2005-06 MilVets Executive Summary

2005-06 MILVETS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

“The primary, overall mission of MilVets as we enter the 2005-2006 academic year is to generate influence by increasing our exposure.”
“The long-term goal for MilVets is to go national within four years.”
Stated April 2005 by President Oscar Escano

“If a student thinks Jewish issues, he thinks Hillel; if he thinks military issues, he ought to think MilVets.”
Stated April 2005 by Vice President Eric Chen

2005-06 Executive Goals:
Increase the public stock (value). Raise the public profile. Develop philosophy, culture and community. Identify and prepare future leaders. Recruit and expand membership. Professionalize administrative structure and practices. Develop the website. Create a logo. Acquire a group banner. Acquire Category I funding from ABC. Network with veterans organizations. Network with Columbia military alumni. Network with student-veteran groups.

Spring-Summer 2005 Achievements:
Constitution revision.
E-Board election. President Oscar Escano and VP Eric Chen elected.
Summer preparation. "About Us" statement, philosophy, goals and plans developed.

Fall 2005 Achievements:
Website renovation. Gallery, sign-up, Columbia military history, updates and other functions added.
Tables at General Studies Orientation and Columbia Activities Day.
MilVets PT.
Reception for United States Forces Korea Commander GEN Leon LaPorte.
Through the Eyes of a Soldier III: Basic Training.

Spring 2006 Achievements:
Executive Council formed.
Logo created.
Banner acquired.
Response to Activities Day hate incident. Press release, delegation meeting with Provost Alan Brinkley, “military status” added as protected category to the university discrimination policy.
Through the Eyes of a Soldier IV: Iraq and Afghanistan veterans.
University Chaplain (Jewelnel Davis) prayer for service-members and veterans with military-style flag-folding ceremony in Saint Paul’s Chapel.
Post-graduate debriefing with MilVets alumni.
Hosted Michael Gordon, author of Cobra II, in SIPA.
Operation Iraqi Children school supply kits drive. Co-sponsored by the College Democrats, College Republicans, Students United for America, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies Fellows and Hamilton Society (ROTC cadets group).
Constitution revision.
E-Board election. President Luke Stalcup and VP Peter Kim elected.
ROTC commissioning ceremony in Low Library.
Category I funding from Activities Board of Columbia approved.

Other Achievements:
Media coverage. Columbia Record, Columbia Spectator, Columbia Current, Fox and Friends, Fox News, New York Sun, Dateline NBC.
Weekly newsletter. MilVets News.
Movie nights. Gunner Palace, Team America: World Police, The Best Years of Our Lives, Aliens.
Social gatherings at Nacho Mama's and other locations.
Signed Columbia ‘good luck’ banners given to deployed milvets Seth Hillbrand and Paul Barnes.
Provided primary sources for military-related research projects in Journalism, School of the Arts and Anthropology.

Summary:
MilVets achieved all the 2005-06 executive goals except formal networking with Columbia military alumni and other student-veteran groups. From the start of Fall 2005 until the end of Spring 2006, the official membership of MilVets grew from 28 to 86 members, not including alumni and non-affiliated supporters. The most important decisions of 2005-06 – each initiated by Oscar Escano - were to establish “go national” as the long-term goal, authorize the Executive Council, and respond to the Activities Day hate incident by requesting amendment of the university discrimination policy.

2005-06 MilVets Executive Board:
President Oscar Escano
Vice President Eric Chen
Activities Director Matt Sanchez (resigned)
Treasurer Scott Stewart (resigned)
Secretary Jim Davis (resigned)
Secretary Julian Petrin (replacement)
Webmaster Zhuo Zheng

2005-06 Executive Council:
Mike Nicholas
Luke Stalcup
Todd Murphy
Mike Podberesky

On-line References:
Main website: http://www.columbia.edu/cu/usmilvetscu/
Reference library: http://www.milvetslibrary.blogspot.com/
Gallery: http://community.webshots.com/user/milvets
Information dump: http://www.milvets.blogspot.com/


Written by Eric Chen, 2005-06 Vice President, U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University, 05JUL06.
Approved by Oscar Escano, 2005-06 President, U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University, 06JUL06.

Point of Contact: Eric Chen (elc2003 at columbia.edu).