SUNY Maritime’s campus is now the home of a new Veteran’s Center, thanks to a hefty donation.
On Tuesday, March 10, SUNY Maritime held a ribbon cutting ceremony for the formal opening of the SUNY Maritime College Veteran’s Center.
For the ceremony, members of the SUNY Maritime Graduating Class of 1963, including Charles DiGiovanni, Ernest Hegi, Ray Kadingo, Norman Maender, Robert Marshall, Joe Maurelli, Paul Narbut, Alan Ross, Robert Tambini and Len Weinberg helped cut the ribbon to celebrate the opening of the new facility.
The graduating class was joined by a supportive cast of more than 100 students, faculty, staff, veterans and friends.
The brand new on-campus center, the former location of a campus mailroom, was renovated and improved thanks to a $30,500 donation from the ‘63 class to current president Michael A. Alfultis.
The result – a brand new Veteran’s Center located on the ground floor of Vender Clute Hall under the Mess Deck where students and veterans can relax, socialize and learn about assistance specific to veterans. The center has two banners on its walls – one reading ‘Loyalty’ and the other one reading ‘Valor’.
Vender Clute Hall, which acts as a Student Life building for the campus, also includes a ship store (not a school store!) and a study lounge for students.
SUNY Maritime’s most recent addition has shown that the college has come a long way from its founding back in 1874.
“There were only three academic degrees available at this school by the time I graduated – Marine Engineering, Marine Transportation and Nuclear Science,” recalled Alan Ross jokingly, a SUNY Maritime graduate of 1963 who majored in the latter of the three. “This place has changed a lot since then, and this Veterans Center is great for veterans – because it’s a reminder that veteran’s physical, mental and social needs should be met and provided.”
