Don’t have time to watch or read the news? No problem! The Butler Collegian’s editor-in-chief has compiled a list of the top five things he thinks readers should know this week.

Let’s keep this relatively short, sweet and to the point. Shall we begin?

Fact 1: Be careful what you wish for: If a student were to browse Irwin Library’s shelves in 1991, he would find classic literature in the same space as “Playboy Magazine.” The monthly magazine was added to the shelves based on a single student’s request, according to Collegian archives published Sept. 4, 1991. John Kondelik, then Irwin Library director, asked students to evaluate the library’s book collection in hopes of receiving more feedback. This was the result. Kondelik said library staff chose to honor the request because the student argued that the magazine had “award-winning articles and outstanding journalism.” Kondelik agreed with this assessment. “We decided that Playboy contained contemporary fiction worthy of note—many of Playboy’s interviews and short stories have won awards or been written about in other journals,” Kondelik said. Clever indeed, but I am sure we are all wondering if this particular student really read the magazine. I guess we will never know. By the way, Playboy is no longer available in print at Irwin, according to Sally Childs-Helton, special collections, rare books and university archives librarian.

Fact 2: Demia has a whole lot of history: The first woman to graduate from the full four-year program was Demia Butler, daughter of founder Ovid Butler. She graduated in 1862. Demia’s legacy still lives in another fashion. Butler University’s feminist and social justice organization was founded in her honor. Demia was created in the fall of 1991 in response to the need for a feminist community on campus in order to create an environment of support and activism, according to the organization’s website.

Fact 3: Money makes the world go round: Butler has the second lowest endowment in The Big East. Only Xavier University has a lower endowment than the Bulldogs in the conference. Endowments represent money or other financial assets that are donated to universities or colleges. Why is this important? Well, the sole intention of the endowment is to invest it, according to Investopedia, a subsidiary of Forbes. When a school has a lower endowment, it is difficult to fund big construction projects, fix basketball stadiums and build new dorms. Sounds familiar? It should. Butler may look to increase its endowment in the near future to continue the expansion, also known as the 20/20 vision. For the record, Georgetown has the largest endowment in the conference with over $1 billion. Butler’s is just under $200 million.

Fact 4: In honor of Ross Love: When M. O. Ross became Butler’s president in 1942, there were only three buildings on campus: Jordan Hall, Hinkle Fieldhouse and Campus Club. When he retired 20 years later, the pharmacy building, Atherton Union, men’s and women’s residence halls, Holcomb Observatory and Robertson Hall were built. Ross, who preferred to go by his initials rather than his given name of Maurice O’Rear, came to Butler in 1938 as the dean of the College of Business Administration, according to Butler’s website. The university’s financial assets increased by $15 million during his presidency. He raised faculty salaries to competitive levels and added such benefits as sabbatical leave and faculty fellowship programs. Ross also answered student concerns by abolishing the quota system that kept black student admissions to only 10 per year. He received the Butler Medal, the Alumni Association’s highest award, which recognizes extraordinary service to the university.

Fact 5: The Super Bowl will dominate again: The average ticket price for this year’s game is almost $5,000. Yikes. Average ticket prices have doubled in the past five years. Nevertheless, the National Football League is a money-making machine. Approximately 171 million people will watch this year’s Super Bowl in 180 countries around the world. A 30-second advertisement during the game will cost $4.5 million. This does not seem to stop big companies though. For example, Anheuser-Busch, owner of Budweiser and Corona, has spent $152 million in advertising for the past four Super Bowls. The cost of advertisements are increasing exponentially, 75 percent in the past decade, but since so many viewers are watching, the investment is sure to pan out. According to a Washington’s Top News survey, 20 percent of Americans would miss the wedding of a close friend or family member to attend a Super Bowl game featuring their favorite team.

There you have it. Check the news section next week for another set of facts you can use to impress (and annoy) your friends with. Who doesn’t love a smart aleck, right?

P.S. Really, does anyone believe that kid suggested Playboy magazine for its “contemporary fiction?” You tell me.

Written and compiled by Julian Wyllie