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PAGE C-G THURSDAY, MARCH 17, ;!Oll
Bill woul00d help veterans
adapt to college culture
By CINDY YUIITIt from battlefield to campus, the
TsiYl' BIJREAU Arizona State Senate on March
10 unanimously passed SB 1266,
CHINLE - Most colleges have the Arizona Veteran-Supportive
clubs, or even whole departments, Campus bill.
for minority students, foreign
students, single parents and others
who need a little support to adjust
to the campus environment.
They don't tend to consider
another category of students
entering from a different culture:
military veterans.
While the GI Bill is a great
financial tool for veterans, that may
not be the only. form of support
they need. Statistics from the U.S.
Veterans Administration show that
only 8 percent of veterans who
use the bill end up finishing their
degrees. Obviously, morphing from
soldier to student is not as simple
as putting down a gun and picking
up a book.
"They're coming from an
environment most of us will never
experience," said Gene Van Den
Bosch, president and CEO of
the Arizona Veterans Education
Foundation. "Even just talking with
the other students may be hard for
The bill's sponsor, Sen. Jack
C. Jackson Jr., D-Window Rock,
foresees no trouble for the bill in
the House.
"I think this is a bipartisan issue
we can all get behind," he said.
Plus, although it recommends the
state's Veteran Services Department
set aside some funds for colleges
to better serve student veterans, it
doesn't mandate it, and most of the
adaptations can be made by colleges
for little or no money.
According to Van Den Bosch,
whose foundation vrote thb
legislation, it's really about
sensitivity to veterans' needs.
"We approached many colleges
and universities ib0fit this," he
said. "They all wanted to be more
welcoming to veterans. They just
needed some guidance•"
Under the bill, a college or
university can be listed as a
"veteran-supportive campus" by
taking a few simple but meaningful
"This could be as simple as having
a fellow veteran take them around
campus," Van Den Bosch said.
They need to offer at least one
course exclusively for veterans
and taught by either a veteran or
a civilian volunteer who has taken
sensitivity training - and under the
bill, all faculty and administrators
are required to take that training if
a college is to call itself "veteran-
supportive."
That class should start on military
time: 15 minutes early.
A special study area must be set
aside for exclusive use by veterans,
their families, and family members
of active-duty personnel. That may
seem unreasonably exclusive to
some, but Van Den Bosch said it's
important.
"Imagine there's a veteran who's
been wounded," he said.
That student may not even be
noticed when he walks into the
campus library, but if he walks
into a circle of other veterans, "he
or she is going to be revered," Van
Den Bosch said. "It's a very healing
experience both for the wounded
veteran and the other veterans."
them." steps. They must have a special The veteran students should
To help ease the transition orientation for veterans, be encouraged to form a club
CO/'AAAUNITY ADVERTISEMENTS
and at least one support group
of their choosing - PTSD, single
parents, etc, - with space on campus
provided for it" in the evening.
Some institutions have already
adopted some or all of these
accommodations, and the results are
stellar. At the University of Arizona,
which has been veteran-supportive
for three years, 94 percent of the
veterans who take full advantage
of the program graduate:
A list of veteran-supportive
institutions would be kept at the
state'g Veterans Services offices so
that "when a veteran comes home
and decides to go to school, she or
he knows the places that have made
a special effort to make him or her
welcome and successful," Van Den
Bosch explained.
Van Den Bosch would like to see
Din6 College climb on board, and
initial talks with the institution have
been "wonderful," he said.
In the meantime, Van Den Bosch
urged, we should all try to put
ourselves in the boots of that
returning soldier we encounter in
our daily lives. When a veteran
student confided to Van Den Bosch,
who teaches part-time at Mesa
Community College, that he felt
Long Walk III
Raymonf Muck uk, Oilbway, from Ontario, Canada,
Is taking a six-month vacation to participate In the
Longest Walk III from San Diego, Calif., to Washington,
D.C. The group rested at Veterans Memorial Parkon
Monday In Window Rock. (Times photo - Lelgh T.
