STORY BY SHIANNE FIGGE
For freshmen, it can be difficult to find clubs to join on campus that one finds interesting since there are so many clubs a student can join. Some clubs are more well known than others based on membership. I held an interview with the coordinator of the Center for Student Involvement, Brittney Squire, to get a list of some clubs that are more well known and some that are less well known. According to Squire, the Student Veteran’s Association is a revived club on FHSU’s campus so it is not as well known on campus.
Spencer Goff, the vice president of the Student Veteran’s Association, provided a synopsis of what the club is about.
“The SVA is an organization dedicated to helping military veterans receive the resources, support, advocacy, and camaraderie necessary as they transition to university life.”
Goff also mentioned that the Student Veteran’s Association is a revived organization that currently has 10-15 members both online and on campus. Goff continued by saying that the Student Veteran’s Association is in a good place to grow.
“The SVA has a lot of new members and a lot of energy so now is a great time to get involved,” Goff said. “Our activities include volunteering in the community and with campus events. We also have some great ideas and initiatives to improve veteran’s services and to help with the transition period from service to school.”
Goff also described how the organization recruits.
“Our recruiting is primarily through face-to-face meetings with other veterans and their family members on campus and through the virtual college via e-mail and Facebook,” Goff said.
Many may think that members are required to be veterans, but that is not the case. Goff says anyone can be a member.
“Any and all are encouraged to participate with our monthly meetings and/or volunteer, typically the first week of the month in the military resource center located in Forsyth Library,” he said. “We have a Facebook page which you can find @FHSUStudentVeteransAssociation and interested parties can be added to the email list by emailing sva@fhsu.edu”
The Student Veteran’s Asociation also hopes to raise enough money to establish a veteran scholarship at Fort Hays State University.
“This will be the first scholarship of its kind at this university and will put us in line with other military-friendly schools across the nation,” Goff said of the potential scholarship. “The goal is for us to get this started and raise the awareness of a need so that others will also contribute.”
For details of the next meeting for the Student Veteran’s Association, contact sva@fhsu.edu.