By Temo Olvera / Staff Writer

Claire Schmidt, Tamika Drake, and Jennifer Livengood spent an evening serving at the Caf. The three professors and a couple of students worked for two hours to raise money for the Research Symposium and Sigma Tau Delta.

“I loved to be able to serve the students; to be part of that world, even just for a little bit,” Schmidt said.

Schmidt said they are looking to further diversify the funding for the symposium. Food is covered by the President’s Office and Fresh Ideas, posters are printed by the honors program, general funding is covered by all the academic divisions, Student Affairs, and individual fundraisers like the Sigma Tau Delta’s bake sale and these professors working in the Caf. 

Student Research Symposium data, put together by Gary Heisserer, the director of institutional effectiveness and planning, shows a trend of increasing participation every year. To accommodate for this, the SRS Committee bought new easels last semester. 

“Our wonderful, lightweight, portable easels,” said Livengood. 

Schmidt described the old ones as heavy, bulky, and not meant to be dragged across campus.

“Investing in students’ efforts to create original, professional, creative work makes them stronger academically,” said Livengood. 

Members of Sigma Tau Delta will travel to Atlanta, Georgia to participate in a national research conference, Wednesday. Schmidt said those going are also purple patch editorial board members who will get to experience work by hundreds of students from different schools and see speakers like Richard Blanco and Nic Stone.