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Exhibit portrays military experiences
James Bowman, an Air Force veteran, is a member of the committee that solicits photos for the exhibit. Photo: NANCY J. PARISI
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“I think the exhibit is the start of furthering a dialogue around what are the needs of our veteran and military students, and how are we as an institution able to support those students.”
Dressed in uniforms and fatigues, they smile from far-off lands and domestic locales, posing with friends, family, area citizens and fellow troops, from the Vietnam era through today.
The Military and Veterans Photo Exhibit, currently showcased on the ground floor of Capen Hall on UB’s North Campus, is a tribute to those students, staff and faculty who have served, or are related to those who have served in the military.
The project began last fall as an additional component to the Veterans Day celebration hosted at UB since 2010. The scenes convey camaraderie, not combat. “It’s a way to share with the UB community the different experiences of those who have served in the military,” says James Bowman, special populations outreach coordinator in Student Health and Wellness. “Many times, people may think that military experiences are all about frontline combat. This exhibit shows the reality of families, training, the camaraderie between members of the armed services, the preparation and the different environments.”
Bowman, a veteran who served in the Air Force for seven years, is part of the newly formed committee that began to assemble the project and solicited photos of military experiences from the UB community, which now total about 35. The exhibit is sponsored by the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. The photos have been changed monthly since the Capen exhibit opened in January. Maureen Kanaley, coordinator of veterans affairs on campus, assisted in soliciting the photos.
According to fellow committee member Amberly Panepinto, a psychologist with Counseling Services, the committee began meeting last summer after Dennis Black, vice president of university life and services, formed a veterans task force. Representatives from Accessibility Resources, Wellness Education Services, Counseling Services, the UB Anderson Gallery and Career Services make up the seven-member committee.
Panepinto is not a veteran, but has a deep interest in the population. “I did my psychology internship at Jesse Brown VA Medical Center in Chicago and really became interested in working with veterans as part of that experience,” she says. “When I came here in 2008, I certainly recognized that more veterans were returning to school because the post-9/11 GI Bill was a great opportunity for students to seek educational benefits. I wanted to take my experience with the VA and reach out to veterans to help them adjust to university life.”
She says she has gotten feedback from people who say the exhibit is very moving.
Bowman has seen people pointing out their pictures to classmates and telling about their experiences. “Every response received has been positive. One student thanked us for the slogan above the exhibit, ‘Bravery is believing in yourself.’ That spoke to not just veterans, but to nonveteran students as well. I think the exhibit is the start of furthering a dialogue around what are the needs of our veteran and military students, and how are we as an institution able to support those students.”
How does his military experience inform his own perspective? “I really learned a lot about leadership, responsibility and timeliness,” Bowman explains. “That now helps me to look at what it is that everyone is doing to keep things running smoothly. Everyone has a role to play. How do we support each person? For example, I work with lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer students. How do I support LGBTQ students so that they can feel supported on campus to complete their task of being a student, studying well and graduating?”
Panepinto estimates there are about 1,500 student veterans currently on campus, and says that a more precise number will come in time. “This was the first year that Admissions began asking if incoming students are veterans,” she says.
The hope, she says, is for the exhibit to find a permanent home on campus. Photos with accompanying information may be submitted at ub-vetsoutreach@buffalo.edu.
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