Some days really are perfect.  Today, The Veterans Exchange and MOTS (Manasota Operation Troop Support) completed our “Toes For Joes” Sock Drive.  We filled 70 boxes, for locally deployed troops, in Iraq and Afghanistan.  We all met up at 9:00am, this Saturday morning.  We got the boxes ready, actually knowing the names of the soldiers who were going to be opening them.  We packed socks, shower shoes, candy, beef jerky, energy bars, letters, and cards.  They are filled to limit, and ready to go!

The Veterans Exchange, which I’m extremely proud of co-founding, has accomplished so very much this semester.  Our fantastic Venice Campus Student Life Advisor, Jeff Snyder, continuously extends his appreciation of what we have accomplished.  He cannot recall a club, being newly chartered (only since this past August), achieving so much.  And it was not easy.  It took a lot of hard work and dedication.  Our efforts have helped propel the Bradenton Campus to establish a Veteran’s Club of their own.  To be honest, I’m still amazed at how all of this happened.  The “Veterans Exchange” came to life from one simple question posed in a conversation during the summer term:

“Why don’t we have a Veterans Club on Campus?”

And that’s how things happen. It’s as simple as that—having a conversation— asking questions. So now, the Venice Campus has Veterans Organization that has over 40 members.  I am truly honored to know that something I helped to create will become a permanent part of the social structure of SCF.  It’s a great feeling.

Sometime ago, and I think it may have been my first blog, I wrote something like: “if a club doesn’t exist on campus, and you feel strongly about it, then START one.”  Mostly anything is possible, and I’ve got the evidence to back it up.

Well—three finals left! STATS, History of Film, and Horror Literature.  I’ll be officially done with my classes by 2pm on Tuesday, and by that time I’ll also be somewhat normal again (and “somewhat” is a key word in that last statement).