tudent newspaper of the University of Southern California
Cinematic
Salute
Famed editor and sound designer Walter Murch enjoys an Academy tribute with other USC alums / 7
WEDNESDAY
♦
October 11, 2000
Of interest...
Thinking about, getting a job after college? So is Tim Crockett, even after four years' time / 4
News Digest	2	Opinions	4
Roundup	6	Lifestyle	7
The Buzz	7	Classifieds	16
Crossword	17	Sports	20
vol. CXXXXI, no. 31 www.usc.edu/dt
County-USC workers walk out
We've been understaffed and the pay has been the same for about two years."
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SANDRA KING custodian
Medical intensive care unit and LAC-USC hospital
Strike: Members of Service Union 660 rallied for their cause with signs and chants
By NEIL CHRISTOPHER APELES
StalTWriter
Hundreds of Los Angeles County workers striking for better staffing, wage increases, improved benefits and childcare, walked off the job Tuesday and rallied behind the main gates of Los Angeles County-USC.
As part of a series of rolling strikes across county departments, the hospital strike drew members of the Service Employees International
Union 660 from other smaller county healthcare facilities along with members from four major hospitals.
"Who's got the power? We got the power! What kind of power? Union Power!” yelled members ofSF.IU 660.
Multi-departmental workers, including those from the Womens and Childrens hospital and the outpatient clinic of LAC-USC, marched in a circle to the sound of drums with pickets and banners in hand. Accompanying the USC workers were employees from other county hospitals in the northeast cluster.
“It’s a very good turnout,” said a critical care registered nurse. “Mainly, I'm striking for safe staffing
to care for the patients.”
Other nurses agreed that what they are asking for is overdue and it will only increase the quality of patient care if there is better staffing and safer practices.
"The nurses are concerned about the staffing, so they want safer working conditions,'’ said a staff nurse.
Ancillary staff expressed their need for annual wage increases. Currently, the county offers a 9 percent pay increase over three years for employees. This is short of the 15.5 percent that the union is asking for. If county officials and the union do not settle today, a general county-
I see Strike, page 14 I
HEALTH & MEDICINE
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Origin of sexual behavior debated
By FRANCESCA CIMINO
Assistant City Editor
Designed to celebrate the diversity of sexuality,
National Coming Out Day is an opportunity to explore and dis-1 cuss different sexual orientation j experiences, a dialogue lhal is often ; eclipsed by stigmatization and a
I	tendency to justify one experience over another.
“(The focus of National Coming Out Week) is to help people understand that being gay or lesbian is as deeply a part of some people’s experience as being heterosexual is to others,” said Elizabeth Davenport, director of the Center for Women and Men.
While the development of sexuality in both humans and animals has been extensively studied with several theories drawn around a complicated melange of biological, genetic and social factors contributing to its development only sexual orientations other than heterosexuality have been targeted for “explanation."
Because the majority of the population isn’t homosexual, gays and lesbians are often more scrutinized and tend to be stereotyped us an “other,” with rationalizations sought to explain why “they” are
I see Health, page 6 I
Departments offer new options for transportation
Senate: Organization working with officials to increase off-campus parking; also looking to improve food services
By LOREN CHIDONI
StalTWriter
Transportation Services is working to provide more off-campus parking and establish new tram routes and service on weekends, senators announced at Tuesday night’s Senate meeting.
The department is looking to build a parking lot near Troy Hall and has begun to run weekend tram routes every half-hour, said Residential Senator Viet Nguyen, a senior majoring in classics.
In addition, Tram C will stop in City Park at 30th Street and Vermont
Avenue after 5 p.m., increasing student safety at night, Nguyen said.
"Tram C will provide more safety for people who live off campus,” Nguyen said. "Vermont is one of the more dangerous areas around campus."
The department is also stepping up parking structure inspections and has spent about $250,000 replacing the electric grills on the security arms, Nguyen said.
Senate is also working to appeal a Los Angeles parking tax on semester parking permits, said Commuter Senator Alden Chiu, a senior majoring in history. The tax
is slightly under 10 percent. Senators are meeting with a city council member to prepare the proposal and hope to create an online petition.
Dining services
Trojan Grounds is now serving coffee until 12 a.m. as opposed to 11:15 p.m., said Senate President Dana Parker, a senior majoring in public policy and management. The store will also be open 24 hours during stop periods in addition to during finals.
Trojan Grounds attracts many students, often drawing long lines due to understaffing and overused coffee equipment, Parker said. But Donald Ranasinghe, director of Retail Operations, wrote in a letter to
Senate that he will work to make the lines move more quickly,
In addition, he wrote that he would address student complaints of long waits at the Grill’s La Salsa— which have exceeded 20 minutes at times — to fill orders in under 10 minutes.
“The changes that Donald Ranasinghe and the director of Dining Services made last week, in addition to those that took place last year — such as providing kosher and Hillel food, putting a sandwich bar in commons, and others — show that Dining Services is trying to meet student needs” Parker said. “Yet changes still need to take place to keep students reasonably satisfied."
Senate plans to improve the quali-
ty of food at Elizabeth von KleinSmid dining hall and make the “2 Nite Cafe"
—	a food service available from 9 p.m. to 12 a.m. — more accessible.
“EVK doesn’t have a consistent vegetarian option," Parker said. “Foods that aren't vegetarian are sometimes labeled as vegetarian."
EVK “2 Nite Cafe" serves about 20 people on a busy night. Monday through Thursday, Parker said.
“All the doors around the dining hall are locked because Housing doesn't think it is safe to leave the doors open," Parker said.
"In order to get in, you have to go through the door that says closed on it or knock on the entrance doors to New and North Residential Halls until someone lets you in."
’•WWXv.
Randall Yong I Daily Trojan
Wanting their 'fair share.’ Members of the Service Employees International Union 660 at Los Angeles County-USC protested outside the hospital Tuesday for improved staffing, wage increases and better benefits as part of the rolling walk outs the union has been staging across the county since last week.