Endowment Falls 18 Percent Nobel Prize Recipient Selected
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OP-ED P. 3 AftE P. 10 SPORTS P. 13 Battle with the Big Apple Welcome back to the tabletop Home sweet home How does H-Town measure up to New York in a battle of Peek inside to find out what Wiess One-Acts are up to this Football hosts Vanderbilt for the first home game tomorrow, so the titans? semester in Jane Labyer's theater review. join the body-painting, tailgating and Commodore-crushing. VOLUME XCVII, ISSUE NO. 6 STUDENT-RUN SINCE 1916 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2009 a# $ No excuse not to The college, SA and GSA presidents and Dean of Undergraduates Robin Forman (sixth from left) take the first dip in the leisure pool at the new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness Center on Wednesday. In addition to the 2,500-sq. ft. pool, which is only four feet deep, the Rec Center will feature mul- look good at NOD tiple basketball and racquetball courts, a dance theater and banks of new workout machines. For a look inside Rice's newest addition, turn to page 8. Endowment falls 18 percent Nobel Prize recipient selected BY JOSH RUTENBERG end of June 2008, had drop d to the endowment performed better to speak at commencement THRESHER EDITORIAL STAFF $3.61 billion as of this June, is a than those at many of Rice's peer result of the endowment losses, institutions. Rice, along with most BY SETH BROWN the ordinary. I think he will." While Rice may not have lost as the university has mandated a national universities, reports its an- FOR THE THESHER Yunus, a Bangladeshi who re- much as of its investments as other 5 percent budget cut for each de- nual endowment each February to ceived a Ph.D. in economics from universities, its endowment still partment. Exactly what will be cut the National Association of College The Commencement Speaker Vanderbilt University in 1971, took a hit during the most recent has yet to be determined. and University Business Officers. Committee announced Monday began his business of lending recession. The endowment, which originally Associate Vice President for In- that Muhammad Yunus, the 2006 to the poor in 1976. He used the For fiscal year 2009, Rice in- consisted of $4.6 million that found- vestments Claire Nelson said for Nobel Peace Prize recipient and idea of microcredit, loaning small curred an 18.2-percent loss on the er William Marsh Rice left to the uni- fiscal year 2009 Harvard University Presidential Medal of Freedom re- amounts to those who need it, as endowment's investment returns, versity in his will in 1904, grows on reported a 27.3-percent loss in its cipient, will be the 2010 Rice com- a way to reduce poverty. His idea worth about $838 million. The interest and gifts each year. A por- $36.6-billion endowment, and Yale mencement speaker, concluding a has since grown into the Grameen university also spent $215 mil- tion of the endowment is budgeted University reported a 24.6-percent search process that lasted nearly Bank, which boasts nearly eight lion of the endowment, $55 mil- between department funds, schol- loss from its endowment of $22.9 six months. million members in Bangladesh, lion of which was recouped in arships, maintenance and athlet- billion. The national average for a Best known as one of the chief and which supports a number of endowment gifts, according to ics, and the remainder that grows university endowment loss fell at proponents and purveyors of mi- similar institutions throughout unaudited reports issued from the is invested in various assets, such around 17.2 percent. crocredit, Yunus is the founder of the world in parts of Asia, the Office of the Vice President for as private equity funds, real es- "We had a good, solid perfor- the Grameen Bank, which makes Middle East, North Africa, Sub- Investments Treasurer. tate, timber and energy invest- mance in a tough year," Nelson small loans to the poor that can be Saharan Africa, Latin America The report's final numbers ments and United States Bonds. said. "We haven't changed our ap- used to help start businesses. and the Caribbean. show that the endowment, which Despite a 17- to 18-percent drop proach policy-wise. We started The announcement of Yunus as the was valued at $4.61 billion at the in global stocks and bonds last year, O see ENDOWMENT, page 5 4* commencement speaker for this year's graduating class marks the end of a Rice endowment, 1999-2009 search which began in April, before Yunus is one of the the 2009 commencement ceremony. most prominent The selection committee is comprised of a group of undergraduate students, c c humanitarians out representing this year's and last year's c O c c 0 0 *—? 