The time has come for the Class of 2009.
We are entering the final stretch of our undergraduate college careers, and it has been great-except for all of the relentless tests, quizzes, papers and presentations.
However, when you forget about all of that, you will realize that you are no longer the same person that you were when you entered this college.
Reflect on it for a moment: I am pretty sure you can think about some things that you have done since coming to college that your high school self never thought you would do. We have been fundamentally changed by the College and the people with whom we have interacted over the past few years.
Shouldn’t we give back to the school that has done so much for us?
The education we are receiving is due in large part to the financial resources available to us from the state of Virginia.
Everyone here knows how good of a college William and Mary is, and the nation knows as well. We have high rankings due to our talented faculty and out low student to teacher ratio along with other factors. All of this would not have been possible without the support of the state.
But despite the fact that we have the support of the state, it is still not enough. Only 18% of our funding comes from state funding, which means the rest of it must come from private donations.
I guess we are not so public an institution.
That is where we come in. As students, we have to realize how much our donations can and will impact this school. Since a majority of the funds from the school comes from private donations, every little bit helps especially because we can no longer depend solely on state funding.
This fiscal year, the College lost 7% of its state funding, and before that we lost 2.7 million dollars in state funding. Private donations are what keep the College alive, and our donations can insure the future of the College.
The brilliant thing about the Senior Class Gift is that your money is spent exactly the way that you want it.
As an Economics major, I know how important it is for the Economics Department to have more funding; perhaps we could get a new building (sorry, Morton). While my donation does nothing directly for my education it helps the future students of the College, and it augments the value of my degree.
William and Mary is already ranked highly, but we could surely be higher up there. Greater funding allows the College to engage in activities that will allow for better ratings such as offering competitive wages for faculty, creating better facilities for more thorough research, etc. With these advancements we can improve our ranking and, as a result, the value of our degrees.
I write this to implore you, not just seniors but everyone, to donate to the College upon graduating. The College has meant something to you, and it needs your help. A small donation can go a long way: it all adds up. And while you may not directly see the fruits of your donation, future generations will be appreciative of the support that you gave to their college-which happens to be your college as well.
Brandon Nichols is an opinions writer for The DSJ. His views do not necessarily represent those of the entire staff.