums were open to the public, live streamed and recorded. Video recordings were made available at http://www.veisheataskforce.iastate.edu/open-forums. Online comments during forums were also encouraged and moderated. The twitter hashtag #VEISHEA was also used to monitor comments.

During each open forum, the following questions were projected on-screen along with the nine purposes of VEISHEA (page 25) to assist in starting discussion and feedback:

1. How do you define VEISHEA? 2. Why should VEISHEA continue or discontinue? 3. If VEISHEA continues, how do we ensure it is a safe and incident-free celebration? 4. How do we separate the official VEISHEA activities from the unofficial activities?

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5. Do you think VEISHEA is relevant to the student body/university today? Why or why not? (Based on the nine purposes of VEISHEA)

6. If VEISHEA were discontinued, how could its benefits and traditions continue as part of new or existing events?

There were five open forums (http://www.veisheataskforce.iastate.edu/open-forums) for each of the following four constituencies:

Forum for Iowa State students Friday, April 25, Great Hall, Memorial Union (facilitated by Task Force member Hillary Kletscher)

Forum for business owners and residents Tuesday, May 6, Great Hall, Memorial Union (facilitated by Task Force member Melissa Pierce) No online comments were made during the May 6 open forum Sunday, May 11, Ames City Hall, 515 Clark Ave. (facilitated by Task Force member Chris Nelson) No online comments were made during the May 11 open forum

Forum for Iowa State faculty and staff Wednesday, May 7, Great Hall, Memorial Union (co-facilitated by Task Force members Mike Owen and Bob Currie)

Forum for Iowa State alumni Tuesday, May 13, Ballroom of the Alumni Center (facilitated by Task Force member Dwayne Vande Krol)

Data Collection The 1992 and 2004 VEISHEA Task Forces addressed much of the history and background of VEISHEA and the university. The 2014 Task Force considered both reports as important sources of information. Rather than revisiting much of that content, this group sought to look at occurrences and data since 2006 when VEISHEA returned to the university after the 2004 Task Forces recommendations and the hiatus of VEISHEA in 2005. Using data from 2006-2014 enabled the 2014 Task Force to view VEISHEA within the context of todays student population and other related and significant changes since the 1992 and the 2004 reports. Framing content data collection within 2006-2014, the Task Force sought to answer the following questions:

Is VEISHEA safe? What are the university-level costs of VEISHEA? Is VEISHEA a financial benefit or burden for the city of Ames? Has VEISHEA impacted enrollment? How has negative media coverage impacted the universitys brand? Is VEISHEA a significant driver for student leadership opportunities on campus?

Discussion (May 1-June 26) As information gathering concluded, the Task Force began a series of discussions to set the stage for the deliberation and recommendations phase of the process. Included in the discussions were presentations made to the group as follows:

Ames Police Chief Chuck Cychosz provided a summary of the 2014 disturbance and the Ames Police Departments role in handling the situation.

Craig Anderson, Distinguished Professor of psychology and director of the Center for the Study of Violence, provided background and information from his membership on the 2004 VEISHEA Task Force, including the psychology of riots and an analysis of past VEISHEA disturbances.

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ISU News Service Director Annette Hacker provided an overview of media coverage and a content analysis of 2013 vs. 2014 VEISHEA television reports.

Deliberation/recommendations (June 5-June 26) During the month of June, the Task Force spent several hours reviewing and discussing the data and input obtained during the information-gathering phase. These deliberations included two significant votes. On June 5, the Task Force voted unanimously to discontinue VEISHEA in its current form. On June 12, the Task Force voted in favor of holding an overarching university-wide event and discontinuing the use of the name VEISHEA. Additionally, these deliberations resulted in the development of the numerous recommendations described in the recommendations section of the report.

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Assessment of the 2014 Disturbance Overview of VEISHEA 2014 The official planned activities for VEISHEA 2014 included activities appealing to a wide a variety of student interests. More than 150 Iowa State students on VEISHEA committees worked from September 2013 through April 2014. Many additional students and faculty worked within their own clubs, organizations and departments preparing for the annual showcase. Below are several VEISHEA 2014 milestones from its Executive Board:

Record number of Campus Cookout buttons sold (4,500 buttons). Record number (for a non-anniversary year) of 192 campus clubs and organizations registered

for VEISHEA Village, Stage, and Campus Showcase. Anticipated 35,000 attendees to be on central campus Saturday for VEISHEA Village and parade

(based on historical data). Partnership with the Governors STEM Initiative intended to bring middle and high school

students to campus showcasing STEM fields of study. First VEISHEA Parade Float Building Project partnered students from College of Design with

campus clubs and organizations all across campus to revitalize the parade. Record ticket sales for LIVE @ VEISHEA concert series (9,000 tickets sold with expected first

time sell-out of 12,000 tickets). Popular artists included T.I., Timeflies, Cassadee Pope, Andy Grammer and Jamie Lynn Spears.

95 VEISHEA parade entries with Grand Marshal Simon Estes, internationally renowned opera singer. Other distinguished guests included Governor Terry Branstad, members of the Board of Regents, and Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.

2,000 people participated in VEISHEA Service Day. 80 regional middle school students were expected to attend Middle School Day.

Activities linked to VEISHEA but not part of the official program A few events are scheduled during VEISHEA but are not considered official VEISHEA activities. In 2014, these events continued and were not subject to the VEISHEA cancellation:

Spring football game (hosted by ISU Athletics) Wall of Alumni & Friends Memorial Service (hosted by ISU Alumni Association) Distinguished Awards Celebration (hosted by ISU Alumni Association) Cy's Days of Service (hosted by ISU Alumni Association)

Criticism was received regarding the continuation of non-VEISHEA activities, such as the spring football game. The game was moved to VEISHEA weekend in 2009. In 2012, it was not played on VEISHEA weekend because of the spring recruiting calendar. The VEISHEA General Co-Chairs were consulted in 2008 about listing the 2009 spring game as an official VEISHEA activity. The General Co-Chairs decided this would be inappropriate, since the Spring Game has alcohol available (in Jack Trice Stadium suites) and all VEISHEA activities and events are alcohol-free. That decision has been upheld by all General Co-Chairs since 2009, although the decision has not been revisited with Athletics since 2008.

