Veterans Week at SAU kicked off with the Vigil for the Fallen Monday night on the Rogalski Center patio. 

The Military and Veterans Organization set up a display featuring American flags and small candles arranged in the shape of a 13 that they then invited students to add to by lighting their own candles and placing them with the others. 

“This is to honor the 13 that fell in Afghanistan, this honors the 11 years that we went without American bloodshed on Afghan land and we want the names to be remembered, not in a political stance, but in an actual honor,” said Ireland Stewart, MAVO member and the event organizer.

MAVO saw this vigil and the rest of the events throughout the week as a way for them to represent the bond between the traditional Ambrose student and those who have served, are serving, or are going to serve, in order to make sure that there is a good relationship between the two.

“I wanted to say thank you. Not in a cheesy way but an actual thank you. I know there’s a lot of controversy around the veteran community and the military community right now just because of everything happening overseas but they don’t deserve to be hated on for something that they put their lives on pause for,” Stewart said. “So I just wanted to say thank you genuinely, from all of us.”

Other events throughout the week included a mass with blessings for veterans, the second annual SAU Walk to Remember, a booth at SAU Night at the Figge, and 50/50 raffle with proceeds going to MAVO and the QC Veterans Outreach Center.