Volume XCV, Number 42
University of Southern California
Friday, March 9, 1984
STARR SCHAFTEL DAILY TROJAN
Like a keyhole to a hidden garden, the star in Doheny courtyard offers a glimpse at the whimsical side of university life.
Support group gives campus pulse to Hart
By David Jefferson
Assistant Qty Editor
A new student organization at the uni-versity supporting Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart received official endorsement Tuesday from the "American's With Hart" campaign.
Titled "Students For Hart" and "Gary Hart For President," the group will hold its first meeting Monday at 3:30 p.m. in Room 204 Of the Topping Student Center.
Co-chaired by Joe Nocella, a graduate student in public administration, and Jeff Falls, a senior in production in the School of Cinema-Television, the organization is part of a nationwide effort by Hart forces to attract young voters to the Colorado senator's campaign for the Democratic nomination.
Falls said at first it was difficult to get the endorsement, because the university is viewed by many as "a die-hard Republican campus."
Macintosh may be sold at reduced rate
By Jason Knott
City Writer
The university is attempting to negoti-ate a deal with Apple Computers Inc. that would allow the new Macintosh personal computer to be sold to faculty, students and staff at a substantially reduced price.
Skip Eastman, director of Computing Information Services, a consultant group on campus, said the university would be able to sell the equipment, which includes terminal and printer, for as little as 52,200. The computer hardware usually sells for approximately $3,000.
Tom Boardman, executive director of the University Computing Center, approached Apple after reading that the
company had formed a consortium of 24 schools three weeks ago to distribute the Macintosh computer for an estimated $1,000.
"We pursued it (a deal with Apple) as soon as we heard of the consortium," Boardman said.
The university will receive the standard allowance given to academic institutions, Eastman said. The university usually receives a 20 percent to 30 percent discount from companies like Apple. However, schools in the consortium, including Stanford and Camegie-Mellon in Pennsylvania, will be receiving a more than 50 percent discount.
Boardman said he did not know why the university was not included in the
consortium, but he assumed it is because the school's current computer systems are not compatible with the Macintosh system.
Eastman said he speculates the university was left out of the consortium because Apple asked each member to invest ''a certain number of millions of dollars" into the computer system.
Eastman said he believes that even if the university had been approached to join the consortium, it may not have chosen to invest that amount.
Within the next two weeks, the university will meet with Apple to discuss an agreement to use the computers, Eastman said. He hopes that Apple will offer (Continued on page 6)
"I said that's ridiculous. There are a lot of Democrats and left-oriented Republicans who are tired of Reagan," he said.
Falls contacted Steve Kaufman, the Southern California student coordinator for the Hart campaign and a senior in political science at UCLA, who at first denied his request for a Students For Hart branch at this university.
"We felt that 'SC was extremely conservative and we wouldn't be able to get something started. There were not too many takers," said Kaufman, who is responsible for establishing Hart campaigns at college campuses in the area.
''But with the Hart phenomenon sweeping the nation, especially since his victory in the New Hampshire primary, I think Hart really has an appeal to the students," he said. "It's enthusiasm that can run this campaign."
Last month the Daily Trojan was told by members of the Hart campaign that the candidate would not speak at the university because of the conservative stance here.
But Thursday Tom Gleason, press assistant to Hart at his campaign offices in Denver, Colo., said that was not the case. He said Hart would consider speaking here contingent upon whether his schedule permits and if an invitation is extended by the university.
The on-campus group here will support the campaign by making phone calls and going door to door telling voters about Gary Hart, Nocella said, adding that he and Falls are presently gathering Hart pamphlets, bumper stickers and buttons.
"If we get started early enough, we will go to Las Vegas to do precinct canvassing for the Super Tuesday caucuses," he said. He added that some students from (Continued on page 2)
Old dorms made bearable by new friends
By Tony Acosta
Assistant Editorial Director
Touton Hall and Harris Plaza. No matter how many horror stories one has been told about university living — the rats, none of mom's home cooking, the roommates — many a freshman's first meeting with these infamous living facilities have been, well, rather shocking. Reactions may range from, "What have I gotten myself into?" to "Should I stay or should I go?"
These and other questions ran through the mind of Milton Sakamoto, a sophomore majoring in biomedical engineering, when he was assigned to Touton in the fall of 1982.
"Since I'm from Honolulu, I didn't get to see the housing until I arrived in Los Angeles," Sakamoto said. "For the first month, I wanted to get out. That changed because I met some really nice people in the dorm."
The people in Touton (they're called Toutonites) are classified by some non-residents as a separate breed. After all, rather than moving to Webb or Fluor towers, two more modern residential buildings across the street, a substantial number of the students living in Touton, as well as Harris, actually return each year.
Although the buildings are two of the oldest on the campus, Touton and Harris are extraordinary places to live. After the
initial shock, the two buildings, with their archaic, brick-laden designs, actually are called home by their tenants. And as the students meet the neighbors, eventually all become good friends.
Andy Chang, a first-year resident adviser in Touton, lived for
the previous two years in Marks Tower. When he received his assignment to Touton, he regarded it with reservations.
"I hesitated when I got the call," he said. "My first thoughts were, 'W'hy Touton?' However, after setting up and getting to meet the residents, it
was all right.
"I heard about Touton from people who used to live there. A few said it was full of mice and roaches, but we haven't heard many complaints from the guys.'"
Touton is all guys — 134 of them. Many passersby who see
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TOUTON HALL
HEIDI EMERSON DAILY TROJAN
these residents in rambunctious moods mistake their behavior for rowdiness. As Chang explained, "These guys aren't really party-hardy types. They just have a lot of enthusiasm."
The exuberance is exhibited by these fellows through the Touton activities they sponsor. Chang said Touton placed very high in the Troy Week spirit competition. The dorm also competed with different housing complexes in yell-out and driving competitions, and, naturally, a Tommy-burger eating contest.
"The guys really make the building," Chang said. "Surprisingly, we've had no problems with discipline. Their energy is used more constructively than destructively."
Seemingly, the rats have not been too destructive to the building either.
Loren Roberts, a sophomore majoring in cinema, said, "My roommates and I don't have problems with rodents. For the most part, the building doesn't have a big problem with them, except for the first four rooms on each floor facing the School of Dentistry.
"We take care of them ourselves, but there are some squeamish people who call the Physical Plant to eliminate them," he said.
Roberts and Sakamoto are (Continued on page 8)