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Spring Football game dates 2006-2014 April 15, 2006 April 14, 2007 April 19, 2008 April 18, 2009 (VEISHEA Weekend) April 17, 2010 (VEISHEA Weekend) April 16, 2011 (VEISHEA Weekend) April 14, 2012 April 20, 2013 (VEISHEA Weekend) April 12, 2014 (VEISHEA Weekend)

PREISHEA and unplanned activities Parties are ever-present during VEISHEA and repeatedly linked to disturbances and riots. In the 2004 Task Force reports review of disturbances since 1985, the connection of large house parties being shut down and leading to large crowds in Campustown was highlighted. As with past VEISHEAs, there is an ongoing struggle to separate the official VEISHEA activities from the unofficial activities. Anecdotally, students and the community have heard of the unofficial activities being referred to as PREISHEA, which began as early as two weekends prior to VEISHEA.

Timeline of disturbance On Tuesday, April 8, at 11 p.m., officers were called to 2621 Hunt Street to break up a large

house party. Hosts and attendees cooperated and dispersed. By 11:20 p.m., a group from the dispersed party continued to Welch Avenue. As more people

joined, the group grew to a 500-600 person crowd. At 11:30 p.m., a car was overturned over on Welch Avenue. Officers staged crowd control

equipment and had the vehicle towed. The crowd, consisting of almost 1,000 people, continued on to Stanton Avenue where they

overturned a second car at approximately 11:40 p.m. Officers used their patrol cars to block the north end of Stanton Avenue to prevent the group

from spilling into Lincoln Way. The crowd erupted into further violence by throwing beer cans and bottles, rocks, fireworks and

other objects at the officers. Two additional vehicles received broken windows. The officers backed their two squad cars out of the crowd, and the crowd continued north on

Stanton Avenue, west on Lincoln Way toward Welch Avenue, and then rushed to the clock tower.

At this point people were climbing trees, the clock tower, ATM machines and buildings. At 12:25 a.m., the crowd tore down four stop signs and two light poles on Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street. One light pole struck a male Iowa State student, who suffered a serious head injury.

Officers received word that a possible injury had occurred at that intersection of Welch and Chamberlain. To reach the injured individual, officers and medics were forced to "bully" their way through. Officers located the injured student and took him to a nearby fire station. After further examination, the student was transported to a Des Moines hospital.

Police gave commands in person and by bullhorn to disperse the crowd, and people eventually moved on at 12:40 a.m.

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Social Media Impact Based on the timeline, the 2014 disturbance escalated very quickly and also dispersed relatively quickly. While the prevalence of social media cannot be directly linked with violent behavior, social media certainly contributed to the rapid assembly of crowds in a central area. People reported students running to the crowd from every direction. In the 2004 Veishea Task Force report, cell phones were briefly mentioned as a contributing factor, but social media usage at that time was (for the most part) nonexistent. Today, the immediacy of social media messages delivered via Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram and Vine, and the ubiquity of cell phones, is an incredibly powerful combination. Information with location details, photos and video is shared within seconds to thousands of people. There are several VEISHEA dedicated social media accounts (Appendix K). As with the event itself, there are accounts that are official and unofficial. Accounts that are considered unofficial for the purposes of this report are those created outside of official VEISHEA and Iowa State University communications. Unofficial twitter accounts such as @VEISHEAParties highlight general evening activities and parties outside of official VEISHEA events. Other accounts such as @IAStatePassouts, @VEISHEA_Problems, and @Cyclonewasted go even farther and focus on disturbing behavior related to alcohol use and abuse.

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Several Twitter accounts and hashtags such as #PREISHEA were used to advertise and post unofficial activities (i.e. house parties). A cursory review of the accounts and posts show that social media is both amplifying and reflecting the party culture surrounding VEISHEA. Unless one follows or monitors such accounts, the intensity of this activity and its overt connection to partying and drinking could easily be dismissed as a minor issue impacting the university. For students following #VEISHEA tagged messages, the mix of official and unofficial events become part of the same stream of posts. This connection must be taken seriously as Iowa State considers future university-wide events. The Twitter hashtag #VEISHEA is used throughout the year. As the actual event approached, activity linked to this account increased. During the disturbances this hashtag and others such as #VEISHEAriots, #unofficialVEISHEA, #notVEISHEA and #VEISHEA2K14 were used to post images, video and status updates related to the disturbance. This social media activity most certainly drew attention to the events unfolding in Campustown. Students who were curious about what was happening could instantly identify locations on social media and join the crowds. The ability provided by social media to instantly transmit photos and information throughout the country undoubtedly increased the negative publicity and reputational damage incurred by Iowa State as a result of the 2014 disturbance. Social media was also used to identify students and others involved in the April 8 disturbance. With assistance from the public, law enforcement and the university received a number of photos and video to review.

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Historical Perspective and Assessment from the 2004 VEISHEA Task Force Report The 2004 Task Force provided a matrix comparing past VEISHEA disturbances to determine any similarities (Appendix A). The matrix included disturbances from 2004, 1998, 1992, 1994 and 1997. For the purposes of this report, and because of the availability of information from the 2004 report, the Task Force compared only 2004 and 2014 with additional factors that may have influenced the disturbances.

Chronological comparison (2014 vs. 2004) 2014 2004

Tuesday, April 8, at 11 p.m.: Ames PD was called by residents to 2621 Hunt Street to assist in dispersing uninvited persons at a large party.

By 11:20 p.m., a group from the dispersed party continued to the intersection of Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street. As more people joined, the group grew to 500-600 persons.

At 11:30 p.m., a car was overturned over on Welch Avenue. Officers staged crowd control equipment and had the vehicle towed.

The crowd, consisting of almost 1,000 people, continued on to Stanton Avenue, where they overturned a second car at approximately 11:40 p.m.

