https://youtu.be/Jo4lEbALdRs

The author interviews Sam Smith, national president of Omega Delta Sigma.

Omega Delta Sigma is a nationally recognized, co-ed veterans fraternity. Involvement is the best way to help students succeed inside and outside of the classroom. Socialization, campus activities, recreation, leadership, service opportunities, and engagement in academic activities with peers are just a few enablers to a successful academic career. This philosophy also holds true for student veterans.

However, student veterans are also accustomed to a former lifestyle of intense pressure, regimented routine, goal orientation, and a disciplined combat mindset. Living in underclassmen dorms with younger, less disciplined, and in many cases irresponsible students is seldom appealing to these former warriors, to say the least. In some cases this mix can be a trigger.

This cultural disconnect often keeps student veterans from getting involved with their student peers and taking full advantage of all that the collegiate experience has to offer. Finding ways to connect this group of students to the university community both in and out of the classroom can be, and often is, a challenge.

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Omega Delta Sigma operates under this creed: professionals, scholars, warriors. The fraternity was founded at the University of Florida in 1999 as a way for veterans to come together, share experiences, and meet other veterans. Since its founding, Omega Delta Sigma has established a number of other chapters located across the United States, in Florida, Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Oregon, Nevada, California, and Massachusetts. It continues the expansion of its university network.

Omega Delta Sigma provides help to the chapter’s local communities and proceeds to such organizations as Wounded Warrior Project, Support Our Troops, and Toys for Tots. Each chapter also engages in their own type of philanthropy events in their communities throughout the year.