dld% trojan
Volume XCV, Number 12	University of Southern California	Wednesday, January 25, 1984
Rent increases near 10 percent expected for fall
By Annie Peterson and Kelly Watson
City Writers
Although the budget has yet to be finalized. William Thompson, director of residence halls, estimates a rent increase "between nine and 10 percent, maybe even eleven percent" for all university housing units next year.
The large debt caused by building residence halls and apartments is one of the main reasons behind the proposed increase, Thompson said.
The increase in utilities and labor costs are also contributing factors, he added.
"The debt service is 35 percent of the budget," Thompson said. "It should be 15 percent."
In a meeting held Jan. 5 to discuss housing charges for the coming year, Thompson gave Mark Sloane, chairman of the Student Senate financial affairs research action unit, a figure that differed from the 9 percent to 11 percent statistic stated Tuesday.
"When I met with Bill (Thompson), he said that if nothing changes, the increase in rent will be nine percent," Sloane said.
Sloane said Thompson told him earlier that he (Thompson) would like to keep the increase out of the double digit region.
(Continued on page 9)
Task force considering new allocation of funds
By Lisa Ackerman
City Writer
The Programming Team Task Force, made up of students and staff from the Office of Student Activities, is considering changing the way funds are allocated to student organizations by restructuring the current system of student programming assemblies into one central programming board.
"We are talking about taking the responsibilities of programming out of the hands of student organizations and giving it instead to a programming board,"said Barry Nelson, assistant director of student activities.
Student money should be spent with the students in mind, Nelson said. He said that a central programming committee would be responsible for the majority of the on-campus programming.
"There are assemblies who have not spent their allocation and it happens every year," said Bill Lilia, Student Senate president. "We want a structure where this money is spent on good programs."
He said that it was a shame that some organizations did not put on programs when they had the opportunity.
The task force is reviewing the current structure, studying structures at other universities and look-
ing at possible changes in the current structure, Lilia said.
The way the system is set up now, the Asian-American Assembly, the Black Assembly, the Chi-cano Assembly, the campus-wide Entertainment Assembly, the International Assembly, the Intramural/Recreation Assembly, the Service Assembly and the Academic Assembly each decide how to spend their allocated funds from the Programming Team.
The first recommendation from the task force was to dissolve the Programming Team and replace it with a Program Board which w’ould be responsible for all programming at the university — an idea submitted to advisers of the assemblies.
"Centralization is the big thing we want to do," Nelson said.
The staff in his office put together a model of what has worked at other universities, he said.
He discussed the idea with the advisers of the individual assemblies on Jan. 13.
"We got negative feedback and we changed it and still got negative feedback, " Nelson said.
The second idea was to divide the assemblies into three programming divisions: the programming board responsible for concerts, lectures, per-
(Continued on page 6)
Zumberge resumes duties after geological trip
By Catalina Camia
Assistant City Editor
University President James Zumberge resumed his duties Monday morning after returning from an 18-day geological excursion to Antarctica. He said he is prepared to make improvements in the university this semester.
Zumberge, a geologist and glaciologist by profession, traveled to the frozen continent as president of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
During his trip, Zumberge visited four research stations run by scientists from the United States, United Kingdom, Argentina and Poland. There, he discussed with his colleagues the importance of Antarctica and its relation to their overall research.
Zumberge also conducted five lectures on board the ship, World Discoverer, on various aspects of Antarctica.
In addition to discussing glaciers and mineral resources, Zumberge lectured on the international politics of Antarctica as it relates to the Antarctic Treaty.
The Treaty governs the continent because there is no sovereignty in power, Zumberge said.
This trip was the second this year for Zumberge, and also the second time this year the president was away at the start of a new semester.
"(Yes), I feel I miss something w’hen I'm away from the university, but my role as a functioning scientist involves being away," he said.
On a lighter note, Zumberge casually added, "The real question is: 'Did the universitv miss me?' "
Four major projects are on Zumberge's agenda for the semester, along with the ongoing preparations for the Olympic Games.
The top item on the president's list is the review of the athletic program, an anrual report on the state of intercollegiate sports.
Improvements in the library system will also be a priority this semester, Zumberge said.
The university library committee proposed to Zumberge last semester a series of long and short-term improvements for the library', including air-condi-
tioning and additional study space.
Zumberge also said he will continue his commitment to academic excellence at this university by carrying out the final stages of his three-point plan.
The academic plan, which has been in effect for the last 18 months, involves improving the undergraduate population, retaining the high qualitv of the professional schools and strengthening the graduate and research programs at the university.
New plans and preparations for a major capital-raising campaign will be unveiled later this semester.
Zumberge said the plans aren't ready to be disclosed at this point, but will be reviewed
by the Board of Trustees at their spring retreat in late March or early April.
Zumberge is scheduled to appear on the Public Broadcasting System series Nova, Jan. 31.
Zumberge, who taped his segment several months ago here on campus, said he provided background on Antarctica for the hour-long documentary.
"It (Antartica) is gaining more recognition as something to (explore), such as a place for marine (life) and mineral resources," he said.
Zumberge also said there is a possibility of using Antarctica for its "offshore hydrocarbon potential."
While it appears Zumberge has a busy schedule ahead of him for the term, he added "it's to my liking."
Gerontology Center: aging for the young
By Ramona Hattendorf
Feature Wnter
When lauding the academics of the university, Trojan loyalists are quick to point out the highly rated cinema, journalism, engineering, music and accounting departments. Yet tucked away in a far comer of campus, encased between Parking Structure A and the engineering complex, is one of the university's most prestigious, if lesser known programs — the Ethel Percy Andrus Gerontology' Center.
Consisting of two research facilities, an applied knowledge program and the nation's onlv gerontology school, the center is the most visible of its kind in the nation.
"This is usually considered the largest (center), and one of the best five," said David Peterson, director of the school. "I think it is accurate to say if people know about any university gerontology program, they know about this one."
Yet, other than the 170 gerontology majors and a handful of engineering students who take advantage of the school's
First in a series
quiet library, few university students are even aware of the center's existence.
"It's a strange paradox that people literally come from all over the world to visit this building, but people don't come from two blocks away," Peterson said. "We have the problem of not being very well known here and of trying to sensitize people to the research that's being done, to the quality of faculty that we have.
"The word gerontology doesn't have a lot of meaning for a lot of people. Often they'll squint, think a little bit, and say something about growing old. Gerontology is the study of people in a variety of contexts, what happens physically and mentally, and what happens to people in relation to society. We're interested on the whole older person," Peterson added.
.But gerontology’ is more than just the study of older people, it is the practice of (Continued on page 3)
ATHER ALI DAILY TROJAN
The Andrus Gerontology Center, which has the largest research center in the nation, is a quiet place to study for this young woman.