trojan
Volume CVI, Number 21	University of Southern California	Tuesday, February 9, 1988
Deukmejian will speak at graduation
By Katherine Dyar
Assistant Citv Editor
Governor George Deukmejian is scheduled to address the 1988 graduating class at commencement ceremonies May 6.
The governor's agreement to speak at the ceremony has saved the commencement address for another year, after the university convocations committee initiated a policy last year that would eliminate the address unless the proposed speaker is "a renowned guest."
George Abdo, executive assistant to the president, said President James Zumberge issued the invitation to the governor several weeks ago and received a formal confirmation last week.
The governor's acceptance was confirmed by Donna Lucas, Deukmejian's deputy press secretary.
"We are immensely pleased and excited to have the governor of California address our students and their families," said Provost Cornelius Pings.
Deukmejian was one of several speakers considered for the address, but was the only one sent an invitation, Abdo said. The subject of the governor's speech
will be decided at a later date.
Re-elected in 1986, Deukmejian is serving his second term as the 35th governor of California. He was first elected to the office in 1982, after serving for four years as attorney general.
The governor came to California in 1958, setting up a law practice in Long Beach. He served two terms in the state legislature before gaining a state senate seat in 1966, the same year Ronald Reagan was elected as governor. Deukmejian served four terms in the senate before running for attorney general.
Bruce Clausen, Student Senate president, said, "I think it's quite an honor. I know that the governor doesn't speak that often to student groups. It's good to see that our effect as a student government was felt as an inspiration to bring the commencement speech back after it was deleted last year."
Clausen said the Student Senate had been working last year to get the commencement address permanently reinstated through the academic affairs committee research action unit.
Last February, the university convocations committee created a proposal to
shorten commencement by eliminating some of the ceremonial trimmings, including the commencement speaker.
An exception would be made, however, for speeches by noted guests such as heads of state, cabinet officers and, apparently, state governors.
Last February, Pings issued a memo outlining the suggested changes to make the ceremony "crisper," many of which were implemented at last year's ceremony.
Janet Chaudhuri, assistant provost, said that the changes made in last year's ceremony included moving the ROTC commissions to a satellite ceremony, eliminating the benediction and the presentation by the president of the General Alumni Association.
Another alteration was made in the conferring of degrees, with the provost presenting the graduates by degree level instead of the separate introduction of schools by the deans.
Pings said the administration "does not anticipate much of any change" from the 1987 commencement, which "went very well . . . and seemed to be succinct, but with substantial content."
TOM WOODALL
GOV. GEORGE DEUKMEJIAN
Strikers settle, but are dissatisfied
By Elizabeth Porto
Staff Writer
The sign on the door of the Joint Council of Interns and Residents at County-USC Medical Center reads, "These conditions compliments of the County Board of Supervisors Quality Contract."
The residents and interns represented by the JCIR ended the strike opposing their new contract last Tuesday. They had also reached a tentative agreement with Los Angeles County on Friday, to be ratified by vote this week.
But many of the doctors say they are still dissatisfied with the outcome of their opposition efforts, particularly because of the lack of solidarity between the three striking
county hospitals: County-USC, Martin Luther King and Harbor medical centers.
"I expect it to be voted in with a lot of bad feeling," said Dr. Rick Juarez, a member of the Executive Council of the JCIR and one of the negotiators. "I think it will be voted in by Martin Luther King and Harbor because I don't think they ever intended to support us" in the strike.
JCIR negotiators say they object to the new policy of "out-contracting" interns as university employees, rather than being employed by the county.
This year's interns at County-USC were first sent a county contract. Then, nine days before they were scheduled to begin work last summer, they were sent a university contract that superceded the previous one.
(Continued on page 2)
New committee will modernize quake policies
By Kevin Ota
Staff Writer
While most universities in Southern California have already assessed the damage from the Oct. 1 Whittier earthquake and taken action, USC has just begun its work — by establishing a new disaster planning committee, which met for the first time on Jan. 21.
To organize a disaster plan, President James Zumberge initiated the Disaster Planning Committee after consulting the university's senior vice presidents. It will evaluate effects of the quake and ensure the University Park and Health Science campuses are better prepared in the future.
William Petak, interim executive director of the Institute of Systems and Safety Management, said the committee will determine how the university responded to the quake. Petak is chairman of the newly formed committee, which is composed of university officials.
The earthquake division of the Los Angeles City Department of Building Safety has already inspected university buildings and found no noticeable damage. However, four structures — Harris Plaza, Parkview Building, Bruce Hall and Touton Hall — are currently scheduled for upgrading to bring them up to code, according to city building safety officials.
"The committee really just got started this semester," Petak said. "Everyone is very busy. We've had lots of things to do.
"What we are doing now is the after-action report," he said, "which will describe what actions took place as a result of the Whittier earthquake. What did security do? What did plant facilities do? What did people do?"
Petak said answering those questions will help the committee define the role university officials should take during a disaster and whether or not training programs can be set up along with "old-fashioned" fire drills.
"We're going to do something," Petak said. "We don't know yet just exactly how we're going to organize, but part of our task is to figure out just what kind of organization we're going to have."
For other universities in Southern California, that task has already been finished.
Lt. Ronald Perron, a California State University, Long Beach police officer designated as that university's earthquake safety trainer, said their disaster plan is organized and thorough.
The plan is based on a guide designed for the entire California State University system, he said. Each university within the system has its own version of the
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GILMORE MARA / DAILY TROJAN
YEAR OF THE DRAGON — Cuong Chu of the Vietnamese Students Association celebrates Chinese New Year, “The Year of the Dragon,” by performing the traditional Dragon Dance at King Hall Friday.
Truck goes out of control on the Row
(AP) — A truck being pursued by police officers in a high-speed chase through the row went out of control, demolishing a power pole and striking a bus before it burst into flames Monday night, officials said. Four people were injured.
Officers from the Police Department's Northeast Division chased the truck before it skidded into a power pole and hit the bus, said Officer Brooks Raybome, of the department's Central Traffic Division.
"It sheared off the power pole, slid into the bus and burst into flames," he said. "The truck being pursued was stolen, exactly for what, we don't know."
The driver of the Southern California Rapid Transit District bus was complaining of neck and back pain, Raybome said. The three passengers in the pickup truck were taken to Los Angeles County-USC Medical Center with non-critical injuries, the officer said.
Officer Michael Partain said one person was thrown from the truck on impact.
No other cars or pedestrians were affected during the 8:50 p.m. incident at 28th and Figueroa Streets. It was not immediately known how many were aboard the bus, but Partain said one passenger may have received minor injuries.
"It was an accident that occured as we were chasing a stolen car," said Officer Richard Ortiz, of the Northeast Division. He declined to give further details.