Volume Cll, Number 41
Seventy-Fifth Year of Publication
(aMB^ trojan
University of Southern California
1912 — 1986
Wednesday, October 29, 1986
Feature_
International Food Faire offers exotic cuisine, culture, music
By Azniv Ketenchian
Feature Editor
One of the university's best known and most well-attended culturally enriching annual events, featuring a wide vareity of international dishes and cultural items, will be held today in Alumni Park, sponsored by the International Students' Assembly.
During the International Food Faire, 20 of the 27 organizations which make up the assembly will set up booths in the park and sell their national foods and snacks to university students.
The faire features food from A to Z.
staff, faculty, administrators and visitors.
"I anticipate a great turnout/' said Muhannad Al-Amir, the assembly's Programming chairman. "With the help of last year's Programming Chair, Far-han Faruqui, it took me four weeks to prepare for the faire, and I'm happy to say everyone has been very enthusiastic," he said.
"The Food Faire is one of the only events where all the organizations under the ISA promote their culture through exotic cuisine," he said.
The Program Board, the International Peer Advocates and the Malaysian Student Association are the only organizations participating that are not under the assembly's representation.
"The Program Board will serve the American 'cuisine/ like hot dogs, fries and apple
pie," said Al-Amir.
The Peer Advocates will have the only refreshment booth, selling large drinks for 75c.
"The prices for the dishes will vary from $1 to $4, depending on the individual organization," Al-Amir said.
The dishes will represent food from around the world from A to Z; from ayshlsaraya to zulla-bia and everything in between.
"The overwhelming popularity and acceptance of this event by the university community has given the assembly the motivation and support to carry out the program every year," said assembly adviser My Yarabinec.
The "during lunch entertainment," sponsored by the USC Concerts Committee, will be provided by The Unforgiven, a popular rock band, performing at Tommy Trojan beginning at noon.
As there are more organizations participating this year, there is a larger selection of foods, Al-Amir said.
"Originated by the ideas of international students and concerned administrators, the Food Faire has evolved to become a part of what we do on a yearly basis as a student programming organization," said Norman Padre, the assembly's president.
To taste the dishes, each visitor must first purchase a ticket from the ticket booths located at each comer of the park. The tickets are then handed in to the individual booths lined up all along Alumni Park for the desired dish. All visitors will also receive free buttons sponsored by Cloisters Restaurant.
"This event provides a valu-
Panel will discuss effects of new tax reform on students, staff retirement
By Gary Sutton
Staff Writer
A representative of this university and one from Cal State Los Angeles are among a group of panelists scheduled to discuss tax reform today at Cal State Los Angeles.
The alumni association and board of directors of the Los Angeles Collegiate Council, a stu-dent-advocacy organization, is sponsoring the seminar, which will focus on the effect of the new tax laws on colleges and universities.
At today's seminar, Conrad Wedberg, associate director of government relations, will discuss the $150 million limit the new tax bill places on tax-exempt bonds at private institutions.
Wedberg will also review the effect the new laws will have on faculty and staff retirement plans.
Although tax reform is expected to have a negative impact on higher education, administration officials say they are unsure to what degree the new tax bill will affect this university.
For example, the university normally uses tax-exempt bonds for the purpose of building facilities. With the new cap put on these bonds, future expansion could be limited.
Also unclear is the impact tax reform will have on the university's latest major fund-raising effort, The Campaign for USC.
David Paluska, a counselor for development, said the full effects of tax reform may not be clear until the end of the campaign in June of 1990.
Many of the university's regular contributors
will eventually move into a lower tax bracket, which means that charitable donations of equal amounts will cost more in two years than they cost now, he said.
But Paluska said he doesn't think fewer economic incentives will prevent many people from donating large sums of money. He said people give money because "they believe in the university," not because it may be economically advantageous.
One negative aspect of tax reform that will directly affect students is the taxing, effective Jan. 1, 1987, of certain fellowships and scholarships, said Marilyn Baker, associate dean of the graduate school.
A special assistant to Congressman Augustus Hawkins, Patricia Benson, will address this issue at the seminar.
Students who received fellowships and scholarships before Aug. 16 of this year will be affected if their grants cover only general living expenses such as rent, food, and transportation, Baker said.
