If you know someone on campus who is a veteran, go and tell them ‘thank you.’ Last week was Veterans Appreciation Week at Hamline. Throughout the week, events were put on to give gratitude to the veterans on campus. 

Hamline’s veterans were further appreciated at the Hamline Undergraduate Student Congress (HUSC) General Assembly last Tuesday. They were approved for funding to become a chartered student org. 

Previously, Veterans Affairs has funded their fall and spring events through out-of-pocket money and funds from the Dean’s office. According to Dean of Students Alan Sickbert, Veterans Affairs had been benefitting from some federal funds that Hamline was receiving, but those funds are no longer available.

Because the HUSC budgeting period is currently over, Veterans Affairs will be temporarily funded with money from the Contingency Fund and will reapply for more funding in the fall. 

According to junior and Veteran Affairs representative Don Allen, there are over 100 veterans on Hamline’s campus, and Veteran Affairs currently has 15 active members. Because of the benefits available to veterans at Hamline, Allen’s goal is for Hamline to admit 50 veterans next year.

One way Hamline shows its gratitude for student veterans’ service is by providing them with benefits, the biggest being much of the tuition. In fact, Beyond the Yellow Ribbon, a program that works to connect servicemembers and their families with community support, training, services and resources, can cover all of one’s tuition. Professor Matt Morgan, Veterans Committee Chair, explained that the type of benefits received all depend on the length of service and what part of the military served. He also explained that there are many different levels, including the Minnesota Veterans Association and Ramsey County Veterans Association

“Some gave all, all gave some,” Morgan said of the importance in honoring student veterans. Although it is not his phrase, he believes that it sums up what those in the military risk for our country. Speaking as a veteran, he said that it was a great experience, but there were some interesting times. “War messes with your head,” he said.

According to Morgan, honoring veterans in the spring instead of just near Veteran’s Day in the fall provides balance. “Don Allen wanted to get a spring series of activities [and we] wanted to acknowledge our veterans at another time of year,” Morgan said. There are activities held in the fall, including an event held on Veterans’ Day. 

The event held on Monday, April 21 was a presentation on research tools with Kristofer Scheid using iPads. A breakfast was held on Tuesday with a presentation on how to use the writing center by Erin Sharkey. Wednesday’s event included career development for veterans about jobs, internships and resumes with Christine Jensen. Thursday’s event was a veterans support center drop-in. Friday’s event was a veterans lunch. 

Fall events that are in the works include the annual welcome back barbecue, and sponsoring a speaker on 9/11 conspiracy theories in which the whole campus will be invited to attend.