Do our campus events for veterans and their families need to be big and bold? Often big attendance numbers and turnout are the expectation for events. Whether that expectation is pushed down from leadership or from pressure we put on ourselves, we are all trying to find the answer that cracks the code to student veteran engagement. We are looking for the solution that gets as many students engaged and attending events as possible. The more we offer and incentivize the event, the more we promote the event, the more budget we put behind the event, the louder we are about the event, the better, right?

But there is value and intention in quiet events. In a recent networking discussion with higher ed professionals serving student veterans, an interesting topic came up about quiet vs. loud campus events for veterans. What a 'quiet' event really constitutes was not established in our discussion, but the essence was that quiet events do not require a large number of attendees to be successful. A 'quiet' event doesn't require attendees to be silent of course. We gathered that if the event works and feels rewarding for a small number of attendees it can be considered a 'quiet' event.

In the discussion, one individual shared that their campus is actually leaning towards toning down their Veterans Day programming for 2023. Their events this year will be quieter and more personable, rather than scheduling big Veterans Day celebratory events for an entire week. The intention is to alleviate the parading of veterans around campus for leadership and tokenizing them. The reasoning for more quiet events on their campus has centered around the fact that some post 9/11 veterans, non-combat veterans, and millennial veterans do not always feel that their service was 'loud' enough for a week-long schedule of events.

Examples of Quiet Events

Remember 'quiet' events don't have to be quiet, they just need to work for small groups. Would the event work, be worthwhile, and feel rewarding with three people in attendance? If so, plan it.

Physical Quiet Event Ideas:

• Scheduled morning runs around campus.
• Attend a fitness class, as a group, offered at your wellness center. Utilize other campus resources like renting time at your rock-climbing walls, swimming pools, pickle ball courts or racquetball courts (utilize all the various courts you have access to.)
• Create competitive physical fitness test events.
• Take advantage of your local landscape. Can you plan a group hike, nature walk, fishing day, kayak, or canoeing trip?

Academic Quiet Event Ideas:

• Regularly scheduled study hours with snacks for students.
• Get involved with your library and renting various technologies for students to try out. (Many libraries offer 3D printers, Cricut machines, sewing machines, virtual reality experiences, etc.. Check with your campus library to see what they offer for students.)
• Creative writing nights with writing games.
• Board game nights at your veterans center or other designated meet-up space.
• Bring in professionals or professors from various degree fields for student veterans to learn from and network with for career development.

Community Quiet Event Ideas (consult the proper community partners/chamber of commerce):

• Learning opportunities at nearby museums or historical sites.
• Garbage pick-ups at local beaches, riversides, or prairies.
• Family meet ups at local parks on the weekends for those with children to participate.
• Planting or re-planting flower beds in your local parks and downtown.
• Regular meetups at the local Legion (who doesn't love Bingo night?).
• Monthly volunteering opportunities at local food pantries.
• Local cooking classes.

Other Considerations for Quiet Events:

• At your discretion, open the event to everyone on campus. Just because the veterans resource center is hosting the event doesn't mean that other students won't want to get involved.

Will 'quiet' events bring in more student veterans? It may not crack the code on student engagement, but it may bring in a sector of student veterans who have not engaged much previously. Remember, if the event would work with three people in attendance, plan it. What other 'quiet' events have you offered that worked for your campus?

Article Topics

Military Focused Events Military Friendly Institutions Serving Military in HigherEd

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