Veteran’s Adjust from the Battlefield to the Classroom

Troops return home to reunite with family. Photo by: Hungeree.com

Story by: Alyson Svec

One of the choices veterans face after returning home from the battlefield is to attend school and get a higher education.

Veteran’s lives change after serving in the military. While trying to return to their daily routines and reunite with friends and family, they still face many difficulties, especially when it is adjusting to school.

Tess Banko, former Marine, felt scared when she began college. She learned quickly what the military expected of her and developed routines, but school was different.

“By comparison, college life was unpredictable and unnerving. Each professor had different expectations that sometimes changed over the course of a semester” (9).

Parker Ormsby decided to join the Army after high school. He is now attending his first semester at Texas State. In the beginning, Ormsby had difficult experiences because of the mental state he was in.

“Adjusting is easy, it’s just a motivation thing to me,” said Ormsby. “For me, I did not fit in well at all with people at school.”

It is difficult for him to find common topics to discuss with other students because of their age differences. He noticed people grow and mature quicker in the military. Nothing bothers him anymore because he has been in the worst situations from serving in the Army. When he hears students complain in class over small issues, he knows they will never understand what he went through.

Robert B. Ellen retired from the Air Force in 2011 after 20 years of service. Currently studying Computer Science at Texas State, he feels like going to college was the right choice.

“I would have been an idiot if I wouldn’t have gone to college,” said Ellen. “I think what kept me in line was the military structure, because I listed straight out of college.”

Ellen noticed different teaching styles from what he learned in the military and at school. In the military he was taught information in order, but in school, teachers jump to different areas of study. This change has been stressful to him.

“I have to try to knock out a paper around one to two in the morning and I’m not used to that,” said Ellen.

He sets time aside from homework so he can sleep. He drinks coffee to stay awake. Since he lives an hour away from campus, he does not have extra time for school activities. Instead, he goes to church and spends time with his family.

“In the military, you learn to adapt, overcome and improve whatever needs to be done.”

Michael Flinn, former member of the Marine Corps, works, attends school full-time and is a father.

“For me going back to school is both a blessing and a curse,” said Flinn.

After serving in 2005, Flinn discovered he had Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. He gets paranoid in large classrooms with more than 300 students. In smaller classes, he can relax.

Murel Miller, veterans certifying assistant, deals with students with PTSD daily.

“I recognize symptoms and I’ve got some students that I’ll do some things for those I don’t do for others. We make sure we don’t push the limits. You try to make their lives the best you can.”

Flinn missed the structure of school because it is laid out black and white. After serving, he knew exactly what he wanted to study in college.

“For us, we were in the military so it’s a completely different situation,” said Flinn. “We know now what we want to do unlike other college students. It’s a huge disconnection.”

Although he likes to stay invisible during class, he plays paintball with two veterans in his class in his free time.

Veterans believe dealing with difficulties in school is worth it because they obtain a higher education in the end.

Showplace Reels in the Entertainment

Story & Photo by: Alyson Svec

Students at Texas State can go to Showplace and watch cheap movies near the Square if they missed a new release or are looking for something fun to do.

Showplace has been in business since the seventies and is the oldest theater still running in San Marcos.

Movie tickets are normally $1.50 during the week. Friday and Saturday prices are $2, and Tuesday is the cheapest day at 50 cents.

Hope Shimek, 21-year-old geography major, believes Showplace is a great place to watch movies at a discounted price.

“The theater room is just as dark, if not darker than a regularly priced theater and you still have the big screen, Surround Sound and most everything else the regular theater provides,” Shimek said.

Showplace is one of the only movie theaters that has not gone digital, unlike what most movie theaters are turning to.

Victoria Joy, general manager at Showplace for three years, said she likes how unique the theater is.

“I definitely like that we are still showing movies with actual reels instead of digital films,” Joy said. “Showplace has been around for a while, so tradition is a good thing.”

Movies are split into six or seven miniature reels that weigh between 30 to 40 pounds and build up into one full-length movie. The theater also uses flat screen projectors, rather than flat or scope screens.

Tuesday is the busiest day for Showplace, which is when many college students go. Up to 200 hundred people attend daily, including a few regulars.

“I had absolutely no money after I graduated from college, so I went there to do something cheap and fun,” Joy said.

Slowest days are on Monday’s and during the holidays when fewer than fifty people attend. It is also less busy during the fourth week when a movie will be shown for the last time.

Showplace gets at least one new movie a week, depending how popular it is in regular priced theaters. The “Twilight” series, for example, took three months to show. After a month or two, the theater changes what is showing and receives new movies.

Three separate theaters that show three to four movies at a time during the year. The front theaters are old, smaller and have fewer seats. The sound quality is decent, but not like a regular priced movie theater like Starplex.

“I would rather see a movie here then rent one though,” said Joy.

Shimek rarely goes to the movies, so she always looks what is playing at Showplace first.

“I enjoy that it is never really crowded, and I feel comfortable talking in a normal voice rather than softly when I am waiting for the movie to start,” Shimek said. “Cost is definitely a plus being a college student and the food tastes just like any other regularly priced theater.”

Concession prices are cheaper. A small drink at Starplex is $4, and at Showplace it’s $1.50 to $2 cheaper.

Aaron Davenport has been working at Showplace for a year and says it is a nice work environment.

“It’s a real relaxing job most of the time and a great place for a college student to get school work done since there’s hardly anyone here,” Davenport said.

There are also advantages to working at Showplace.

“We get to watch movies for free and are able to get our friends in free also,” Davenport said. “We got limited passes to see movies at Starplex and we can eat as much free popcorn we want.”

A future change for Showplace may include renovation into an Alamo Draft House where adults can eat and drink while watching movies.

“I don’t think they will do anything with it soon, but in five to ten years I believe they will,” Joy said. “They will need a big investment to pull through.”

For now, Showplace remains a popular and convenient spot for students to watch low-priced movies during their free time.