WE SALUTE YOU, FRANK BUCKLES

Frank Buckles (February 1, 1901-February 27, 2011) passed away last night at the age of 110. He was the last living American veteran of WWI. Enlisting at the age of 16, he was quickly sent to Europe. During WWII, while working in the Philippines, he was captured by Japanese forces. He went on to spend 3 1/2 years in a Japanese POW camp.

The U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University salute you, Mr. Buckles. Your passing marks the end of an American era. Rest in peace.

STAR AND STRIPES ARTICLE ON POST-9/11 G.I. BILL 2.0

VHA (Veterans for Higher Education), the updated moniker for J-CLEAVE, has initiated a media outreach campaign. Their efforts are responsible for the feature-length article on the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill (2.0) that ran today in Stars and Stripes. Kudos to Azar Boehm and Nick Lozano:

With graduation about 15 months away, Boehm admits he should be thinking about how to turn that investment into a career path. But instead he’s worried about finding $10,000 to finish his degree, since changes to the post-9/11 GI Bill rushed through Congress late last year will trim thousands off of his benefit.

“It’s extremely upsetting and sad,” said Boehm, who served in Afghanistan in 2009. “My whole plan in choosing a school was making sure I didn’t have any debts, not having any financial burden on me after graduation. But that’s what I’m looking at.”

The complete article can be found here.

ROTC DISCUSSION ON WEDNESDAY

This invitation received today:

I'm a GS student writing to invite you to a discussion this Wednesday, at 8 pm in the Carman Lounge, that will be facilitated by ROOTEd. We're reaching out to the campus as a whole; undergrads at CC, Barnard, GS, and SEAS, as well as graduate students, but we're putting an emphasis on inviting groups that have been most involved in the debate over ROTC. 

Over the past few weeks each of us has been asked to take a position on the return of ROTC to Columbia's campus. Perhaps because the decision will ultimately come down to a "yes" or a "no," much of the debate has taken on that tone, and the debate has been markedly polarized.

We will not be continuing that debate this Wednesday. Rather, by providing a space for guided, supportive, and critical dialogue we are hoping to explore the debate from a different perspective. We will be asking participants to focus their attention on how this debate has both revealed and shaped our community on campus: Who has participated in the debate, and why? What does the debate tell us about our position within the institution?

This will be a discussion in which we are each encouraged to explore nuance-- both within our own views and the views of others. And it is our hope that through open dialogue we will be better able to recognize and value the diversity of views, backgrounds, and experiences that have informed the debate over ROTC's return to campus.

Obviously, veterans have an important voice within the discussion, and we hope that you'll send this out to your members. And in the chance that this isn't the right place to send this email to, are there any suggestions you'd offer as to how to get veterans involved?

Thanks, and we hope to see you Wednesday.

THE BIG PROBLEM FACING STUDENT VETERANS

Ladies and gentlemen,

This update is primarily addressed to external entities and individuals navigating here in the wake of the recent Columbia ROTC controversy. In brief:

• While we deplore the treatment of fellow veteran Anthony Maschek last week, in recent days the greater Columbia community's support of the military and veterans has been questioned because of this incident, and as Columbia students ourselves, we find that unfortunate. Columbia is an active supporter and advocate of veterans. They have identified the value and diversity that veterans provide to the student community. Please see our press release (02/22/2011) on the subject of prevailing attitudes at Columbia University.

•  Hecklers amid the anti-ROTC or anti-military activists are an insignificant, if unfortunate presence upon our campus. Of far greater significance to veterans at Columbia and elsewhere are recent changes to the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill legislation scheduled to take effect in August 2011. These will compel untold numbers of veterans to transfer out of institutions like Columbia University. 

Regarding this second point:

With rising tuition and fees rendering the Montgomery G.I. Bill benefits insufficient, Congress in 2008 passed the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill. This bill brought throngs of former service-members to previously unaffordable institutions, and veteran populations at our nation's most prestigious schools jumped tremendously. For example, over 300 veterans--an unprecedented number--are now enrolled at Columbia University, making Columbia's the most robust population of student-veterans in the Ivy League.The vast majority of these students applied and matriculated here, just as they did at numerous other universities, based on the educational benefits made available by the Post-9/11 G.I. Bill.

