Laptop Love Affair Gone Sour

Emily Sperka of the UW Student Foundation tells what to do if your laptop lets you down

Emily Sperka gets distraught when her laptop lets her down.There is nothing a good laptop can’t do. Like a trusted side kick, a good laptop will stick by your side day in and day out. Yes, a good laptop will entertain you through lecture, crank out research for your 20 page paper and even stay up late so you ace your final exam.

It’s no wonder people get fooled into thinking that their laptop can do no wrong. But before you and your laptop decide to tie the knot, remember this: sooner or later, your laptop will let you down. Trust me. I would know.  Everything was peachy for three years and then along came finals and my laptop decided to call it quits. Just like that our friendship was over and I was fairly certain I could not go on.

Now when this happens to you, please, do not panic. I am here to assure you that it will all be okay.  Thanks to the Lend-a-Laptop Program, which is partially funded by private support, you can have a new, working laptop in your hands in minutes. 

Even if your laptop is up and running, equipment checkout can still be a life saver. Cameras, video cameras, projectors, digital audio recorders and iPads are all available for your convenience and for free.

The equipment check out program is supported by the Parents Enrichment Fund for the Libraries. Over the past 22 years, more than 125,000 parents have contributed a total of $6.8 million for the Parents Enrichment Fund.

How does it work? Simple. All you have to do is show up at one of the 19 libraries on campus that offer laptop checkouts, request a laptop, swipe your Wiscard and show another ID. It’s that easy.

Before you know it, you’ll be typing papers, making study guides and creepin’ on Facebook as if nothing ever happened.

There’s a good chance your parent just might be one of these generous donors. So next time you see your parents, give them a big-old thank you. Maybe they didn’t rush out and buy you a brand new iPad, but through their generosity makes the equipment check out possible.

Do you have a story about how the equipment rentals at UW-Madison saved your life? Tell us! Send an e-mail to communications@studentfoundation.wisc.edu.

Video: What would you do if you had $1000 to give back to UW-Madison?

Watch this video to find out what programs matter most to UW students

The UW Student Foundation asks University of Wisconsin-Madison students what they would give to if they had $1000 to donate to UW-Madison. 

The Student Foundation is a student org on campus that raises the awareness about the importance of private support in funding our education. Did you know that almost 20 percent of the university's budget comes from charitable donations?

For example, the cameras used to film this video were provided through the rental program available at most UW Libraries, which are partly funded by private support. More specifically, the Parents Enrichment Fund provides for many of the technological upgrades and resources at the 40 libraries on campus.

That means that some programs on these students' wish lists are already funded by private support! Thanks to all the donors who are committed to improving the quality of education at UW-Madison!

If you have a fun or creative answer to this question, send a video to uwsf@studentfoundation.wisc.edu or tweet it to @StudentsForUW

UWSF and WASB raise nearly $1000 in two weeks for scholarships

Badgers Backing Badgers Challenge highly successful at raising funds and awareness

by Reuben Sanon

UWSF and WASB asked students to spread their message via social media.

If there is one thing a Badger is always ready for, it’s a challenge. The results of the recent Badgers Backing Badgers Challenge prove that we Badgers, always come out as winners. The goal was simple, raise awareness about the importance of private support on our campus,and raise funds to contribute to the Great People Scholarship.

The cyber event was a success. With one dollar per “like “ on Facebook and one dollar per “follow “ on Twitter, the UW Student Foundation and the Wisconsin Alumni Student Board managed to raise $785 dollars in just two weeks.

That comes to a total of 214 new Facebook "likes," 159 new followers on Twitter for WASB and 252 new Facebook "likes," and 160 new followers on Twitter for the UW Student Foundation. Making it a joint venture between WASB and UWSF helped both parties get the word out to a larger student base.

To those not familiar with these popular social media, it is important to note that this is a win for both organizations, as getting the attention of the students is key in the mantras of both UWSF and WASB.

You may be thinking, this has all been done before, but the unique goal of the Student Foundation is to bring the message to the students, and remind them that they themselves can make a difference. Right now it may not have been the students shelling out the dollars, but the organization hopes that awareness will carry through with the student body when they are alumni. We hope that when they are making the big bucks with the degrees that they earned here at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, they’ll think about helping other Badgers succeed by supporting their university.

The time for action isn’t over but rather just beginning. With a whole new generation of badgers falling in love with this beautiful Madison campus the challenges that await us, including dwindling federal funding and rising tuition costs, are merely more opportunities for us to show the world that Badgers always come out as winners.

Show your fellow Badgers you've got their backs with the Badgers Backing Badgers Challenge!

Take 4 seconds to raise $4 for scholarships

During the last two weeks of classes (Dec. 5-17) complete the following 4 steps:

1. "Like" the UW Student Foundation
2.  Follow @StudentsForUW 
3. "Like" Wisconsin Alumni Student Board
4.  Follow @W_A_S_B

What's this really all about?

We members of The Student Foundation and WASB were inspired by The Bucky Challenge--a similar social media event put forth some generous alumni that raised nearly $20,000 for scholarships. We thought it would be great if the message came from students this time, so we're teaming up to show how students can make a difference!

Each "Like" and "Follow" from a UW student earns $1 for The Great People Scholarship*, meaning one person can raise up to $4! This social media event starts today and goes until the end of the semester.

Follow the hash tag #Students4UW to get updates on our progress.

Click to learn more about our co-sponsor, Wisconsin Alumni Student Board (WASB)

*Up to $2500 will be donated. UWSF is working with an anonymous donor who found our cause worthy and agreed to contribute. We are grateful for this support.

Need-based support is the university's top priority

Learn how faculty, staff and alumni have been working together to keep UW affordable

Story by Emily Sperka, UW Student Foundation

Tuition is currently rising faster than inflation. This trend is expected to continue, leaving many qualified students unable to attend UW-Madison.

The good news is, that many faculty and alumni have banded together to create the Great People Scholarship. This scholarship—which has been named the university’s top priority—provides need-based support to students in the hopes that no student will be denied access to our great university because of financial costs.

Since the 1960s, the average tuition cost in the U.S. has doubled every 10 years. This has undoubtedly affected students’ ability to attend accredited universities. At UW-Madison, education for 2011-2012 undergraduates, including tuition, fees, books and room and board, was just over $22,000 for in-state students while non-residents paid approximately $38,000 a year.  High costs are deterring many students while those who grit their teeth and stick out the high costs graduate with over $22,000 of debt.

In 2008, the initiative took off when the University of Wisconsin Foundation agreed to match each gift to the fund dollar for dollar. From there, the rest was history. In 2009, faculty and staff contributed $850,000. Next, the class of 2010 made Great People their graduation gift—the same year that Wisconsin Alumni Association gave $250,000 to the fund.

The first wave of scholarships was received during the 2010-2011 academic year. In this first year, 69 Great People Scholarships were granted. During the 2011-2012 the amount of scholarships granted saw a six-fold increase. In this year, there were 524 Great People Scholars studying at the UW including 174 first-generation students and 352 Wisconsin residents.

Generous donors like Will and Jenny Hsu continue to fuel the campaign. Will and Jenny initiated the Bucky Challenge and agreed to give $1 to the Great People Scholarship for every new Facebook and Twitter follower to UW-Madison and WAA. As a result, $19,432 was donated to the Great People Scholarship.

We members of the Student Foundation want to say thank you. Thank you to those who realize the need and are doing something about it. It is inspiring to be part of a university which truly supports its students. As current students, it is our responsibility to look out for future students and keep the proud Wisconsin tradition rolling. It can be assured that future students will rely on our support just like we depend on current alumni.