Renton Technical College (RTC) celebrated Veterans Day early by holding a ceremony Nov. 7 on campus to honor student and staff veterans.

The event featured the color guard from the Frank R. Vaise VFW Post 1263, in Renton, and chapter member, Darrell Pilat, as a speaker. The two speakers planned to talk about what resources and support are available after returning from war. RTC President, Steve Hanson was to provide opening remarks and a Veterans Day Writing Contest student essay was read.

“We want to continue to create a community at RTC that celebrates the achievements and recognizes the sacrifices of our veterans, while integrating them into the general civilian population,” said Craig Brewer, Access Support specialist at RTC. “One of the greatest challenges for veterans is to reintegrate into civilian life.”

The event was put on by RTC’s Student Veteran Organization (SVO).

“My colleague, Craig Brewer and I have made significant strides in improving Veteran Services here at Renton Technical College since I began working here this past January, and now with the establishment of this SVO, it can be the students of RTC who have a say in dictating the direction of how their Veteran Services go,” said Glen Boje, veteran navigator at RTC. “The SVO is still in its infancy as it was just recently approved by the RTC Student Government on Oct. 8, 2013, but they have a lot of ambition and big plans for the future.”

The RTC Band Instrument Repair Technology Program, led by Army Veteran Christopher Hite, was to perform the Star Spangled Banner and each of the service branch songs as part of the ceremony. The band program is only one of only three such programs in North America, according to an RTC spokesperson.

“We wanted to honor the veterans on a day that is designed to take note of their service and sacrifice, but all too frequently gets lost as a day-off,” Brewer said.

This was the second activity of the week for SVO members. On Wednesday, the organization hosted a free luncheon for all student, faculty, and staff veterans. This was a part of the members’ continuing effort to create campus community for all veterans.

“We hope that this ceremony can be part of the bridge to connect the veteran to both the community of veterans, with whom common bonds of past life experience are shared, and with students, with whom current bonds of life experience are being shared,” Brewer said.

The SVO has weekly meetings for student veterans on Mondays. Future events are discussed and planned in these meetings.