Student Veterans of UNM has improved lives of veterans

Editor,

With the new semester comes a new climate in our nation. Regardless of your political affiliation, the promise of change is great, and the responsibilities of citizenship are being renewed.

While we move forward as a nation, it is imperative that we also remember the men and women who make the sacrifices necessary to promote and defend our freedoms that allow for a peaceful transition of power. At the University level, the vision of our President Darrin Kowitz has become a reality with the inauguration of the Veterans Outreach Center. At the student level, the first year of the Student Veterans of UNM has been a rousing success story. As a group, we have raised more than $1,000 and volunteered more than 200 hours in direct support of the New Mexico Veterans Integration Center, which is a vital tool to help our homeless veterans transition back into society. In addition to the money we raised for the NMVIC at our Veterans Day "Mile of Coins" fund-raiser at Smith Plaza, we also brought some much needed awareness to the lack of University recognition for the sacrifices of veterans and their families. The lack of recognition is demonstrated by the University not officially observing this holiday.

Perhaps our most notable achievement is the social network for veterans that our group has established. Understanding the challenges that veterans face is one of the mission points of our group, accomplished by assisting all veterans with problems or issues they may face in their University careers. This mission covers a broad range of services including class mentorships, assistance in obtaining and using educational benefits, and opportunities to socialize with other veterans in a variety of functions we hold throughout the year.

I would like to personally invite any student or faculty, whether veteran or not, to attend our next meeting at 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 4 in the Trailblazer Room on the third floor of the SUB, and please remember: What matters is not whether we win or lose a war; what matters is how we treat our veterans when they get home. For more information, please contact us at Svunm@unm.edu

Zack Mutchler

Vice president of Student Veterans of UNM