Elena Peerson is a sophomore in the Elliott School of International Affairs.

Here at GW, the name of our mascot and our sports teams is reminiscent of those early Americans that initially fought for our freedoms – the colonials.

Those people were veterans, as was George Washington. It is does not make sense that even though veterans are the basis for this institution’s mascot, we still are not honoring Veterans Day by having the day off. Even though we boast to be patriotic, we do not take time to honor those that fought for our country.

While I recognize that GW had its own wreath-laying celebration at Arlington last Wednesday during classes, this is insufficient recognition of the importance of those that gave so much for our country.

“We have more than 1,000 student veterans and dependents who are using GI Bill benefits at the university,” University President Steven Knapp said in a Nov. 6 GW Today article. “And many others have friends and family who have died on behalf of our country.”

These are amazing facts about our institution, and we should all be incredibly proud. I have several friends here at GW that are veterans, and I am so thankful to have had the opportunity to not just learn alongside them, but also to learn from them.

While GW is a resource of learning to veterans, they are also an invaluable source of learning to us. They teach us about courage, perseverance and sacrifice. They have experienced things we cannot fathom.

We might boast of our “institutional commitment” to veterans and military personnel. But today, we fail to demonstrate the immeasurable impact of these people that sacrificed so much for us. By holding classes, Knapp fails to allow a day for the community to honor them and thank them for all that they have done. He fails to give us the opportunity to honor the veterans in our own families, by getting to see them in person or call them on the phone to thank them for their service to our nation. He fails to give our student and faculty veterans the opportunity to see their own loved ones.

For such a proud University that boasts about its location in our nation’s capital, it is a shame that our leaders do not allow students an opportunity to attend the ceremonies that will be held for veterans around the District today. Students should be encouraged to participate in these opportunities. It should be an obvious standard to which we should hold ourselves.