Volume XCI Number 13
University of Southern California
Thursday, January 28, 1982
Students challenge new BSS director
By Wendell Mobley
.Assistant City Editor
Yolanda Austin
Staff Writer
In an effort to improve the quality of service to black students on campus, the Office of Student Affairs hired Pamela Porter to serve as director of Black Student Services (BSS) in August.
Since the appointment, a chain of events has led to office tension, confusion, student dissatisfaction and even a potential lawsuit involving alleged slanderous statements made by Porter.
The director denies the allegations and contends the organization’s problems are “nothing major."
Activities in question include: sealing off a door that connects the Black Students Union (BSU) with the BSS, allegations that Porter is an ineffective leader and allegations that she made slanderous comments about a student.
Problems began at Porter’s first official meeting last October. She was asked to explain the administration and programming changes she intended to make while director of the office.
Porter described physical changes including the sealing off the BSU office door, said Darrvi Adams, co-chairman of the BSU.
Students immediately opposed the sealing of the door and the BSS drew up a petition and presented it to Porter at an informal meeting. Porter later said she misunderstood the purpose of the meeting, saying that one student had asked to speak with her, but she was visited by seven people in all.
Porter said of the meeting, “The representation just wasn't there. There was no process and no procedure. I thought the meeting was one-on-one."
Students contend that Porter glanced at the petition and stuffed it under some papers on her desk. Porter said someone threw the paper on her desk.
After talking for nearly 30 minutes with students, she left the office to teach a class. The students felt the conversation was incomplete and waited for her to return.
Porter returned about 20 minutes later and the students were asked to wait outside as Porter left again.
Students sat outside the office approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes talking and doing homework. James Dennis, assistant vice president of Campus Life, convinced the students to leave after calling Porter at home and arranging a meeting the next morning.
At the meeting, students agreed to drop the door issue if the following conditions were met: there would be no loss of the mural on the BSU office wall. Porter would meet with 9tudents on a monthly basis. Porter would help
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IN A PINCH — Los Angeles firemen used a hydraulic pinch to stop a natural gas leak Wednesday after construction workers accidentally struck a gas line on campus. No injuries were reported.
Gas line leak causes evacuation; five-block campus area involved
By Marc Igler
Staff Writer
Several hundred people were evacuated from a five-square-block area on campus Wednesday after construction workers accidentally drilled into a-main gas line. No injuries were reported.
Using a hydraulic pinch, engineers from the Southern California Gas Co. managed to stop the natural gas leak near the Petroleum and Chemical Engineering Building at 12:45 p.m.. an hour and 15 minutes after the workers ruptured the line.
Richard Olsen, a battalion chief for the Los Angeles Fire Department, said five buildings in the
southeast corner of campus were evacuated. Only small amounts of the flammable gas seeped into the building, he added.
“Our meters read five parts per million, which really isn't very much. It would take over 5,000 parts per million to pose any health danger,” Olsen said, adding that natural gas is lighter than air and therefore dissipates into the atmosphere quickly.
Larry Ehrmann, university environmental and safety officer, said the workers, employed by McCormick Construction Co. of Los Angeles, immediately notified University Security. Within 15 minutes, university officials
qrdered the evacuation and the area was cordoned off.
“Although the smell of the gas was very strong, we weren’t really worried about inhalation injuries. But if somebody had lighted a match, we could have all gone sky-high,” Ehrmann said.
Officials from the Southern California Gas Co. were delayed for some time because they were unable to locate the gas line’s shut-, off valve.
The valve was eventually located 40 feet from the break in the line. Officials closed the valve and used a hydraulic pinch to restore the line, which was three feet under the ground.
Satellite campus controversy remains unresolved
University, citizens’ group to discuss issue
An Orange County Superior Court judge has given the university, the Newport-Mesa Unified School District and an Orange County citizens group two weeks to settle the controversy surrounding the university’s proposed satellite campus out of court.
However, spokesmen for the university, school district and the citizens attempting to block the opening of the campus at a Corona del Mar elementary school give few indications that an agreement will be easily reached.
The judge postponed action Tuesday on the
citizens' lawsuit for two weeks. The suit, which was filed Jan.8, seeks a restraining order to stop the satellite campus from operating because of anticipated noise and increased traffic.
"The two-week period is just to give everybody involved a chance to talk and see if there is any flexibility on part of either side,” said Bill Mann, program coordinator of the site at the Corona del Mar Elementary School.
During that time the university hopes to find “some way we can satisfy neighborhood concerns and the schoolboard's desire to
lease us the property, as well as our wish to begin the program at this site,” said Jon Strauss, vice president of Administration.
The citizens' group, along with Newport Beach City Councilman Paul Hummel, plans to offer suggestions for alternative sites for the satellite campus. Hummel said he hopes to show there are ‘‘ample commercial areas in the city of Newport Beach where the campus could locate.”
The elementary school is located in Hummel’s district.
Hummel added that although he and other NewDort Beach officials
“totally endorse USC having an extension in Orange County, we cannot condone the commercial use of space in a residential neighborhood.”
“I’m an alumnus of ‘SC
—	(class of) 1947 — and about half the community are alumni, too,” he said.
Joe Stewart, a vocal member of the neighborhood coalition, stressed that his group’s moves are not designed to hurt the university.
“It has nothing to do with the university. We just don't feel this kind of location is conducive to any high-school or college-level type school.
“Secondly, we have little playground space in our area,” Stewart explained. “If anybody were to take half of our playground space, it would affect the lives of our children, young adults, everybody.”
The coalition also has what Stewart called "nightime opposition" to the facility because it fears the increased traffic caused by the students attending night classes would disrupt the area.
Meanwhile, Mann said the university is “willing to talk with the group and find out what alternative sites or suggestions it will propose.
Staff photo by Andrew Innerarlty