Vets welcomed at colleges

[unhappycamper]

Vets welcomed at colleges
By Justin Pope, AP Education Writer | August 27, 2007


SAN DIEGO --On the giant state university campus in this military town, veterans have long been marbled into the student body. For many, anonymity is part of the appeal.

But as service members return from Iraq and Afghanistan, some at San Diego State are raising their heads and making themselves more visible. They've started a veterans' organization that is one of the most active in the country. The group, which lines up support services for veteran students, lobbies for benefits and hosts social events, is fielding calls from other campuses interested in copying the idea.

Students like Nathaniel Donnelly, a former Marine who served in Iraq, insist they don't flaunt their military service but are happy to talk about it in social settings or classrooms. Many transform their leadership training from the military to campus organizations. Gary Hirsch, a former Marine who graduated last spring with a top academic award, was involved in no fewer than nine different extracurricular groups.

"If I could have 50 percent of our student body be veterans, I would," said Sandra Cook, executive director of enrollment services at San Diego State, which gives veterans special consideration in admissions. "Maybe they didn't shine in high school, but they have that experience."

Veterans have been a presence on many college campuses since right after World War II, thanks to the GI Bill of Rights. But their visibility and influence hasn't always reflected that. The Vietnam War and the current Iraq War have been sharply criticized by academics and soldiers haven't always felt welcome. Student veterans are often eager to signal a new identity, so they keep their heads down.

But these days colleges are eager to welcome veterans. One reason is the financial aid many carry, but they're also seen as students who have a lot to contribute to the community. New education benefits for veterans have been proposed in at least 32 states this year alone, and signed into law in at least 11, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.


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[Longhorn]

1. I usually have a couple of vets in each of the math classes I teach

at community college. For the most part, they've been excellent students and well-respected by their classmates.

We have a discussion board in some of the classes and the discussion often turns to the war. The few vets who still support the war have been polite and respectful of the opinions of others. Sometimes there are civilians who support the war and it's the vet who is arguing against it -- his opinion tends to have more weight in those situations, since he's the only one in the discussion who has actually been there.

I'm looking forward to when my son gets out of the Marines and goes back to school.