Spring Break
New RSO targets veterans
Larry Burge
Issue date: 3/14/08 Section: News
One of the oldest segments of the American society is also one of the least represented on the UA campus, but a group met Wednesday to discuss the need of representation for the country's armed forces veterans.
Mental health clinicians Josette Cline and Jeff Martindale, both from Pat Walker Health services, led the discussion Wednesday before a representative group of six veterans in the Multicultural Center library. Those attending this inaugural meeting were interested in forming a new veteran Registered Student Organization.
The best estimate Cline gave for the number of veterans registered in UA classes was somewhere between 350-700 students.
"No one can provide us with the numbers of vets in school, and that's nuts," said retired Sgt. Maj. Birch Farley, who counsels veterans at the Fayetteville office of Workforce Arkansas and is a UA senior.
Farley said he spent 21 years as an army paratrooper and came to the meeting to lend his support to the veteran's effort.
Potential members of the new RSO hope to assist all armed forces veterans to adjust from the military life into civilian life, as well as explore what a veteran needs to succeed on campus as a UA student.
"Vets need to realize how to go about getting benefits and getting everything taken care of," said Andrew Suchanek, a junior math student and veteran. "I mean, I just came to Arkansas. I didn't know anybody. It made it so much easier when I found the right people. When I came in the spring of '07, I had no clue of what was going on."
Suchanek said it took a while for him to locate people to help him. He had to find out where to go, how to fill out the paperwork, how to set up classes and how to get everything prepared to start back in school, all with the added pressures placed on him in his transition from military to civilian life.
"I mean, you all will agree, it's crazy. It's not the same," Suchanek told the group. "You're dependent upon yourself. You've got to know when to wake yourself up, take care of your business. There's nobody out there to tell you what to do anymore."
He, along with the other veterans who attended the meeting, said they wanted to help form a pathway to guide other military veterans, to show them the right things to do and where to go. The group's consensus expressed the need to make the student transition process a lot smoother for future military veterans.
The process started when Derek Gordon, active duty Air Force and current UA student, met Cline in the health center in October.
"We just started talking about vets not knowing where to go around [the UA campus] to get help," Gordon said.
Gordon volunteered to be the president of the new RSO, and Hosa Rentsendorj, finance major, said he would be treasurer, the two necessary positions to apply for RSO status.
Gordon called a second meeting for 4 p.m. today in the Multicultural Center to establish the organization's name, complete necessary paperwork and write a veteran's RSO Constitution.
Mental health clinicians Josette Cline and Jeff Martindale, both from Pat Walker Health services, led the discussion Wednesday before a representative group of six veterans in the Multicultural Center library. Those attending this inaugural meeting were interested in forming a new veteran Registered Student Organization.
The best estimate Cline gave for the number of veterans registered in UA classes was somewhere between 350-700 students.
"No one can provide us with the numbers of vets in school, and that's nuts," said retired Sgt. Maj. Birch Farley, who counsels veterans at the Fayetteville office of Workforce Arkansas and is a UA senior.
Farley said he spent 21 years as an army paratrooper and came to the meeting to lend his support to the veteran's effort.
Potential members of the new RSO hope to assist all armed forces veterans to adjust from the military life into civilian life, as well as explore what a veteran needs to succeed on campus as a UA student.
"Vets need to realize how to go about getting benefits and getting everything taken care of," said Andrew Suchanek, a junior math student and veteran. "I mean, I just came to Arkansas. I didn't know anybody. It made it so much easier when I found the right people. When I came in the spring of '07, I had no clue of what was going on."
Suchanek said it took a while for him to locate people to help him. He had to find out where to go, how to fill out the paperwork, how to set up classes and how to get everything prepared to start back in school, all with the added pressures placed on him in his transition from military to civilian life.
"I mean, you all will agree, it's crazy. It's not the same," Suchanek told the group. "You're dependent upon yourself. You've got to know when to wake yourself up, take care of your business. There's nobody out there to tell you what to do anymore."
He, along with the other veterans who attended the meeting, said they wanted to help form a pathway to guide other military veterans, to show them the right things to do and where to go. The group's consensus expressed the need to make the student transition process a lot smoother for future military veterans.
The process started when Derek Gordon, active duty Air Force and current UA student, met Cline in the health center in October.
"We just started talking about vets not knowing where to go around [the UA campus] to get help," Gordon said.
Gordon volunteered to be the president of the new RSO, and Hosa Rentsendorj, finance major, said he would be treasurer, the two necessary positions to apply for RSO status.
Gordon called a second meeting for 4 p.m. today in the Multicultural Center to establish the organization's name, complete necessary paperwork and write a veteran's RSO Constitution.
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