This week a student stopped by my classroom and asked me if I wanted to buy a postcard.

Me: <em>Um</em>. Yes? But what is it for?

Student, mumbles: For the Rozhen Observatory.

The thing is given the large size of my classroom and a little mumbling I don't understand what is being said. That and at this point, I'd never heard of the Rozhen Observatory.

Me: What?

Student, pulling out a plastic sleeve of beautiful postcards: The Bulgarian government isn't funding our observatory. Well, actually they've decided to fund it this year but it's underfunded. Rozhen Observatory is the largest observatory in Eastern Europe. So the ACS Science club has made these postcards in support of the observatory.

Me: Ah. I'll buy  a big one and a small one.

Five leva later I was the proud owner of two of my own ACS supports Rozhen Observatory postcards. I proceeded to tape them to my wall. These days I don't need one more piece of paper on my desk.

Things like this make me so happy and sad at the same time. What a great thing that our students in the ACS Science Club and their advisor care enough to start this campaign but it's of course an uphill battle. The sale of postcards certainly wont close the budget gap for the observatory. At the same time, if they don't try, then what?

Support <em>is</em> support.

And they are doing a great job raising awareness around campus. In fact, this next week we're having a lecture on campus about the observatory.

What I didn't realize at the time is what a big deal the observatory is. There are 50+ astronomers working there

Bulgaria's <a href="http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=145604" target="_blank">Rozhen Observatory</a>