Officers used their patrol cars to block the north end of Stanton Avenue to prevent the group from spilling onto Lincoln Way.

The crowd erupted into further violence by throwing beer cans and bottles, rocks, fireworks and other objects at the officers. Two additional vehicles received broken windows.

The officers backed their two squad cars out of the crowd, and the crowd continued north on Stanton Avenue, west on Lincoln Way toward Welch Avenue, and then rushed to the clock tower.

At this point people were climbing trees, the clock tower, ATM machines and buildings chanting USA and VEISHEA. At 12:25 a.m., the crowd tore down four stop signs and two light poles on Welch Avenue and Chamberlain Street. One light pole struck a male Iowa State student, who suffered a serious head injury.

Officers received word that a possible

Saturday, April 17, at 11:20 p.m.: Ames PD received a complaint about a party at 2644 Hunt Street. The bootlegging team was sent in to investigate.

At 11:45 p.m., the bootlegging team asked for assistance from officers to secure the kegs, seize the illegal money and charge those in control. Officers dispersed those in the yard and wrote underage citations.

An intoxicated person attempted to flee officers. At the same time, another individual came out on a balcony and started the crowd chanting. Objects were thrown at officers. Due to escalating violence, a decision was made to close the party. Due to crowd size and objects thrown, additional officers were required.

By 12:10 a.m., partygoers/non-residents were asked to leave. The group dispersed toward Lincoln Way while others moved east and headed to parties on Sheldon and Hayward. Fewer than 70 people remained at the party when officers returned. At the same time, large groups moved down Sheldon and east on Hunt, overflowing onto Welch.

At 12:30 a.m. groups soon combined on Welch to build a crowd of approximately 2,000 people.

During this time, a sign was broken on Welch and thrown into the windows of businesses in the area. Other business windows were broken and barricades were destroyed. Fires were started in trash cans and dumpsters, fights broke out in the crowd and there was chanting of riot, riot.

Groups formed at Hunt and Welch; Chamberlain between Welch and

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injury had occurred at the intersection of Welch and Chamberlain. To reach the injured individual, officers and medics were forced to "bully" their way through. Officers located the injured student and took him to a nearby fire station. After further examination, the student was transported to a Des Moines hospital.

Police gave commands in person and by bullhorn to disperse the crowd, and people eventually moved on at 12:40 a.m.

Hayward; and Lincoln Way and Welch. At 1:01 a.m., the continuous danger to

individuals led the police to declare this an illegal assembly under Iowa Code 723.3 Failure to Disperse.

Full beer cans, rocks, parking meter heads and other objects were thrown at police officers and the fire station on Welch.

In addition to verbal commands, police deployed chemical agents to disrupt the property damage and attempt to get the crowd to disperse.

Between 1 4:30 a.m., Ames PD and ISU DPS worked to disperse the crowd with additional assistance from the Story County Sheriffs Office and Iowa State Patrol.

By Sunday, April 18, at 4:30 a.m., much of the crowd had dispersed.

From the above timeline comparison, the following similarities are evident:

Break-up of a large party Crowds converging and forming a larger group in Campustown Failure to obey authority when directed Officers pelted with objects Signs torn down and property damage Injuries sustained due to thrown or destroyed objects

Additional similarities not mentioned in the above timelines:

Temperatures were warmer than in the weeks leading up to the disturbances Excessive alcohol consumption occurred Cell phones were used to encourage others to join the disturbances Students were involved

There are three significant differences between the 2004 and 2014 disturbances:

The days of the week when the disturbances occurred (Tuesday in 2014; Saturday-Sunday in 2004)

Mainly students involved in 2014 disturbances; a mixed crowd with visitors present in 2004 disturbance

The expansion of cell phones and social media use allowed instant sharing and publication The 2004 incident and all previous disturbances occurred over VEISHEA weekend. In 2014, however, the disturbance occurred during the week (late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning). This is significant because of the population composition during a typical VEISHEA week. Those who come from out of town typically arrive for weekend activities. In the past, the focus has been on outsiders, not students, as the main group involved in the disturbances. While those outside the community may very well have been heavily involved with disturbances over the weekend, it is less plausible that out-of-towners significantly contributed to the 2014 disturbance on a Tuesday night. By all accounts, the majority of the April 8, 2014 crowd was comprised of Iowa State students.

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Status of 1992 and 2004 Recommendations The 2004 Task Force provided President Geoffroy with a set of general recommendations to reduce the probability of future disturbances. Many of the recommendations were implemented (Appendix A2). Recommendations that focused on additional alcohol education for students and the restructuring of VEISHEA were still occurring as of 2014. Other recommendations were achieved with varying degrees of intensity, consistency and success. For the following 2004 recommendations, no action was taken:

Provide an orientation for students who decide to move off campus. Change the name of VEISHEA.

For the following 2004 recommendations, action was taken in 2005 (the year VEISHEA was cancelled) but did not continue in 2006 due to the reinstatement of VEISHEA:

If VEISHEA is cancelled, the university should offer opportunities during the year for campus organizations to showcase themselves and to replace lost income that VEISHEA generates.

If VEISHEA is cancelled, the university should schedule alternative social and educational events throughout the year.

VEISHEA was cancelled in 2005 and replaced with This is Your April, a month-long event that, while successful, became unsustainable due to many factors including the long-term commitment required (a month versus a weekend) from the university community. In 2006, VEISHEA returned to Iowa State, but changed per the recommendations of the 2004 Task Force. The 2004 Task Force recommended changes that were implemented in 2006 including:

Police liaison programming in residence halls and VEISHEA safety emails were sent prior to VEISHEA.

Representative groups of students, such as GSB, helped students understand rules and regulations through general code of conduct meetings.

