news: permanent funding

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While Texas Tech University has graciously funding the production of Iron Horse since we launched our first issue in 1999, routing the request for budget support through each of the various administrator's offices was a three- to four-month-long process. And every year, we worried, terribly, until we heard each August that we did in fact have financial support for the next production year.

Last week, our university's new leader, President Lawrence Schovanec granted our financial needs a permanent place in the university's annual budget! We no longer have to go to administrators with our hats held out, asking for money. It's a good feeling to know that our university does support the fine arts because all writers and artists and musicians so frequently feel undervalued. We're starting the new year with such great optimism because of President Schovanec's generous gift.

To him, we say, "Thank you! Thank you!"

To our readers, we say, "Hop on the horse. We're going for a long, beautiful ride."