Jlmmle)
nervous with people sitting behind
him - a common symptom among
combat veterans - Van Den Bosch
asked the students to arrang e their
chairs in a circle.
"Some of these things are sq
simple, yet they're things you don't
think of unless you've been in that
military environment," he said.
Spriqg Break Slaughter
BLOOMFIELD, N.M. The
Spring Break Slaughter featuring
Paranormal Slaughter, Upon
Darkness, Savage Brutality," and
Obsolete is scheduled Friday, March
25, from 5-9 p.m. at the Sears
Studio (No. 18 CR 5364, Highway
64). Admission is $3 at the door.
Information: Branden, 505-716-
6310.
Hozhoni Days Powwow
DURANGO, Colo. - The 47th
Annual Hozhoni Days Powwow,
"Continuing Traditions within Our
Elders' Footsteps," is scheduled
March 2526 at Fort Lewis College's
Whalen Gym. Host staff includes:
head man, Jered Canty, South
Carolina; head lady, Caryn L.
Hacker, Newport, Va.; head northern
drum, Mile Post 30, Hogback, N.M.;
head southern drum, Thunderhill,
Oklahoma; master of ceremonies,
Manny King, Lawrence, Kan.; arena
director, Spike Draper, Kirtland,
N.M.; head judge, Chad Avery,
Durango; head gourd, Duane Harris,
Albuquerque; and color guard,
Fort Lewis College Veterans Club..
Drum contest payout includes 1st,
$2,000; 2nd, $1,000; and 3rd, $500.
Friday's gourd dancing begins at
6 p.m., grand entry begins at 7
p.m. Saturday's gourd dancing
begins at 11 a.m., 1st grand entry
at 1 p.m., gourd dancing at 6 p.m.,
2rid grand entry at7 p:m.,,and the
crowning of Miss Hozhoni 2011-
2012. Admission is $5, students
$3, and free for ages 6 and under
and seniors (ages 60 and older).
Registration opens Friday at 4 p.m.
Drum contest $25, dancers $7 (W-9
required). Sponsored by Wanbli Ota
Organization.
Running club cakewalk
Stateline on Friday, March 25, from
9 p.m. to 1 a.m. (DST) at Wowies.
Information: Merle, 505-406-7910
or find. Stateline on Facebook and
Myspace.
Aces Wild in Kayenta
KAYENTA - Aces Wild will be
playing at the recreation center
Saturday, March 19, from 9 p.m.
GALLUP - The Gallup Running to 1 a.m.
Club will sponsor a cakewalk
Saturday, March 19, from 6-9
p.m. at Red Rock Chapter House.
Information: 505-360-6853.
Country dance
GALL UP -.Dance to the music of
Easter celebration
KAYENTA The Easter
Celebration country and wester0
dance featuring music by Stone
Country is scheduled Saturday,
April 23 .from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at
the recreation center. Admission
is $15 per single/S25 per couple.
Fundraiser benefit for the Eugeni a
Charley Barrel Racing Clinic student
awards. Information: 928-697-3428.
Aces Wild at Silverdome
Frisco Wallace, 505-716-1233 or
friscothenavajo@gmail.com.
Dafice in Shipreck
SHIPROCK - Dance to the music
of Stateline on Friday, April 15,
from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. (DST) at the
ShiprockA-gym. Information: Merle,
505-406-7910 or find Stateline on
Facebook and Myspace.
Cinco de Metal
SHIPROCK - FTN Productions
presents Cinco De Metal featuring
Signal 99, Discotays, Drazil and
Upon Darkness on Saturday,
MayT, from 7-11 p.m. at the
Chieff,ain'TCack Rec0rds Advance
tickets are $5 and $8 at the door.
Tickets available at Chieftain
Track Records in Shiprock (505-
809-0157) or Main St. Music in
Aztec, N.M. (505-334-5210).
Information: Frisco, 505-716-1233
or friscothenavajo@gmail.com.
