Issue date: 4/21/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Abby Harvey was the focus of Thursday's panel discussion including six student veterans in Davies Theatre.

Military veterans face many issues when returning from overseas, including the readjustment back into every day life, such as returning to college. This was the focus of Thursday's panel discussion including six student veterans in Davies Theatre.

"Going off to war is probably one of the most significant things a person can do in their lives," Maj. Cynthia Rasmussen said during the veterans' presentation on the issue of reintegration into the community, which was followed by a student panel discussion.

The student veterans answered questions and gave their input in regard to concerns and issues they have had upon returning to school after military life.

Senior Nicole Lillis, who served in the Army for three years, said it wasn't easy returning to school after becoming so accustomed to the structured lifestyle implemented by the military.

"Handling the stress of school and not having the same schedule has been difficult," she said.

Non-traditional freshman Ryan Greendeer served in the Army for nine years and said veterans would appreciate somewhere to go for all their needs.

"We're being sent in all these different directions," he said. "A veteran's resource center would be great (on campus) … one stop to get everything."

Many of the panelists agreed that they share the same problems in experiencing insensitivity to their situations on campus. A few said even professors have crossed the line with some of the course content they have shared, or even simply by making comments relating to their disapproval of service members.

"It would be nice to get some type of education to professors about sensitivity to these kinds of things," Greendeer said, "I don't find it among all my professors, but it's an obvious issue."

Rasmussen, a member of the U.S. Army Reserve Combat Operational Stress Control Program at Fort Snelling, Minn., and fellow presenter Daniel McCann, a clinical social worker for the Veterans Health Administration at the Chippewa Valley Veterans Affairs Clinic, said it is difficult to understand the military unless a person has experience with it.

Continued...

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