Passionate speeches, a performance by the university choir, and free food highlighted CSULB’s annual Veteran’s Day celebration that took place on campus Tuesday afternoon.
President Jane Conoley and Director of Veterans Services Marshall Thomas hosted this event that serves to honor our nation’s veterans and service members, as well as the roughly 550 student veterans that are enrolled at CSULB.
Wendy Lewis, Associated Students, Inc. Treasurer and Navy veteran, applauds at the end of the Veterans Day celebration Nov. 10, 2015. California State University Long Beach President Jane Close Conoley and Long Beach City College President Eloy Ortiz Oakley hosted the event in front of the University Bookstore to thank the 1,150 veteran students enrolled at CSULB and LBCC.
The ceremony opened with the singing of the national anthem by CSULB’s University choir and a performance by the ROTC Color Guard. Following the performances, President Conoley gave a speech in which she voiced her support for veterans and the many veteran-focused services offered on campus.
“This is a very special ceremony, giving us a chance to mark our special priority and regard for our veterans,” Conoley said in her speech. “The Beach serves a diverse group of veterans and we try to provide them with resources to make sure they have an equal, evened up shot for success here at The Beach.”
After Conoley gave her speech, student veteran and ASI treasurer Wendy Lewis took the stage. While holding back tears, she gave a passionate speech about what her experience has been like as a student veteran as she named the people that played important roles in helping her succeed at CSULB.
“I feel very blessed and lucky to be here, so I wanted to speak to the people who were an intricate part of helping me transition from the military to a student,” Lewis said. “I really got a welcome from the university with open arms, saying what can we do? How can we support you? So I felt it was very important not only to name those people, but to highlight the fact that CSULB has been so supportive to veterans. I want [CSULB veterans services] to know that they are very important to our success.”
Beyond working to offer support for veterans, the Veteran’s Day celebration helped offer insight to civilian students as to how veterans should be viewed and therefore respected. Keynote speaker David Joseph mentioned that something we as Americans highly value is choice, and veterans willingly give up their right of choice when they enlist.
Associated Students Inc. President Jose Salazar said this insight offered him a new perspective.
“Joseph said we weren’t there to see what their service was, and we should be thanking them for their willingness to say yes before they even know what the question is. I really took that to heart,” Salazar said. “I’m definitely going to have a different approach next time I see a veteran and I will make sure they know I appreciate the military and all that they do.”
The celebration wound down with ceremonial signing of a memorandum of understanding, acknowledging a partnership between CSULB and Long Beach City College in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, and a cutting of a U.S. Marine Corps commemorative cake.