Founded in 2003, Military Friendly is an organization that measures organizations’ commitment, effort, and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community. Military Friendly Schools strive toward and succeed in the areas that matter most in helping veterans make the transition from the military to school and, ultimately, satisfying careers in the civilian world. Earning the designation shows a school meets the minimum criteria.

Military Friendly’s final ratings for its Schools list were determined by combining each institution’s survey responses, government/agency public data sources, and measurements across retention, graduation, job placement, repayment, persistence, and loan default rates for all students and specifically, for student-veterans.

There are about 1,400 current student-veterans at UCF, and there are a range of services, including the Office of Military and Veteran Student Success, offered to support them.

In September 2021,ÌęU.S. News & World ReportÌęranked UCF the 86^thÌębest college for veterans. In January, U.S. News & World ReportÌęranked UCF 8^th for online bachelor’s programs for veterans.

UCF is also home to , a nonprofit clinical research center and treatment clinic established to change the way post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other trauma-related concerns are understood, diagnosed, and treated. The organization’s unique approach to treatment — combining exposure therapy, emerging technology, as well as individual and group therapy sessions — has resulted in 66% of participants with combat-related trauma and 76% of first responders no longer meeting the diagnostic criteria for PTSD following three weeks of intensive treatment.

Barbara Gannon, associate professor of history and coordinator of the , has been involved with the Supply Vault for Student Veteran Success since the project’s inception.

“Our vision is to use this vault as a way of welcoming veterans to the UCF community,” says Gannon. “Veterans’ homecomings can be difficult, but we want to use this to ease their transition to UCF and higher education.”

The vault offers a collection of school supplies selected by student veterans for student veterans, including noise-canceling headphones, wireless keyboards, voice recorders, blue light glasses, smart notebooks and external hard drives. These items are provided to student veterans at no cost.

“We also want to introduce them to the UCF Community Veterans History Project,” Gannon says. “We want them to know that we value them and their stories. The supply vault is also a tangible way of letting them know of our gratitude for their service.”

Fundraising for the vault came from the 2019 macramé Yellow Ribbon Project. In partnership with the Central Florida Yellow Ribbon Project and local artist Victoria Walsh, UCF students, faculty, staff and community members macraméd trees lining Memory Mall. Twenty-eight of the 30 trees were sponsored by colleges, departments and organizations, including the College of Arts and Humanities.

For history student Michael Richardson, the vault holds a personal significance. As a U.S. Navy veteran, he’s closely familiar with the struggle of returning to civilian life following military service, not to mention the difficulty of adjusting to life as a full-time student.

“The adjustment from service really was a nightmare,” Richardson says. “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do — going to classes. I would literally drive all the way and sit in my car, but I wasn’t able to go in. I dropped out of school for about three years.”

With the help of therapy and getting involved with the Florida Department of Veterans Affairs, Richardson was able to return to his studies and found a passion for history. At UCF, Gannon recommended he get involved with the Veterans History Project. , he became a research assistant with the project and was instrumental in the planning and execution of the vault.

“I started doing research, and I started looking at all the stuff around me that I had been using,” says Richardson. “And I’m like, ‘OK, these are the tools that have made me successful as a student; things that I’ve had to kind of piece together for myself for the last six years.’”

Richardson’s experience as both a veteran and UCF student gave him a unique perspective when planning and procuring items for the vault. Having experienced the difficulties of reacclimating to civilian and student life himself, he understands how simple items such as noise-cancelling headphones and voice recorder pens can make a huge difference in the day-to-day life of student veterans.

“There are so many triggers that a lot of [student veterans] won’t even know they have,” he says. “If I can help them avoid even one stressor in their day — helping them to get over those hurdles will help them be better Knights.”

My decision to join the military was a complicated one. The last thing my parents ever wanted me to do was enlist. Their priority was to see me graduate college and achieve what they couldn’t achieve as a first-generation graduate. In high school, I would study and pick the most difficult classes I could to prepare myself for the next chapter of my life. Everyone around me was doing the same thing, going straight from high school to college, but I wanted to take a detour and explore something different before fulfilling my parent’s dream.

During my senior year, a Marine Corps recruiter came in to talk to my AP government class.