Changes in Regents/ISU Student Disciplinary Regulations to include: o rioting, disorderly conduct, failing to disperse and hindering emergency efforts of police,

fire and medical personnel. All such rules should apply regardless of whether the conduct occurs on or off campus and regardless of whether university or city officials issue orders to disperse.

o statement that students who violate Student Disciplinary Regulations during a disturbance will be subject to enhanced penalties under the Student Disciplinary Regulations. However, students should be allowed to show that they actively tried to quell the disturbance as a means of avoiding or reducing penalties.

o clarification that interfering with safety officials (including police, fire and medical responders) who are responding to a disturbance is a violation subject to enhanced penalties, and that assaulting, throwing objects at, or otherwise endangering safety officials, peer security, student government officers or university officials and employees engaged in trying to quell a disturbance is grounds for immediate suspension and dismissal from the university.

A special response fee ordinance that requires cited residents to reimburse the city for the cost of police responses to disorderly parties after the second police response to an address within 90 days, where at least 25 people are gathered, and when at least two citations are issued.

Changing Student Disciplinary Regulations (SDR) to make clear that alcohol-related violations that result in a public disturbance will be subject to enhanced penalties under the SDR.

Offering several late-night/all-night/large-draw entertainment events. Relocating post-dusk VEISHEA events away from Campustown.

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Inviting and encouraging active participation from all colleges in a coordinated effort that includes students and alumni.

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Assessment of the Role, Relevance and Appropriateness of VEISHEA and Other University-wide Celebrations for the Future Data Analysis The Task Force solicited information from various campus and community groups to provide context and some overarching themes that could be used to inform the groups final recommendations.

Official VEISHEA activities and the nine traditional purposes The 2014 Task Force began its assessment by evaluating the VEISHEA brand and how its core purposes were addressed in 2014. The 2004 VEISHEA Task Force reaffirmed the nine traditional purposes of VEISHEA as identified in the 1992 VEISHEA Task Force (Appendix B):

1. To provide an opportunity for students, faculty, and staff to showcase the academic programs

of the university and its extension services. 2. To provide opportunities for the development of student leadership. 3. To provide an opportunity to link the university to the Ames community and to the citizens of

Iowa. 4. To provide students an opportunity for positive social interaction. 5. To provide an opportunity for student recruitment. 6. To provide a focal point for alumni activity and interaction with the university. 7. To recognize distinguished alumni and friends of the university (e.g., the parade

marshal). 8. To provide fundraising opportunities for student organizations. 9. To affirm and sustain the traditions of the university.

Framing the Task Forces assessment within these purposes allowed for a point of reference during deliberations and discussions. Was VEISHEA fulfilling these core purposes? Had the focus of these purposes eroded over time? All agreed these purposes continue to be excellent guiding principles, not just for VEISHEA but for any university-wide event. The Task Force was asked to review each official VEISHEA activity and identify whether or not it fit under one or more of the nine purposes. The completed matrix (Appendix D) revealed that many of the activities fell within purposes number 2 and 4. There were fewer events captured under other purposes, such as the guiding principles that focused on alumni (7) and those focused on fundraising (8) and university traditions (9).

VEISHEA in context of todays student population Since VEISHEA began in 1922, changes in the student body and student organizations at Iowa State University have been drastic and cannot be overlooked. Currently, students do not only come from every county in Iowa and U.S. state, but also from more than 100 countries. More than one in five Iowa State students is either a minority or an international student. Total U.S. minority and international enrollment is 7,486, or 22.5 percent of the student body. As Iowa State continues to grow, minority and

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international enrollment is expected to increase, along with student organizations. In 1974, there were approximately 44 student organizations. Today there are more than 850. It is also important to look at the significant changes in the overall university structure as it relates to the name of the event. The acronym VEISHEA was created in 1922 and represents the first letters of the colleges at that time, and the name has stuck ever since. The word VEISHEA stands for:

Veterinary Medicine Engineering Industrial Science Home Economics Agriculture

The acronym VEISHEA no longer accurately reflects the seven current colleges at Iowa State University. The colleges of Design, Business, Human Sciences, and Liberal Arts and Sciences are not represented in the name VEISHEA. The graduate student population and college has also had limited involvement and inclusion. An overarching and university-wide event should have a foundational structure in place to purposefully represent the diversity of Iowa States campus. Currently, the International Food Fair is the most prominent VEISHEA event for international and multi-cultural students. However, based on the changing campus community, more diversity and inclusion is needed with respect to the events overall structure, student leadership and participation, if it is to represent Iowa State as it is today.

Addressing key questions using information related to VEISHEA from 2006-2014 Much of the information requested included 2006 data, when VEISHEA returned to the university after a hiatus in 2005. Information from 2006-2014 enabled the 2014 Task Force to view VEISHEA within the context of todays student population and other related and significant changes since the 1992 and the 2004 reports. The Task Force sought to answer several questions as it began collecting data for its final recommendations: Is VEISHEA safe? (An analysis of data provided by the Ames Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department, the ISU Office of Judicial Affairs and Mary Greeley Medical Center). For most of the university community, the answer to this question is yes. The vast majority of community members do not participate in disturbances, and serious injuries do not happen at every VEISHEA. The Task Force nevertheless felt it was important to assess any trends regarding the overall number of arrests and charges taking place during VEISHEA weekend. To analyze this data, however, it was important to have additional information for comparison. Numbers of arrests and charges may seem high at first glance, but compared to what? The Task Force looked at other high-profile weekends that attract individuals from outside the university and could be characterized as being celebratory in some way. The closest comparisons came from select Cyclone home football game days occurring between 2006-2014.

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The Ames Police Department, Iowa State University Police Department and Office of Judicial Affairs provided VEISHEA weekend data from 2006-2014 and home football games for the following weekends during the same years: 2013: Sept. 14 (Iowa) 2012: Oct. 27 (Baylor) 2011: Sept. 10 (Iowa) 2010: Nov. 6 (Nebraska) 2009: Sept. 12 (Iowa) 2008: Oct. 8 (Nebraska) 2007: Sept. 15 (Iowa) 2006: Oct. 7 (Nebraska) Ames Police, ISU DPS and OJA* Weekend Arrests/Charges During VEISHEA vs. ISU Football Games 2006-2014

*OJA data was not available for 2006

The comparison of these two events is not ideal, as there are significant differences in a single football game day versus a week-long, university-wide event involving multiple activities throughout the day and evening. The data, however, does provide some important perspective in terms of arrests and charges. Over the span of eight years, VEISHEA has not been incident-free. A significant number of arrests and charges most certainly occur because of the event, regardless of the family-focused or alcohol-free official activities. Details on arrests and charges can be found in Appendix E.