ARTICLE PUBLISHED BY MILVET MARCO REININGER, PRESS ROUND-UP

Ladies and gentlemen,

Fellow Milvet Marco Reininger has published an article at Huffington Post about the recent ROTC controversy. Additionally, the Columbia Spectator has been running multiple pieces regarding the ROTC debate and last week's events at the town hall meeting. Earlier today Spectrum posted our initial press release along with a summary. We have since updated the press release to reflect our unity with Columbia SIPA Veterans Association (CSVA) Military in Business Association (MIBA), and Columbia Law School Military Association (CLSMA).

CU Milvets urges all student-veterans to be aware of the level of press associated with these events and to be prudent and respectful in the expression of their opinions/comments. We know you will, anyway, because that's the way you've been throughout these ROTC hearings. We are proud of that.

Matthew Bishop
Vice President

RESULTS OF 2010-2011 EXECUTIVE BOARD ELECTIONS

Ladies and gentlemen,

The results of the 2010-2011 Executive Board elections have been finalized and are now official:

Daniel Lagana - President
Azar Boehm - Vice President
Benjamin Paladino - Treasurer
Richard Baldassari - General Secretary

The current E-Board would like to extend its sincere gratitude to to all candidates who ran for office. Congratulations to the new team!

Matthew Bishop
Vice President

PRESS RELEASE: COLUMBIA VETERANS SUPPORT UNIVERSITY IN ROTC CONTROVERSY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University (“Milvets”)
Brendan Rooney, President

Matthew Bishop, Vice President

http://columbiamilvets.blogspot.com/

Columbia University Military in Business Association (MIBA)
Daniel Morosani, Co-President
Jason Kelley, Co-President
http://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/students/organizations/miba/

Columbia SIPA Veterans Association (CSVA)
Caleb Weiss, President
http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/students/csva/index.html

Columbia Law School Military Association (CLSMA)

Aaron J. Aragon, President
http://www.law.columbia.edu/military-association

Columbia student-veterans support university in wake of ROTC controversy

New York, NY - February 22, 2011 - Last week’s heckling of Columbia University student and Purple Heart recipient Anthony Maschek by anti-ROTC activists triggered outrage across the country. The U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University organization, or "Milvets" (of which Mr. Maschek, an ROTC supporter, is an active member), the Columbia SIPA Veterans Association (CSVA), the Columbia Military in Business Association (MIBA) and the Columbia Law School Military Association (CLSMA) share this deep sense of indignation. 

Nevertheless, following the media controversy engendered by this event, all four organizations wish to state that the disrespectful conduct of a few individuals in no way reflects the consensus attitude of Columbia students and faculty toward the student-veteran population. On the contrary, its enthusiastic support of military veterans is precisely the reason why Columbia now hosts the largest veteran population of any Ivy League institution: 340 in total, over 200 of whom are undergraduates.

To those everywhere who have been following this story, and especially to fellow veterans considering the pursuit of higher education at Columbia, Milvets, CSVA, MIBA and CLSMA unanimously profess their full confidence in the Columbia academic community’s ongoing support for military men and women. The disgraceful actions of a few individuals should not be used to condemn Columbia’s aggregate, of which so many proud veterans are themselves part. 

U.S. Military Veterans of Columbia University (“Milvets”) is a student-run organization comprised of members from every service branch of the U.S. Armed Forces. More information can be found at the Milvets blog, http://columbiamilvets.blogspot.com/, or by email at milvets@gmail.com. Columbia SIPA Veterans Association (CSVA) is a student-run organization of veterans attending Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs. More information can be found at http://www.sipa.columbia.edu/students/csva/index.html or by email at sipaveterans@columbia.edu. Columbia Military in Business Association (MIBA) is a student-run organization of veterans attending Columbia Business School. More information can be found at http://www0.gsb.columbia.edu/students/organizations/miba/. Columbia Law School Military Association (CLSMA) is a student-run organization of veterans attending Columbia Law School. More information can be found at http://www.law.columbia.edu/military-association.

GS Performs Live at Hudson Terrace

Ladies and Gentlemen,
Come watch your fellow students perform at Hudson Terrace tonight at 8:00pm, the first 300 students to arrive will have access to the open bar until 10:30pm.  This should be a great event, some of GS's most talented musicians, including Tora Fisher, will be performing, so head down to Hudson Terrace, enjoy some free booze, and support your fellow students.  Dress appropriately, no skinny jeans or BCGs.

Best,
Dan Lagana

CITIBANK INVITE

Ladies and gentlemen:

Citi sent this notification to Columbia Milvets. If you are interested in finance, this might be a good event for you. At any rate, there will be free food and drinks, which is what really matters. Although they reached out to us, it does not appear to be an event catering specifically to veterans.

