MURFREESBORO — Increasing
from five to 300 members in 2013 alone, the MTSU student organization known as
BRAVO has experienced tremendous growth.
The progression was acknowledged recently when the Student
Veterans of America national organization selected BRAVO — Blue Raider American
Veteran Organization — as Chapter of the Month for March.
Student Veterans of America, or SVA, a coalition of student
veterans groups on more than 950 college campuses worldwide, announced the
honor March 7.
“I was actually very pleased to learn the news,” said
Malcolm Stallard, an MTSU sophomore and BRAVO’s president, who said events for
nearly 1,000 MTSU student veterans and their dependents has helped stimulate
growth and awareness across campus and helped lead to the SVA recognition.
Student organization adviser Pat Richey, an assistant
professor in speech and theatre and BRAVO adviser, said he was “shocked” when
he heard the news about the chapter award.
“I didn’t know we were in the running,” Richey said. “It
kind of popped on us — a last-minute notice. I was really surprised we got it.
I knew we were active in the SVA, but I didn’t know we were active enough to be
recognized.”
Stallard said he and E.J. Hirsch, BRAVO’s vice president,
attended a national SVA conference held at Google headquarters in New York City
in October. Stallard said they learned “they very much were appreciated by SVA
for being a light shining to other chapters.”
“We’re now building relationships on campus with the
veterans’ population,” Stallard said. “We’re seeing resources and
collaborations increase. Veterans are starting to trust the school more.
Organizations on campus want to help us. And veterans helping veterans is
helping with our retention.”
Stallard said BRAVO’s membership began to explode last fall
because of football tailgating activities, table displays, a T-shirt promotion,
Veterans Job Fair and a 5K/10K run.
“We had activities for them to do and it brought in more
veterans,” Stallard said.
Richey said an initiative for the tutoring of veterans
improved their academic success at MTSU.
“One example of MTSU’s strong support to veterans was
campaigning by (MTSU Veterans Committee members) Derek Frisby, Hilary
Stallings, Tony Johnston, Jimmie Cain and past BRAVO members for priority
registration for veterans in Tennessee,” he said. Frisby serves as committee
chair.
BRAVO, as one aspect of the veteran-friendly community at
MTSU, continues to advocate for veteran needs on campus and in Tennessee,
Richey added.
Richey said BRAVO member Sean Martin, a junior sociology
major, played a role when the Tennessee Veteran Education Task Force met Feb.
21 at MTSU. Martin is the only student representative from across the state and
only MTSU representative on the 10-member task force.
Upcoming BRAVO-related events include:
• Adopt A Hero Dinner, which will start at 6 p.m. Friday,
April 11, at Oaklands Historic House Museum, 900 N. Maney Ave.;
• VetSuccess on Campus Veterans and Family Benefits Expo,
which will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday, April 24, in both the Campus
Recreation Center and Student Union. For more information, contact Heather
Conrad at 615-898-2974 or email heather.conrad@va.gov;
and
• Poker Run and Block Party (300 bikers), which will start
at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 26, at Bumpus Harley Davidson of Murfreesboro, 2250
Northwest Broad St.
To learn more about BRAVO events including the Adopt A Hero
Dinner and Poker Run, email Stallard at bravo@mtsu.edu
or call 615-971-3187.
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