News

SF State Vets Dispel Myths About Military Stereotypes

Published

9 years ago

November 30, 2015

By Mary Kenny , SFSU News

As Americans observed Veterans Day this year, San Francisco State University celebrated the five-year anniversary of its Veterans Services office and the three-year anniversary of the Vets Corner, a suite of rooms in Burk Hall where all are welcome — veteran or civilian — to socialize, connect with vets or use the quiet study room equipped with computers and whiteboards.

Veterans on campus took time in the weeks leading up to Veterans Day to discuss some stereotypes and assumptions about the military that they’ve encountered during their daily interactions on campus and in civilian life. Below they share their experiences.

Myth #1 — San Francisco is inhospitable to veterans.

According to Marine veteran and mechanical engineering student Sean Scharf, “There’s a belief throughout the military community that San Francisco is not welcoming to veterans. This is based on images of San Francisco in the media of being liberal, … But in fact there’s a real sense of community here — it’s a very welcoming place. “

That holds particularly true on campus, said Scharf, who is also the president of the V.E.T.S.@SFSU student organization and holds a work-study position in the Veterans Services office. The office provides a range of vital services for veterans and their dependents as they make the transition from military to civilian life, including helping with applications, explaining benefits, finding internships, serving as academic advisors and providing education about other services on and off campus.

Myth #2 — Veterans don’t want to talk about their life in the military.

“The military and veteran cultures sometimes feel alien to other people on campus. I get the sense that civilians think, ‘I don’t want to intrude,'” said Scharf. “But that’s the reason we’re out of the military — we want to get back into the civilian mindset and get involved.”

Scharf said one of his main goals as president of V.E.T.S.@SFSU is to reach out to other organizations on campus and become more involved in campus activities. For example, he wants more students to drop by Vets Corner, whether or not they are veterans.

Myth #3 — Everyone in the military is a “big and macho guy” in uniform who uses a lot of jargon.

Elizabeth (Lizz) Lauren Mayhill is an Air Force veteran and civil engineering major who also holds a work-study job in the Veterans Services office. “I always had a stereotype of what a military member was. I always thought it was a guy in uniform who’s big and macho and uses a lot of slang terms and jargon,” she said. “Then my sister joined the military and I realized she wasn’t like that and my perceptions began to change. When I joined the military, a female cadre [similar to a drill sergeant] told me, ‘I’m never going to tell you that you can’t do something because you’re a woman, and don’t ever tell me I can’t do something because I’m a woman.’ She was a huge advocate for women in infantry, and still is, and she became a mentor. She showed me the importance of strong female roles and teamwork.”

Myth #4 — Veterans are aggressive or always trying to recruit‎ other students to join the military.

Simply not true, according to Mayhill. “Although I am extremely proud of my service and the time I dedicated to it, I embrace the fact that everyone takes a different path in life. Our training also provides us with tools to use in combat. However, every veteran swore to defend the U.S. when joining, so the myth about aggression towards fellow Americans just isn’t so,” she said.

Myth #5 — All veterans are somehow wounded and want to be thanked for their service.

“People tend to see a veteran and make ‘veteran’ analogous to ‘wounded,’ as if we’re all wounded warriors. The truth is, military service is not easy. War service is extremely hard, and for those who have been in combat, it is even more arduous to be sure,” said Professor Daniel Bernardi, interim dean of the College of Liberal & Creative Arts and a U.S. Navy Commander. “People who have seen combat understand — it’s profound. That doesn’t mean we’re wounded.”

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Activism

NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention Highlights Black Voter Engagement, and More

A Friday panel featuring NAACP Chairman Leon W. Russell and Regina Wilson, Executive Director of California Black Media, examined Project 2025, an initiative perceived as a potential threat to civil rights, healthcare access, and environmental protection. This session emphasized Project 2025’s projected impact on Black communities, noting that policies within the initiative could diminish gains in civil and environmental rights over decades. Russell and Wilson highlighted the need for vigilant monitoring and community mobilization to address these challenges.

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

NAACP State Conference President Rick Callender (right) engages in a discussion on voter engagement and community advocacy with NAACP President and CEO Derrick Johnson during the 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention in Los Angeles. Photo by Rich Woods.

By Bo Tefu, California Black Media

The 37th NAACP California-Hawaii State Convention concluded on Sunday, Oct 27, following four days of discussions and workshops at the Los Angeles Airport Marriott. Bringing together civil rights leaders, policymakers, and advocates from California and Hawaii, the convention operated under the theme “All In.” The participants discussed critical issues impacting Black communities, including criminal justice reform, health equity, economic empowerment, education, environmental justice, and voting rights.

