Volume XCIV, Number 52
trojan
University of Southern California
Thursday, November 17, 1983
Continuing rift disservicing blacks, administrator says
Dennis stresses BSS, BSU alliance for positive influence
By Annette Haddad
Investigations Editor and Jeffrey Tylicki
Assistant Qty Editor
The ongoing controversy between the Black Student Union and Black Student Services has done a great disservice to black students at the university, Jim Dennis, vice president of student affairs, said Wednesday.
Dennis, discussing a special committee report, The Quality of Black Student Services and Black Life at the University, said he would like to see BSS and BSU get beyond the problems that have existed between them in the past.
"I hope the BSS and BSU could form an alliance that would have a positive influence on black student life," Dennis said.
With the encouragement of Thomas Kilgore, special presidential adviser on community affairs, Dennis said he formed the advisory committee last fall with the charge to fully assess black students' needs on campus. Tuesday was Dennis' first opportunity this semester to meet with the committee members and discuss their views.
He adamantly disputed any charges that he has not been seriously or aggressively considering the recommendations of the report which his office received during the summer.
Dennis first saw the committee's report on Aug. 15, 1983. Since then he said he has consulted with several key administrators, including Cornelius Pings, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, in order to effectively implement the recommendations.
The committee covered a'wide range of subject areas, including financial aid, recruitment, advisement and alumni. Dennis also received extensive written feedback on the report from several units on campus, including the offices of admissions, atheltics, and Greek affairs.
There are few things in the 30-page report that Dennis completely disagrees with. Most ot those items deal with questions of administrative expediency or are matters that are simply not within his realm of responsibility, he said.
"Many of the recommendations can occur or have already taken place without the modification of the current structure," Dennis said.
He established a minority "consortion" more than a year ago to bring together the three minority services offices — BSS, El Centro Chicano, and Asian Pacific American Student Services. He said this informal association of the offices, which meet regularly to discuss a variety of issues, fills the need of establishing an assistant vice president for minority student affiars, which the committee report recommended.
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USC NEWS SERVICE
James Dennis, vice president of student affairs, hopes the BSS and the BSU can overcome the problems that they have had in the past and form an alliance that would have a positive influence on black students.
Support group hopes to narrow community and university gap
By Joann Galardy
Assistant City Editor
The Ebonics Support Group plans to increase its scholarship fund by $1 iiuuion over the next five years — a move it hopes will better the university's relationship with the community.
The board of directors of Ebonics believes that by increasing its scholarship money, it will be able to attract local community residents who might otherwise dismiss the idea of attending the university becuase of expense.
"There is a real distance that
Big Game to be fought onfield, not in bleachers, officials warn
By Susan Rimerman
Staff Writer
Hoping to avoid any confrontations between students from this university and UCLA, the student affairs staffs, athletic departments and student groups from both schools have set ground rules for behavior during Saturday's football game.
The university's rivalry with UCLA is considered one of the fiercest among college teams. The guidelines were set to prevent students from both schools acting in ways that could provoke a confrontation.
"We realize it's an intense rivalry, but we also realize it's a football game. Friends from USC and UCLA are attempting to ensure that it's safe and fun," said Jim Dennis, vice president of student affairs.
"We're encouraging our fans to support the football team and the university in a positive way," he said.
The restrictions and procedures approved by both schools may seem trivial, Dennis said, but each one has been set up because it has a history of causing problems between the schools.
Some of the agreements between the university and UCLA are:
—	The Victory Bell, which the winning team keeps for a year until the next game, will be in the stadium until the third quarter of the game, when a UCLA representative will remove it. If the USC team wins the game, a member of Trojan Knights will pick up the bell later and bring it to the university.
—	Pictures and sayings to be depicted during card stunts will be reviewed in advance by each school's student affairs staff to make sure what is
printed on the cards is not anti-USC or anti-UCLA.
—	The bands from both schools have their own guidelines — such as playing only during designated times — although their activities do not have to be reviewed, said Donald Ludwig, director of intramural sports and recreation.
—	UCLA air horns can only be used when the Bruin team scores, and cannot be used while the ball is in play or while any USC group — such as the band or cheerleading squad — is performing. The horns must also arrive with the UCLA rally committee.
—	UCLA's request to release helium balloons after its card stunt was denied because there is no secure place to store the gas tanks due to the size of the crowd, Dennis said.
—	Traveller III will enter from the parade tunnel only, and stay on the north and west sides of the field at all times. Ludwig said the horse UCLA brought into the Rose Bowl last year — which the Bruin mascot rode around on after virtually every play — will not be at the game Saturday.
—	Fans will not be allowed onto the field to display signs and banners, and pom-pons passed out to students will be tested to ensure that they are fire proof.
—	Cheerleaders from both schools will meet before the game, "symbolic in that two major universities in the same area can still be friendly," Ludwig said. "The game will be played within the yard lines, not off the field."
With so many people coming without this (positive) philosophy, we have to anticipate and be ready for these problems," he said.
Linda Pantell, Coliseum director, said she does
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exists between the university and the community," said China Lyons, who is in charge of publicity for the group. She added that often the community members do not feel part of the university environment.
Ebonics was created in 1976 to lend financial support to black and minority students attending the university, but the support group has enjoyed very little visibility since its inception.
"The organization is around and is functioning but not with a lot of charge," Lyons said. "No major publicity effort has ever been made for the group."
"The committee has not decided specifically how this money will be raised. We have discussed it individually and it may include increasing corporate sponsors," said Michael Jackson, president of the support group.
Final plans are scheduled to be discussed at a Student Corporate Buffet Luncheon to be held Nov. 29 in Town and Gown. Jackson, together with President James Zumberge, will outline the fund-raising campaign. Other guests will include Thomas Kilgore, founder of Ebonics, and Sam Williams, a member of the university Board of Trustees.
"The 17-member board of directors of Ebonics has put together a strong group of influential black community members," said Lyons. "The purpose of the meeting next week is to announce the plan and the methodology for raising the funds."
Ebonics plans to solicit the help of about 15 influential black community members to form a committee which will advise the board on deciding how'the funds should be raised.
Among those who have expressed support for the group are Linda Johnson of the Johnson Publishing Company, responsible for such publications as Ebony and Jet, Ruth Washington from the Los Angeles Sentinel, and Oscar Moore, a
prominent area physician.
The support group currently has 350 members, including students, their parents, university employees, and alumni. Jackson estimates the membership is about 75 percent alumni. He added the involvement of the alumni and the leadership of the university within the community have helped to strengthen the group.
Ebonics hopes that by gaining the support of a diverse group of prominent people they will be able to draw from a larger number of people for support.
Library to experience alterations
By Catalina Camia
Staff Writer
Sharon Dolezal, chairwoman of the academic affairs research unit, emphasized at a Student Senate meeting Wednesday night that the proposed improvements in the library system concentrate on refurbishment and renovation, and not on new construction.
Dolezal said there may be a misunderstanding of the vocabulary used in the University Library Committee report, published earlier this month. The report's title, "The New Library," implies that a new building will be built, but it actually means a conceptual change in the library structure is in the works.
A final proposal is due in January to President James Zumberge. Zumberge has also made 1983-84 University Library Committee Chairman Charles Ritcheson, a history professor, his adviser on library issues.
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