As the nation's military veterans are remembered and honored this week, Veterans Day will also carry a special meaning for a group of students at Fairfield University. The student-led Psychology Club is presenting "A Day of Remembrance" today from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the lower level of the Barone Campus Center.

For an event that started out as just a possibility, Fairfield's psychology club president, Joe Calvaruso, says Veterans Day is a day to honor the men and women who have served our nation, and to recognize the hardships they have gone through to do so. What a better way to do so than by providing them and the public with the knowledge that basically says, "Hey, what you are feeling and how you are acting is normal, considering who you are what you have gone through," he said. Special speakers include nationally recognized Fairfield University nursing professor, Doris 'Dee' Lippman, Ed. D., and Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran Robert Chop.

Lippman, a Westport resident, and Army veteran teaches Fairfield nursing students how to care for veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression and Traumatic Brain Injury, conditions usually related to being soldiers in a war zone. During the event, she will discuss the growth of women in the military, sexual trauma within the military, how challenging situations can affect behavior, the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder, and the different types of treatment available for veterans.

Chop, a computer technician at Fairfield University will also talk about post-traumatic stress disorder, and share his personal story as an Iraqi war veteran.

Calvaruso, a psychology major, says by coordinating the event, he hopes to grab the attention of as many people as possible. "We believe that it is important for people to realize the full extent of not only the explicit, but also the implicit sacrifices made by the men and women who have served our nation," he said.

Posted On: 11-11-2010 10:11 AM

Volume: 43 Number: 111