Grants covering tuition, books, and other mandatory fees will remain non-taxable, Baker said.
It is also believed that by next year, stipends and tuition remissions for teaching assistants and resident advisors will be taxable, though the administration does not know for sure. "We know what (the tax reform bill) says, but we don't know how it will be interpreted," Baker said.
able opportunity of cultural awareness from which everyone can benefit, leam and enjoy, whether they are foreign or domestic students, faculty, staff or community members/' said Padre.
"On behalf of the assembly, we look forward to sharing this very special event with the university and its community," said Padre.
The International Food Faire will last from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Sidewalk Cafe now serves fast food
Franchise plans in limbo due to stalled negotiations
Senate surveys candidates’ attitudes on legislation affecting financial aid
Poll response suggests little concern for students
By Kirsten Levingston
Staff Writer
The Student Senate has released findings from a poll which asked candidates for state and “federal office for their opinions on legislation that, if passed, would seriously affect students.
The legislation would decrease financial aid, tax student scholarships and tuition remission, and increase interest rates on loans.
The purpose of the senate's survey, which was distributed in July, was to let candidates "know students are concerned and watching," said Wally Bobkiewicz, senate president.
Although less than one fourth of those surveyed responded, Bobkiewicz said he is pleased with the response and would like to encourage students to look at the findings.
Neither Sen. Alan Cranston nor Congressman Ed Zschau, both candidates for the U.S. Senate, responded to the survey.
Of the 90 candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives, only 11 responded.
One respondent favored a proposal in the House version of the tax reform bill establishing a fax on student scholarships and tuition remission for graduate teaching and research assistants, while three opposed it. The other seven respondents said they could not reply to the question due to lack of information.
House candidates who responded were split on whether they were in favor of the Reauthorization of Higher Education Act of 1965 which
proposes to raise interest rates on Guaranteed Student Loans and National Direct Student Loans and to increase annual and cumulative debt limits for these loans.
Three of the candidates responded in favor of the proposal and three were against it, while five said they did not have enough information to respond.
State legislation was also discussed in the survey. One Assembly bill proposes to decrease the importance of financial need in determining a student's eligibility for the Cal Grant A program.
Of the 194 candidates for state assembly and senate seats, only 39 responded. Sixteen said they are in favor of the proposed bill, nine were against it, 13 said they didn't have enough information, and one was undecided.
All of the results of the survey are available in the Student Senate office, and Bobkiewicz said he hopes they will help students decide who to vote for in next week's election.
Marilyn Baker, associate dean of the graduate school, said legislators can also benefit from the survey. It's "good for legislators to hear from students," she said.
Baker, who was instrumental in coordinating the survey, was approached by students last spring who were concerned about legislation that would affect them.
(Continued on page 9)
RUOl ALEXANDER DAILY TROJAN
Students can now purchase hot dogs and hamburgers from the Sidewalk Cafe, which adjoins this patio dining area.
By Rachel Amone
Staff Writer
Negotiations with fast food companies to open a franchise in the old Sidewalk Cafe have apparently been put on hold, and Dining Services has started selling hot dogs and hamburgers in the cafe.
Two weeks ago, the student-run concession moved from a truck outside the cafe, where it had been since the beginning of the vear, into the Sidewalk Cafe.
Last year, the cafe housed a frozen yogurt stand, a Mexican food operation and a hot dog concession. The renovated Grill now sells yogurt and Mexican food.
Since dining services was planning to open a fast food franchise in the space occupied by the Sidewalk Cafe and was going to remodel the area this semester, the hot dog and hamburger concession had been operated from a truck, said the cook supervisor, Louis Nevitt, a fifth-year senior majoring in religion.
But since "negotiations for opening a franchise had fallen off," Nevitt said, the area probably won't be remodeled until the summer. Until then, the hot dog and hamburger concession has moved inside.
He said the university had been negotiating with McDonald's and Carl's Jr. regarding a franchise.
Located behind Commons, the concession is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Since the move, the price of hamburgers has increased by 45 cents and the burgers are now served with lettuce and tomato. Grilled onions are also available free of charge.