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ISU president cancels 92-year-old tradition for good

Grads of Iowa State living in the Quad Cities say they’re shocked and saddened by a move ISU’s president made. It brings to the end 92 years of trad...

Grads of Iowa State living in the Quad Cities say they're shocked and saddened by a move ISU's president made. It brings to the end 92 years of tradition in Ames, Iowa.

For one week in the spring Iowa State University would hold an event called Veishea. It was a way for the university to showcase the different colleges, clubs and recruit students.

"The true purpose of the celebration has been completely overshadowed by this new culture," said the university's president Steven Leath.

Over the past 30 years the event's changed, turning into a bigger drinking party.  There have been riots, a lot of property damage, hundreds of arrest and even two deaths.

"I'm announcing today that Veishea has ended and the name Veishea is retired," said president Leath at a press conference on Thursday, August 7, 2014.

For alum Ryan Burchette he says something should have been done a long time ago, "The fact is that this kind of conduct is not acceptable in any way shape or form and people will argue college kids are going to drink, but this was beyond that."

Deanne Bloomberg has memories of going to Veishea when she was little.

"When I went to Iowa State in the fall of '87 I knew I eventually wanted to be a a part of Veishea leadership and I did that for two years," said Bloomberg.

Even though Bloomberg respects and understands the president's decision it wasn't news she wanted to hear.

"It was never the goal to make it the largest party. Students decided to get creative and look at what creativity got them and ruined it for the rest of us," said Bloomberg.

A 92-year-old tradition that will now only be a memory.

This past April, there were more than 200 arrests. The president said he's open to new events in the future, but the university won't tolerate anything that big or out of control.

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