Why I support the English Department on Day of the Badger: Because, as a former department chair, I know that discretionary funds makes a difference — money that can go, without much red tape, towards things like subsidizing a summer internship or enabling a student to attend a conference where they will present their work. When we say that every small donation counts, we mean it. For example, it costs about $10 to compensate a research participant in a linguistic experiment, $25 to print a research poster, or $100 to provide pizza at a student-run event. I am fortunate to have access to research support for myself through a named professorship (thanks to a generous gift from English alum Dr. Erling A. Anderson, who went on to have a distinguished career as a cardiovascular researcher), and I’ll gladly do my small share to add flexibility to what the department can do to support students.
