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I'here was one woman in the first class to lie graduated from the USC College of Law in 1904. Ten years later, three women were among the graduates of the class of 1914.
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NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
THURSDAY
April 20, 2000 Vol. CXXXIX, No. 60
Show raises sweatshop awareness
Activism: Student models sport fashions to inform about labor conditions
By ERIN SZYMANSKI
Staff Writer
USC students strutted their stuff Wednesday afternoon in an attempt to raise awareness about the sweatshop conditions under which much of the clothing that USC students wear is made.
The mock fashion show, which was sponsored by the Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation, was an attempt to make students and the administration at USC aware of the conditions under which workers labor to produce some of the clothing that is sold in Pertusati University Bookstore and at other popular retailers.
“We hope to draw attention to the real issue of sweatshop labor and raise
awareness about it,” said Paul Payne, a member of SCALE and a sophomore majoring in economics and environmental studies. “Most of the clothes we buy are made under sweatshop conditions in Latin America and Asia."
The fashion show attracted a crowd of about 30 people, but many students stopped and listened for a few minutes as they walked through Hahn Plaza. The show featured USC students modeling clothing from companies such as GAP, Old Navy, Nike and Champion.
After a model would make a round on the runway, Chrysta Wilson, a sophomore majoring in public policy and management, then announced some of the conditions under which that clothing was made.
For instance, after one student modeled a Champion sweatshirt with a USC logo, Wilson announced that Champion imports some of its clothing from US factories in China where the workers are forced to work between 60 and 90 hours
a week for less than a dollar an hour.
The condition of these laborers was not lost on the individual models.
“I’m doing this to increase awareness about sweatshop labor and the current conditions which are abhorrent and abysmal,” said model Jason Vivrette, a sophomore majoring in cinema-television production.
Other models were asked by friends to participate and were eager to aid the cause.
“My friend asked me to,” said model Sara Pelosi, a sophomore majoring in music industry. “This helps make a statement about sweatshop labor and how USC isn’t doing anything to stop it.”
Indeed, getting the USC administration to do something about the places and conditions from which it buys USC apparel was also a goal of SCALE.
“We want to encourage the administration to take a hard stance on where university clothes are made,” Payne said.
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Only Napster speaking out on MP3 suit
Law: Company lawyer says in a statement that Metallica and others not presenting legitimate legal issues
By BRENDAN LOY
Staff Writer
The defendants in the lawsuit filed by Metallica on April 13 against Napster, USC and two other universities remained quiet early this week, with the exception of a press release from Napster defending its file-sharing program and denouncing Metallica for trying to “intimidate universities.”
USC’s General Counsel’s office did not return phone calls from the Daily Trojan. The Information Services Division had previously referred all questions about the suit to the General Counsel’s office.
Napster’s lawyers also could not be reached for corjiment. Napster, Inc. is refusing all press interviews in the wake of the lawsuit.
Napster and its legal team did issue a press release, however, denying that Napster “belittles” artistic production by running a service that allows users to freely trade MP3 music files, including — if the user so chooses — copyrighted material.
“It has never been Napster’s intention to belittle the importance of artistic production, and we are very passionate about helping bands understand the value of what we offer,” the statement reads.
Napster recently created a page on its web site that gives information to new artists on how to get their music noticed on Napster.
“Nevertheless, technological advances over the last several years are restructuring the entertainment business,” Napster’s statement continues. “Our hope is to be at the vanguard of creating a new business model that will satisfy all parties: the artist, the consumer and the intermediary' parties that serve as a conduit between these two groups.”
The statement also complained that Metallica filed the lawsuit without first contacting Napster.
The company’s lawyer, Laurence Pulgram, added, “The (lawsuit) reads like it was written to inflame the press and intimidate universities rather than to present legal issues to the court.”
If the suit’s intention were to intimidate universities, it appears to have had some success. Yale
I see Napster, page 15 I
“The (lawsuit) reads like it was written to inflame the press and intimidate universities....”
Laurence
Pulgram
lawyer
Napster
Hostels can provide value far beyond bang for the buck
YOUR
MONEY
A column appearing every Thursday that examines student finance
By CLAIRE LUNA
Editor in Chief
When one hears about the possibility’ of staying in an ancient renovated castle in Stockholm for only $40, one might automatically ask if that rate is per hour.
However, with hostels in Europe, summer travelers can find those kinds of unusual bargains and more. While sharing with people can bring the price of lodging in Europe down substantially — even the most inexpensive hotels have prices starting upward of $100 — advantages to hostelling extend beyond the monetary one.
“We promote travel as a form of experiential education,” said Stephanie Rizzi, deputy executive director of the Los Angeles Council of Hostelling
International, a non-profit network of more than 5,000 hostels in 70 countries that was started in 1909. The more than 3 million members of the organization enjoy decreased hostel rates and advantages such as reservation and pre-booking priv ileges.
While hotels may allow for more privacy, hostels are an often clean and comfortable alternative that also give travelers the chance to interact with others. Travelers coming form the same place one is going can supply valuable information on the best hostels and dining facilities as well as local customs.
People staying in the same hostel have the opportunity' to cook communal meals, visit local eateries and monuments together and learn from one another about different cultures and regions. Planned activities such as
barbecues and cycling trips at the larger hostels allow travelers to have even more varied experiences as well as save money.
“Hostels are great for the solo traveler,” Rizzi said. “You can meet people along the way and make new friends. You have the bonding experience of living with another person.”
Some travelers may have security concerns since hostels often bed four or more people in the same room who are not traveling together. However, those experienced in hostelling say that travelers should worry no more about hostels than in other vacation settings. Most hostels are equipped with lockers available either free or for a nominal fee.
“If people have problems it’s because they forget they’re supposed to be look-
ing out for their things,” said John Estrada, executive director of the L.A. Council of Hostelling International Hostels regulated through organizations such as Hostelling International, by far the largest network of its kind, are subject to cleanliness standards that appease travelers who may have had bad experiences with hostels in the past.
“They’re not just going to take on dumps,” said Daniel-Thomas Palm, travel adviser at STA Travel in University Village. “It’s not a hit-or-miss type of thing. You’re more on your ow n if you’re not doing it through one of the organizations. They’re not up to the same standards.”
Estrada agreed that while during the peak summer season hostels may not
I see Money, page 2 I
ShirvYee Yau I Daily Trojan
On the catwalk. A student models clothing Wednesday while a SCALE speaker describes the conditions in which it was made.