In light of Veteran’s Day, an exhibit called Soldiers to Scholars, an initiative of the Military History Club here at West Chester University, will be open free to the public inside the Francis Harvey Green Library starting Nov. 9.
According to Professor Robert Kodosky, dept. of history and project coordinator, this exhibit “seeks to complicate the ideas people hold regarding military veterans” and offers “an authentic expression of gratitude.”
This project, which began a few years ago, will feature the portraits, biographies, and loaned artifacts of the veterans, allowing visitors to understand each of their unique stories within the exhibit.
The exhibit will also display smart phone codes so that visitors can scan and watch oral histories online, posted by link to the Soldiers to Scholars page.
Because so few of us are involved in the military, and as a result know little about it, Soldiers to Scholars will do just as it says in its title—bring knowledge and stories to students here on our campus.
With Veteran’s Day coming up on the 11th, it is important to take the time to reflect, learn, and understand the lives of veterans, and Solider to Scholars will help you do just that.
The intent of the program, according to Kodosky, is “to complicate the ideas people hold regarding veterans. Each individual is unique. There exists as many stories and points of view on all things, from war to peace, as there does veterans.
Uniforms and people are not the same. Discerning the difference enables the dialogue necessary to transcend any barriers to communication, both on campus and in our community.”
Plenty of our WCU students are taking part in this project as well.
Katie Cromleigh has written biographies that will accompany the portraits and Melanie Pezdirtz is helping to set up the cases with artifacts on loan.
Biographies of student veterans such as Kelby Hershey, Adam Pezdirtz, Nick Herschel, and Dustin Renninger (Army veterans), Heather Williams and Coty Emerson (Navy veterans) will be highlighted within the exhibit.
Feel free to stroll through the exhibit, as it is currently displayed on the main floor of the library, and will continue to be on display until the end of the month.
For more information, visit: http://www.soldierstoscholars.com/
Samantha Mineroff is a second-year student majoring in English writing with a minor in creative writing. She can be reached at SM825021@wcupa.edu.