Best,

Matthew Bishop

VP

Tech Talk- Innovation at Citi

Please Join us for an opportunity to learn more about Technology at Citi. Meet with Analysts and Executives to learn how Citi is a Technology leader, innovating new financial services products and handling an unparalleled number of customer transactions with a best-in-class technology support.

Date: Tuesday, February 22, 2011

When: 5:00PM - 6:30PM

Where: Faculty House, Garden Room 1, 64 Morningside Drive

Food and Drinks will be served!

Summer opportunities are open to Juniors, but we welcome all class years to come and learn about Citi. 

E-VOTING ISSUES; HAPPY HOUR TONIGHT

Ladies and gents:

A few of you have reported not receiving the email containing voting instructions and your individualized password. There were also a few reports from last night of an error message that said the voting polls were not yet activated. All of this should be squared away now.

If you have been unable to cast a vote for any reason, please contact me personally at jmb2275. I regret any difficulties you might have experienced.

Matt Bishop
VP

PS: There will be a Milvets Happy Hour at 8 PM tonight, Haakon's Hall.

MILVETS WEBSITE UPDATE

Ladies and gentlemen,

This past Monday, several members of the Executive Board met with a contact at CUIT to discuss the construction of our permanent website. We've decided to go with a website that will fall under the columbia.edu domain; the probable (future) URL for our website will be http://milvets.columbia.edu. In the meanwhile, as most of you here already know, we have begun consolidating our web presence by deleting old Milvets pages and transferring their content to this blog.

The new website will have two areas: a members-only area, which will require registration via a Columbia UNI, as well as a common area designed for the general public. In the members-only area, Milvets will be able to post about events and news, as well as publishing multimedia content. The website administrator(s) will then "promote" selected content to the common area.

Dan Lagana and Jose Rodriguez will be coordinating all future activity with CUIT and will provide updates as they become available. We are not yet in a position to say when the website will be completed, but we plan to push this project forward with all possible haste. Our CUIT contact has suggested that by semester's end, the website build should be a fait accompli.

Very best,
Matthew Bishop
VP

REMINDER: GENERAL BODY MEETING, ELECTION

Ladies and gentlemen,

Just a reminder: there will be a general body meeting tomorrow, 02/16 at 7:30pm in Kent Hall, Room 413. The room number was previously announced as 4-1310, which was a sufficiently confusing number that I called the reservations coordinator for clarification. Apparently, there was a misunderstanding in my original communication with the coordinator. The correct room number is 413.

This meeting will be an important one, since it is the general body's opportunity to evaluate next year's candidates. Each candidate will be speaking before the general body--including those for whom there are no opposing candidates. After the meeting, the polls will open immediately and remain open for 72 hours.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Matthew Bishop
VP

THURSDAY HAPPY HOUR

Ladies and gentlemen:

If I could zoom in on the WHO map above, it would show a red, laughing skull with Haakon's Hall at its epicenter. Join us: Milvets Happy Hour, Haakon's Hall, Thursday 8 pm.

February 2nd, 2011 J-CLEAVE Meeting

The following is a summary of the February 2^nd, 2011 J-CLEAVE meeting:

At 5:30pm, J-CLEAVE members met in Lerner Hall (5^th floor, Student Clubs) for a weekly meeting. To open the meeting, J-CLEAVE members reiterated the importance of professionalism and self-awareness during the upcoming weeks and months. Also addressed were the need to facilitate letter-writing for veterans who wish to contact their congressional representatives but are unsure of how best to do so, as well as a review of statistical information pertinent to the GI Bill 1.0-2.0 transition.

Looking to the future, J-CLEAVE discussed upcoming events and opportunities which we will attend in order to spread our message about the need for revision of the new GI Bill. Also discussed was the ongoing effort to expand J-CLEAVE participation to student-veterans of other private institutions that are in a similar situation as that of Columbia.

In closing, J-CLEAVE members set task priorities for the upcoming weeks, received a briefing from the treasurer, and identified areas where help is still needed. The meeting adjourned at 7:30pm.

INTERNSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

Cribbed from Amber's e-mail:

NBC Universal, Bloomberg, and Deutsche Bank are expanding their veteran recruitment outreach.  Through Four Block, a recently launched NYC-based and former Marine-owned company dedicated to helping veterans transition into the workforce, each of these companies are offering internship positions for this upcoming summer.  Francisco Mena (Hunter College), Christina Assenzio (Brooklyn College), and Warren Watson (NYU) are student-veterans that obtained Spring 2011 internship positions at NBC Universal through the Four Block program.

