CARTERVILLE - As a veteran of the Vietnam War, longtime John A. Logan College employee Bob Fester said he applauds the new commitment the college has made to improve services for veterans.

"They're one of our most deserving student populations," said Fester, a former student adviser who in June was appointed director of veterans and military personnel services at JALC.

On Wednesday, the college will host an open house and ribbon-cutting ceremony in honor of the new Veterans Service Center on campus. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. at the west main entrance lobby outside of the Brewer Gymnasium and Convocation Center. A reception will follow in the center, located upstairs in the former Student Transfer office.

Dr. Tim Daugherty , vice president for administration at Logan, said establishing the center is the best way to let students know what services are available to them as veterans.

"The college is making a commitment to veterans and we want feedback from them telling us what we can do to make things better. It is our job, our desire to help them succeed," he said.

Fester said he wants to see the new student vet headquarters become a "one-stop shopping place" for all veterans enrolling in classes at Logan.

Logan was recently honored as a military-friendly school in the GI Jobs online publication for meeting pre-established criteria.

Students on campus have also formed a Student Veterans United group, an offshoot of the national student vets' organization. They hope the group, already 10 members strong, will meet regularly this fall semester to discuss issues pertinent to student veterans.

John Homan is the public information officer for John A. Logan College