As the OU community gears up to celebrate veterans and military personnel for Veteran's Day, the Student Veteran Association at the University of Oklahoma has initiated a week of festivities.
A series of events leading up to the OU football game and a Veterans Day parade are scheduled for the weekend.
SVA President Harrison Anderson expressed his appreciation for the support he has received from the OU community during his time on campus.
“My experience here at OU has been very good. I’m in my second year at OU and have had a variety of courses. In each of those classes, I’ve found that professors are very receptive to my input during and out of class. I’ve also found that most of the student body is supportive, friendly and genuinely curious about my previous experiences,” Anderson said.
“I chose to come to OU due to the location (my family lives in Norman), the MIS program (I have a background in IT and want to translate it into the business world) and I grew up an OU fan due to my dad going here. It just made sense as the place to go following my time in the military.”
Anderson cited the opening of the Student Veteran Zone in Oklahoma Memorial Union earlier this year as a recent example showing the university’s commitment to supporting its veterans during their time at OU.
“The VetZone has been a great help in supporting student veterans. Because it allows veterans to congregate and meet with peers with similar life experiences, a sense of community has begun to develop,” he said. “Friendships are being made, and student veterans can help their peers with schoolwork or other issues.”
Anderson foresees continued growth and opportunities for student veterans at OU.
“The SVA, while tailored to veterans, doesn’t require veteran status for membership,” he observed. “Those who are still in uniform, their family members and even friends are more than welcome to take part in SVA activities and events. Right now, the SVA is in a rebuild following the COVID pandemic. We’ve increased membership almost threefold, and we are beginning to add service events to our calendar.
”Going forward, we are looking to add a veterans-specific job fair, more seminars on VA and OKDVA benefits, and off-campus events that support our mission statement,” he added.
For students looking to access support from the Veteran Support Alliance on OU’s three campuses, following is the contact information:
Norman Campus
· (405) 325-4308
OU Health Sciences Center
· (405) 271-2359 ext. 48918
OU-Tulsa
· (918) 660-3360
Each office operates independently to cater to the needs of student veterans enrolled in academic programs offered by the respective campus.