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Mary Greeley Medical Center Number of Patients Over 3-Day Weekends of VEISHEA and Football (2009-2014)

The Task Force also requested emergency room patient information from Mary Greeley Medical Center to provide an additional layer of content to further investigate VEISHEA safety. As with charges and arrest data, additional information was requested from specific football game weekends to provide comparisons. Here the average three-day weekend (Friday-Sunday) patient totals were compared to VEISHEA three-day weekends and the selected three-day weekend football game dates (indicated above). Again, for the reasons listed in the arrests and charges portion of this data analysis, comparing data from football weekends and VEISHEA weekends is not ideal. Reviewing the data revealed very little that could be concluded regarding VEISHEA safety. It is worth noting, however, that emergency room visits to Mary Greeley Medical Center during VEISHEA and football game weekends trended higher than average. Mary Greeley provided additional context for patient data and VEISHEA regarding staff overtime and security (Appendix F) during VEISHEA weekends. The higher-than-average number of patients required an additional RN to work 28 hours during those weekends. As of 2012, the Story County Sheriff's Office provides officers for additional security.

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What are the university-level costs of VEISHEA? (An analysis of expenses from the colleges, ISU Alumni Association, ISU Foundation, FP&M, Student Affairs and ISU DPS during VEISHEA). Any analysis of VEISHEA must include a financial component. As indicated earlier in this report, there were few activities that focused on alumni and fundraising. This was reflected in the expenses for those units. Iowa State University VEISHEA Expenses 2013

Using 2013 as an example, the majority of expenses come from the VEISHEA operating budget and the colleges. Further breakdown of expenses for each college can be found in Appendix C.

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VEISHEA Operating Budget Revenue 2013

In 2013, the VEISHEA operating budget received $520,573.02 in donations, sponsorships and generated revenue. Total generated revenue through concert tickets, food charges (pancakes on Central Campus, Campus Cookouts, etc.), and other sources for 2013 was $246,130.90 or 47.28% of total revenues and 51.4% of total costs. Additionally (not indicated in the above chart), many clubs and organizations hold fundraisers during VEISHEA. In 2013 student organization deposits totaled $131,532.72. Additional student organization deposit data and generated revenue data for VEISHEA operating budgets can be found in Appendix C.

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Iowa State University VEISHEA Expenses 2006-2014

By requesting data from 2006, the Task Force was able to review the steady increase in expenses over the past eight years. Total expenses increased approximately 35% from 2006 to 2014. However the VEISHEA Committee has been successful in securing alternative sources of funding, through corporate sponsorships and increased ticket sales for example, to cover some of the increase in expenses. As departments and colleges review overall commitments regarding future university-wide events, it is important to consider the sustainability of these costs.

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VEISHEA Operating Budget Revenue 2006-2013 Sponsorships and Donations vs. Generated Revenue

Total VEISHEA Operating Budget generated revenue, donations, sponsorships from businesses, the university, GSB and the Presidents Office from 2006 through 2013 are presented in the above chart. Total generated revenue for those years is also presented (in red). Total generated revenue comes from concert tickets, food sales, merchandise sales and other sources. Insufficient information was available for 2006 and 2007. Please see Appendix C for additional information.

2006

Total Revenues $200,000

Generated Revenue

Total Scholarships & Donations

2007 $529,590.00 $240,590.00 $289,000 2008 $483,187.00 $128,469.00 $354,718 2009 $448,086.79 $181,447.25 $266,639.54 2010 $389,256.41 $173,639.84 $215,616.57 2011 $368,744.82 $152,345.68 $216,399.14 2012 $458,854.98 $227,854.11 $231,000.87 2013 $520,573.02 $246,130.90 $274,442.12

Total Revenues Generated Revenue

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Is VEISHEA a financial benefit or burden for the City of Ames? (An analysis of tax data from the Ames Convention and Visitors Bureau). Due to the variability of other events, it is difficult to draw conclusions regarding the impact of VEISHEA on overnight visitors. There is, however, variability during March when ISU hosts NCAA tournaments. May was impacted by Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, held in 2009 and 2012. There was no drastic swing in lodging revenue with the cancellation of VEISHEA in 2014. Tax and hotel revenue details from 2006-2014 can be found in Appendix C4. Has VEISHEA impacted enrollment? The Task Force requested enrollment data to address whether VEISHEA has any impact on enrollment (Appendix G). In sum, there are many factors that change in a given year making it difficult to determine any direct connection (negative or positive) to VEISHEA events and new student enrollment in a given year. VEISHEAs History of Disturbances

Looking at each disturbance and comparing enrollment to the number of students in on-campus housing, the numbers remain relatively steady, with no discernable drastic drop in enrollment the years following an incident. While the data does not necessarily provide a direct link to VEISHEA disturbances and enrollment, any kind of negative publicity, whether news coverage of VEISHEA riots or other incidents on campus, would almost always overshadow positive achievements. Certainly over time, these negative incidents would erode the brand of Iowa State University and have a longer lasting impact.

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How has negative media coverage impacted the universitys brand? Negative media coverage resulting from multiple VEISHEA disturbances over the past 30 years has undoubtedly affected the universitys brand, but to what extent is unknown. No benchmark data on attitudes and behaviors toward the university (in regard to VEISHEA) exist, so there is no way to accurately measure the impact any of these incidents may have had. A strong brand, such as Iowa State, can weather reputational threats. Indeed, the university has endured. But there is no denying the human and financial toll VEISHEA-related violence has taken. On May 29, 2014, VEISHEA Task Force members received a content analysis (prepared by ISU News Service Director Annette Hacker) comparing VEISHEA television coverage for 2013 vs. 2014. In 2013, the university received more than $59,000 worth of television coverage viewed by 1.4 million people. All of the coverage was local, and the tone was mixed about half positive, half negative. In 2014, news accounts of VEISHEA and its suspension resulted in nearly $8 million worth of television coverage seen by more than 52 million viewers. Much of that coverage ($6.8 million) was national. Of the total coverage, 99.95 percent was negative. Additional details on the content analysis is available in Appendix H. Negative VEISHEA TV Coverage Value 2013 vs. 2014

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Negative VEISHEA TV Coverage Views 2013 vs. 2014

It is impossible to calculate any lasting impact this negative coverage may have on Iowa State University. However, it is fair to say these stories certainly have not bolstered the universitys brand. The content is not favorable to the university. Many people who are otherwise proud of their affiliation with Iowa State University are embarrassed by the behaviors that occur during the PREISHEA or unofficial VEISHEA.

