Vol. 81, No. 9 Serving Kilgore College since 1936
November 10, 2017
No place like home Veterans room would bring benefits to campus NELDA MILLIGAN-TURNER • Staff Writer
KC
veterans have not been able to locate a place to have meetings and without that, veterans have nowhere on campus to
call their own, according to KC Veterans Club officials.
“It would be nice to have a place on campus for veterans to go and talk with other veterans and be able to sit and have coffee when they become stressed during a class,” said Kenneth Rhoades, KC Veterans Club president. “Most of them leave campus when they feel stressed. This leads to declining grades and veterans giving up on an education and dropping out. They feel forgotten, ” In the fall of 2016, the Veterans Club met in the library, but talking about multiple combat deployments proved inappropriate. They later tried the cafeteria where they received free meals. However, this locale was deemed “too busy” to talk about combat experiences or post-traumatic stress disorders brought on by military service, according to Chris Reed, KC Veterans Club faculty sponsor. “We first need our own room for weekly meetings. The veteran’s club membership is at an all-time low and not one meeting has been held this year because of lack of a facility,” Reed said. “We really can’t begin to help our veterans unless we first have a meeting room to grow from. We have about 500 veterans and legacy recipients at KC this year.” The Veterans Club is not the only student organization struggling with space issues, according to Dr. Mike Jenkins, vice president of student development.
“Unfortunately, most all of our student clubs and organizations are in this situation,” Jenkins said, via email. “While we have a good-sized campus, we simply don’t have the available space for each of our student clubs and organizations to have a dedicated location. As a result, we encourage groups to use classroom space or meeting/conference rooms in the library or the student center for their meetings. We also welcome student groups to use the TV room in the student center as a meeting space.” However, a designated veteran’s meeting room could have even more benefits to the college than most clubs. Rhoades, who served in the U.S. Navy and has a son who recently graduated from KC under the Legacy Program, has visited veteran centers at nearby colleges, including Northeast Texas Community College, Tyler Junior College and University of Texas-Tyler. “If a veteran center can be set up at KC it will be eligible for grants and corporate sponsorship from local corporations. Corporations are hesitant to donate supplies such as books and computers without knowing they are intended for veterans at KC,” Rhoades said. We have a list of grants to apply for and corporate sponsors to contact if KC had a designated veterans center.” See ROOM on Page 3
Dina Robinson / THE FLARE
YOUR VIEW
How do you feel about KC not having a designated veterans room?
Dina Robinson / THE FLARE
“I think they should have a room. They are a club like every other one here. The veterans deserve our respect.” Paxton Jones Kilgore sophomore
Dina Robinson / THE FLARE
Dina Robinson / THE FLARE
Mary Williams-Smith / THE FLARE
O. Rufus Lovett / Special to THE FLARE
“I believe that KC should have a veterans room for meetings and such.”
“If the Comic Book Club can have a room, why can’t the veterans, as well? Seems pretty dumb.”
“I think that they should have one.”
“Our soldiers who fought or served for our freedoms should have an area to relax at while on the campus.”
Kevin Francisco Henderson sophomore
Esdgar Layola Longview freshman
Tatiana Williams Longview sophomore
Lisa Harris Longview sophomore