Orange hangers on doors throughout the halls of Syracuse University are not in the effort of school spirit. They’re brightly colored outreach calls to student military veterans looking for support from professors and faculty to help with issues that can emerge while changing from active duty service members to college students.
“I do have some sort of personal struggle to adapt to a new environment,” said Miguel Pika, an Army Veteran. “I’m so used to the military culture, versus now, I’m not in the military base anymore.”
Currently, Pika is attending classes at SU. The Army veteran suffered a traumatic brain injury while serving, and being a new father on top of that during a global pandemic has been a different college experience, but not in a bad way.
“But because it’s an our transition, and you’re transitioning, even from the pandemic, from online to in-person,” he explained.
For Pika, the Orange Door Program at SU has provided a level of stability and support that makes adapting to new changes within his reach.
“And that’s done with an orange door hanger that they hang on the outside of their office,” said Brandon Dyer, the Communication Manager for Syracuse University’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families.
According to Brandon Dyer, with SU’s Institute for Veterans and Military Families, more than 130 faculty and staff have “orange doors” in every school and college on campus. It’s a program that’s grown since it began in 2017.
“[There] is a symbol and a signal to student veterans and military connected students, that this is someone that they can talk to and confide in, and that can help connect them with resources and support,” explained Dyer.
With over 1,200 military connected students on campus, Pika acknowledges it is uncomfortable to ask for help. It was a struggle for him, but that’s how you grow.
“You don’t have to do it alone. You always have a team. That’s why we’re here,” said Pika.
On the other side of SU’s Orange Door Program, student-veteran liaisons and faculty are provided military cultural training and a user guide to help better understand their role in a veteran’s campus experience.
