Veterans Club

^{Amista Lujan, Staff Writer}

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With Veterans Day this passing Nov. 11, it was only right to interview our Veterans Club coordinator, Jorge Castillo-Sierra. Jorge‘s previous experience as a Marine Corps veteran helps him now working as the Veterans Club advisor and coordinator. In the interview, I asked him what is the goal of the Veterans Club? His response was very interesting, as he wanted to provide a safe and welcoming environment for veterans transitioning out of the military or veterans that are looking to go to college. For example, Jorge created a mentorship program that provides on-campus mentors to veterans and dependents to foster allyship with incoming students. This program encourages the new students to stick with their studies and develop strong communal ties within the university.

There are many events that he had touched on regarding the involvement of the club, both on and off-campus, like Veteran’s day. He invited many veterans to come and enjoy the Women’s Volleyball game here on campus. Jorge encouraged a veteran and their daughter to play in the halftime game which many of the students on campus were both supportive and excited to see. 

The program also works to join larger campus-events like the Multicultural Fair on Nov. 15. When I asked about why they were involved at the Multicultural Fair, he expressed that veteran culture is its own diverse group of people from everyday civilians. Furthermore, the military is full of different diverse groups who have independent cultures they bring to it. Some important ones he explained a lot on were the Navajo unit, the all African-American units that fought in World War II, and the all woman unit that fought in both the Afghanistan and Iraq war. The military is often presented as one identity, but learning about the diverse subgroups within the military itself is very important, especially to those within it like Jorge. 

The Veterans Club also tries to bring awareness by collaborating with different clubs for social issues. Last semester, they hosted a Drag Bingo event where they were helping bring awareness to not only the LGBTQ+ community, but also how it affected veterans that identified a part of this group. 

Last school year they were voted the most collaborative club on campus. They don’t aim to just support veterans and their independence, but they also open up the club to regular students here on campus. I myself enjoy talking to the many veterans hanging out in the veterans lounge as I learned a lot talking to each and everyone of them. The Veterans Club provides a comforting environment, so everyone on campus feels welcomed and relaxed in the presence of one another. Office hours are 9 AM to 5 PM.

You can contact Jorge through his email jcastillonsierra@stmartin.edu or you can follow the Vet Club’s Instagram: @smuvetcorps.