By Cole Altmayer, entertainment editor
KLC assistant Joan Van Eck usually finds herself too busy to watch the announcements, but there was something very different about the morning of this Veterans Day.
“This morning was actually the first time I actually stepped out of my desk and watched the whole thing,” Van Eck said.
For the last four years at Prospect, staff has put together a brief presentation to be broadcasted on the announcements that displays pictures of veterans, all either family of staff members or former students. It also has an afterword from students, staff and veterans discussing the importance of the holiday.
While Van Eck didn’t have any family in the video, her family has some military history. Her grandfather served in World War II as a medic stationed in Okinawa, Japan. But that wasn’t as important to her as the realization that the video was a great opportunity to take Veterans Day, a day that Prospect students previously didn’t have school on, and make it truly a “day to reflect on all the men and women who had served our country.”
Social Studies Division Head and creator of this year’s video Gary Judson agrees, expressing that he feels like the holiday should still be recognized regardless whether there is school or not, and that by taking a moment to look at the people who fought for this country was an effective way to do that.
Judson also feels very strongly about the holiday, as his grandfather served in the first World War. He wanted the video to have a strong message that resonated with the student population.
“We wanted to portray in the video [the veteran’s] honor and their duty they have to protect their country,” Judson said. “Some people took the ultimate sacrifice. … We should take the time out to thank them for their service.”
Judson has heard nothing but praise for the video, and has found the video has been ingrained in the minds of students. Junior Yuvraj Agrawal said the video struck him as very “emotional,” especially as someone who has considered service in the military already. He found himself relating to the message conveyed by former Prospect students, who now serve in all kinds of military academies and other military fields.
Other students enjoyed the video, as it brought recognition to a cause that members of their own families had fought for.
“It was really, really sweet!” junior Kasia Kuzma said. “It reminded me of my grandpa.”
But most of all, it was agreed that the video provided a perfect time to reflect on the sacrifices made for the country by its forefathers and the people who serve and protect the nation today.
“[Veterans Day is for] self-reflection of all the hard decisions we make during war,” Agrawal said. “It’s even self-reflection of mistakes we’ve made in the past and a day to say thank you for the service that individuals have given us.”