SOUTH SIDE—Sandy Richards, a philanthropist and lifetime Iowa City resident, has recently launched her most ambitious charitable endeavor yet: a shelter offering a hot meal and a place to sleep for all the long-forgotten Internet browser bookmarks-folders labeled “Freelance Opportunities” by University of Iowa English and Journalism majors.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” Richards said in an interview with The Iowa Iowan Tuesday. “I dare you to look at one of these bookmarks-folders and not feel something.”
Soon after computers became popular on college campuses, young writers at the UI began locating opportunities for submitting their work to magazines, newspapers, and literary reviews. “Most of these folders are just crammed with publications these kids will never get into, and then just forgotten about.”
“Sometimes the students will switch browsers,” said Richards. “And it’s just convenient to forget that their ‘Freelance Opportunities’ folder is still in Safari when they start using Firefox.”
“I guess there are about fifty links in my folder,” an English major who wished to remain anonymous told The Iowa Iowan via email. “C’mon, I don’t want to think about that.”
The Richards “Freelance Opportunities” Bookmarks-Folders Shelter welcomes walk-ins, but folders will be tested for earthwords before being admitted.