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Is VEISHEA a significant contributor to leadership opportunities on campus? The Task Force reviewed premiere leadership opportunities for students and found that the majority of leadership awards are not given to VEISHEA leaders. Student Leadership Awardees 2006-2014

The university has more than 850 student organizations in which students may hold leadership roles outside of VEISHEA, however, its important to note that VEISHEA also provides leadership opportunities for students. VEISHEA on average represents nearly 30% of Student Leadership Award recipients and student organizations that participate and hold their major event(s) during VEISHEA have VEISHEA-connected leadership opportunities. The number of students receiving leadership awards due to their involvement in VEISHEA was likely higher when there were fewer student organizations on campus.

General comments and questions from open forum and email feedback The Task Force conducted a comprehensive overview of general comments, questions, recommendations, and feedback from emails and the open forums. The feedback was organized into the following general categories:

Revise the Iowa State University Student Code of Conduct Punishments Restructure VEISHEA

o Separate off-campus events from on-campus events o Return to the purpose of VEISHEA o Security o Move VEISHEA dates o Change name from VEISHEA

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Educate students Accountability and Responsibility Campustown bars Other

Public comments and questions were reviewed by the Task Force and taken into consideration during the deliberation and recommendation phase of the process. Additional content regarding public feedback can be found in Appendix J.

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Recommendations Introduction After weeks of hearing from the public and vetting emails, collecting data, and discussing the implications of the current VEISHEA, the Task Force members agreed that the university cannot continue to hold VEISHEA without any changes and expect that violence will not occur in the future. On June 5, the Task Force voted unanimously to discontinue VEISHEA in its current form, agreeing to Option B, noted below.

Further discussion centered on choices within Option B. The Task Force reviewed and discussed recommendations that arose from the public and generated their own recommendations with insight from their constituencies. After developing an initial list of possible recommendations (Appendix L). Task Force members deliberated these options. Based on the information gathered and input received, the Task Force voted to recommend the development of a new, overarching, university-wide event or series of events. Heeding the advice of Dr. Craig Anderson, Distinguished Professor of psychology, who observed that VEISHEA had become synonymous with riots and the behavior would not change if the name lived on, the Task Force voted to discontinue use of the name VEISHEA. Further, the Task Force concluded that any future university-wide event would need to look significantly different from VEISHEA to reduce the potential of the same problems from occurring. The Task Forces recommendations are arranged in three broad categories: recommendations to discontinue VEISHEA in its current form along with the use of the name VEISHEA; recommendations to create a new, overarching, university-wide event or series of events; and recommendations to reduce the probability of disturbances at any university-wide event and address student behavior. The Task Force also agreed the effectiveness of adopted recommendations must be continually evaluated.

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Discontinue VEISHEA in its current form along with the use of the name VEISHEA Recommendation 1: Over the past 30 years, VEISHEA has had numerous disturbances (page 6). To preserve Iowa States integrity, it is important to reduce the risk and probability of disturbances from happening in the future. The loss of life, injuries, property destruction and reputational damage that has resulted from the disturbances during VEISHEA cannot be denied. The 1992 and 2004 Task Forces recommended the elimination of VEISHEA if future disturbances occurred on the scale of those in 1998 and 1992 (page 14 of the 2004 report in reference to the 1992 report). The groups conclusions from 2004 are consistent with the conclusions of the 2014 Task Force; therefore, it is recommended that VEISHEA be discontinued in its current form. Recommendation 2: In addition to discontinuing VEISHEA, the name should no longer be used for three reasons: 1) The VEISHEA acronym no longer accurately reflects Iowa States current colleges (i.e., College of Design, College of Business, etc.). 2) VEISHEA has a negative connotation due to past disturbances and has become synonymous with riots and excessive alcohol consumption. To disassociate any spring event with disturbances, the event must be significantly different from VEISHEA. Dr. Craig Anderson served on the 2004 Task Force and provided a presentation on May 15 to the 2014 Task Force, in which he stated, Anything called VEISHEA is going to bring about the notion of a riot. Even the name is a risk factor. 3) VEISHEA has attracted significant local and national media attention. As a result of the 2014 disturbances, Iowa State suffered an estimated $8 million worth of negative television coverage (page 34). It is in the universitys best interest to minimize the risk of any further reputational damage. Recommendation 3: If a new overarching, university-wide event or series of events is held, the timing of those event(s) must be such that there is no association with the partying tradition of VEISHEA. A major springtime event at Iowa State, even if significantly retooled and identified by a different name, may still carry with it the baggage of unofficial VEISHEA. If the strongest, most cherished VEISHEA traditions are deemed worthy of continuing, they could be just as appealing offered at a different time of year. (For example, cherry pie sales pre-date VEISHEA by three years, and the pies were originally sold in February.) However, some traditions may or may not receive equally significant fundraising and/or showcasing opportunities. According to Dr. Andersons expertise, it would be better to disassemble the event into three or more smaller events in an attempt to prevent large crowds from gathering at one time during the year. Take the good parts and break it into three or more smaller events, Anderson said. That probably has a better chance of reducing future outbursts or riots than just continuing the event or changing the name. In addition, he inferred that no matter how much thoughtful effort is invested in redesigning the event and no matter how well those changes are communicated if it is held in the spring, this decision will translate to: All you did was change the name. The committee concurred with this observation. Pros and cons of the de-emphasis of a large, concentrated spring event:

