RIP VEISHEA: Iowa State's Annual RageFest Cancelled Forever

If you didn’t know about VEISHEA–the once-annual party held at Iowa State and one of the school’s oldest traditions–before last year, you probably heard about it once the students started flipping cars and rioting. Those are the kinds of acts that tends to get some attention. Hell, it’s one of the reasons we included it in our list of “The 10 Most Legendary College Parties of 2014.“

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqgdKOWoZNI&w=590]

Unfortunately for the current students of Iowa State, VEISHEA got the wrong kind of attention and was “permanently discontinued” today by Iowa State president Steven Leath.

“I understand that it is very sad and disappointing to see this 92-year tradition come to an end, and there may be some who are upset with this decision, but I am not going to continue to put students at risk so that we can preserve what, to many, has become a week-long party,” Leath said at a news conference. “I will not be the president who has to call a student’s parents in the middle of the night to say your child has been critically injured in another Veishea-related disturbance.” (source)

There’s no question that some form of discipline was on its’ way after Iowa State went apesh*t, but students probably weren’t expecting one of their most popular traditions to end completely.

Truth be told, though, it might not be as bad as it seems. Students can’t expect to see VEISHEA return in name but everyone who’s been in college knows that when the administration says no to one thing, there are still ways of making it happen (underground pledges, etc.). And now that Iowa is no longer the #1 party school in the nation, Iowa State could be looking to gain some more notoriety.