trojan
Volume XCVII, Number 32	University of Southern California	Wednesday, October 17,1984
CPA exam held graduation day
Commencement coincides with accounting test
By Carol Ann Coates
Staff Writer
The certified public accountants exam, which allows students to become CPA interns, falls on the same day as university commencement this forcing some business students to choose between commencement and the exam.
The three-day exam is taken simultaneously by thousands of accounting seniors across the country. It will be given May 8, 9 and 10, the last date coinciding with commencement ceremonies here.
Mark McGranahan, a senior in accounting, said the whole situation is very unfair and disappointing: "I feel that there should be a way to alleviate the situation."
The provost's office, which determines the academic calendar and date of commencement, is "definitely aware" of the situation, said Janet Chaudhuri, assistant provost.
"It's an unfortunate circumstance," she said.
Merle Hopkins, assistant dean of the School of Accounting, estimated that 30 percent of accounting majors at the university might be affected. About 200 students graduate from the school each calendar year and about 60 take the May exam.
Hopkins said he became aware of the dilemma in July.
"I don't see any way to change either of these events," he said. "The student has to make a choice. I don't see any way around it."
Chaudhuri said commencement will go on as planned this year because the university "cannot change commitments at this late date." Distinguished
guests have already been invited, and the many other firm arrangements have already been made.
McGranahan countered, "This is too major an issue to be put off, to say there is no remedy. Seven months away is not too late."
"An effort will be made in the future to take any conflicts into consideration when determining the calendar," Chaudhuri said.
Alternate plans are being made for the students, and their families, who will miss commencement, and university President James Zumberge or Cornelius Pings, provost and senior vice president of academic affairs, will attend, Chaudhuri said.
Doyle Williams, dean of the School of Accounting, was out of town but issued a statement through his secretary: "We are aware of the situation. There is (Continued on page 3)
Councilman Robert Farrell handles the complexities of the 8th district
By John Kirby
Assistant Editorial Director
Robert Farrell, city councilman for the 8th District of Los Angeles, has a suggestion for fellow council members who complain about his flamboyant style and broad council resolutions.
"Step into my shoes before you criticize my actions," he said.
Sitting on the edge of his desk in a small, cluttered office, Farrell, 48, spoke of the special circumstances he faces in his district and the special solutions they call for.
The 8th District, which includes the university, lies right in the middle of South Los Angeles, he said, and his constituency is for the most part composed of low-income, minority families. Because of that, Farrell said, it is hard to convince developers to build here. It is also hard to apply conventional principles to an area with unconventional needs.
"Given the situation in my district, what else can I do but speak in the broad context of w’hat's right and fair?" he asked. "No one else can deal with a district as skewed from the norm."
So Farrell believes in making broad proposals which "pose important questions.'' In one case, he called for the adoption of 40 unconventional anti-crime resolutions in a single session. Several council members commented after that particular session that they had never seen so many resolutions brought up at one time.
In addition to the problems Farrell faces as councilman of a minority district, he must also contend with the mixed blessing of having this university within the borders of his district. Connie Meadows, one of Farrell's administrative aides, said the
councilman sees the university as a positive factor.
"Aside from the Knudsen Company, it's the only major industry in the councilman's district," she said.
At the same time, Meadows said, Farrell must take into consideration the impact the university has on the immediate neighborhood.
Farrell said he is aware of this impact and is always working on ways to resolve the problems that come up. One of his prime concerns at the moment is the congestion caused on residential streets by students' cars. He said he favors the installation of parking meters along the streets adjacent to campus in order to raise money for additional off-street parking structures.
"Despite what the university has done, putting up high-rise parking," he said, "we still have tremendous pressures on the residential streets."
These relatively minor problems aside, Farrell said he is glad the university is located in his district and thinks "the university and the community have a great future together."
As for the occasional conflicts that have arisen, particularly over the use of eminent domain, Farrell said the university's actions have been no different from those that would be taken by any business looking out for its own best interest.
He also said the university has helped provide employment to the area's residents.
Farrell was bom in Natchez, Miss., and moved with his family to Los Angeles during his childhood. He attended Los Angeles High School and later earned an undergraduate degree in Near Eastern Studies at UCLA.
After doing graduate work in journalism, Farrell spent four years in the Navy and worked
for various publications before taking a position as aide to Billie Mills, then councilman of the
8th District. When Mills was appointed to a judgeship, Farrell stepped into his councilman's position.
