I never got to experience it because this happened my freshmen year, but I do have a couple things. Homecoming is the Greek one. VEISHEA is the one that seemed to include the whole school. I think that a big part is that now the school seems very segregated by college.I guess I don't really understand the VEISHEA deal. When I was a student back in the early 1980's anyway, it was viewed as mainly a Greek thing and a drinking thing. The Greek community did events they could put on their resumes and the other students went to the bars.
I rarely did anything connected to VEISHEA other than watch the parade if I didn't have work that day, which I usually did since I worked several jobs while in college, and some of the intramural sports they did connected to VEISHEA.
As far as I can tell from having a recent graduate, everyone still goes to the bars during what would have been VEISHEA and the rest of the year too. I suppose the crowds are smaller because fewer people come from out of town. They still run intramurals. I really have no idea what the Greek community does. I guess student groups have lost fundraising opportunities connected to VEISHEA, which I don't remember much of when I was a student. It seems like there are other times with lots of people on campus, like commencement, where they could make up some of their lost income.
With the number of instances of rioting, I am not sure what Leath should have done differently other than perhaps suspending it with a set time to reevaluate it once more time was spent on trying to fix it, but I think they tried that before. I guess he could have instituted other events in its place and given it a go. I just have less problems with the loss of VEISHEA than the political patronage and cronyism.
When it comes down to the specifics of how to fix VEISHEA it always comes down to the Ames PD didn't plan how to handle it. I know it was a Tuesday, but there was no excuse for the limited amount of police officers during VEISHEA. Second I will never understand who thought it was a good idea to break up multiple parties and send everyone to campustown. This years shooting has proven that the issue isn't VEISHEA the issue is warm weather in the spring. It could be improved by setting up an area to consolidate an control the drinking. Then for off campus parties if they need to be broken up disperse the crowds away from campustown. Party hosts also need to take on the responsibility that if they are going to host a party they also have to deal with some of what comes with it. I've heard that the hosts would call to have the party broken up. While police should assist there should be a more gradual slow down of the party.