As the war in Iraq winds down, our country must facilitate the reintegration of veterans back into society. One way of doing this, as Columbia University, among others, has already taken to, is actively recruiting veterans as potential students by going to military bases.

While Brandeis doesn't necessarily need to go this far, we should participate in programs that encourage veterans to go to college.

A recent New York Times article describes the reactions of one of Columbia's deans of admissions in recruiting these veterans.

Columbia is following a pattern well established in American history: After World War II, the passage of the GI Bill allowed veterans to go to universities in droves. This not only paid tribute to the extreme sacrifice the veterans had made on behalf of our country, but gave the veterans concrete opportunities for their futures.

With the Post-9/11 GI Bill in 2008, veterans are once again flocking to universities, including Columbia. This recent incarnation of the GI Bill, according to its website, "provides financial support for education and housing to individuals with at least 90 days of aggregate service on or after September 11, 2001." It pays the full tuition and fees for public, in-state schools, and will give $17,500 per academic year to veterans for a private school.

Veterans deserve guidance and assistance through the college admissions process to ensure that they take advantage of the great opportunities they have available to them to go to college.

The Leadership Scholar Program works with 190 colleges around the country to help marines figure out the college admissions process. It serves as the link between honorably discharged marines and universities, matching marines with universities that they believe would be a good fit and ensuring acceptance for those that are qualified.

We would benefit from encouraging this sort of behavior. We should salute our men and women in uniform by giving them a chance at the American dream—a dream that, in this day and age, more or less requires a college degree.

After all, these men and women have had life experiences that most college students can't say they have had; being in the army forces someone to grow up in a way that many 18-year-olds cannot relate to.

Brandeis, unfortunately, does not participate in this program as of now. It would give our student body a diversity of life experiences, allowing the whole student body to benefit from the experiences of a few.

Consider how much we could learn about the world outside the "Brandeis bubble" by talking to someone who has seen the terrors and devastating impact of war on the

communities of the world. Having the influence of more veterans would allow us to begin to see beyond the scope of our own world and understand what life is like for others out there. It would also increase support for our veterans, no matter our personal feelings on the wars—interacting on a day-to-day basis with veterans would make us understand the hardships soldiers must go through and appreciate their sacrifices.

Additionally, it would give us greater socioeconomic diversity, as many young people join the military because they do not have the money for college. The New York Times article talks about Cpl. Andrew King, who was accepted to the University of Virginia and Emory University before heading to the marines. He didn't accept either school because he couldn't afford the tuition—something the army uses to increase its recruitment. With the 2008 GI Bill, King will now have money to alleviate the monetary burden of a college education.

We, as a community, could benefit from this socioeconomic diversity because it would allow us to understand the world from another perspective—to understand the realities of life and of the world.

While Columbia places the veterans in its School of General Studies, focused on nontraditional students who take the same classes as other students, Brandeis would not have to orient itself this way. We have many programs, such as the Transitional Year Program, that seek the help some students deal with the transition to Brandeis.

I don't see why we couldn't have a similar program focused on bringing veterans into the campus community and integrating them into campus life.

By participating in the Leadership Scholar Program, we would be in great company. In the local area alone, the program counts Harvard University, Tufts University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology as participants.

In short, Brandeis should engage in this program as it gives veterans the chance to have a world class education. Perhaps more importantly, it enriches our own campus community with diverse life experiences.