At the time, I had no means to pay for college. I didn’t want to get into debt or have my parents pay for my tuition, so what attracted me the most to the Marines was how they would pay for my college while being able to take my detour. In the military, my job was public affairs. I would make multimedia content for social media and my specialty was primarily creating videos. As the only Spanish-speaking Marine in my work section, I created the first Spanish-speaking video stories for the Marine Corps. I documented a lot of recruit training and told the stories of several Marines, ranging from recruits to veterans of Iwo Jima, Beirut, Korean War and other conflicts.

On top of my responsibilities in service, I took classes online. A lot of people, including my parents who thought I was throwing away college when I enlisted, don’t know you can still go to college while in the military. My motivation to do college while I was in the military was always my dad. I promised him that no matter how hard things got, I will continue to do college. Every day when I would come home from work or had down time I would immediately get started on my online classes. I studied software engineering at Arizona State șŁœÇֱȄ before I was honorably discharged and transferred to UCF to pursue computer science.

I transferred to UCF for many reasons, but the main was Ìębecause my wife, who I began dating in high school, got accepted here for her master’s in clinical health counseling. She followed me to South Carolina all throughout my service, now I owe it to her to follow her wherever she goes. I heard remarkable things about UCF’s engineering and computer science program, and with the goal to become an engineer I knew UCF was a great fit for me. I also didn’t want to move back to Miami and experience the same old life I had before joining the military. I wanted to explore unfamiliar places while still being close to home.

When I started my first semester this August, I felt alone. Being a veteran, you do notice you’re a lot older than the typical college first-year student. I had a challenging time feeling a sense of community until I went to the , where I talked with a couple of veterans and even got a job. Through the Federal Work Study program, I help other student-veterans learn about the community and support the MVSS offers. Helping other veterans use their benefits is a great feeling and this has been the first time I felt comfortable talking to anybody about my time as a Marine. I’ve started adjusting to campus over the past few months and my time here has been great. The classes are challenging, which is something I’ve always wanted out of my school experience, and slowly I have been connecting with students in my classes.

My time in the Marine Corps was just a small section in my life, and although it was an important one, I don’t think it defines who I am. I want to experience college like any other student and see how much I can gain professionally and personally by the time I graduate.

My hope at UCF is to obviously get my degree in computer science, but also be more involved in different engineering clubs and campus activities. Learning and growing as a student will help me get the jobs I want, in turn making my family’s life better. But my biggest hope at UCF is to have my wife and dad there witnessing me getting my degree as a first-generation student.

Here are a few photos that capture the event :

With this being the second year UCF has hosted this particular project, 28 out of the 30 total trees included were sponsored by colleges, departments and organizations at the university. The proceeds raised from these sponsorships will be used to create a supply closet managed by VARC in the spring. These supplies include items student-veterans need, such as audio pen recorders, blue books,ÌęUSB drives, notebooks and planners.

“The symbolic wrapping of trees with a yellow cord is echoing the song,Ìę“Tie a Yellow Ribbon,”Ìęby Tony Orlando and Dawn, [which helped spark the tradition of using yellow ribbons to show support for veterans]. This is generations of a tradition that symbolizes welcoming home veterans and accepting their changes, whether they have severe PTSD or they’re just coming back from a more civil job. Just being there for them through that transition is very important,” Walsh says.

There are currently 1,500 student veterans enrolled at UCF, says Tiffany Rivera,Ìęassistant director for educational and training programs in UCF’s . TheÌę is a an oral initiative that collects, preserves and honors our nation’s heroes by taking time to listen to their experiences.

Walsh studied psychology and was in ROTC at the university from 2010 to 2014. Her appreciation for the military developed as a child because she has had family members serve in all five branches of the military. “When I was in college here I intended to go into the military but because of health reasons I was not able to pursue that. So this is a way for me to show that support and camaraderie for those soldiers,” says Walsh.

Two students stop to check out aÌęmacramĂ©d tree and a sign indicating which department at UCF sponsored it.

Two students work on wrapping up a tree.

While a student, Walsh spent some of her free time learning to macramĂ©. She intended to work with veterans through art therapy after graduation. Now she helps to support veterans and other communities throughout Central Florida through her macramĂ© work. “I like to share macramĂ© so that we can all come together for a purpose,” Walsh says. “Tying a cord around a tree has usually been a bow, but the act was always a hand knotted bow and macramĂ© literally means hand-knotting, so we’re doing that same thing but in a more impactful way.”

