THE OFFICIAL STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS
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VOLUME 86 • ISSUE 7
• FEBRUARY 4, 2009 •
AMERICA’S
Campus mourns loss of esteemed teacher, colleague
‘IT GIRL’
Dr. Phil Young’s career is remembered at a university memorial service
STAM’S SUCCESS BRINGS ROYALTY TO UINDY
By Manny Casillas EDITORIAL ASSISTANT
[Meadors] and I,” Clemens said. “While participating in the Miss Central Indiana pageant, Megan jokingly said, ‘Man, us UIndy gals sure are pretty!’ It looks like In an moment, three University of In- she was on the right path!” Clemens will have the opportunity dianapolis students’ lives changed forever. On Jan. 24, senior communication to compete for the title of Miss Indiana major Katie Stam battled laryngitis, a in June. “Taking the title of Miss Central viral throat infection and 51 other young women to be crowned Miss America, the Indiana puts me one step closer to the first Indiana woman to win the title in the ultimate goal [Miss America], so why pass it up?” Clemens said. “I have organization’s 88-year history. wanted this job for years, and I “Every time I call back home plan on doing my very best to and talk to the media or friends represent the organization at and family, it just seems that Miss Indiana.” the entire state is in an uproar Meadors had the opportunity right now,” said Stam. “Hopeto attend the Miss America fully, we’ll start a great legacy pageant in Las Vegas and is one for the state.” of the few people who was able Since becoming Miss Amerto speak with Stam after she ica, Stam has been whisked won the crown. Meadors said to New York City to find an MEADORS that Stam was the “buzz” in Las apartment for the next year, and Vegas, and on the top of many to participate on a media tour people’s prediction list. that included “Regis and Kelly”, “Being in Las Vegas and seethe “Today Show” ,“Fox and ing Katie win the Miss America Friends” and the Super Bowl. title for the first time in Indiana Stam will immediately begin history was one of the highlights work as official spokesperson for of my life,” she said. “After the the Children’s Miracle Network. pageant, we didn’t get to talk to Then,on Jan.26,former Miss her [Stam] because she had secuCentral Indiana and UIndy rity all around her – an indication occupational therapy graduate of how her life changed in one Megan Meadors received a moment. My flight was delayed phone call informing her that CLEMENS the next day, and I texted her and she has become the new Miss Indiana, filling Stam’s role for the rest of found her in the airport to give her a big hug and tell her how proud Indiana was! the year. “I am so honored to be named Miss That was the best part of my week.” Clemens watched the pageant with Indiana,” Meadors said. “It is a dream I have worked toward for six years, and I friends at the Campus Program Board am blessed I have a great friend like Katie Miss America For A Night event in the Schwitzer Student Center. Clemens said [Stam] who helped it come true.” Meadors said that she plans on con- she thought it was cool to see Stam achieve tinuing Stam’s mission of service as Miss her dream. “Katie is a nice, intelligent woman, and Indiana by volunteering for her personal platforms, Alzheimer’s Awareness and the she genuinely cares about the Miss America Organization and its causes,”Clemens said. Children’s Miracle Network. On the same day, junior psychology and “I think that’s why she will make such a marketing major Bethany Clemens learned great Miss America. She is a real woman, that she would be taking Meadors’ title as and she’s one of the best role-models America could ask for.” Miss Central Indiana. “It’s pretty ironic that Katie [Stam] is a UIndy student, and so are Megan
By Samantha Cotten EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“Live life with joyful amazement, and accept death with the calm frankness of inevitability and finality, wonder and acceptance,” Dr. Philip Young, taken from Phil Young’s Ten Commandments University of Indianapolis faculty and staff member Dr. Philip Young passed away on Jan. 7, of heart-related issues at age 55. Young was director of the Krannert Memorial Library and assistant professor of anthropology. He held positions in both the history and anthropology departments. Recently, he had been working on plans for a major renovation of the campus library. A memorial was YOUNG held in honor of Young and his family in the Christel DeHaan Fine Arts Center on Jan. 13. The event included colleagues sharing their memories of Young. These speakers included Phylis Lan Lin, professor of social sciences and John Langdon, professor of biology. Jim Ream of the UIndy department of theatre gave a reading of Young’s poetry. “It was an honor and a privilege to be asked to read Phil’s poetry,” Ream said. “I had no idea that he wrote poetry and that it was as wonderful as it was.” In the early 1990’s, Young became familiar to television viewers in Indiana as the judge of WTHR’s weekly “Brain Game” series, in which he carried the moniker of “Dr. Phil”. “I think a lot of people at the memorial didn’t realize how broad his skills were, his interests were, he wasn’t just all work here. You knew he was a great intellect,” said Jeff Russell, chief information officer, Information Systems and a colleague of Young’s. Music department staffers Pete Schmutte and Kathleen Hacker performed a medley of Billy Joel’s “Good night, My Angel” and The Beatles’ classic “Let It Be”. The event ended with the sending forth by Sr. Jennifer Horner, assistant professor, and Rev. L. Lang Brownlee.
