Nonmilitary students must create a more inclusive culture for veteran students, argued former Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel at a ceremony Monday commemorating Veterans Day outside White-Gravenor Hall.
Hagel, a veteran of the Vietnam War, honored veterans who rebuild their lives after service.
“[They] return home not asking for favors or special recognition,” Hagel said. “They do not wallow in self-pity. Rather, they rebuild their lives.”
Creating an inclusive environment will help veteran students acclimate to campus life, according to Hagel.
“I think the bottom line is the common responsibility that we all have is to serve others in some way,” Hagel said in an interview with The Hoya.
In its seventh year, the Veterans Day event began as a crowd-funded project initiated by the Georgetown University’s Student Veterans Association, according to GUSVA President Cristine Pederson (SFS ’18). This year’s ceremony was sponsored by the Office of the President.
The ceremony was opened with a rendition of the national anthem by the Georgetown Phantoms, a performance by the Hoya Battalion Color Guard and an opening prayer by Fr. G. Ronald Murphy, S.J. Among the guests were active members of the military, veterans and family members of service groups.
Georgetown’s campuses are home to about 950 students with connections to the military, including service members, veterans and military families, according to Georgetown’s Veterans Office.
University President John J. DeGioia said he hopes current students will appreciate the sacrifices made by veteran students.
“We recognize in our midst [there] are other young people that have sacrificed significantly, so that we could have the kind of experiences that we have here at Georgetown,” DeGioia said in an interview with The Hoya.
In commemoration of Military Awareness month, Georgetown plans to host a series of 13 events directed at recognizing and fostering a feeling of inclusion on campus.
The Office of Institutional Diversity, Equity and Affirmative Action, which seeks to promote inclusivity on campus, plans to host an event entitled “Hiring Veterans Debunking the Myths” with Veterans Office Director LeNaya Hezel, on Nov. 16. The Georgetown Military Appreciation Football Game is scheduled for Nov. 18 and is free for all veterans.
As a five-year Marine Corps veteran, Pederson said balancing campus life with military experience “can almost feel like living a double life,” as veterans carry the weight of past service and mourn lost friends while living the life of a university student.
Pederson said growing more accustomed to civilian life in a college community can be challenging.
“There’s a huge disconnect between staff and faculty and the military and civilian populations,” Pederson said.
The military presence on campus is often overlooked by most Georgetown students, said Lauren Fraiser (SFS ’21), a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
“A lot of people that I have talked to have no clue what ROTC is; they do not really know much about the military in general,” Fraiser said.
This feeling of detachment is not uncommon among veteran students, according to a study conducted by Brown University’s Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs. According to the study, when veterans are placed in a college environment, they find it hard to relate to their younger peers due to a disparity in life experience.
Between 2003 and 2019 it is expected that approximately 4.3 million service members will have returned home as veterans, many seeking to attend college for the first time.
Pederson called on civilian students to encourage a sense of unity at Georgetown.
“If you learn of someone who is a veteran, accept them into the community,” Pederson said.
