Western’s chapter of Student Veterans of America met Sept. 11, a date many say reminds them of why they joined the military.

Though the group has been at Western in previous years, this is the first year it’s becoming active, said Kevin Crum, the group’s president and a Russellville senior.

Student Veterans of America helps advocate for student veterans at local, state and national levels, according to the group’s national Web site. The group has more than 200 chapters.

Western’s chapter of the group met Friday to discuss making campus more veteran-friendly.

Crum said veteran-friendly professors are high on the priority list because some professors understand what a veteran has gone through, but some don’t.

A veteran with post-traumatic stress disorder may need extended test time, exceptions to absentee policies or different ways to deliver assignments, Crum said. For example, turning in assignments orally might be easier for some injured veterans.

One of the group’s first activities will include traveling to Louisville and Nashville to help veterans suffering from traumatic brain injuries enroll at Western, Crum said.

“It gives them more hope and a goal to strive for,” he said of helping veterans enroll.

Crum said there were about 150 veterans at Western last year. That number doubles every school year.

Because there’s an increasing number of veterans on campus, Crum said their voices should be heard by creating a seat for veterans in the Student Government Association.

Bowling Green senior Robert “Buck” Hulsey, the chapter’s vice president, said camaraderie among veterans helps students with the transition.

Hulsey, who took part in the initial invasion of Iraq, is a 35-year-old with a family who says he doesn’t have a lot in common with the average college student.

“There’s no way you can relate to somebody when you’ve been in combat and people are worried about their girlfriends or boyfriends,” he said.

To bring veterans together, group members want to build a veterans center on campus to provide counseling and advising, Crum said.

The group applied for a $100,000 grant from Wal-Mart to build the center and is waiting for a reply, he said.

Several universities, including George Washington University, have veterans centers that have found great success, Crum said.

He said group members encourage Western’s students and faculty to get involved with their group and attend meetings.