Continuing its long-standing commitment to supporting military-affiliated students and alumni, Slippery Rock University will honor those who have served in the United States Armed Forces with its annual Veterans Day Ceremony at 11 a.m., Nov. 11, at the Russell Wright Alumni House. Following the ceremony, all veterans and their guests are invited to attend a complimentary lunch inside the Alumni House.
Beginning in the Alumni House, the ceremony will conclude behind the building at the Alumni Veterans Memorial, featuring a raising of the colors, wreath-laying ceremony and a 21-gun salute conducted by cadets from SRU’s Army ROTC program.
Jairus Moore, ’19, ’20M, instructor of safety management, will serve as this year’s alumni speaker. Moore served as a first lieutenant and safety officer with Alpha Battery, 1st Battalion, 30th Field Artillery Regiment, in the U.S. Army.
“It’s an honor to be able to speak on the importance of why we’re celebrating Veterans Day – honoring the men and women who served our country, highlighting their sacrifices and advocating for the challenges they may face transitioning into civilian life,” Moore said. “SRU, being a military friendly school, allows us to recognize those efforts and encourage others to do what they can to support the veteran community.”
During his time at SRU, Moore was a volunteer firefighter, a member of the Army ROTC, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity and the University’s council of trustees as a student representative, among other organizations and affiliations. Moore continues to support SRU through scholarships in the Safety Management and Criminal Justice departments that promote diversity, equity and inclusion.
“I’ll be encouraging everyone in attendance to engage with veterans and to listen to their stories,” Moore said. “Listening allows us to understand veterans’ journeys, acknowledge their contributions and address the challenges that our veterans our facing.”
This year’s ceremony will also feature performances of “God Bless America” by SRU students Maura Hill, a senior music education major from Oakmont (Riverview HS); Chrystal Sircely, a senior dual music education and music performance major from McKees Rocks (Sto-Rox HS); Lamont Williams, a junior music performance major from Pittsburgh (Sto-Rox HS); and Noah White, a senior dual music education and music performance major from Ambridge (Ambridge HS). Delaney Hindman, a senior music education major from Karns City (Karns City HS), will perform “Taps.” The student veteran speaker will be Micah Henry, a sophomore safety management major from Pittsburgh (Seneca Valley HS).
For more information about the Veterans Day events, contact Alumni Engagement at 724.738.2018 or alumni@sru.edu.