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Pros: Reduces risk of disturbances Will not seem like a replacement for VEISHEA, therefore avoiding unofficial VEISHEA

activities Does not encourage faculty to hold off assignments during the week of VEISHEA Can maintain some of the original VEISHEA traditions by spreading them out

Cons: Does not have a specific date to focus on and be prepared for If not held late in the spring, it will not have the academic years worth of achievements to

showcase If not held in the spring, freshmen may participate less, since they tend to be more involved and

have more connections as the year progresses Less opportunity for students to interact across colleges

In response to the publics comparison of football game days and VEISHEA relative to disturbances, the Task Force collected data and generated the following observations as to why disturbances dont occur during football season: football is in the fall and hence does not follow a long, harsh winter; students (particularly younger students) may not have made as many friends so early in the school year; football activities tend to be multigenerational; people have an event to focus on - football - while consuming alcohol; and there are six or seven football games, therefore, if a game is missed, there are other games to attend.

Create a new, overarching, university-wide event or series of events Recommendation 4: To preserve student leadership opportunities, community outreach and showcasing opportunities of VEISHEA, the Task Force recommends the creation of a new, overarching, university-wide event or series of events under one umbrella. The overarching event or series of events should differ significantly and distinctly from VEISHEA but would preserve many of the positive benefits. Keeping in mind recommendation 3, the Task Force is providing parameters as guidance, should this event or event(s) occur:

Purposes The Task Force recommends that a new event or series of events be developed that will accomplish the three purposes listed below. These purposes may be accomplished through a linear approach starting with purpose #1. They may also be combined with already existing events or by combining all three themes into one event.

1. Build community a. create unity b. internally amongst the university family (students, faculty, staff and alumni) c. externally with the City of Ames (potential to join university and Ames events),

future students, parents and friends within the state of Iowa 2. Serve the public

a. specifically our community and the state of Iowa b. through our land-grant mission c. through philanthropy

3. Display achievements a. by students, faculty, staff, clubs, organizations, departments and colleges

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b. focus on education, research and outreach c. current and historical accomplishments

d. potential to move family weekend to align with this event Guiding principles

Implement the land-grant mission o demonstrate how Iowa State prides itself on being open and accessible o take our knowledge and give it back to the public o provide opportunity for others to benefit from our knowledge, research and

extension/outreach and gain lifelong skills to make a better life for themselves Enhance the universitys reputation

o reflect the best of Iowa State University o show off the incredible things happening at Iowa State University o the event(s) should be safe and alcohol-free o have a positive impact on the outside community

Engage students, faculty and staff o in conceptualization of the event(s) (potential to offer members of the

university the opportunity to submit ideas for the name, activities, etc.) o through significant and meaningful campus-wide participation o should be unifying for the campus community o a survey may be necessary from time to time to gauge student interest and

participation o if solely student-focused, the event(s) would exclude faculty, staff, alumni and

the Ames community Engage students in leadership opportunities

o students may lead aspects of the event o develop core committees

Emphasize diversity o in people, projects and events o be truly representative of Iowa State and the Ames communities in its broader

sense (not just ethnicity) Strategic recommendations

Encourage attendance and participation of the entire Cyclone family o focus on them but do not necessarily exclude others

Discourage events that promote a party atmosphere (i.e. holding third-party entertainment)

Ensure activities are of a manageable scope and duration Evaluate the timing of a new overarching, university-wide event or series of events

including the advisability of a weeklong springtime event Avoid inadvertent alignment with party weekends or celebratory holidays

Ancillary recommendations Consider implementing a general education class for students to address key

principles/resources. General topics may include: the Student Code of Conduct (expectations, responsibilities, and consequences of violations), sexual assault, bystander intervention, alcohol policies, responsible alcohol consumption and substance abuse, crowd control, Violent Incident Response Training (VIRT), etc.

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In an effort to gain buy-in from the students, student leaders should play an active and ongoing (not just prior to the event) role in communications regarding behavior and discipline

Review existing ordinances and student disciplinary regulations Review university and community relations and develop ways to improve interactions

Undesired items Depiction of the event(s) as a celebration, festival or party Riots, disturbances, excessive alcohol consumption, university reputational risk, loss

of life, injuries, property damage or other violent behavior Events that promote a party atmosphere (i.e. holding third-party entertainment) VEISHEA by another name or event very similar in scope to VEISHEA

Recommendation 5: Serious consideration should be given to adequate planning as the development of a new concept for an overarching, university-wide event or series of events will require time and a select group of people to develop something appropriate for the entire university community. The Task Force encourages the development of a planning committee that would conceptualize a future event that would not take on the shape of VEISHEA.

Reduce the probability of disturbances at any university-wide event and address student behavior Recommendation 6: Study the Student Code of Conduct to determine if increases in penalties or changes in the code are necessary and appropriate. Study may include stricter enforcement, allowing photos to be used as evidence, parental notifications and developing further consequences of violations such as education or community service.

Recommendation 7: Study city fees and penalties to determine if increases or changes are necessary and appropriate. Study may include violations related to house parties (tenant and landlord penalties), noise ordinances, alcohol consumption and possession, etc. Recommendation 8: Consider additional Campustown security measures such as better lighting and the installation of cameras to provide evidence to identify individuals who may have committed violations of the Student Code of Conduct, crimes or municipal infractions. Recommendation 9: Strengthen neighborhood relations by having more cohesive communication between SCAN (South Campus Area Neighborhood) and CC/OAMS (College Creek/Old Ames Middle School Neighborhood) in order to identify patterns and trends in neighborhood events and disturbances. Recommendation 10: Implement a university-wide curriculum that includes instruction in the following: applicable university policies, student conduct regulations, municipal ordinances and state statutes, sexual assault, bystander intervention, alcohol and other substance abuse, crowd behavior, general safety and violent incident response. Recommendation 11: Promote awareness and increase accessibility and utilization amongst students of the topics mentioned in Recommendation 10.

