dMS^ trojan
Volume CV, Number 40	University of Southern California	Thursday, October 29, 1987
BRUCE LE / DAILY TROJAN
ANOTHER ADDRESS TO IMPRESS — President James Zumberge (seen here at another function), gave a keynote address Wednesday at the Educom ’87 conference in the Westin Bona-venture Hotei.
Zumberge speaks on impact of computers
By Shawn Pogatchnik
Assistant City Editor
University President James Zumberge outlined the role of international computer networking in the development of a "global information culture” in a keynote address Wednesday morning.
Zumberge made his remarks at the EDUCOM '87 conference, an annual gathering of educators and computer firm representatives from hundreds of universities nationwide.
The conference, w'hich the university is hosting at the downtown Westin Bona venture Hotel, stresses to more than 1,500 officials from the United States and Canada this year the "whirlwind” influence high-technology computer systems can have in universities.
"Within the course of our lifetimes, it is as if a magician had waved a magic wand" and improved international computer capability "by the millionth-fold...It is truly miraculous," Zumberge
(Continued on page 7)
USC endorses bid to operate Coliseum and Sports Arena
By Shelly Etherton
Staff Writer
The university has endorsed MCA's and Specta-cor Management's $10 million bid to become private operators of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Sports Arena.
In addition, Irving Azoff, president of the MCA Inc.'s Music Entertainment Group, said USC may come in as a one-third partner if the MCA-Specta-cor bid is chosen.
In a letter accompanying the MCA-Spectacor bid, the university said management of the facilitv by the firms involved would suit USC's interests.
"It's all about meeting our objectives," said Anthony Lazzaro, senior vice president of business affairs.
Lazzaro said the university's main objectives for the Coliseum complex include building improvements, guaranteed game scheduling, new locker room facilities and practice courts, none of which were provided by the Coliseum Commission.
Students and faculty had criticized the university' s decision to invest money in the Sports Arena, but Lyn Hutton, senior vice president for administration, called the university's endorsement “a win-win situation."
"It's a win for USC, for the Coliseum and for the community," she said.
Hutton said that although "our mission is academics," she did not oppose using university funds for the Sports Arena because the investment would not squander funds for academics, but instead bring additional revenue to the university.
However, she added that the Sports Arena would be used primarily to benefit the basketball program.
In early October the university was faced with three options concerning the Sports Arena: purchasing it, master-leasing the facility or working with a private management corporation.
Asked why the university chose to endorse private management instead of pursuing their other options, such as buying or leasing the complex, Lazzaro said, "Our goal was to meet our objectives. If we can have our objectives achieved this way, then there is no reason to own it or master-lease it."
Besides MCA-Spectacor, two other groups — a joint partnership of Weintraub Inc. and Madison Square Garden Corp., and the Facilities Management Group — have submitted bids.
Both MCA-Spectacor's bid and the Weintraub-Madison Square Garden bid call for assumption of complete management and extensive investment functions from the Coliseum Commission. The two groups have been invited to give oral presentations at the Nov. 4 Coliseum Commission meeting.
The MCA-Spectacor bid would prov ide $10 million in initial investments to improve the Sports Arena. If the Los Angeles Raiders stay at the Coliseum, MCA-Spectacor will pay the Coliseum Commission an additional $1 million per year. If the Raiders decide to leave the facility, the firms will pay the commission $525,000 per year plus 20 percent of any net income more than $1.78 million per year.
(Continued on page 8)
Seniors petition university policy of omitting graduation speaker
By Mika Manty
Staff Writer
Worried about the university's modifications for next spring's commencement ceremony, the Senior Development Committee recently started a pe-
three-hour ceremony by leaving out, among other things, the commencement speaker, said Mary Sherman, the committee adviser.
According to the new policy, she said, the university is only willing to have a foreign digni-
because of changes effected last year by the USC administration, there will no longer be a commencement speaker unless a head of state, cabinet officer, etcetera is available. Please sign below if you would like a speak-er at your commencement
Student Senate votes unanimously for the administration to reinstate a commencement speaker. See Page 10.
tition campaign to ensure that a speaker will address the graduating class.
The petition campaign is a response to the university's decision to streamline the
tary or a high government official as a speaker. The petition, directed to current seniors, proposes a broader alternative.
"Last year, Lee Iacocca spoke at commencement. However,
whether or not he / she meets those qualifications," the petition reads.
"The seniors were concerned about the speaker," Sherman (Continued on page 10)
RAs offer differing views on peer review process
By Kevin Davis
Staff Writer
Recent changes in the student conduct policy have administrators within the system praising its new-found efficiency.
However, many of those who must enforce its behavioral poli-
This is the final installment of a three-part series of articles dealing with the university's student conduct system, its structure and failures.
cies — specifically, resident advisers — are reluctant to talk about the peer review process.
And when they do talk, it is usually with degrees of hesitation and caution.
Of the 15 RAs contacted by the Daily Trojan who had prior
dealings with peer review, five refused to comment, indicating that being quoted could jeopardize their positions. Of the remaining 10, several refused to be quoted, citing problems in the past after saying things to the DT. Others refused to be quoted as RAs, requesting instead to be quoted as students.
Only one RA, who demanded anonymity, would go on record with statements critical of the system. The overall tone from interviews conducted was cautiously negative.
The reluctance to talk, said Dale Nienow, director of the Office of Residential and Greek Life, stems from a department policy that doesn't allow for individual resident advisers to comment for purposes of unity.
"When an RA is quoted in a
public forum, it appears as though they're representing the university," he said. "Rather than have 154 different answers to a question, we ask that they let our office handle it. We want to serve as a clearinghouse and make sure people get accurate information.
Student Conduct: RAs are unwilling to speak out
"If they want to respond and give examples of how things are, we ask that they obtain permission from our office,” Nienow said. 'Typically, it can be approved."
That policy is more than just a request, though, said one RA. It
is more like law.
"In a way, I feel censored about everything," said an RA who asked to remain anonymous. "They (the residential life office, which employs all RAs) don't like trouble and they don't like people who make waves.
"Everyone probably has something they would like to see changed, but (as an RA) you have to leam to play the game. They're here for my needs and I'm here for theirs, and beyond that there's not a whole lot of loyalty anymore/' the RA said.
Even constructive criticism kept in-house, said the anonymous RA, is generally not tolerated.
"There's always someone else to take your place," the RA said. "They've got lots of people who can't wait to be RAs."
Such fear about loss of jobs, said Nienow, is totally unwarranted.
"If there's widespread fear out there I think that's amazing," he said. "There's no reason they should feel that way."
Opinions varied among those who did agree to be quoted about the student conduct process, but most said something negative about past dealings with peer review, and shared a cautious outlook about the new process.
Some resident advisers and students feel the benefits of the university's peer review system outweigh its negative aspects.
"I would say that it has improved a lot in the last two years," said Melissa Ogle, a four-year RA and her complex's (Continued on page 7)