Survey reveals few recognize names in news
By Marc Corman
Staff Writer
Cyrus Vance is the head yell leader at USC, Warren Burger works for Burger King and Tip O’Neill tends bar at the 901 Club. Such are the facts, according to some students and staff surveyed here Wednesday and Thursday.
People on campus were picked at random and asked to identify names of people in the news or on campus. Some of the answers were surprising and left one wondering whether this really is an institution of higher learning.
“This kind of lack of knowledge is certainly widespread,” said Lamar T. Empey, a sociology professor.
This kind of survey has been done many times, he said, with the results usually showing the same thing: people are not well-informed.
In this home of academia, respondents
to the survey averaged 15 correct answers out of 24 names. Some of the wrong answers, however, were way off.
Cyrus Vance, the Secretary of State, was identified as “a guy who keeps going to South Africa.”
Warren Burger, Supreme Court Chief Justice, was listed as “the prosecutor on The Perry Mason Show.
Tip O’Neill, Speaker of the House, serves double duty as a USC basketball player, according to one student.
The respondents’ knowledge of campus personalities was even less encouraging.
Tom Rosa, Daily Trojan editor, was identified as “the head of the Gay Student Union,” “a Spanish dancer,” “a student politician,” and “the discoverer of Mama Rosa spaghetti.” Five people correctly identified Rosa.
Bill Dauster, chairman of the Student
Senate, has supposedly acquired four new occupations, said some students. He is also a sportswriter, policeman, weatherman and a staff writer for the Daily Trojan. Five people knew who Dauster was.
Respondents were usually able to correctly identify Zohrab Kaprielian, executive vice-president of the university, although they did give him a new assistant. Cheryl Ladd, Charlie’s newest angel, was identified by one student as Kaprielian’s secretary.
In the world of sports, USC football players Randy Simmrin and Myron Lapka aren’t as well known as one might think.
Simmrin was called a newscaster, and Lapka was identified as “the president of Lapland” and ‘the head of 0 & M (Operations and Maintenance).”
(continued on page 2)
Daily ip Trojan
Volume LXXII, Number 17
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, California
Wednesday, October 12, 1977
Gay students threaten discrimination lawsuit
TUBA OR NOT TUBA? — A warm autumn afternoon is the setting as Jeremy Brown, a music major, goes outside his composition classes to practice in the
real world by belting out a tuba cadenza near Booth Hall. His notes have been heard as far off as Founders Hall. DT photo by Paul Rodriguez.
PAC committee discusses role of campus facilities in Olympics
By Gigi Golden
Staff Writer
Ensuring that the university has a voice in determining the use of its facilities during the 1984 Olympics, now proposed for Los Angeles, is one concern of the Student Affairs Committee of the President’s Advisory Council, said Glenn Sonnenberg, chairman of the committee.
The university’s involvement in discussions forthe Olympics, should they come to Los Angeles, was one of a number of topics discussed at the committee’s meeting Monday.
The committee recommended that representatives from the university participate in discussion of, for example, using the university’s residence halls and the food service facilities to house and feed the athletes. Those representatives would come from a core of four university groups — Student Affairs, Environmental and External Affairs committees of PAC, Athletics and Business Affairs.
Sonnenberg stated that “staying informationally on top” of the Olympics situation is the only way the university’s interests will be taken care of during the planning for the event.
“The Olympics could bring a lot of problems to the univer-
sity if we do not have a voice in the planning,” he said. Among these problems could be inadequate housing for summer session students.
However, Sonnenberg believes that if the university watches out for its interests, a lot of good things could come out of hosting the Olympics. “It could improve the area and
provide a lot of housing and recreational facilities for the university,” he said.
Sonnenberg hopes the representative group will be formed by the end of the year.
Another matter discussed by the committee at the meeting was the condition of international students.
(continued on page 2)
NEW COPYRIGHT LAW
By Carla Schalman
Staff Writer
The Gay Student Union has secured the backing and representation of the American Civil Liberties Union for a possible civil suit against the university and the Board of Trustees.
The basis for the suit results from an impasse last spring between the union and the Affirmative Action Committee of the President’s Advisory Council (PAC). The union requested that the university change its nondiscrimination policy to include a clause prohibiting discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation.
The PAC committee ruled that the present unwritten policy was sufficient and changing the written nondiscrimination policy was unnecessary’.
The union is negotiating with the university for the last time about the issue, said Rodney Hoffman, a union member.
The union is now attempting to deal directly with the administration instead of going through committees, he said. If negotiations fail the union will pursue the civil suit.
Other institutions (such as the University of California) have included clauses against discrimination based on sexual orientation in their policies.
In other action, the union is contacting Rep. Yvonne Braithwaite Burke (D-Calif.), the cosponsor of a bill aimed at extending civil rights protec-
Band may pay music royalties
A federal copyright law' which will no longer exempt colleges and universities from paying royalties for music played on their campuses may affect the Trojan Marching Band.
According to an article in The Chronicle of Higher Education groups from colleges will be trying to agree this month on a model licensing policy to cover all forms of nonexempt musical performances occurring on college campuses.
Music played at a nonprofit educational institution by an instructor would be exempt under the revised law.
“We are a nonprofit organization, so I think we would be exempt from the copyright law,” said Arthur C. Bartner, Trojan Marching Band director.
“If it were to affect us, which I really don’t think it would, I don’t think the cost would be too much. If it were something like $500 or less.
we could probably do it,” Bartner said.
This year, the university increased the band’s allocation, but it is still on a very tight budget, he added.
“As of now, all our music is cleared for us to play, but even if it should affect us, the cost shouldn’t be that high.”
Bartner said that under the law, if the band played Rocky 12 times in the season,the cost would average out to about two or three cents each time. “We might do it. It’s a rip-off, but they can t charge us very much«” Bartner said.
Bartner said the band currently doesn’t even have to pay fees for a nationally televised event.
“I hope. . .it (the law) doesn’t affect us, but I really don’t know too much about it to say anything definite,” Bartner said.
(continued on page 2)
tion to gay people. Burke is also a member of the Board of Trustees.
The union has become much more accepted as an organization on the campus, said Greg Castillo, the union’s former chairperson.
The union now has connections with the Counseling Center and other organizations here, he added.
Both Castillo and Petie Alznauer. the present chairperson, speak to classes here about gay lifestyles.
Alznauer said attitude changes occur when people see gays are really normal human beings.
“Most people are not aware that they’ve ever known anyone who is gay." she said.
According to Alznauer, support forthe union is growing.
Nevertheless, greater acceptance as an organization does not mean the union is any closer to getting the university to approve the nondiscrimination clause. Castillo said
The union is also concerned about the initiative proposed by State Senator John V. Briggs, which would prevent homosexuals or advocates of gay rights from holding positions in the public school system.
Briggs is now collecting signatures to place the initiative on the ballot.
The New Alliance for Gay Equality, a political organization for the advancement of (continued on page 6)