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Recommendation 12: Develop a multidisciplinary group to improve effectiveness of university disturbance prevention and management, handling of student behavior, and programming related to the culture at Iowa State University by studying other universities. This group may include university administration, faculty, students, Greek community, city of Ames, Campustown Action Association and Campustown neighborhood representation. This group may also address Recommendations 6-11. The Task Force has identified some initial resources for further examination by Student Affairs and/or the Office of the President:

1. University of Wisconsin - Stout http://www.uwstout.edu/counsel/aod/upload/2012-13-Alcohol-Education-Enforcement-Plan.pdf

2. University of Minnesota Twin Cities http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2006/11/03/drink#sthash.Vsyn88MA.dpbs http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2010/06/04/acha#sthash.CUUkgzwX.dpbs

3. University of Wisconsin - Madison http://students.wisc.edu/alcoholinfo/resp_action_guide.html http://students.wisc.edu/alcoholinfo/resources.html

4. University of Colorado - Boulder http://www.colorado.edu/healthcenter/sites/default/files/attached-files/Changing-the-culture-of-alcohol-abuse-on-campus.pdf

5. Washington State University https://news.wsu.edu/2013/08/12/wsu-tries-new-tactics-to-combat-alcohol-abuse/#.U6hZn_ldXzg

6. State University of University of New York Stony Brook http://www.stonybrook.edu/sb/redwatchband/

7. Michigan State http://statenews.com/article/2013/03/msu-e-l-officials-emphasize-consequences-of-rioting

8. University of Maryland Maryland Day http://www.marylandday.umd.edu/

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Appendices A. 2004 VEISHEA Task Force Documents

A1. Task Force Final Report 2004 https://iastate.box.com/s/evbvstw373rg0vyx0jr0 A2. Commission on Improving Relations Final Report https://iastate.box.com/s/e4fvodtomzbx6u9l4fxg A3. 2004 VEISHEA Recommendation Matrix https://iastate.box.com/s/3ox6ofa60crjnoqk3vpd

B. 1992 VEISHEA Task Force Report https://iastate.box.com/s/5onaa4b11wnqwjbsjxch C. 2006-2014 Expenses and Revenue

C1. CyRide https://iastate.box.com/s/fv4o399gdp05i95ii5f7 C2. FP&M Services Cost https://iastate.box.com/s/oxt8s4qz5yb43r6rh6rj C3. Ames Hotel Revenue - January through December 2007-2014 https://iastate.box.com/s/fb4bcbe0pxmqk5dxoiw4 C4. Overall VEISHEA Budgets 06-14 https://iastate.box.com/s/a49k96t9ol5sytnzuqta C5. Ames PD Costs https://iastate.box.com/s/7ww44q6ji1h6k2jq4wfj C6. ISU DPS Costs https://iastate.box.com/s/k40ni4b0ehzv2wnvjl96 C7. VEISHEA College of Business Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/sav47pemnsp1vlntdyn3 C8. VEISHEA College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/rx8stcsfjbuj9u8ww169 C9. VEISHEA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/opme8mktst7s5etbtvwq C10. VEISHEA College of Design Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/80zmz45460sob8kl50zy C11. VEISHEA College of Human Sciences Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/oe093lbehnsjim1y9ard C12. VEISHEA College of Engineering Activities Report https://iastate.box.com/s/g6rbpsi9pwkfh8tgnkmt C13. Alumni Expenses https://iastate.box.com/s/jmecgyqpafer7aekk9un C14. VEISHEA FOUNDATION Support

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https://iastate.box.com/s/rof0cfma93wpj4wyvgf8 C15. Student Organization Deposits Following VEISHEA https://iastate.box.com/s/tc2hxemxzjm4rzagg1lv C16. VEISHEA 2006-2013 Revenues and Percentages https://iastate.box.com/s/10d3geaw715oepzeuhfy

D. MATRIX: Activities Slotted to Nine Purposes of VEISHEA Chart https://iastate.box.com/s/t2vj7nrk4kpuviryasdf E. Charges and Arrests

E1. ISU DPS VEISHEA vs Football https://iastate.box.com/s/z8hdu6oip7np24uvbf0m E2. ISU DPS VEISHEA Only Charge Table (2006-2014) https://iastate.box.com/s/68p23ro1a7ndou9hymni E3. ISU DPS Football vs VEISHEA Stats https://iastate.box.com/s/psichlncnpudtd2sg1ek E4. OJA Football vs VEISHEA https://iastate.box.com/s/h7bedkbw5q32inm9zzbi E5. Ames PD Football 2004-2014 Totals https://iastate.box.com/s/htjho57taaow09sp0zsf E6. Ames PD Yearly Stats 98-13 https://iastate.box.com/s/o4bb28y3e0kutqvykzp4 E7. Ames PD 2014 VEISHEA Stats (Entire Week) https://iastate.box.com/s/6i161cd9uyq22t7rgeum E8. Ames PD VEISHEA Only Stats 2004-2014 https://iastate.box.com/s/prjbva8h5icn23c5phbq

F. Mary Greeley FOOTBALL vs. VEISHEA data https://iastate.box.com/s/s798aeztukaspugugnar G. Enrollment Totals https://iastate.box.com/s/l0s8kbw28cbhfrpgn910 H. Television Coverage

H1. VEISHEA 2014 Television Coverage https://iastate.box.com/s/dkohysmmuxvmr8skwyll H2. VEISHEA Television Coverage Executive Summary 2013 vs 2014 https://iastate.box.com/s/hozk48pn1hf8a74iimqu H3. VEISHEA 2013 Television Coverage https://iastate.box.com/s/vfp08p9v0r2epop1nli9

I. Student Leadership https://iastate.box.com/s/wd6uit4ente3hlztt0vx J. Public Feedback Summary https://iastate.box.com/s/29i4ro7piclu9p1nojm9 K. Social Media https://iastate.box.com/s/v1liweeeq1d71phtwiuk L. List of Possible Recommendations from the 2014 Task Force and the Public https://iastate.box.com/s/uxoz65v428pytotf0bjn