The Cal State Long Beach campus is closed in honor of Veterans Day this Thursday, but the community will commemorate the holiday Wednesday.
A ceremony will honor the U.S. Armed Forces from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on the southeast terrace of the University Student Union.
Patrick O’Rourke is director of veterans affairs, a veteran and a doctoral student. He said the whole campus is encouraged to attend.
“We have … veterans on our staff who have various and different roles there,” O’Rourke said. “Some time ago they had an experience as a veteran, and that experience is a part of who they are and so maybe it’s not what role do veterans play, it’s the fact that we’re here and we are a diverse group of men and women with a very distinct experience in our lives.”
The event is a collaboration between the Veterans Affairs Services office and the VetNet Student group. The ceremony will include a short presentation from O’Rourke, a speech from Congressman Dana Rohrabacher and a performance of patriotic music from the music department’s brass section.
O’Rourke said student veterans make up a diverse and important part of the campus community, and other students should make an effort to get to know them.
“I encourage people to get to know veterans and as they do they’ll get to understand how that experience shaped them,” O’Rourke said. “Veterans are sometimes some of the most easygoing people. There’s a lot of myths that aren’t necessarily fair, like with any divers group. You’ve got to be your own myth buster.”
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