0 0 there. Hopefully in the senior classes, as well as Gustin and rz IE ***f IE spring he'll give us a three graduate students. IE r*- In IE Gustin, who has chaired the CO 0 «d- -sr CO perspective beyond committee for three consecutive OS CO as Os CO the ordinary. years, said the committee changed ri ci ci <A the process to make it more rel- <A </> <A Michael Gustin evant to students. Speaker Committee Chair "We [started] the process earlier, and we [tried] to make it important to the people actually graduating," 99 Gustin said. Physics graduate student Krist- "Yunus is one of the most promi- jan Stone, who also served on last nent humanitarians out there," Pro- year's committee, said at the com- fessor Michael Gustin, chair of the mittee's first meeting each member Commencement Speaker Commit- listed the names of 10 people they 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 tee, said. "Hopefully in the spring would like to speak at the ceremony. GRAPHIC BY ERIC DOCTOR AND LOGAN BECK he'll give us a perspective beyond O see SPEAKER, page 7 Let's go dubbin' All in the family What a rec INDEX The deadline to renew registration for student This weekend is Families Weekend, which If you couldn't tell, today is the grand opening of the Opinion 3 clubs is next Thursday. Failure to register will means a healthy dosage of the Rice Phils, Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Wellness News 4 result in your bank account being frozen, all SpoCo and Baker Blues for you and your Center. Come enjoy the regal indoor swimming pool, Arts 81 Entertainment 10 family to enjoy. We encourage you to have reservations canceled and all advertisements weights fit for a king and. to top it all off, luxurious Sports 13 removed. This is the last chance to renew fun, but please, keep your parents under palm trees to bask in. Paying tuition never sounded Calendar 19 clubs like Procrastinators Anonymous. You'll control. You know how rowdy they can get so good. Backpage 20 get to that eventually, right? on their first weekend away horn home. 2 EDITORIAL THE RICE THRESHER FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER25,2009 A WEW VOMER'S FIRST PAYS AR RICE U. the Rice (Thresher X tfEED HU Do f'ALL. N: iter.. •. PUN HERE / ^ OFTEN? y New Rec Center well /I worth the wait {>ID SHe \ \l T 0) 2 ?vsr Star. If the brand new Barbara and David Gibbs Recreation and Som,n »YAU."?! Wellness Center had opened last Wednesday, the odds of us STARED putting out this week's issue would have been as likely as fU>oD»^ 0 the football team cracking the top 25 in the polls. After look- ing over the Rec Center's litany of features comes with, there TReAU* is simply no way we would have elected to spend our time NEEDED A pumping out this Family's Weekend edition of the Thresher SHtwfcfc (see story, page 8). Just look at what Rice's newest addition has to offer. Brand new banks of cardio machines. A dance studio with springy floorboards. Stationary bikes that allow for spin classes without the instructor berating you for your lethargy. TH»S HOT THAT KlWr BE Haw IS HOUSTON \ (S 7HW6H Kalwall windows to both filter light and absorb excess heat, CEREAL TASTES BECAUSE ITS j\ To fcET To V preventing the body-odor humidity that we all love about FVIUKY, BEN WITH ACTUALLY GMVr. our local gyms. &RA/W 'I Pardon us while we pick our jaws up from the ground. To say this is an upgrade over Autry Gym is like calling Larry Slezak decent at the saxophone (see story, page 10). Did you ever think you would need your iPod to play video on your cardio machine? Heck, did you ever even imagine it? M All of this and the place will be LEED certified. Incredible. So what if no alcohol is allowed in the facility? The Rec Center may one day be open to hosting college nights or other college-associated events, but a tapped keg does not a party make. We won't need a Bud Light while we're loung- ing by the pool, taking in an outdoor basketball game while we wait for the pool's length to shift from regulation-size to Olympic-size. DDXALL Of course, the question remains as to what to do with Au- WAUT TP try Gym. Enough of the old facility has been replaced with the newer-better-cleaner Tudor Fieldhouse, so there's little nostalgia to be had from the swapping of old workout equip- ment for new. If anything, we are just glad to be rid of that metal box that blocked easy entrance to Reckling Park.