LUKACHUKAI, Ariz. - Aces Wild
will be playing at the Silverdome on
Friday, March 18, from 9 p.m. to 1
a.m.
Spring Break Jamm
Tohaalisong anddance
TOADLENA, N.M. - A song
and dance will be held Saturday,
March 19, at Tohaali Community
School. Master of ceremonies
will be Roger Manuelito. Group
SHIPROCK - FTN Productions singers, dancers and the public
)resents the Spring Break Jamm • are welcome. Admission is $5 per
featuring Upon Darkness, Old person, lncludesconcession, raffles
Medicine, A Dying Breed and and cakewalk.
Cursewords In Cursive at Chieftain
Track Records on Saturday, March Nite Breeze in Tewaoc
19, from 7-11 p.m. Advance tickets
are $3 ($5 at the door). Information: TOWAOC, Colo. - Dennis Yazzie
and Nite Breeze will be playing
at the Towaoc Recreation Center
on Friday, March 18, from 9 p.m.
to 1 a.m. Includes door prizes.
Sponsored by the Four Corners
Unity Youth Council. Information:
Beverly Lehi, 970-565-3644 or
970-560-1305.
Aces Wild in Kayenta
TUBA CITY - Dance to the music
of Aces Wild on Saturday, March 26,
from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Tuba
City High School pavilion.
Country dance
WHITERIVER, Ariz. - Stateline
will be playing at the Country Hall
on Friday, April 1, from 9 p.m. to
1 a.m. (MS'r). Information: Merle,
505-406-7910 or find Stateline on
Facebook and Myspace.
Stateline Music Festival
WINDOW ROCK - The first
annual Stateline Music Festival
"One Stage, One Sound, One
Night" is scheduled Saturday,
March 26, from 4 p.m. to 1 a.m.
at Nakai Hall. Bands currently
entered include Bad Boys,
Badlandz, Country Rebels, Kountry
Outsiders, Majestic, Renegade
Boys, Rezervation Dreamers,
Silver Country, Twang Deluxe, and
Workin Progress. Admission is $10
per person. Information: Merle,
505-406-7910 or find Stateline on
Facebook and Myspace.
The Good News
About Rez Dogs
The Navajo Nation continues to come under fire concerning the "Rez dog situation" but in fact,
there are 9ood things happening and it's because YOU are facilitating change.
• Last year, almost 300 puppies were admitted into the Navajo Nation Puppy Adoption
• Program at the Window Rock Veterinary Cflnk::. These were unwanted pupplu, many of
whom would have been abandoned in the desert to die. These pups were brought into the
program because YOU wanted to see them have a shot at life,
• There are over 30 foster families in the Navajo Nation Puppy Adoption Program who are
willing to open their hearts and homes to care for these puppies until they can be adopted.
YOU are the ones to volunteer your time, energy and affection to these dogs.
• Last month, 97 animals were sterilized at two of the Navajo Nation Veterinary Clinics
because YOU didn't want to contdbuts to the dog overpopulation problem on the Rez.
• Last summer, 845 dogs end 162 cats were vaccinated, de-wormed and for external
parmdt(m at the NHA Summer Wellness Clinics and over 300 animals were vaccinated for
rabies on World Rabies Day because YOU want healthy dogs.
So what does all this tell us? It says that things am changing. People are speaking up to ask for
veterinary cam, adequate animal control and some relief from the budget cuts in these essential
services.
From Tuba City to Crown Point and from Kayenta to Fort Delfance, most Navajo people want to
take responsibility for their animals. They just need the opportunity. We remember what our
anc have taught us: It is the People's role to live together in balance with all creation.
YOU made change for the Rez dogs. Keep tip the good work.
NNVLP,CIInlCs; Window Rock: 929-871-6615 * Chink) : 928-674-2069 * Shiprock : 505-368-1007
I I I I I I I
lesson is provided by Ihe Navejo Nation Animal and Community I-kmtth Project and paid for by IFAW
I
@IFAW