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NEWS RELEASE

4-9-02

Contacts:
Jen Fritz and Mark Ringkob, Veishea, (515) 294-1026
Steve Sullivan, News Service, (515) 294-3720

VEISHEA 2002 IS APRIL 19-21 AT IOWA STATE

AMES, Iowa -- Veishea, Iowa State University's annual spring celebration, turns 80 years old this year.

To commemorate the event, a Veishea historical sign will be installed on central campus during opening ceremonies.

Iowa State's annual showcase of the university and its student organizations will begin with opening ceremonies at noon on Friday, April 19, south of the campanile. This years Veishea theme is Celebrating Student Success.

The opening ceremonies speaker is Randall L. Wreghitt, Tony Award-winning Broadway producer. Wreghitt, a native of Clear Lake, received a journalism degree from Iowa State in 1978. He currently is producing an acclaimed Broadway production of Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. He won a 2001 Tony Award for Best Revival for producing One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest starring Gary Sinese.

Taste of Veishea in ISU's campustown area will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Taste of Veishea features entertainment and food vendors. Campustown also will be the location for Veisheas Battle of the Bands event on Friday from 2 p.m. to midnight at the corners of Welch and Chamberlain avenues. The competition will include 10 bands from around Ames.

There will be a pancake breakfast on Saturday from 7 to 11 a.m. south of the campanile. The cost is $5.

The Veishea parade will begin winding its way through campus at 10:40 a.m. on Saturday. Gregory Geoffroy, president of Iowa State, will be grand marshal of the parade. Wreghitt will be the parade marshal. The parade has 100 floats, bands and other entries this year. KCCI will broadcast the parade.

Veishea 2002 will feature more than 75 open houses sponsored by student clubs and other organizations. They will be open Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

This year's Stars Over Veishea musical production is "Grease. Performances will be in Stephens Auditorium at 10 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 7:30 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are $6 for students, and $10-$15 for adults. Tickets are available at the Iowa State Center and Ticketmaster outlets.

Comedian and actor Jay Mohr will perform Friday at 8:30 p.m. in the Lied Recreation Center. Mohr appeared in Jerry Maguire and in the upcoming Simone, which stars Al Pacino. He hosts Mohr Sports on ESPN. He has made recent appearances on NFL this Morning, Saturday Night Live and as a host of MTVs Lip Service, which earned him an Espy Award. Advance tickets are $6 for students, $10 for non-students. Tickets at the door cost $15.

The band Soul Asylum and opening act Ultimate Fakebook will perform in the Lied Recreation Center on Thursday, April 18, from 9 p.m. to midnight. Advance tickets are $5. Tickets at the door cost $7.

Tickets for Mohr and Soul Asylum are available at the Iowa State Center box office or the Memorial Union. Special ticket policies apply to both events. Policies are available by contacting the Veishea office.

Veishea's traditional cherry pies will be on sale Friday from 9:30 a.m. to approximately 3 p.m. and Saturday from 9:30 a.m. until they are gone in room 16 of MacKay Hall. The pies cost $1 each. Thousands of cherry pies are sold during Veishea weekend.

Other Veishea 2002 events include:

-- The Cultural Festival and Cultural Stage, Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., central campus. The festival will feature different ISU clubs and organizations showcasing their cultures through performances and other activities.

-- The International Food Fair, Saturday, 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Great Hall of the Memorial Union. Various international student groups will sell food native to their respective countries.

-- Cy's Big Top, Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., central campus. Cy's Big Top will feature a variety of activities for children.

-- The Veishea Golf Classic at Veekner Golf Course from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Closing ceremonies will begin at 4 p.m. Sunday in the Sun Room of the Memorial Union. For more information, contact the Veishea office, (515) 294-1026; www.veishea.org.

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