On Saturday, the President’s Fireside Chat brought together NAACP President Derrick Johnson and CA/HI State Conference President Rick Callender, who discussed the urgency of voter engagement and community advocacy.

Guest speakers included Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), who spoke at the Women in NAACP (WIN) Labor Luncheon about the intersection of labor rights and civil rights. California State Superintendent Tony Thurmond delivered remarks at the Leadership Dinner on education equity, focusing on policies to ensure all students have access to high-quality education.

Honors were given to longtime social justice advocate and former Assemblymember Mike Davis for his work in community activism. At the same time, actor and activist Danny Glover and the Rev. Dr. Amos C. Brown received the 2024 Legacy Hall of Fame Awards, recognizing their lifelong commitments to advancing civil rights.

The convention also offered practical workshops, including “What’s On Your Ballot?,” where coalition leaders provided analyses of California propositions, explaining their potential impacts on community rights and resources. The Voter Turnout Workshop provided background and encouraged participants to promote voter turnout through community-centered outreach strategies.

Sunday’s events closed with a Prayer and Memorial Breakfast honoring the contributions of past and current civil rights leaders.

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Bay Area

Alameda County Judge Blasts Defendants Over Delay in West Oakland Fire Trial

Judge Kimberly Lowell excoriated the RadiusRecycling/SchnitzerSteel defendants in court for causing delays in prosecuting this case. Since the defendants first appeared in court on July 23, they have obtained three extensions of the arraignment date.

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Criminal charges announced this week are related to the August 2023 scrap metal fire at Radius Recycling Inc., formerly Schnitzer Steel. Photo courtesy of Oaklandside.

Special to The Post

District Attorney Pamela Price announced that a hearing was held on October 30 in the criminal prosecution of the Radius Recycling/Schnitzer Steel involving a fire at the West Oakland facility on Aug. 9-10, 2023.

The Alameda County criminal Grand Jury indicted radius Recycling and two of its corporate managers in June 2024.

The court clarified that the defendants will not receive more extensions on their arraignment and plea.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price agreed with the court that defendants should not get preferential treatment. Price and her team appreciated the court for clarifying that future delays by Radius will not be tolerated.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District’s (BAAQMD) public data shows that during and after the fire, the smoke plume traveled across Alameda County with high levels of PM 2.5 (Particulate Matter less than 2.5 microns in diameter) detected around Laney College in Oakland, Livermore, Pleasanton, and West Oakland.

PM2.5 is particularly harmful to infants and children, the elderly, and people with asthma or heart disease.

“This fire posed a great health hazard to the people of Alameda County,” said Price. “High, short-term exposures to a toxic smoke plume have been shown to cause significant danger to human health.

“Additionally, in this case, Oakland firefighters battled the blaze under extremely dangerous conditions for 15 hours with assistance from a San Francisco Fire Department fireboat and a fireboat from the City of Alameda Fire Department,” Price observed.

The team prosecuting the case from the DA’s Consumer Justice Bureau looks forward to resolving any future motions and having the defendants arraigned in court on Dec. 9.

The media relations office of the Alameda County District Attorney’s office is the source of this report.

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Alameda County

D.A. Price Charges Coliseum Flea Market Vendors in Organized Retail Theft Case

The charges against Octavio Ambriz Valle, 52, Devora Ambriz Valle, 49, and Felipe Del Toro Trejo, 54, include multiple felony counts of possessing stolen property and organized retail theft in concert. It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Published

1 day ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Alameda County courthouse. Courtesy photo.

Alameda County Courthouse File photo.

Special to The Post

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price announced today that her office charged three people in connection with multiple organized retail theft crimes stemming from a sophisticated criminal enterprise operating at the Oakland Coliseum Flea Market from March 26, 2023, through April 17, 2024.

It is alleged that the trio of vendors possessed stolen property valued at $348,466 from nine different retailers, including Kohl’s, Macy’s, PetSmart, Sephora, Sunglass Hut, TJX, Target, Walgreens, and Walmart.

Last year, the District Attorney’s Office successfully competed and received a $2 million grant from the California Department of Justice to combat organized retail theft. Price added another $2 million to bolster the Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) unit which is fully operational and collaborating with numerous law enforcement agencies.

“For over a year, this enterprise supported criminal networks by requesting and buying specific products from brazen boosters who repeatedly terrorized retailers,” said Price. “I want to acknowledge our Organized Retail Crime Alameda (ORCA) Vertical Prosecution Unit for its great work and the role they played in this multi-jurisdiction investigation, which included the California Highway Patrol Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office, and San Ramon Police Department.”

If convicted and sentenced on all charges, Octavio Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of nine years in County jail; Devora Ambriz Valle faces a maximum sentence of five years in County jail; and Felipe Del Toro Trejo faces a maximum sentence of three years and eight months in County jail.