European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 06, 1985, Darmstadt, Hesse Wednesday. November 6. 1985 the stars and stripes Page 17 be shiver site making a virtue of a Croll Ziaee Onri Ariit smallness and caution new York Tolmei Pologeorge Erik Rupp by Robert Reinhold new York timezone of the biggest bargains and Best kept secrets in american private education lies behind a double perimeter of gnarled live Oaks on the South Side of Houston. I it is Rice University opened 73 years ago to provide free instruction Lor the White inhabitants of the City of Houston and stale of no longer All White no longer All texan and no longer free the Small elite school recently inaugurated a president and is beginning what May be the furthest reaching changes in its Odd history. The new president is George Erik Rupp. A 43 year old new Jersey an former Dean of the har Vard divinity school. The Choice of a Young scholar. An easterner and a theologian has been widely taken Here As a sign that Rice is determined to alter its image As a staid and provincial institution specializing in Sci ence and engineering. Rupp arrival a stirred tangible excitement on the italian romanesque Campus with its Graceful Loggia and porticos. We have the potential to be More than a Good Southern University said professor John b. Boles a historian of the South. We have to go for some Rupp at first rebuffed Rice s advances but he changed his mind when he saw the school. What intrigued a most was that Rice was among a very Small number of private universities that has the Prospect of making a major Advance Over the next 10 to 15 years he said. I m an activist. It is More interesting to be in a place that has the Prospect of moving than in a place like Bulhe More difficult Challenge for Rupp May be athletic rather than academic. The Issue is whether Rice should stay in the powerful Southwest conference trying to compete using student athletes who can also meet the school s academic criteria. Rice once a foot Ball Power has not had a winning season since 1963. And it lost $2.9 million on sports last year. Academically Many educator nationally say. Rice has Lew equals in undergraduate education. Its 559 entering freshmen this year excluding 60 scholarship athletes for whom admission standards Are relaxed had average combined Scholastic aptitude test scores of 1,324 out of a possible 1.600, rivalling har. Vard and Princeton. The 2.640 undergraduates enjoy Erma Bombeck relatively Small classes and Are Seldom to ugh by Grad uate assistants moreover they pay Only $4,300 a year in tuition and Lees As against $10.960 at Princeton and $10.590 at Harvard. As of last year. Rice had the highest endow ment per student. $121.205. Of any american school except Princeton. Harvard and the California Institute of technology. But its aspirations or National stature have been limited by its graduate research departments few of which Are ranked in the lop 20 in surveys of scholars. Rupp said he planned to add faculty and Money to bolster a few departments with High potential. His Model is not Harvard or Berkeley but the smaller Princeton his Alma mater. In a tale that prizes bigness and boldness. Rice has Long made a virtue of smallness and caution. Ii was founded under the will of William Marsh Rice a hous ton merchant. He was murdered in new York in 1900 by a Butler who hoped to inherit the Fortune but a forged will was exposed and the William m. Rice Institute Tor the advancement of literature science and Art opened in 1912 with 77 students. It became principally a school of science but. Hop ing to broaden its Appeal changed its name to Rice University in 1960. Soon after the tuition was added and racial barriers were dropped. The Lack of National recognition has partly been self inflicted. For much of its history Rice gave preference to texans for admission but now admission is Geo graphically Blind and greater emphasis is placed on recruiting humanities students. Rice combines two kinds of Virtues thai almost Al ways have been separate in american higher Educa Rupp says. The first is a Small undergraduate institution devoted to leaching in the arts and sciences it also has a lot of the qualities of a major research University on an intentionally Small scale Rice really has the potential to be both with a vengeance because it has the Rupp a promised to hire 100 new professors a 25 percent increase strengthening the humanities without undermining science and engineering for All its rigor. Rice lacks a certain intellectual says professor Stephen l Klineberg. A sociologist. These kids Are Bright As he said but not terribly sophisticated or Scott Snyder a Junior from Memphis who is editor of the Thresher the student weekly agreed. You won t find Many students protesting apartheid Here " he said. Moreover Rice is widely perceived correctly Many on Campus concede As being detached from hous ton As a Community. But the is sports. The 70.000-seat Rice stadium has become a White elephant a relic of winning Days. Over the objections of the faculty the trustees backed by influential alumni decided to in fuse millions into athletics in 1983. Hiring Watson Brown from Vanderbilt with a $1.3 million six year con tract As both athletic director and head football coach. His charge rebuild the Rice owls with athletes who could pass physics As Well As footballs. Students walk along a tree lined path at Rice uneven Ltd Campus. ,1 maybe Money can t buy affection but it can buy everything else these Days. It All started when mothers sought work outside to Home. A replacement was needed for her responsibilities and the Tine Art of Nanning was revived. Some lived in and some did to but they led bathed clothed entertained and transported the children of the family like Mommy used to. From that has come a Host of personal services. I be seen ads aimed at divorced fathers who Lead Active lives Alferina to write letters to their children with the compassion of a Saint and the regularity of an overdue Bill. On a retainer basis. There was a pitch the other Day to big spenders who were caught up in demanding careers and Ridden with guilt for not spending More time with their elderly parents the Box number offered to Call or visit mom and dad in their apartment nursing Home or Hospital and make them feel alive again and promised everyone they could feel better. Rates and other serv ices upon request. Even kids who go away to College can buy a service that will Send letters Home written by a fellow student who will charge a few Bucks every month to Tell your parents you Are alive and Well. There s even a personal service company that will Supply you with an exemplary wife. The woman promises to be a Gem. Shell meet repairmen in your Home take he dog to the vet and the clothes to the cleaners. Shell Gas your car wrap your gilts drop Oil your film and plan your parties. I m thinking of starting a service for the Man who has everything and is in the Market Lor the quintessential wife. We re talking lop of the line Here. Not a work horse who picks up after him but a woman of his dreams. This woman would insist Tell that wonderful Story about the rest Pom in Milan and laugh just As hard As she did the first 47 times she heard it eight years ago. She would keep her Mouth shut when a husband re fuses instructions on a rental car he is driving and accidentally releases the Hood on the freeway. She would give him credit when the children were Success Ful and absolve him from their failures by telling every one he phoned in the Conception. She would eat hamburgers for 20 years and sit Back and listen to testimonials later that described him As a sell made Man. She would say she s tired when he does t want to go out and give him the Black olives from her salad when she loves them As much As he does. She will grow old with him. Personal services May be the wave of the future. But Don t be surprised if a computer gets a father s Day card. A Post office Box number gets named in mom and dad s will. A child runs to the Nanny when it is Hurt. And men realize that dropping Oil your film and waiting for the repairman is not what a Wile is All about. 1c lol Angelet Tolmei Syndicate