> See YOUNG on page 3
Photo contributed by the Miss America Organization
For more coverage on Stam’s Miss America title, see our Feature section on pages 6 & 7.
National economy lessens university funding BY THE NUMBERS
33.3 4.6 3.3 10-12
Percentage of UIndy’s endowment loss in 2008 Percentage of UIndy’s revenue that comes from endowment. Endowment dollars, in millions, budgeted for 2008-09 Percentage of reduction in annual fund gift donations
See the Feb. 18 issue of The Reflector for the next story in a series about the national economy’s affect on admissions and financial aid at the University of Indianapolis. Available online: reflector.uindy.edu
OPINION............................. 2 FEATURE ............................ 6
By Kim Puckett NEWS EDITOR The nation’s dilapidated economy has left its mark in every facet of the United States, including its universities. Mike Braughton, vice president of business and finance and treasurer, said UIndy has also been hit by the nation’s declining economy. “The market value of our endowment has taken a hit just like all of the investments everywhere else.” UIndy’s endowment lost more than one-third its market value in the last year, according to Braughton. After this loss, the university’s budgeted endowment for the 2008-09 academic year is about $3.3 million, 92 percent of which is used for academic spending such as student financial aid and payment for endowed faculty. The remaining eight percent is used as part of the university’s unrestricted budget. Although the erratic market has taken its toll on the university’s endowment, Braughton does not see financial collapse
ART & ENTERTAINMENT .... 4 SPORTS .............................. 9
in UIndy’s future. “We view this as a temporary problem, not a long term problem, because right now decisions on Wall Street are being driven by fear and irrationality,” Braughton said. “As soon as we get some sanity back in the market I think things are going to begin to turn around.” Braughton also attributed the university ’s future fiscal safety to its enrollmentdriven economic model. BRAUGHTON “We are not as dependent on our endowment as many schools are,” Braughton said. “We rely on our endowment to only provide about 4.6 percent of our total revenue. So, if it all went away, we would still survive.” Jim Smith, vice president for university advancement, said donations to UIndy have declined this year as well.
Secondhand Serenade > See Page 4
Smith said that smaller annual fund gifts, ranging from $50 to $1,000 are down 1012 percent this year. “We are not unhappy with that data given the financial markets and uncertainty out there,” Smith said. Smith also said the university has seen an even larger decline in the major gift donations, which start at $10,000. These gifts are used for major building projects such as the new Student Athletics and Recreation Center. “The decrease in gifts has slowed down the new athletic facility project by about six months,” Smith said. “Part of the project is funded by a $5 million bond, and $2 million will be funded by gifts. We raised about $700,000 pretty quickly, but when the financial market took the hit in late fall, fund-raising really slowed down.” Like Braughton, Smith expressed optimism for UIndy’s future. “The university is fortunate to have committed donors and friends,” Smith said. “ Right now, things have really slowed down, but I’m sure when the economy stabilizes, we will see more people philanthropically giving.”
Women’s Basketball > See Page 9