Comments on: Questions and Conversations: Past and Present http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2007/11/14/questions-and-conversations-past-and-present/ Michael S. Roth became Wesleyan University's 16th president on July 1, 2007. Sat, 6 Sep 2008 01:00:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Steve http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2007/11/14/questions-and-conversations-past-and-present/#comment-1355 Steve Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:45:12 +0000 http://roth.blogs.wesleyan.edu/2007/11/14/questions-and-conversations-past-and-present/#comment-1355 I would like to applaud Frank Sica and Jonathan Soros on endowing scholarships for military veterans at Wesleyan. As someone who served in the active military before graduating college (former Sgt. US Army Infantry), coming back to college after military service provides an entirely different world view from that of the traditional undergraduate. I also hope that it provides an opportunity for traditional undergraduates to interact with these students, and realize that those who serve are neither brainwashed nor monolithic in thought. I hope the Wesleyan community will embrace and accept these scholarship recipients for the people they are and will become. In my own experience, I had been told by advisors and mentors in academia to down-play my military service, since it might be held against me, but I have never hid that fact. On the other hand I have never been vocal about my past service either so I doubt most of my colleagues here at Wesleyan are aware of it either. Bravo on providing an excellent educational opportunity for those who have served in the military. I would like to applaud Frank Sica and Jonathan Soros on endowing scholarships for military veterans at Wesleyan. As someone who served in the active military before graduating college (former Sgt. US Army Infantry), coming back to college after military service provides an entirely different world view from that of the traditional undergraduate. I also hope that it provides an opportunity for traditional undergraduates to interact with these students, and realize that those who serve are neither brainwashed nor monolithic in thought. I hope the Wesleyan community will embrace and accept these scholarship recipients for the people they are and will become. In my own experience, I had been told by advisors and mentors in academia to down-play my military service, since it might be held against me, but I have never hid that fact.
On the other hand I have never been vocal about my past service either so I doubt most of my colleagues here at Wesleyan are aware of it either.

Bravo on providing an excellent educational opportunity for those who have served in the military.

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