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AMES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa State University is planning two events to replace what was the annual Veishea festival.
University President Steven Leath said Monday that a February celebration will feature the sale of cherry pies as part of Valentine's Day activities. And a separate celebration of the arts will be held in April.
The Iowa City Press-Citizen reports (http://icp-c.com/1Kb1fkS ) that plans for the next academic year include a community service project, a parade and college showcase and an event to welcome students back to campus for the start of spring semester.
The 2014 Veishea festival was suspended after a weeknight riot occurred. Leath eventually decided to cancel Veishea altogether. The festival began in 1922 as a way to celebrate the school, but it eventually became associated with binge drinking and property damage.
The Student Government will spearhead the implementation of the alternative events that were recommended by the Spring Event Planning Committee.
Daniel Breitbarth, president of the school's Student Government, said that the recommendations were the most feasible short-term options, and were unlikely to lead to the issues that ultimately lead to the Veishea festival's end.
"Veishea had been running for nearly 100 years, and it's going to take some time to develop some similar events that will bring in a lot of the community," he said.
During the announcement of the festival's cancellation, Leath said that "I'm not going to continue to put students at risk so that we can preserve what to many has become a weeklong party."
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Information from: Iowa City Press-Citizen, http://www.press-citizen.com/
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