WT’s Veterans Week Activities to Feature Commemorations, Celebrations

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University will salute the U.S. military in an array of Veterans Week events from Nov. 5 to 11.

Commemorations will culminate in special Veterans Day ceremony on Nov. 11, a joint project of WT Military and Veterans Services, the WT Student Veterans Association, and the WT Student Government Association.

“The Student Government Association places a high importance on supporting our community and especially showing gratitude to those that serve,” said Annie Valicek, SGA president. “Veterans Day is an opportunity for us to come together to do just that.”

The WT Veterans Walk of Honor will begin with an 11 a.m. Nov. 11 ceremony at WT’s Veterans Memorial, located between Old Main and the Engineering and Computer Science Building.

“WT prides itself on celebrating the work, dedication and sacrifices made by military veterans,” said James Thompson, Military and Veterans Services community coordinator. “Veterans Week gives us the chance to make a public declaration of the support we provide these heroes all year long.”

Canyon Mayor Gary Hinders and WT President Walter V. Wendler will recognize Canyon and WT veterans, active military personnel and families. A ceremonial wreath will be placed in memory of veterans who have died, followed by a 21-gun salute.

Food trucks will on site, and the community is invited to take part in a veterans remembrance walk around campus that will begin and end at the memorial.

Veterans Week activities will kick off Nov. 5 at the Countdown to Kickoff Block Party tailgating event from 3 to 5 p.m. along 26th Street on WT’s Canyon campus and during Military Appreciation Night at the WT football game against Eastern New Mexico University at 6 p.m. in Bain-Schaeffer Buffalo Stadium.

The game is the heated Wagon Wheel game, a rivalry dating back to 1986, and large crowds are expected. Tickets can be purchased at GoBuffsGo.com. Veterans and active-duty military will get free admission.

Veterans Week activities also will include a diaper drive through Nov. 11 in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center, and a coffee social from 8 to 10 a.m. Nov. 8 and a student veteran appreciation lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 9, both in Classroom Center 111.

The WT community can sign thank-you cards to veterans from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 10 in the commons area in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center.

WT Military and Veteran Services offers a number of educational benefits programs for service members and their dependents, including scholarships.

According to U.S. News & World Report in 2022, WT’s online bachelor’s degree programs for veterans are No. 1 in Texas and No. 15 overall, and the online MBA program for veterans is No. 3 in Texas and No. 48 overall.

Meeting regional needs, including those of veterans, is a key component of the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.

About West Texas A&M University

WT is located in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT, a Hispanic Serving Institution since 2016, boasts an enrollment of about 10,000 and offers 59 undergraduate degree programs and more than 40 graduate degrees, including two doctoral degrees. The University is also home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 14 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

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