“I thought that if I moved to Florida, all my problems would be better,” Paul says. “But I brought my problem with me. I was down here for a year before I was willing to admit that I had a problem.”

Now sober for eight years, Paul has completed a master’s degree at UCF and is working on his second, in social work. His experience with substance abuse and recovery has led him to help others who may be struggling in a university environment where drinking and use of other substances sometimes seems the norm.

College is one of the most common times for people to experiment with alcohol, according to the, which reports that 80 percent of college students drink alcohol and 50 percent of those engage in binge drinking. Based on that use, approximately 15 percent of people 18 to 25 in the United States meet the criteria for substance abuse disorders, compared with 6.6 percent of adults over 26.

UCF has been a national leader in its efforts to help students get and stay sober. The university started holding Narcotics Anonymous meetings on campus in 2011 and then became the first public university in Florida to offer comprehensive recovery support. Across America, universities have followed suit. In 2012, the United States had 29 on-campus collegiate recovery communities. That number has now increased to more than 200.

UCF’s Student Health Services offers counseling and treatment for substance abuse as well as contributing mental-health disorders such as depression and anxiety.

UCF’s Student Health Services offers counseling and treatment for substance abuse as well as contributing mental-health disorders such as depression and anxiety. The Sober Knights student organization offers substance-free social events – including trivia, open mic and craft nights – and weekly meetings that provide fellowship and help direct students to recovery services. UCF holds on-campus Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous meetings and has dedicated space for students in recovery to meet, study and find support. The Veterans Academic Resource Center offers support services for students returning from combat, including recovery-centered academic and career advising.

“If people are not sure if they have a problem or are wanting help, they can come over to Student Health Services right on campus across from Ferrell Commons,” Paul says. “There are licensed mental-health counselors and licensed clinical-social workers who are specialized in abuse, so they can come here for resources.”

Alexander Lewis, a junior psychology major, is the president of Sober Knights and he says the group helps students navigate the normalized college culture of partying, drinking and drug use.

“If people feel like they are partying too much just because everyone else is doing it, we’re here to give them an alternative,” Lewis says. “They don’t have to feel like the only way to have a social life is through drinking.”

Lewis’ passion for helping students live a sober life on campus stems from his own struggles with drug addiction. After spending months in a rehabilitation center, he is now five and a half years sober and pursuing a psychology degree at UCF.

“I’m planning on going into industrial organizational psychology – the psychology of how people work,” Lewis says. “The goal is to combine the passion I have for recovery and treatment centers with the degree and hopefully improve how substance-abuse treatment facilities hire people and how they work to help others.”

Lewis urges students not to be afraid to ask for help. “Reach out to who you are comfortable with,” Lewis says. “If not family, then reach out to friends. If your friends aren’t supportive and you’d rather talk to strangers, you can do that too.”

Thomas HallÌę’16±Êłó¶Ù, led UCF’s substance-disorders prevention efforts at UCF before being recently appointed to direct Orange County’s Drug-Free Coalition. He said the university’s recovery efforts have three goals: provide services for students who recognize they need help, create programs that help those already in recovery be successful at UCF and graduate, and provide a substance-free culture for students seeking a different college environment.

“Many students are looking for alternatives to the worn out, stale, old narratives about excessive college drinking,” says Hall, who emphasized that not everyone in college is partying.

“I have seen the data and despite what people think, today’s 18 to 24-year-old students are drinking less than those before them,” Hall says. “Last year, over 40 percent of UCF first-time-in-college students reported they didn’t drink at all in their senior year of high school.”

Paul and Lewis say those statistics are encouraging, but they know too well the dangers of substance abuse and addiction. They say recovery is a difficult, ongoing journey. They hope that by sharing their stories, they can show others at UCF that with support recovery is possible

As Paul explains, “If you have a problem or you know someone who has a problem, know that there is a way out.”

Along with resources available through Student Health Services, there are several recovery meetings available for UCF community members:

Alcoholics Anonymous: Actions of Recovery

• Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. at thePoint After Dark in the Neptune multipurpose room.

