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The Rice Thresher
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Mr. and Mrs. Hershel Rich, longtime financial contributors to the university, sponsor the Morty Rich Youth Hostel at the Rice Graduate House this summer. The hostel is dedicated to the memory of their late son, Morty (Hanszen '73), who was an avid hosteller.

The hostel will be one of thousands that operate under the auspices of Hostelling International, an nonprofit organization. The 20 hostel beds at the Rice Graduate House are available from July 5 to Aug. 22 at a cost of $15 per night.

The 1998 season was the Morty Rich Youth Hostel's third summer in operation. According to Manager Keith Oberg, the hostel reported 305 "overnights," or total occupied beds, this year. (Guests are counted once for each night they stay.)

Grad House Student Housing Coordinator Azelia Badruddin said the hostel was filled to capacity most nights.

Travelers who stay at the hostel share amenities with about 120 Rice graduate students who live at the Grad House during the summer.

"It's an opportunity for our students to be exposed to hostelling across the U.S. and Europe," Marion Hicks, manager of the Grad House, said.

"The hostel has been given a small congregational area, a kitchen, in the southeast corner of the Grad House," Oberg said. "It would be nice if they were given a more central location to mingle with students."

Students and hostellers share the pool and the dining facilities, Hicks said. The hostel and Grad House also hold official functions to encourage interaction, such as ice cream socials.

Each summer, the Friends of Morty Rich organization sponsors a party for residents and hostel guests. Called the Aussie Bash, it celebrates Rich and his particular fondness for hostelling in Australia.

Last summer, singer-songwriter Erik Moll also gave a free concert at the hostel.

Visitors to the hostel come primarily from Germany and England, although hostellers have come from as far away as South Africa, Ecuador and Japan. "We had a really good distribution," Oberg said.

However, some have said the high number of people who pass through the hostel each day poses a security risk to both residents and hostellers.

"Being an RA, I had to worry more," said Graduate House Resident Associate Aditya Kapoor.

The only problematic incident occurred two years ago, according to Alioune Deme, another RA. A man from the Houston area checked in and stole money from British hostellers.

"He left, but he forgot his hostel ID card at the counter. When he came back three weeks later and tried to check in again, we called the police."

Generally, however, Rice graduate students said that their interaction with hostellers has been positive.

"The most fascinating thing was the idea that people had about Texas. They were hoping to see cowboys or something like [the TV show] `Dallas,' and I think they were disappointed when they realized it was just like the rest of the U.S.," Deme said.

Many travelers stop by on their way west, but, Kapoor noted, others come to Houston for more specific reasons.

"I expected many of them to just be travelers going around the country, but they were here to visit the Medical Center or other things," Kapoor said.

This item appeared in the News section of the October 16, 1998 issue.