Shrine Auditorium gets a facelift — see page 10
$ trojan
Volume XCVIII, Number 32
University of Southern California
Wednesday, February 27, 1985
University has new lead in grade scam
By Pablo Lopez
Staff Writer
An associate professor in the School of Engineering said Monday that the former university student who is being charged by federal authorities with possession of cocaine is also being investigated by the university for his alleged involvement in the grade tampering scam.
Edwin Bidwell, an associate professor of civil engineering, said Mehrdad Amini is being investigated by the university for alleged grade tampering. Bidwell publicly told a civil engineering class that Amini did not meet course or grade requirements to earn his degree.
Bidwell said Amini's school records were requested by Clarke Howatt, assistant dean of the School of Engineering. Howatt sent the records to Sylvia Manning, vice provost and coordinator of the university's Task Force on Academic Integrity, which is investigating alleged grade tampering on students' transcripts.
"We're interested as a department," Bidwell said. "We don't think Amini has a legitimate degree. Beyond that, I'm not sure."
However, Howatt denied involvement in checking into Amini's records, and Manning said she could not comment on it. Amini said Monday he has not received a letter from the university regarding his alleged connection with the grade tampering incident.
Amini, 27, is being charged by the U.S. Attorney in Louisville, Ky., for possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, after being arrested Sept. 12 by Drug Enforcement Administration agents at an airport in Louisville with two kilograms of cocaine in his luggage.
Amini, an Iranian national, was scheduled for arraignment Eeb. 19 in federal court. His arraignment and trial were postponed because Amini's lawyer has refused to represent him.
Cocaine involved
Amini's alleged two accomplices, who were also arrested by DEA agents in Louisville a few days later, entered their plea on Feb. 19. One pleaded guilty and the other pleaded not guilty.
Amini, of Beverly Hills, is free on $100,000 bail after pleading not guilty at his initial arraignment in Louisville.
During the course of this investigation, DEA agents in Louisville said they uncovered information that phony degrees were allegedly sold for as much as $25,000. They relayed the information to the DEA in Los Angeles, which in turn told the Los Angeles district attorney's office.
‘We don't think Amini has a legitimate degree.'
Amini denied his involvement in drug trafficking Monday night, saying he was set up by a DEA informer. He also said he had heard rumors on campus about students buying grades and degrees, but said he had nothing to do with it.
According to university registration records, Amini graduated with a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering in 1983.
"Amini is being checked out in this grade change or bogus degree scandal," Bidwell said Monday in his office.
"From the department's standpoint, Amini did not fulfill the requirement, course-wise or grade-wise," Bidwell said.
Bidwell remembers Amini taking the same course from him at least twice. Each time, Amini w’ould ask questions in class and would take the midterm, but failed to show up for the the rest of the semester.
Amini received a D in the course, Bidwell said.
"Some of the faculty members were talking about Amini after reading it in the newspaper," Bidwell said.
The story of Merhad Amini stretches from Iran to London, and from Los Angeles to Louisville. See page 6.
"They said Amini was a poor student — GPA-wise — so they don't know how he passed."
Amini wrote a letter to the editor of the Daily Trojan, which was published Monday, trying to clear his name in the alleged ''involvement with narcotics and bogus degrees."
Amini said he was framed by Shahram Bahadoori, also known as Roberto Vito Giacalone, in the drug charge and said his involvement with phony degrees is "unfounded and untrue."
"I, like almost everyone else at USC, had heard of rumors that these things do happen," Amini wrote. "(But) neither I nor anyone I know of was involved in this bogus degree scandal."
Amini also said in his letter that the information given to the Daily Trojan was "misleading and greatly distorted."
So	far, over 30 students have been charged with unauthorized discrepancies on their academic transcripts, said Robert Mannes, dean of Student Life. These students will go before a conduct review' board in two or three weeks, he said.
(Continued on page 6)
Asian American culture featured in Pacific Festival
By John Zack
Staff Writer
To gain a greater understanding of Asian American students and involve more Asian Americans in their culture and the university, various organizations w'ill co-sponsor the Asian Pacific Heritage Festi-* val.
