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Student newspaper of the University of Southern California
University moves up in U.S. News and World Report rankings
The List
How does USC compare to other universities throughout the United States?
For a complete list of the U.S. News and World Report's best U.S. colleges / 17
Reputation: Publicity will recruit future students; some caution against reliance on numbers
By SOPHIA KA2MI
Contributing Writer
USC earned the rank Friday of the 35th best college in the nation by U.S. News and World Report jumping up seven places from last year.
Earlier this year, Newsweek, in conjunction with the Kaplan College Guide, chose USC as one of its nine "hot campuses,” citing the university’s application increase and its abil-
ity to attract top students from all over the country and the world.
But the discrepancy between U.S. News and World Report and Newsweek has caused some confusion on campus.
“The ranking systems that these magazines use don’t seem to make much sense,” said Diane Panosian, a sophomore majoring in communications. “If we are such a ‘hot campus' and Time’s ’College of the Year,’ then we shouldn’t be ranked below UCLA,” she said, referring to the spot the Bruins hold, which is 10 above USC in U.S. News and World Report.
While school authorities are naturally happy about USCs rising place
in the U.S. News ranking, some are wary of it as well.
“There are aspects which cannot be quantified to numbers when picking a college or a university,” said Richard Jewell, associate dean of academic affairs for the School of Cinema-Television, which is tied with NYU as the top film school in the nation. “Different students have different needs, and some students would love USC and others would prefer a smaller school.”
Officials of another top ranked-school, the Annenberg School for Communications, were also pleased with the jump in the polls from last year.
“The polls are based a lot on rep-
utation. So it takes a while for a university to move up in the ranks,” said Tom Hollihan, associate dean of academic affairs for Annenberg. “I've been working here for 20 years and I have seen a dramatic change.”
While the polls are encouraging, some college evaluators have held back from spotlighting USC.
The Princeton Review, Time magazine’s partner in the selection of USC as last year's “College of the Year,” released “The 331 Best Colleges" last month. The annual guide, which includes a wide array of categories ranging from best professors to the best party schools, ranks USC in only one category: student
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“The ranking
O
systems that these magazines use don 't seem to make much sense."
DIANE
PANOSIAN
sophomore
communications
WEDNESDAY
♦
September 6, 2000
Of interest...
Court leaves patients unfairly blocked from an effective pain killer — marijuana / 4
News Digest	2	Opinions	4
Editorial	4	Lifestyle	11
The Buzz	11	Classifieds	24
Crossword	25	Sports	28
vol. CXXXXI, no. 6 ' www.usc.edu/dt
Attack Student recovering from fall
Injury: USC sophomore recovering after she falls one story in university apartments; humor and fame are helpful cures
occurs near campus
Batteiy: Woman groped on 28th Street, 18-year-old suspect taken into custody; rumors of a rape persist
By LAIA GRIN0
Staff Writer
Falling out of a window and onto security bars may embarrass most people into silence, but it may mean fame for one USC sophomore.
Danielle Dauenhauer, a communications major from Sacramento, fell from her window on the second story of Cardinal Gardens early
Friday morning. Burglar bars on the window of the first floor broke her fall and caught her in the buttocks.
Television stations flocked to Dauenhauer after the accident, forcing her into the spotlight. The accident was also taped and sold to various news organizations, including CBS, "Inside Edition" and "Real TVC’among others, Dauenhauer said.
While she was embarrassed at
first, Dauenhauer said that by now she has more jokes about her accident than anyone else. Most of the jokes in her arsenal are risque, but her own suggestive comments are probably the best she's heard yet.
“I’m playing it for all it’s worth,” she said.
Dauenhauer’s roommate Andrea Magee, a junior majoring in psychology, said the incident was anything but a joke when it happened.
"I can laugh about it now (but my) heart was beating out of my chest," she said. “(Those were the)
scariest 15 minutes of my life.” Dauenhauer had just finished putting up a Smash Mouth poster in her new room at about 1 a.m. Friday when the accident occurred. She sat down on her pillow to reach for another poster when her pillow shifted, making her fall backwards onto the window screen.
“The screen fell out and I fell out with it," she said.
Magee and Dauenhauer's other apartment mates were watching television when one of them said, “Oh
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Come out and play
By BRENDAN LOY
Assignment Editor
Eighteen-year-old Ryjaun Evans was taken into custody Thursday by the Los Angeles Police Department for sexual battery after he allegedly groped a USC student on 28th Street.
Rumors of a rape on campus last weekend, which may have stemmed from this incident, are unsubstantiated, said Department of Public Safety Deputy Chief Bob Taylor.
Evans, who does not attend USC, blocked the sidewalk in front of 668 28th St. where the student was attempting to walk, Taylor said. He proceeded to grab her behind and move his hands up toward her chest before she pulled away. Evans then allegedly pulled her back to him and thrust himself against her from behind.
DPS responded first to the incident, then called the LAPD, Taylor said. Evans was then taken to Southwest Jail for booking.
Officers found a small amount of marijuana on Evans during a prebooking search, Taylor said.
There was also a previous outstanding misdemeanor warrant for Evans’ arrest, Taylor said.
Taylor said the alleged perpetrator was a stranger to the victim.
Elizabeth Davenport, director of the Center for Women and Men, said she was not surprised by the exag-
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Catching rays.
A surfer waits for his ride to the hit the beach and the waves during Labor Day Weekend. The three-day holiday gave students a chance to explore L.A. after the first week of classes.