Veterans group long overdue

Often forgotten in the course of unpopular or controversial wars, present U.S. efforts included, are the young men and women who serve our nation abroad. Easier still for some civilians of college age to forget is that those men and women are also members of their age group.

For some here at UCF and for many college students across the nation, the choice between staying in school and serving in the military likely presents a difficult decision.

For those who return from military service and enroll in college, switching from soldier to student can be a difficult transition - one that the average student, the average adviser or the average counselor without a military background may not understand. But who could better understand the trials and tribulations of student veterans than their peers?

The Student Veterans Association, recently made an official student organization by the Student Government Association, represents a great opportunity for veterans studying at UCF to help each other through that transition.

Stories of former soldiers struggling to return to civilian life are unfortunately quite common, as are stories of former soldiers who feel unprepared for the lack of structure that university life brings.

Financial assistance programs, such as the GI Bill, help student veterans to finance their education when their service is completed.

Nevertheless, college graduation rates among student veterans have been much lower than overall graduation rates of late: Three percent of student veterans who entered the university system in 1995 graduated by 2001 compared to 30 percent overall, according to the most recent data from the Department of Education.  This is a disconcerting notion considering that many people join the military in part to help pay for college.

Clearly, many student veterans are in need of more than financial help. Organizations like the student veterans represent an opportunity to receive both counseling and advocacy in a way that might help to bridge that gap.

And really, who could deserve such an organization more than the people who fight in the defense of their nation?

The Student Veterans of America, the parent organization for UCF's student veterans, brings together student-veteran groups from across the nation in order to facilitate communication and strengthen advocacy on issues that affect veterans attending college.

Now, thanks to some of UCF's own student veterans, all veterans attending this university have the opportunity to unite for common causes and to benefit from the experiences of other students who also walked a mile in a soldier's boots.

UCF became the fifth Florida university to officially recognize an SVA branch, and considering the school enrolls more veterans on the GI Bill than all but 17 universities in this country, according to The Chronicle of Higher Education, that move fits squarely into the category of things long overdue.

But SGA and the students responsible for the SVA at UCF still deserve credit for recognizing a problem that affects so many students who have sacrificed so much.

In the coming weeks, as the SGA presidential elections ramp up, it's likely that criticism of the current embodiment of that organization will also be on the rise.

Many of the complaints and concerns will likely be justified, others won't; however, there's no doubt that one of the more popular rhetorical techniques for those looking to take power is to point out what those in power have done wrong.

It's important to recognize those bad decisions of the past, but only those who can recognize the positive should feel justified in pointing out the negative.

Sure, it probably wasn't a tough decision to make. Fine, the "official" designation is really more of a formality for a group that has been active at UCF for some time.

But by recognizing the Student Veterans Association, SGA made a move that was truly positive, and that could very well help many UCF student veterans for years to come.

So, before the pre-election finger-pointing commences - or resumes, for those who got an early start - let's give SGA and the SVA a round of applause for trying to give help to those brave men and women who have truly earned it.?