From Feb. 27 to Mar. 16, the university community is invited to attend programs including a luau, an Asian art show and a keynote address by the actor who played Mr. Sulu on "Star Trek," said J.D. Hokoyama, director of Asian Pacific American Student Services.
The festival will begin at noon on Feb. 27 near Tommy Trojan with the performance of traditional Korean dances. The dances will be sponsored by the Korean Student Association and the Korean American Business Student Association, Hokoyama said.
A reception for Betty Chen, an Asian artist, will be held on Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. in Suite 103 of the Religious Center. The reception will begin with a display of Chen's woodcarvings, paintings and sketches. The show will last through March.
The United Ministry, Asian American Student Assembly, Asian Pacific American Support Group and the Office of Asian Pacific American Student Services will sponsor the reception, Hokoyama said.
The Krush, a Hawaiian band, will perform at the Hawaii Club's annual luau beginning at 6:30 p.m. on March 2 in the South Gym. Tickets to the luau will cost S15.
On March 4 at noon in the Religious Center, Eric Law, the university Episcopal chaplain, will play the guitar and piano, and sing folk and blues songs he has written. The songs deal with aspects of Chin-ese-American history, such as the Gold Rush, Law said.
His performance, tided Gold Mountain Blues, will be sponsored by the Religious Center.
Dom Magwili and Sachiko will present "On the Orient Express," a program of songs and comedy routines about Asians arriving in America, on March 5 at noon in Hancock Auditorium. The Office of Asian Pacific American Student Services will sponsor the program.
Visions, a jazz-fusion group that blends jazz with Oriental music, will perform on March 6 at noon by Tommy Trojan, in a concert sponsored by the Asian Pacific Student Outreach.
Asian Pacific Student Outreach will also sponsor a speech by Joanne Ishimine, a KABC-TV anchorwoman, on March 7 at noon in room 206 of the Bovard Administration building. Ishimine will discuss her career and the status of Asians in the media.
"China Day," a festival of Chinese art, will also be held on March 8, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Alumni Park, and will be sponsored by the Chinese Student Association.
Tritia Toyota, KNBC-TV anchorwoman, and Lucie Cheng, director of the UCLA Asian American Studies Center, will speak at "Reaching Out, Reaching In," a workshop to be held March 9 starting at 9:15
a.m. in Davidson Conference Center.
This workshop is sponsored by Leadership Education for Asian
(Continued on page 15)
Grammy Awards good to Turner; Richie wins Album of the Year
mance for "Better Be Good To Me." "What's Love Got To Do With It" also won Song of the Year for its songwriters.
Lionel Richie, fresh from his sweep of the American Music Awards, won Album of the Year for Can't Slow Down. His triumph was an unexpected upset of the favorites, Prince's Purple Rain and Bruce Springsteen's Bom in the U.S.A.
Richie cordially praised his competition after his victory. "You can't beat Bruce Springsteen and Prince," he later told reporters. "They're so great; I consider us all winners."
The Kid and The Boss didn't go home empty-handed, though. Purple Rain won Best Rock Vocal Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Album of Original Score for a Motion Picture. Prince also picked up Best Rhythm and Blues Song for Chaka Khan's version of his "I Feel For You." Springsteen finally nabbed a Grammy: "Dancing in the Dark" won Best Male Rock Vocal Performance.
Turner said that when she began work on her album, she had no idea what was to come. "When I first heard the demo (of "What's Love Got To Do With It"), I didn't like it," she said. "It wasn't my kind of song. It was odd. But odd makes a hit record.
"I was working and performing, and people were loving it,” Turner said, downplaying her lean period, "but I didn't have the material. And now I do."
(Continued on page 16)
By Todd Karr
Staff Writer
Capping a heartwarming comeback, 45-year-old Tina Turner dominated Tuesday night's Grammy Awards ceremony with three awards for her raw, emotional vocals on
her album Private Dancer.
Turner left Shrine Auditorium with trophies for Best Female Pop Vocal Peformance and the coveted Record of the Year, both for "What's Love Got To Do With It," and Best Female Rock Vocal Perfor-
MIKE MELSON DAILY TROJAN
Cyndi Lauper, named Best New Artist at Tuesday’s Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium, talks to reporters with her bodyguard, champion wrestler Hulk Hogan.