By Morgan Petronelli
The Office of Alumni Engagement at Youngstown State University will be hosting its annual YSU Veterans and Reserve Officer Training Corps Alumni Reunion on Nov. 17 and 18.
This two-day event will include numerous activities for veterans and alumni to attend.
The weekend will kick off on Friday with a reunion dinner in the Ohio Room in Kilcawley Center at 6:30 p.m. A cash bar will begin at 6 p.m.
The dinner will consist of presenting the 2017 Cincinnatus Award to John M. MacIntosh Jr. of the class of 1965. The Cincinnatus Award acknowledges those who have served their nation and returned home to serve their community through volunteer work.
The event will also feature class of 1993 alumni Col. Kevin J. Petro, the Army’s Psychological Operations branch and Chief of Military Information Support Operations at U.S. Special Operations Command headquarters, as the speaker for the evening.
Petro will also be speaking with students at 11 a.m. in room 3210 in Cushwa Hall. This event is free and open to all students interested in attending.
Rick Williams, coordinator of the Office of Veterans Affairs, revealed the kind of opportunities the reunion weekend creates.
“It’s a great opportunity for veterans and ROTC alumni to reconnect with old friends and classmates and for current student veterans and ROTC members to mingle with those that came before them,” he said.
Williams said it provides an opportunity for veterans to discover what is taking place in the world of ROTC and Veterans Affairs as it relates to YSU.
The event continues Saturday, where a tailgate brunch will be held at the Veteran’s Resource Center at 10 a.m.
After brunch and a tour of the resource center, alumni and veterans are invited to attend the YSU football game as the Penguins go head-to-head against the Missouri State University Bears at noon.
Williams said that having events like this on campus is an important part of bringing former and current military members together. He said there are almost 350 veterans at YSU who continue to be active members in their communities.
Joseph Paydock, retired lieutenant colonel and chair of YSU’s Military Science Department, said the current students are the future of the ROTC Alumni organization.
“The ROTC Alumni at YSU are a group that remains very connected to the school and the program,” he said. “I’m proud to have met many of them and I look forward to creating closer ties with them and the current ROTC program.”
Catherine Cala, assistant director of Alumni Engagement, said events like the Veterans Reunion weekend display what is happening in YSU’s Department of Military Science and showcase the services provided to Veteran students by the Office of Veterans Affairs.
“It enables alumni to meet and interact with current students and motivates alumni to get involved – either by volunteering or supporting YSU scholarships and programming needs,” Cala said.
The public, as well as alumni, are welcome to attend this weekend’s event. For reservations, visit www.ysu.edu/alumni/Vet-ROTC or contact Catherine Cala in the Office of Alumni Engagement at 330-941-2752.