Motivation, achievement and experiences – these are just a few of the skills gained by the men and women who defend the United States, and a few of the attributes to be displayed in a new exhibit by the University of Nevada, Reno’s Shared History Program. The project, “In Class and In Uniform,” debuts Tuesday, May 6, with six panels of memorabilia, photos and historical accounts by veterans who previously attended or currently attend the University.
“The exhibit examines the connections between life in the military and life on campus; two very different cultures,” Anita Watson, coordinator of the Shared History Program, said. “The students have interviewed veterans who have experienced both. The exhibit that they are working on, designed and mounted by them, will be a compilation of research and information from interviews with the veterans.”
Overseen by Watson, the project is being assembled by 16 students of various disciplines. Each student interviewed a veteran and gathered memorabilia, including photos, medals, fatigues and certificates. Artifacts and quotes from their interviews will be on display in any one of six cases. The six cases will feature a different aspect of being a student veteran, including motivation, achievement, finances and experiences.
“Overall, the project is about the opportunity of service men and women,” Shannon Regalbuto, a sophomore student studying history, said.
Regalbuto is one of the students responsible for the cases about motivation, which will focus on education and travel opportunities. The achievement panels analyze how military life affected a veteran’s academic life and their self-esteem. The final two panels, finance and experiences, analyze the GI Bill, the friendship and camaraderie of military life, and the unique experiences interviewed veterans have had.
“I have had a good time working on this project,” Joseph Dyer, a junior student studying secondary education, said. “Interviewing veterans has been informative and has opened my eyes.”
Though the exhibits will be completed in May, students will continue their research.
“During the summer and fall, Shared History Program staff and students will continue interviewing current and aspiring veterans to further explore this significant interface between the military and academia,” Watson said. “The physical exhibit will be expanded as more information is added and we will produce a virtual exhibit, debuting November 2014.”
“In Class and In Uniform” will be unveiled at 11 a.m., Tuesday, May 6, in the Mack Social Sciences building, room109. Students will be available during the reception.
The project is the second of its kind for the Shared History Program, which offers a multifaceted historical accounts of events that educates the public while seeking continued contribution. The program’s first exhibit, the Linn Exhibit, recounted President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 from the eyes of the University’s first journalism dean, Travis Linn.