Hundreds of students nation-wide apply for internship positions at these companies and only a select few get accepted, so it is a big step for student-veterans to lock-in several of these internships every year.  The majority of the interns hired ultimately receive job offers at the conclusion of these internships.

Four Block is a veteran-owned company that was launched by a student-veteran in New York City.  Our mission is to help companies understand the value that veterans can bring to the private sector.

Here's how it works:

1. Students apply for an internship via Four Block.  Applications are due by 18 February 2011.  Applications will be processed and routed to companies as they are received -- so sooner the better.

2. Four Block screens the applications, conducts a short phone interview with selected students, and then routes the applications to the company.

3. Student-veterans may receive resume and interview training (time dependent).

4. Four Block arranges the interview for the student-veteran and the company.

In order to apply for an internship, students must send the following documents to intern@fourblock.com by 18 February 2011.  All questions will be directed to Andy Cheng at andy@fourblock.com.  Please send all documents in a PDF file and label (Last name, First Name Document).

- Resume (with cover letter specifying which company you are applying to and why)
- Transcripts (can be unofficial)
- DD-214

Below is information regarding the internships available at each company:

NBC Universal

- The internship will be located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza in NYC.

- Interns must be at least a current sophomore.
- Interns could be pursuing an associates, bachelors, or masters degree.
- Interns must be getting academic credit for the internship or “letter of support” for the internship from your campus.
- Internships are unpaid (if receiving college credit, the GI Bill will continue to pay for your housing and expenses).
- Interns are placed in every function or department at NBC.  Your placement with a department or function depends on your degree or what you want to do.  NBC does not want to limit veteran internships to a particular department.  So, it is up to you…you can learn more about the opportunities and departments at the link below.  Be sure to refer the “East Coast Internships.”

http://www.nbcunicareers.com/internships/coasts.shtml

***Your experience as a student veteran intern will be different from the normal intern.  NBC will be organizing lunches for you with business leaders, providing networking opportunities with existing veteran
employees, and you will be participating with the veteran affinity group, which includes lunches, dinners, and community outreach.  The goal is to make this experience very unique and to get you a lot of exposure within the NBC community.

Bloomberg

- Fully paid internship, 10 weeks, starting June 3 and ending 8/12.

2010 Financial Sales & Analytics Rotational Summer Internship

The Sales and Analytics Departments work closely together to help consult with and sell our clients on the BLOOMBERG TERMINAL service. The summer internship program will be a rotational program between departments to help you gain exposure on these business areas, expand your knowledge of the financial markets and our analytical solutions, while working on various sales and analytics projects. Each intern will be paired up with a mentor who will give constant feedback and monitor projects throughout the summer. This internship is geared towards individuals who have a strong interest in the financial markets as well as sales.

Qualifications:
-Passion for the financial markets
-Ability to work effectively in a team environment
-Excellent written, analytical and communication skills
-Strong presentation skills
-Coursework in: Finance, Economics and/or Business
-Rising seniors in college strongly preferred
-Availability to work for 10-12 weeks beginning in June
-Minimum required GPA: 3.0
-Recommended GPA: 3.3

Deutsche Bank

You will be working directly for the Head of Global Prime Brokerage.  Specific internship dates will be determined during the interview process.  Location of the internship is at 60 Wall Street.  Candidates must be majoring in finance, accounting, or have a related major or specialization.  Must be able to work in a team environment and have superb written, analytical, and communication skills.

Best,

John McClelland

TOUGH MUDDER

NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART:

If any of you wish to pay good money to haze yourselves for 12 miles of mud and obstacles, please contact us immediately. This will probably be sold out within the week. There is one team with a heavy CU Milvets presence and we'd like to see one or two more formed, provided there is enough interest.

Anyone who wishes to do this should be able and willing to get into top physical condition by showtime in May. Entry fee depends on how quickly teams are assembled. Here is the website: http://toughmudder.com/

ROTC HEARINGS

Ladies and gentlemen,

For those of you who missed it, I am posting some video clips of the ROTC hearings from the hearing this past Tuesday. Be advised that this was only the first hearing and that the veteran turnout, while vocal, could have been much stronger. Whatever your position, we encourage you to attend. There will be two more hearings in addition to last week's:

* Monday, February 7, 2011 - Focused on the general University community
Opening remarks by Sharyn O'Halloran, Chair, Senate Executive Committee
417 International Affairs Building (Altschul Auditorium), 8 PM - 10 PM