Al-Anon: Serenity Now

• Mondays from 7 to 8 p.m. at thePoint After Dark

Narcotics Anonymous

• Wednesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. at the Barbara Ying Center

For more information, visit .

Membership in the Collegiate Recovery Community at UCF is also an option for students who wish to seek assistance while maintaining their recovery during their time at UCF.

Members receive:

• Private study space
• Recovery coaching
• Substance-use counseling
• Fellowship and community recovery resources
• Centered academic and career advising
• Access to local support meetings

For more information, visit .

People trash-talked over corn hole, dined on barbecue and beans, and two in-service veterans waved a giant red, white and blue UCF flag. Saturday’s UCF-Stanford tailgate party was a huge celebration. The only thing that wasn’t there was booze.

As part of National Recovery Month, UCF campus organizations — Sober Knights, the Student Veterans of America chapter and SALUTE Veterans Honor Society — teamed up to hold a sober tailgating party at the Veterans Academic Resource Center down the street from Spectrum Stadium. Students hoped the event encouraged people to talk more openly about recovery to reduce stigma and increase understanding.

Rebecca Benton is a student counselor at UCF’s . She says she’s a petite woman so no one believes she’s a veteran. Her husband is a former combat Marine. Their son is earning his degree at UCF and is a leader in the university’s veterans and recovery efforts. She and others know first-hand the misconceptions people have about veterans and people in recovery: Veterans are big, tough, mean. They never show their feelings. They’re all suffering from PTSD. People who abuse alcohol and drugs are weak. They don’t have any will power. They’re irresponsible.

“We need to talk about this more so we don’t judge, so we break down barriers,” Benton says. “We need to think about recovery more. We need to talk about it more. Recovery needs to be part of every day.”

Medical experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population is suffering from substance abuse — addiction to alcohol and/or drugs.

Medical experts estimate that at least 10 percent of the population is suffering from substance abuse — addiction to alcohol and/or drugs. That means that with an enrollment of about 68,000, UCF likely has almost 7,000 students who are struggling with alcohol or drugs or are in recovery. The goal of events like sober tailgating is to provide students with an alcohol-free event and raise awareness that not every student is able to spending their weekends “partying.”

“When it comes to a lot of activities on campus, people don’t think about people who are in recovery, people who don’t or can’t do alcohol,” says junior Ryan Calderon, vice president of UCF Sober Knights. “Our message is that you can have a great, fun experience without drinking. It sounds crazy but it works.”

Understanding was a key issue raised by student veterans Juan Landaverde and John Glenny, who lead UCF’s Student Veterans of America. Landaverde spent eight years in the Army and was deployed three times. Glenny served oversees and in the U.S. as a combat medic. They explain that student veterans are different from young undergraduates who just left home for the first time. Veterans are adult learners with intense life experiences. The military has taught them focus, toughness, discipline and self-care. While they may come across as unapproachable, veterans say they are eager to share their experience — and to learn from other, younger students who are, as Landaverde says, better at “navigating the whole college thing.”

“In the military you become family,” says Glenny. “And when you leave the military, you’re without that family and that can make connecting hard. So our goal is to help veterans find a community here. To show them it’s OK to be in college at your age. This is your place in time. And we want to share our experience. Because we’re all the same people — we’re just living in a different world.”

Orlando resident and NFL Super Bowl Champion Fred Stokes joined the tailgating. The former defensive end for the LA/St. Louis Rams, Washington Redskins and New Orleans Saints autographed footballs, showed his Super Bowl ring and talked about dispelling the notion that that college has to be all about drinking. “You get to college and it’s on,” he says of partying. “But I can have a great time, a can enjoy a party and not have any regrets – about what I says, what I did, where I ended up or who I slept with.”

While sober events help students in recovery, they also help students seeking a different type of college experience, recovery leaders says.

“Universities may find if they offer alterative activities, sober curious students will find their way and change the narrative that drinking is central to having a good time,” says Thomas Hall, ‘16PhD, the Sober Knights advisor who is leaving UCF to become director of Orange County’s Drug-Free Coalition.

