A-State Dining Services Honors Veterans with a Heartfelt Celebration at Acansa Dining Hall

Arkansas State University Dining Services brought together students, staff, and the Jonesboro community for a moving Veterans Day celebration at Acansa Dining Hall on November 11. The event honored the courage and sacrifice of those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the families who support them.

The celebration featured a presentation of the colors by the Arkansas State Red Wolf Battalion, a ceremonial cake cutting, and displays highlighting the stories of veterans connected to the Red Wolf community. Veterans received complimentary meals as a token of appreciation, and the atmosphere was filled with gratitude, reflection, and connection.

The event was a true labor of love from Chef Danny Lopez, a Marine Corps veteran himself, whose leadership and dedication made the day especially meaningful for both guests and staff.

Jana Haskins, Director of the Beck Center for Veterans, said the experience was deeply personal for her. She explained that hosting such a meaningful event felt “very touching” because “veterans are my passion. They served us and then they went overseas. They are the reason we can function and live our lives daily.” Haskins, who grew up in a military family, shared that she was drawn to this role because of her background. “I come from a long line of veterans in my family,” she said. “I am an Army brat. When this position came available I was like OK!” She added that the event was warmly received by attendees, noting that “everybody seems to be having a really good time and enjoying it.”

Among those attending was 95-year-old Air Force veteran Charles A. “Buddy” Smith, who said Veterans Day “means you did something right.” For Smith, it represents the pride and purpose that comes with service. “It’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he said, adding that he hopes Arkansas State “continues to honor their veterans.”

Although 2026 Miss Arkansas State University, Reese Worthington, was unable to attend due to class, she shared her support for the celebration and its meaning to her family. “My dad is a veteran; he served in the Army,” she said. “Ever since then I have had tremendous respect for those who served. And my great grandpa also served.” Worthington described how much she values the community spirit at A-State, adding that “any time the Red Wolf community comes together to celebrate, it just further affirms how loving of a community Jonesboro and Arkansas State is.” She appreciated that the event recognized people like her father and great-grandfather who “served for our country.” Worthington also reflected on the broader importance of the day, saying, “not everyone sees firsthand the sacrifice that veterans have done for us. So I think it is important that we really commend them in any way we can because it’s indescribable what they have done for us.”

For student and marketing intern Jenna McCann, the day was about honoring her father, Timothy McCann, who served as a C-130 mechanic in the Air Force. “My dad was a very attention-to-detail person, and I feel like it has made me into that type of person,” she said. “He engraved a lot of the military customs into my brain.” Seeing veterans recognized during the event was meaningful to her. “It’s good knowing that everyone in my community celebrates veterans like I do,” she said, adding that she hopes others “see not just how it impacts the veterans themselves, but also their families.”

The Arkansas State Dining Services team, in partnership with the Red Wolf Battalion, took great pride in hosting an event that brought together so many voices and stories of service—uniting the A-State community in gratitude and respect.