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Volume CV, Number 15	University of Southern California	Wednesday. September 23. 1987
Card stunts back in style at games
Committee to discuss Raider saga Thursday
By Shelly Etherton
Staff Writer
Another episode in the Raiders-to-Ir-windale saga is coming Thursday through an interim hearing in which a state Assembly subcommittee will address Irwindale's use of public bonds for the Raiders' facility.
Called by Assemblyman Mike Roos, chairman of the subcommittee on public employees and bonded indebtedness, the hearing comes in response to Roos' objections to using public bonds to finance a private stadium.
The hearing also follows the county's chief administrator's conclusion that a new Raiders' stadium in Irwindaie would have a net economic benefit to the county. County officials also are recommending that the board of supervisors approve the use of county-leased land for stadium parking.
Complicating matters further, the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday that Chief Administrative Officer Richard B. Dixon will ask that Irwindaie give the county about 50 percent of any added tax revenue collected as a result of the Raiders' move.
"Why in the world should we give them 50% of tax revenue when we have all of these other expenses," said Xavier (Continued on page 8)
By Brad Bowlin
Staff Writer
Card stunts, a long-standing USC football tradition, made a comeback at last Saturday's home opener in the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
The stunts, which involve students holding up crimson and gold cards to make large patterns in the stands, returned thanks to a group of spirited
alumni and numerous campus organizations such as Trojan Pride, USC Helenes and Trojan Knights.
Jerry Papazian, a 1977 alumnus, spearheaded the move to return the cards to the games.
"Card stunts were an integral part of USC football when I was there," he said.
Alumnus Lindley Bothwell originated card stunts which have been used
at universities throughout the nation They were first implemented at the university in the eaiiv 1920s. Papazian said he wanted that tradition to continue.
*Tt felt good Saturday ’ to see die stunts performed again, he said.
'It's great for students to be a part of the game rather than just passive observers''
Safety concerns halted the card stunts five years ago when students began throwing the sharp-comered. cardboard cards in the Coliseum
At the 1984 Olympics, however, crowds performed stunts with collapsible plastic cards. Papazian was there, and he brought the new cards to USC.
'T was at the Olympics, and I took one of the cards as a souvenir." he said.
Over a year ago. Papazian. along with several of his former classmates, began doing the homework required to get the stunts back in school.
"1 tracked down the company who made those signs and got a cost estimate," he said.
The next step was to find the computer designer for the Olympic stunts, who turned out to be another alumnus, David Mehrie.
Mehrie "kind of missed" the card stunts, according to Papazian and was (Continued on page 6)
FIGHT ON — Saturday marked the return of card stunta during home football games at the Coliseum.
Landscape blossoms in spite of construction
By Karen Kuettel
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University architects contend that campus landscaping will remain unscathed as an effect of ongoing construction
"Landscaping doesn't suffer with (the construction of new buildings). In fact, buildings will enhance the landscape," said Tom Coffin, university architect.
Both students and greenery- are temporarily being pushed aside as major campus construction begins.
But university architects contend the traffic inconveniences and fences are only temporary, but necessary prior to this type of on-campus development. The new four-story bookstore presently under construction interferes with student traffic on Quids Way.
However, a narrow strip of temporary asphalt has been laid beside the Physical Education Building, replacing what was grass only two weeks ago. Students are expected to use the asphalt filler as a walkway until the $7.5 million project is completed in February 1909. Coffin said.
"It was as much land as we could give and still have room to build a building," he said.
'1 know it's a pain to move around it. . but what eventually will happen is people will experience (the narrow passageway) once or twice and men avoid it/' Coffin said.
"Certainly, people are going to have to be careful." when traversing the new walkway under heavy student traffic conditions, he said.
The new bookstore was designed to be "most accesible for students," Coffin said, and therefore surrounding landscape was not a high priority when the construction plans were developed
However, greenery was of great concern when the University Center was planned. Coffin said, and will feature many bushes, trees, ground covering, benches and a small park on the side when it is finished in the spnng of 1989.
What is now the upper portion of 34th Street that leads past Webb Tower, and dirt in front of Parking Structure B will be converted into a "mall area" only for pedestrians, eliminating parking space in front of Cafe '84.
"It ties together our campus and replaces a passage that was designed for vehicles writh one that is designed for people."
Other campus construction slated for the near future indudes: a large addition to the Law School, at a cost of $11 million; a 65.000-square-foot neurological science building in Parking Lot K between Seeley G. Mudd and Grace Ford Salvaton. at a cost of 512.5 million; and a somewhat elaborate "office and classroom" building that will consume 54,000 square feet and $4.1 million of private donations. Coffin said.
Will all of this construction in parking lots reduce available parking spaces, adding even more chaos to the current campus parking wars?
(Continued on page 8)
Professor criticizes planning
Metro Rail bad for L.A.
in building this system.
The first is that "subways are a 1890s technology which require high density corridors which L.A. does not have," he said.
Second, Metro Rail will cost $250 million per mile to build, which is why RTD can only begin by building 4.4 miles.
"It's going to bankrupt us," he said, adding that the net result will be billions of dollars spent on a system that will not work. "Red ink is going to be so vast it will bleed the (RTD's) bus system."
According to Gordon, he is not the only expert on transportation to have negative feelings about the planned Metro Rail.
"Formal literature" used by transportation experts at universities clearly state not to "build subways in areas like L.A./' Gordon said.
In addition, forecasts that RTD and companies building the Metro Rail have submitted are not supported by fact, he said.
RTD estimates they will serve
375.000	people per day on the final 18-mile route of Metro Rail San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) "barely gets
200.000	people per day" on its 75-mile route, Gordon said.
RTD recently began construction of the Metro Rail Civic Center Station at First and Hill streets, entering the latest phase in the construction of the new 150-mile transportation system for Southern California.
Construction workers are currently installing beams which will support the walls of two (Continued on page 18)
By Catherine Loper
Staff Writer
Although the Southern California Rapid Transit Distrirt is hailing its 4.4-mile underground Metro Rail projed as the future of mass transit in Los Angeles, a university professor disagrees.
Peter Gordon, of the School of
Urban and Regional Planning and a transportation specialist, said he does not think the system is the best way to improve transportation in Los Angeles.
"The last thing (one) would want to do in L.A. is build a subway/' said Gordon.
According to Gordon, "There are two things to watch out for"
UNDER CONSTRUCTION — Ever wondered what L.A. is like underground? Just ask these Metro Rail construction workers.