The gift of literacy will never stop giving

Rachel Malone
DM senior staff columnist

My eyes did a triple take when I picked up the paper Wednesday and read that Ole Miss will receive $100 million from James and Sally Barksdale.

This gift may be largest ever private donation to promote literacy, and it will make learning possible for thousands of children from across the state. This gesture is a modern day heroism and should be regarded as such.

A contribution of this magnitude is one many of us could only dream to make, but due to James and Sally Barksdale's generous gift, many Mississippian's will not only have a better education but some the best education in the state and perhaps across the country.

What better offering could anyone give than the gift of education, knowledge and intellect? A gift which can never be taken away from those who receive it.

By giving this enormous some of money, the donors ultimately enable generations to live a more fruitful a prosperous life. These funds will provide reading programs which will strive to improve literary skills of children throughout the state. Perhaps even those who will benefit from this institute will one day be capable of giving millions of dollars back to Mississippi higher-education as well. This is an opportunity for Ole Miss to take center stage in the fight against illiterate citizens, not only in Mississippi, but from across the country.

This is a remarkable gift that Ole Miss has received, and the university will be ever gracious to both the Barksdales and administrators who engineered this project for centuries to come. This is a pinnacle for higher education and should be regarded as such.

Although physically located thousands of miles away, obviously the Barksdales' time at Ole Miss had a lasting impact on their lives. They never forgot the higher-educational institution which helped them become successful. We can only hope other alumni will follow suit.

This is the time to give back to education. This is the time to let the world see Ole Miss shine. Progress begins with monetary support. No one can deny that thanks to the effort of many top level administrators, we are well on our way to becoming a respected institution in terms of private finical support.

Let's continue the trend by giving, in addition to all other aspects of our educational work by making Ole Miss one of the best colleges in the counrty.

Contributing this $100 million donation, James and Sally Barksdale set an example for both future and previous generations of Ole Miss alumni.

While many of us can't give $100 million, we should strive to contribute funds to make this institution of higher learning one not only to be proud of, but one that will be respected across the nation.

What a fabulous way this is to give back to any educational community, and how fortunate the students, faculty and administration at the University of Mississippi are to be the benefactors of this astonishing gift.

Rachel Malone is a senior journalism major from Pocahontas, Ark.