They key to raising awareness is openness, veterans and recovery leaders say. Openness to learning about people who have experiences different from your own. Openness to talking about and addressing stigma and misconceptions. Openness to asking questions without judgment. Openness to the fact that everyone is battling something and that together we are stronger to fight whatever issues we may have.

Luis Delgado is “The Dope Doctor,” a certified addictions professional and UCF alum who hosts The Coach Life Radio Show on recovery. He’s been sober for more than 25 years. His foundation, N.O.W. Matters More, helps people get into recovery, including providing scholarships to those who are underinsured or have limited benefits. Delgado aired his radio show live from UCF’s sober tailgating event and talked about how everyone plays a role in recovery.

“Recovery is possible,” he said. “We need to be open about that because we’re all in this together. We are your sons, your daughters, your fathers, your friends.”

September is National Recovery Month and this year’s theme, “Join the Voices for Recovery: Together We Are Stronger,” carries an important message: We all play a role in recovery, whether or not we struggle personally with issues like depression, anxiety, alcohol, drug or nicotine abuse. All of us — as work colleagues, friends, family and health care providers — play a role in supporting each other to become physically, emotionally and spiritually stronger.

A number of resources are available at UCF to support those in recovery. Student Health Services offers and we have added recovery information — including smoking cessation — on the .

UCF is committed to helping those affected by mental-health challenges and substance-use disorders by raising awareness of these conditions and the recovery resources that are available.

In addition, we invite you to join us at the Veterans Academic Resource Center on Sept. 14 as for the UCF football game against Stanford that will celebrate recovery. The event is co-hosted by the Veterans Student Organization and UCF Sober Knights as well as recovery organizations from our community.

Behavioral health is essential to overall wellness. UCF is committed to helping those affected by mental-health challenges and substance-use disorders by raising awareness of these conditions and the recovery resources that are available. Prevention works, treatment is effective, and people can and do recover. Please join me in being a voice for recovery.

Let’s all stay well – together.

Several groups around the campus are collecting toys, blankets, gift cards and miscellaneous items to share with others in the community:

The Veterans Academic Resource Center is collecting at the resource center’s lobby (Suite 100 in the CFE Arena) or the first floor of the John C. Hitt Library by 10 a.m. Dec. 15.

The UCF Police Department and the UCF Staff Council are collecting toys at a box at the police department through Dec. 13. (The department also is storing items already collected by the Learning Institute for Elders.)

The Recreation and Wellness Center will have a collection box in the main lobby by the administration office through Dec. 12.

The College of Sciences will have a box in the dean’s office through Dec. 12.

At the șŁœÇֱȄ, the Veterans Academic Resource Center (VARC) eases the way for students who have served their country, providing a one-stop-shop of services to help them succeed.

“From beginning to end, we work with our veterans to make sure their transition is as smooth as possible during their entire time here,” said VARC program coordinator Joshua “JJ” Johnson.

For the roughly 1,500 student-veterans who attend UCF, VARC provides everything from career counseling and tutoring to coffee and social activities.

That support is a key reason UCF has earned a spot on the Military Times’ “Best for Vets” college list, and been named a Military Friendly¼ School by Victory Media.

“Here at UCF, they do a really good job,” said graduate student Mike Arp, a U.S. Air Force veteran. “They really help student veterans not be a statistic and not fall through the cracks.”

It starts before student-veterans set foot in their first class. Veterans start their UCF orientation in the VARC offices on East Plaza Drive by CFE Arena. There, a team led by assistant registrar Bethany Glassbrenner cuts through the red tape by helping fill out Veterans Administration forms to take advantage of GI Bill educational benefits that can cover tuition and housing. Part of her team is made up of UCF VA work-study students – most of whom are veterans themselves.

VARC, which is run by director Dr. Paul Viau, celebrates its sixth anniversary this month. When it opened in 2010, traffic was sparse. Since then, there’s been an increase in both the number of veterans who attend UCF and the number of services the university offers to support them.

Lorine Cisch-Taylor assists with student veterans’ transfer to UCF, advocates for disabled veterans and provides career counseling.

“The first semester I was here, I had about six people physically come into my office the whole semester,” she said. “Now I see about six a day. We have exponentially increased traffic.”