Since then, Farrell has been elected three times to the post. He said his only future political plans are to remain councilman of the 8th District and to "make municipal government work for South Los Angeles."
In spite of the assertions of fellow councilmen, many of Farrell's actions have not had such theoretical overtones. He con-(Continued on page 5)
Pentagon's reversal of press policies called a "good sign"
By Dana Glad
Staff Writer
The Pentagon's reversal of its decision to exclude newspaper reporters from future invasion press pools is a "good sign," said Jack Langguth, university professor of journalism and member of a panel of press represenatives and military advisers called after the banning of the press from the Grenada invasion.
In an interview Monday, Langguth said, "The fact that they so quickly amended this pool when there was an outcry suggests that somebody at some level understands that keeping the press out of Grenada, however satisfying it was to those who felt wounded by the Vietnam coverage, was a very bad decision."
Newspaper reporters and editors across the country were enraged last week when the Pentagon announced a pool of 11 representatives of the press from radio, television and magazines only.
The Pentagon had reached its initial decision after reviewing recommendations from the panel of eight military personnel and six
' . . .somebody at some level understands that keeping the press out of Grenada, however satisfying it was to those who felt wounded by the Vietnam coverage, was a very bad decision.'
civilians in February, but reversed it the next day as the result of an outcry from newspaper and news agency executives.
Even CBS News' President Edward Joyce, whose organization was represented, protested on the basis that "our media complement each other in informing the American public, and we feel that a failure to include newspaper reporters is a serious and fundamental mistake."
Originally, newspapers were to receive information from the Associated Press or United Press International wire services, but this "isn't satisfactory to daily journalists who want a comprehensive treatment that wires sometimes are unable to give," Langguth said.
In the current Pentagon provision, the American Newspaper Association was asked by the Department of Defense to nominate eight newspapers which will be willing to participate in the now 12-mem-ber pool for six months each, on a rotational basis, The New York Times reported.
Additional newspaper reporters would be added if additional space for media representatives became available.
The minimum pool will now consist of one newspaper reporter, two news agency reporters, one radio correspondent, four television reporters, a camera operator, a sound technician, a magazine writer and a still photographer.
The panel was convened by Maj. Gen. Winant Sidle at the request of the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to review the Grenada invasion and make recommendations to prevent the exclusion of the press from surprise military operations in the future.
"There is an element within the military, a strong element, that is committed to free press coverage," said Langguth, who said he was
(Continued on page 2)
Associated Minorities in Pre-law regroup to increase law enrollment
By Diane Olivo
Staff Writer
The Associated Minorities in Pre-law Education, which disbanded two years ago because it lacked support from undergraduates, has reorganized this year and is gearing toward making minority students aware of requirements for law schools.
"Our goal is to up the percentage of minority students in the Law School," said Aaron Clark, a junior in pre-law and president of the association.
Clark said the biggest problem pre-law students have is "they don't know how to prepare their curriculum."
He said the association wants to make undergraduate students aware of the LSAT, the law school admissions test; alternative double majors other then political science; and the types of students law schools are looking for.
"Law schools are looking for
well-rounded students," Clark said.
With the help of the Black Student Union, the organization will co-sponsor events such as keynote speakers in the professional field.
Clark said by bringing the lawr students and professionals together, the students can listen and meet diverse people that go to law school.
Assemblywoman Maxine Waters, (D.-Los Angeles), will give a speech geared toward pre-law students next Tuesday in the Topping Student Center, said Bernard Walker, president of BSU.
"Students might be interested in political figures that are working in public service," he said.
The association was originally organized in 1980 and had a strong following of 65 members, Clark said.
The association failed when upperclassmen overlooked the
training of the freshmen and sophomores in the group's purposes.
Clark said he met a graduate student during the summer who gave him details on the previous group. Clark thought it was important to help prepare students interested in going to law school on how to gain admission.
His plan to strengthen the group is to take sophomores and freshmen and guide them in the group's goals. He wants to have a sophomore vice president who will run the meetings, "so he can get a feel of how things go."
"You need somebody who knows the inner workings to keep a organization going," Clark said.
The group plans to have a membership drive next week. Currently it has 30 members.
Clark said most members are black or Hispanic, although the (Continued on page 3)