* Tuesday, February 15, 2011 - Focused on the undergraduate population
Opening remarks by Michele M. Moody-Adams, Dean of Columbia College
309 Havemeyer Hall, 7:30 PM - 9:30 PM

* Wednesday, February 23, 2011 - Focused on faculty and graduate students
Opening remarks by Claude M. Steele, Provost and Dean of Faculties
417 International Affairs Building (Altschul Auditorium), 8 PM - 10 PM

Please be advised that your behavior should be commensurate with your status as an Ivy League student veteran at a formal hearing. No matter what you think of other parties involved, no matter how poorly they conduct themselves at these hearings, we would hope that veterans have the good sense to behave with dignity and gravitas. That being said, if you wish to speak and to be heard, we encourage you to do so!

Here are a few clips from the last hearing:

2011-2012 GENERAL ELECTION

Ladies and Gentlemen,

By now most of you have received a string of emails (my apologies) related to the upcoming election. I'd like to reiterate the basic timeline of events here:

02/13 - candidate statements are due
02/14 - candidate statements will be circulated via listserv
02/16 - general body meeting in Kent Hall, room 4-1310 at 7:30 PM ; polls open
02/19 - polls close after 72 hours

All Executive Board positions will be open: President, Vice President, Secretary General and Treasurer. Accession into office will occur the day after the current spring semester ends, but each elected officeholder is expected to begin attending E-Board meetings effective immediately. This will ensure a seamless transition at the end of the semester.

Candidate statements may be submitted to the Election Committee Chair, Tom Cox. If you're not on the listserv and you lack a POC for him, we will be happy to provide one privately.

Matthew Bishop
Vice President

HAPPY HOUR, J-CLEAVE MEETING

Ladies and Gents,

Milvets will be having a happy hour at Haakon's Hall this upcoming Thursday, February 10th at 8:00 PM. We encourage everyone to come out in order to resurrect this old Milvets tradition. Remember that the more often our esteemed bartender Marc sees your face, the more free beer you accumulate over your time at Columbia.

In other news, from this point forward, J-CLEAVE will begin meeting every Friday at 5:30 PM in the Student Government Office (5th Floor of Lerner). All Milvets are welcome to attend meetings, but are asked to be courteous and allow the committee to conduct its business in an orderly fashion. All questions and concerns will be addressed.


Matthew Bishop
Vice President

J-CLEAVE UPDATE

Joint Committee Lobbying for Equal Access to Veterans Education

Summary:
1) Update on meeting with Congressman Jon Runyan
2) Initial JCLEAVE Meeting
 

1) Update on meeting with Congressman Jon Runyan

Yesterday on February 4th, I made the trip to southern Ne
w Jersey to meet with Congressman Jon Runyan, a freshman Republican representative from the 3rd district of New Jersey. I didn’t plan on beginning the lobbying effort so early, but due to the magnitude and anxiety over the changes to the GI Bill many student-veterans have (rightfully) contacted their Representatives. I am not a constituent of Congressman Runyan nor a resident of New Jersey, but one student veteran is and was proactive enough to arrange a meeting withe the Congressman.

Lior Keet is a former Navy Officer and Executive MBA student at Columbia Business School who arranged the meeting and asked me to attend as a resource for the discussion. I obliged and did some research in order to produce a tentative document/handout with bullet points outlining our argumentation. Here is a copy of what I produced (admittedly the morning of the meeting):

SUMMARY OF GBM 02/03

Milvets:

For those not present at last Thursday's General Body Meeting, we covered quite a bit of ground. Here is a summary of the proceedings:


SPECIAL ELECTION
As previously announced, Milvets held a special election for interim Vice-President and Treasurer. After briefly addressing the body, candidates Matthew Bishop and Ben Paladino were elected Vice-President and Treasurer, respectively. Their accessions are effective immediately.
J-CLEAVE UPDATE
The scheduled briefing on J-CLEAVE was postponed because President Emeritus John McClelland could not be present. We can report, however, that yesterday, February 4th, John met with freshman U.S. Congressman Jon Runyan (R-NJ). A blog report on that meeting should be forthcoming from John today.
E-BOARD ELECTIONS (2011-2012)
The timeline previously announced for the 2011-2012 General Election has been changed. In short, we all forgot that the 14th was Valentine's Day, causing conflicts for those of you with significant others. The original timeline called for a submission deadline
of February 10th for candidate statements, a general body meeting on February 14th at which candidates would address the organization, and a polling window that would remain open February 14th-17th. All of these dates will be shifted right, and we plan to announce the new timeline later this week. Nostra culpa.