Within UCF’s student-veteran population for Fall 2016, most have transferred with credits earned from a state college or the military. Some 74 percent are men and 26 percent are women. Eighty percent are undergraduates and 20 percent are graduates. Most – about 90 percent – are Florida residents. Nineteen percent attend regional campuses.

The VARC’s Vet 2 Vet Peer Mentoring Program currently has five peer mentors, who are veterans themselves. Much of their time is spent contacting the nearly 1,500 veterans at UCF multiple times each semester to make sure they’re on track with their academics and making a smooth transition at UCF.

When it comes to academics, student-veterans at UCF have priority registration status so they can sign up for classes early. At VARC, they can find quiet study rooms, tutoring, supplemental academic advising and more.

Vets can also find camaraderie and support from others who have served. They can hang out in the VARC’s lounge, which features a TV, gaming systems, coffeemaker, microwave and refrigerator.

“We connect our veterans with advising, transfer student services, counseling, the registrar’s office – whatever they need,” Johnson said. “We’re all very passionate about what we do.”

Events for the month:

UCF Veterans Wall of Honor: Their Stories are Our Stories

On display in the John C.Ìę Hitt Library during November, the Wall of Honor salutes UCF student, faculty and staff veterans with “Their Stories are Our Stories.” The exhibit features individual profiles honoring the military experiences of our Knights. The display is presented by the UCF Community Veterans History Project, the Veterans Academic Resource Center and the Student Veterans of America, UCF chapter.

Wednesday, Nov. 2

A Veterans Career and Resource Fair will be open to all Central Florida veterans. More than 20 employers will be at the The Venue behind the CFE Arena from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information on local veteran’s organizations and resources also will be available. This event is sponsored by UCF Career Services, Mission United, and the Orlando VA at Baldwin Park.

Thursday, Nov. 3

What’s your story? The Veterans Literary Workshop is a free session offering tools and creative ideas to help veterans put their experiences and thoughts into words. Morgridge International Reading Center, UCF Main Campus, noon-2:30 p.m. Limited space is available. Contact Tiffany.Rivera@ucf.edu for more information.

Saturday, Nov. 5

Veterans are invited to take part in a kayaking trip. Hosted by UCF Outdoor Adventure through the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, there are limited slots available for the 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. trip. The fee is $15 and includes equipment, instruction, transportation, and a T-shirt. Contact outdoor@ucf.edu for more information.

Tuesday, Nov. 8

To honor UCF student veterans, the Veterans Academic Resource Center will display American flags on Memory Mall. Each flag will represents a student veteran enrolled at UCF this semester.

The UCF Community Veterans History Project will interview local World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans to capture their experiences using oral history. The interviews will be at Westminster Towers in downtown Orlando from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 10

The Veterans Commemoration Ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. at theÌę. The ceremony will feature the Air Force ROTC Color Guard, Army ROTC, UCF Music Department and guest speakers. The event is open to the public. Come a few minutes early and write a thank you note that will be delivered to local veterans.

Saturday, Nov. 12

Several UCF organizations and departments will participate in the Orlando Veterans Day Parade. Hosted by Mayor Buddy Dyer and his Veterans Advisory Council each year, the parade honors the courageous men and women of the armed forces. This year’s parade salutes post-9/11 veterans. The parade will start at the corner of Orange Avenue and Robinson Street in downtown Orlando at 11 a.m. For parking details and more information visit .

Wednesday, Nov. 16

The Office of Student Involvement will host a Veterans Game Night at the Veterans Academic Resource Center complete with food, refreshments, and door prizes. Come for the entire time or just a quick visit, 2-4 p.m.

Thursday, Nov. 17

The UCF Community Veterans History Project will interview local World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans to capture their experiences using oral history. The interviews will be at Watercrest Senior Living at Lake Nona from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Veterans who are UCF students, faculty or staff are invited guests for Light Up UCF’s Veterans Night, 5-10 p.m. ÌęThe holiday event offers an 8,000-square-foot outdoor ice skating rink, rides, and holiday attractions. Interested attendees must contact Joshua.Johnson@ucf.edu to receive free admission that night.

Monday, Nov, 28 — Friday, Dec. 2

Veterans Academic Resource Center Late Nights. VARC study rooms and lounge will be open until 7 p.m. for student veterans. Provided will be food, refreshments and a quiet place to study and relax before finals.