trojan
Volume XCIII, Number 40	University of Southern California	Thursday, March 10, 1983
Famous violinist sues university
By Marc Igler
City Editor
Jascha Heifetz, an internationally recognized violinist and a member of the school of music's faculty since 1962. has sued the university for allegedly reneging on a promise to support a master's program he was teaching.
Marvin Gross, Heifetz' attorney, said the university had been providing 5100,000 a year to fund the program. But after President Zumberge took office three years ago. Gross said the annual allotment was lowered to S65,000.
Heifetz. 82, does not feel this is enough to support the program, which is designed for exceptionally gifted graduate students, Gross said.
The attorney also said that the university did not establish a permanent endowment for the program as it allegedlv had promised to do several years ago.
The endowment, which was widely publicized when the university announced it in 1974, supposedly established two SI million chairs in music for Heifetz and Gregor Piatigorsky, a famous cellist once on the university's faculty.
'Ten years ago," Gross said, “Mr. Heifetz was induced to give up his work ... to teach a master's course at the universitv’. He was assured that a permanent chair would be endowed with SI million. But that endowment was never established . . . Mr. Heifetz is upset and rankled. He simply wants the university to perform what it promised."
The suit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court 11 days ago but not announced until Wednesday, asks for resumption of the violinist's previous salary, sufficient funding for the program and establishment of the SI million endowment.
Cornelius Pings, senior vice president of academic affairs, declined to comment on the suit, saying it is "a legal matter."
However, William Thompson, dean of the school of music, said that the university has been "trying to resolve our differences with Heifetz" since June of last year.
"We regret that we haven't been able to resolve them," he said.
Heifetz' professorial status with the school of music also seems to be in question, Thompson indicated.
However, "he (Heifetz) has been receiving paychecks," Thompson said.
When the university announced the establishment of the endowment nine years ago, funding for the chair had not been completed and then university President John Hubbard said it was "unusual" that the partial donors were not cited by name and no building was erected.
Heifetz came to the university 21 years ago after resigning from the UCLA school of music. He was then, and still is, considered by many to be the world's foremost violinist.
It is generally acknowledged that his appointment to the faculty greatly improved the status of the university's school of music.
Heifetz was a child prodigy in his native Russia and became recognized in music circles at the age of 16 following his New York debut.
In the past 10 years he has limited his professional work to a few television appearances and his teaching.
Heifetz rarely grants interviews and "virtually never sets foot on campus," preferring to teach his elite group of music students at other locations, said Stan Young, associate director of the school of music.
His class, which was limited to about 10 students who met twice a week, has "been in limbo" for a year and a half after "changes occurred," said Barrie Duffus, events coordinator for the school of music and an assistant to Heifetz for many years.
Most charges against market unfounded, says county health
By Michael Molinski
Assistant City Editof
The 32nd Street Market was cleared of most (j»f the accusations leveled against it last week by a local community group after an inspection Tuesday by the Los Ahgeles County Department of Health Services.
The store inspection was conducted in response to the finding of the Soutb Central Organizing Commiittee, w’hich charged that 32n|d Street Market is the most uhsanitary grocery store in the [area.
The committed had some "legitimate coricerns," but many of *ts allegations — spoiled |meat, rotten vegetables an|l outdated goods — w'ere unsubstantiated, said Carl Charles), an environmental health offiter for the department's south\vest division.
"The market is: in reasonable condition at this point," Charles said.
However, he said that the county's inspection Tuesday revealed several <ninor health violations, the mbst serious of which is mice! infestation. Droppings fromj the rodents were found near; the egg noodles and. graih products. Charles said.
The market, ;where most students living ori or near campus shop, will be given approximately one week | to correct this problem.
The market was also instructed to clean ithe underside of the meat display case, its outside garbage containers and spillage in the sections of the store that contaih milk, flour and pet products. This is expected immediately, Charles said.
"They (32nd Street Market) had corrected all the items we told them to in the last inspection," he said. |
The market h<sd been routinely inspected in January’ and was advised to correct five specific infractions^ Mice droppings had been found on this occasion also.
A month later j a second inspection was conducted to check if the corrections had been made. Fourj of the problems had been fully taken care
of and the mice problem was improving, Charles said. More progress in trying to eliminate the mice problem was observed Tuesday, but more is needed since the problem is still present.
"We would like to see if w'e can put an end to it," he said.
Charles visited the market Tuesday before the official inspection wras conducted. He questioned Morrie Notrica, the owner of the large supermarket, and Mike Foley, the store's meat manager, about the complaints of the South Central Organizing Committee.
Notrica conceded that there were some problems, but he generally defended his market against the allegations.
No spoiled meats were found
in Tuesday's inspection, and the odor reported by the committee was typical for markets of its size and not caused by rotting meat, Charles said.
"The produce section was in good shape and no outdated goods were found."
Another improvement that the market will probably be advised to make is the amount of preservative used on catfish, Charles said.
Foley said that the preservative is routinely used on all catfish and is not harmful. Nonetheless, it causes a discoloration that customers might object to, and the market will be asked to minimize its use.
Notrica has been responsive
(Continued on page 3)
Commuters apathetic
Few attend meeting
By Joann Galardy
Staff Writer
Apathetic is perhaps the best way to describe the atmosphere at the student senate candidate forum Wednesday sponsored by the Trojan Commuter Alliance.
The forum was intended to be an informal get-together between those candidates running for commuter senator and the commuter portion of the student body.
The forum turned out to be little more than an exchange of ideas between the candidates with minimal response from the commuter constituency.
The candidates appeared w'ell prepared for the forum and expressed thoughtful concerns and plans for the future.
The main concern expressed by the candidates was the sense of apathy on the part of the commuters, clearly noticeable at the forum in that less than 10 student commuters were present.
The Trojan Commuter Alliance was created as a means of organizing and representing the needs of the commuter student.
Alpha Kappa Psi members are selling tickets at $7.50 a piece for the Trojan Night at Knott's Berry Farm on March 18. Trojan Night
Staff photo by Larry Gund
is usually held at Disneyland, however this year it is scheduled for Knott's.
The membership of the organization currently numbers approximately 150. How'ever, the attendance at the weekly meetings rarely exceeds 10 students.
"Commuters have to be more assertive and often feel that they are not welcome to participate," said Eric Lemons, a freshman running for a commuter senate position.
"We have to make ourselves a little more vocal," said Sonia Sovoulian, a commuter senator running for re-election.
This would seem to be even more important in light of the recent senate decision to cut the number of commuter senators from five to four.
Each of the nine senate candidates presented a platform outlining what they felt w’ere the issues of utmost importance to the commuter constituency as well as the university community as a whole.
Inadequate parking facilities was an issue that each candidate mentioned as something that the senate must try to improve. One candidate said that the S69 parking fee merely guarantees students the right to hunt for a parking space rather than guaranteeing that a space will be found.
Many' of the candidates severely attacked the current senate, citing that many promises were made during the last campaign, but few were kept.
In delivering his platform. Lino Izzo commented, "we should be trying to get representation back into the senate. People don't know what the senate does."
Izzo said that the student senate has not made an adequate attempt to determine what the students want and, threrefore, cannot represent student opinions in dealings with the administration.
Ted Green, another candidate running for commuter senator said, "the senate must be willing to stand up to the administration for the students."