Fire on ninth floor of Men’s West blamed on candle
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University of Southern California
Volume LXXI, Number 14	£os Angeles, California	Tuesday, March 1, 1977
By David Black and Denis Wolcott
A burning candle left near a mattress was blamed for an early morning fire that broke out Monday in a ninth floor room of Men’s Residence West.
No one was injured, but firemen were hampered in their cleanup efforts by students who threw water bombs, fire officials said.
A Los Angeles Fire Department captain also criticized the residence hall’s evacuation procedures, which he called unsatisfactory.
The mattress, a desk and a chair were damaged. The room also-sustained minor smoke damage, officials said.
Capt. William Burke of Campus Security said the fire started when one of the room’s occupants left a candle burning on his desk while he went into a nearby study lounge.
The candle apparently melted, causing hot wax to drip onto the mattress, igniting it, Burke said.
The student told officers he smelled smoke a few moments later and returned to the room, where he discovered the fire.
Lt. Glen Stern said the student tried to drag the mattress out of the room and into an adjacent stairwell in an attempt to put out the fire.
(continued on page 2)
No increase expected in ’77-’78 aid awards
Students can expect to receive the same amount of financial aid for 1977-78 as they did this year, but should not expect an increase, said Linda Berkshire, assistant to the dean for student and public affairs.
“Student Administrative Services has pledged to stick by last year’s philosophy that all students will receive the same level of support,” she said.
But those students who missed Monday’s financial aid deadline should file their applications as soon as possible. “Students should never not file,” Berkshire said.
Both the financial aid form and the university aid applications were due Feb. 28.
“The application deadlines are somewhat flexible, though the sooner they receive the facts and figures, the sooner we will receive them and be able to package the student’s award.” Berkshire said.
A form turned in after the deadline is given second priority, since the students who met the deadline and qualify for aid receive the first available funds.
“But in the past, students who have turned in forms weeks after the deadline have received funds,” she said.
Applications for university-administered aid should also be turned in as soon as possible. The financial aid applicationsfor new students are currently being processed by the financial aid evaluators, and applications for enrolled students will be processed starting in about two weeks, Berkshire said.
A total of 50% of the students currently enrolled here apply for aid, and about the same amount receive some sort of aid, she said.
Students need to realize that aid is renewed on a year-to-year basis, Berkshire said. The same level of aid is not guaranteed for all four years and is subject to the amount of state and federal aid available.
Unless a student s calculated eligibility foraid increases, he cannot expect an increase in his financial aid award package.
Students should always file all financial aid applications, even if they are late, Berkshire said.
Dean of Dentistry resigns; conflicts over funding told
By Gary Linehan
Staff Writer
Richard C. Oliver, dean of the School of Dentistry, has submitted his resignation, citing funding conflicts between the School of Dentistry and the university administration as a majorfactor in his decision.
The school has experienced financial difficulties, including cutbacks in federal aid and mushrooming tuition hikes. No financial aid is received from the main campus for dental students and a 20% tuition hike is proposed for next year.
One former student government representative close to Oliver said, “The dean knows student cost must be cut down if the university raises tuition again. He has the ideas, but every time he comes up with a plan, the university changes it.”
In a memorandum addressed to dental faculty, staff and students announcing his resignation, Oliver said, “The resultant erosion of the university’s commitments to me and the failure or inability of the university to cover the federal losses has severely hampered my efforts to provide academic leadership and become personally involved in the school.”
Zohrab Kaprelian, executive vice president, said, “I know of no written commitments that were not met.
“This is unfortunate and we are not happy with the resignation, but we have helped the school as much as we can afford to.”
One of Oliver’s plans to lower costs was the rental of instruments to students rather than (continued on page 2)
OFFICERS FAVOR MOVE
Association seeks to represent Campus Security
By Richard Meese
Staff Writer
Several Campus Security officer grievances have resulted in the formation of a Security Officer’s Assn., which is trying to win the right to represent security officers as their bargaining agent.
The group went before the National Labor Relations Board on Feb. 16 and won the right to be recognized as bargaining agents, but the university has appealed the decision. Further information will be available Friday from the board.
“We are not a union,” said Leroy Brown, the association's vice-president. “We only want to be recognized as the bargaining agent.”
Brown claimed the major reason for the association is salaries.
“We are seeking a balance with other universities — like Stanford, UCLA and California State University at Fullerton. We work in a higher crime rate area and get paid less.”
“Other universities pay their officers according to a
sliding scale. The longeryou work for them, the more you make. Here I make the same as a guy who has been on the force for 12 years. Your base pay doesn’t change unless you get promoted,” said Charles Robb, the group’s president.
Robb said the salaries were only one of several officer grievances.
“We’re starting the association forthe benefit of all the officers. One of our major reasons for doing it is to open up a channel for grievances to be heard by the university. Today we don’t have this channel. If you try to make a suggestion to the top brass, they tell you, ‘Ifyou don’t like it here, go someplace else.’ ”
The association has more than 80% of the officers supporting it, Robb said.
If the association is recognized, a secret ballot will still have to be conducted to determine its validity.
Other grievances cited by Robb were the university’s unfair hiring practices and the inadequate policies in its training program.
Robb is currently working a graveyard shift— 10 p.m. to
6	a.m. — in a sorority parking lot on the Row. Brown patrols the campus during the daytime.
Both are very optimistic about the association’s chances when the secret ballot is finally held.
“I don't think we’ll have trouble,” Robb said. “The National Labor Relations Board uses their own booths and their own people to monitor the election. Every attempt is made to make sure there is a fair election.”
Neither officer complained of harassment by his superiors, but they did notice a change in attitude after their status in the association became known.
“Everything is really technical now,v Brown said. “They are doing everything by the book with me. Of course, that could be my imagination."
Robb noticed a substantial difference.
“No one talks to me now,” he said, “with the exception of one lieutenant.”
John Lechner, chief of Parking Operations and Campus Security, had no comment on the organization.