Seventy-Fifth Year of Publication
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University of Southern California
JOEL ORDESKY / DAILY TROJAN
Lynn Hutton talks with reporters before the Board of Trustees meeting. She held a press conference in her office afterwards to announce their decisions.
Trustees agree on partial divestment procedure
By Aaron Curtiss
Assistant City Editor
Despite student protest, the Board of Trustees voted unanimously yesterday to maintain investments in companies doing business in South Africa that "are making a strong and visible commitment to ending apartheid," while calling for "phased, selective" divestment from those that do not.
The board was acting on a much-debated recommendation from the Committee on Investments and Social Responsibility, which has been investigating the issue since October of 1985.
The proposal, which President James Zumbe>ge called "a sound, reasonable interpretation of the university's:policy and social concerns," was sent to the board last month arid passed with little discussion yesterday, said Lyn Hutton, senior vice president for administration.
However, the move was not without student and faculty opposition. About 30 students staged a protest on the steps of Bovard • Auditorium while the board meeting was being held, chanting anti-apartheid slogans and calling for complete divestment on the part of the university.
The board briefly discussed total divestment, but since they were not given the option to vote on it, accepted the recommendation of selective divestment.
At present the university will inform the companies it has stock in that do business in South Africa "of its concerns about corporate social responsibility to oppose apartheid." The university has also announced its intention "to divest itself in 1988 of any stocks of companies that have not achieved a Sullivan rating of one or two or otherwise evidenced a strong commitment to racial justice. . .by Dec. 31, 1987."
The policy on selective divestment also requires the university to use its proxy voting power to press corporations to end apartheid, and disallows investments in or business with banks that make loans to the Pretoria government.
(Continued on page 3)
University rejects total divestment plan
Student Senate opts for full divestment during Board of Trustees meeting
Volume Cll, Number 28
Feature
Dance sponsored by international students' group
By Azniv Ketenchian
Feature Editor
For the first time ever, the International Students' Assembly will host a major fund-raising dance party, "Putting on the Ritz," in the Park Plaza Hotel, Friday, October 10, from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m.
The celebration will be hosted by KROQ DJ and "Video One" star Richard Blade.
"Aside from the fund-raising aspect of this function, we feel this event will provide an appropriate social atmosphere for domestic and international students," said My Yarabinec, the assembly advisor.
The event will take place in the hotel's "Plaza Room,” which features a spacious ballroom and courtyard.
The evening will be highlighted by a dance contest conducted by Blade. Free t-shirts, records and concert tickets will be awarded to the winners.
According to President Norman Padre, the raised funds will be used for supporting the 27 organizations comprising the assembly.
Applications for resident advisors being accepted
By Danielle Sanford
Staff Writer
Selection of resident advisers for the next school year is under way and the Office for Residential Life is offering information sessions for students interested in applying for positions.
The sessions, which begin Tuesday and continue through Oct. 22, are mandatory for prospective applicants, said Kim West, assistant director for Resident Student Development.
"The students must attend one of these sessions to get an RA application," she said.
Applications will be accepted through Oct. 24 at the Residential Life office in University Village.
"Our main goal this year is to increase the number of students who apply. Traditionally our numbers have been low," West said.
She said students should contact RAs about the location and times of the information sessions.
"It is important for the interested students to attend one of these sessions. We feel that the student should fully understand the position before he or she applies," West said.
"We'll weed through (the applications) and decide who to invite back," she said. Students who pass in this screening of applications are asked to take part in an interview process called "carousel," which will be held Nov.8 and 9.
At that session RA candidates participate in five interviews on an individual or group basis. Candidates are also -tested in role-playing situations.
"In role-playing, present RAs (Continued on page 3)
By Robyn Epstein
Staff Writer
In a futile last-ditch effort to persuade the Board of Trustees to fully divest university holdings from companies doing business in South Africa, about 30 students chanted, "What do we want? Divestment. When do we want it? Now," as trustees arrived at Bovard Auditorium for their meeting Wednesday morning.
The Student Senate also fired its final salvo in its war for divestment Wednesday morning as Wally Bobkiewicz, Student Senate president, met with Ray Watt, the chairman of the meeting, and President James Zumberge to submit a letter expressing the senate's desire for complete divestment.
Bobkiewicz said that during the recent announcement of the university's fund-raising campaign Zumberge said, "liie university is there to question things."
"All we wanted to do was state our view and question things," Bobkiewicz said.
He said he was disappointed with the board's decision, but glad that he was given the opportunity to meet with trustees before the meeting.
"We did have our chance," he said. "At least they knew how we feel."
The protest began Tuesday afternoon.
The Black Student Union said that about 40 students planned to occupy Bovard Administration Building through the night; university officials told them that they would not be bothered.
However, students who left
the building after 5:30 p.m. were not allowed to re-enter. Many went for food and blankets and said they weren't allowed to go back inside, after University Security officers blocked the door.
"They waited for the time when most of the students had left to either get food or sleeping bags for the night, then they enforced the rule," said Spencer Williams, a student protester.
"We originally had no bathroom, but we negotiated and finally got that," said Marvin Young, a Black Student Union member.
Young said he was angry that students were not allowed to bring food in the building. "If no food is permitted, then why did security gobble down three bags full of McDonald's Big Macs right in front of us?" he asked.
John Hansen, vice president of student life, said, "They're free to eat at any time, just not in the building. If they want to eat, they'll have to leave and then they can't re-enter."
At 9 a.m. a student who heard about the food ban on a local radio station was allowed to pass
1912 — 1986
Thursday, October 9, 1986
food into the building. Michael Beil, a sophomore majoring in business, brought cookies and soda.
Most of the protesters lined the hallway outside the building through the night Tuesday.
Yesterday morning only three students remained inside the building. The rest chanted outside and handed anti-apartheid literature to trustees as they arrived for the meeting.
Williams said he thought the sit-in was effective. "The university proved it can show its (Continued on page 3)
JOEL ORDESKY DAILY TROJAN
Six students look out the doors of Bovard at 11 p.m. They spent the night there as a protest.