The Castilleja Veterans Advocacy Alliance (VAA) ACE Org leads plan to hold the first campus observation of Veterans Day the Friday before, to honor the sacrifices US veterans have made for their communities.
Veterans Day, originally known as Armistice Day, is a federal holiday in the United States observed Nov. 11, the anniversary of the end of World War I, to honor military veterans of the United States Armed Forces.
On the importance of this holiday, Kavitha Ravi ‘24, one of the leads of the VAA, said, “I think recognizing what past military personnel have sacrificed for us and for their community for people they don’t even know. Acknowledging that and offering our gratitude and support for these heroes is really important to me.”
Veterans day is not usually an observed holiday at Castilleja, but Ravi says she would like having it off. “I would really like to volunteer on Veterans Day, and obviously I can’t volunteer during school,” Ravi said. “On Veterans Day we could go to the VA, or host a food drive or something like that, where we all come together as a community to support veterans.”
According to Sherie Graysmark, director of operations at Castilleja, the Castilleja Leadership Team makes and reviews the schedule. When creating the schedule, they “must balance the need to acknowledge religious holidays, school holidays and faculty workdays, as well as making sure we meet the minimum number of class days when working out the schedule.” Graysmark said in an email to Counterpoint.
Veterans Day falls on a Saturday this year, so students can volunteer and Castilleja does not have to take another holiday out of consideration for the school calendar.
On campus, Ravi and the other lead of the VAA, Joanne Zhao, plan to commemorate Veterans Day by handing out yellow ribbons during break and having a recognition board at lunch where students, alums, employees and staff can bring photos or mementos of loved ones who have served.
“We’re hoping that they’ll write what branch they served in and where they served, that we can recognize them and thank them and really be aware of all the veterans in our community and the sacrifices that people have made in our community,” Ravi said.
