Dedication ceremony held for OSU Veteran Lounge

Brooke Profitt
Tue, 20 Oct 2015 04:03:41 +0000
Area, Campus, Local, ohio state, Smith Lab, Student-Veteran Lounge

Wayne Carlson, vice provost for undergraduate education, Mike Salvino, group chief executive of Accenture Operations, and Mike Carrell, assistant provost and director, Ohio State University Office of Military and Veterans Services, spoke at the dedication ceremony for the Ohio State University Student-Veteran Lounge. Credit: Brooke Profitt / Lantern Reporter

Ohio State veteran students now have a renovated space to call their own.

On Monday the OSU Student-Veteran Lounge in Smith Lab 1132A held a dedication ceremony for the renovated space.

Renovations of the lounge include updated appliances, new furniture, fresh paint and larger lockers for use by veteran students. These renovations were funded by donations from Accenture, a global strategy, management and technology consulting, technology services and operations company, according to an OSU press release.

Renovations began on July 10 and were completed on Aug. 3. The lounge first opened on Feb. 20, 2013.

Mike Carrell, assistant provost and director of the OSU Office of Military and Veterans Services, who spoke at the event, said the lounge has seen an increase in use since the renovations were completed in August.

The lounge has been open for several years and was originally furnished with hand-me-down furniture, but the renovations are making it a more popular and welcoming space, Carrell said.

“It makes it a friendlier environment, makes it easier for veterans to adapt to the environment and college life,” said Colin Winter, a third-year in social work and a veteran.

Winter is also president of Vets4Vets at OSU, and he said he is excited to hold their meetings in the refurbished area. The group provides support to military veterans as they transition to being a student.

Carrell said the lounge is a space for veteran students at OSU to study, network and help one another in the transition from being in the military to being a college student.

“It gives us a way to network and bond with other veterans around campus. It’s a good central meeting place for us,” said John Berger, a fourth-year in environmental, economic, development and sustainability and an outreach coordinator with the Office of Military and Veterans Services.

The ceremony featured Wayne Carlson, vice provost for undergraduate education at OSU and Mike Salvino, group chief executive officer of Accenture Operations.
After the dedication, Accenture held a networking event that included recruiting, as well as a resume and interview workshop, for veteran students in the lounge.