Wednesday September 1,1993 Vol. CXXI, No. 3
Weather
Another sun-filled day at Southern Cal. The morning clouds should bum away by midday. The sun will warm the afternoon into the 80s. Expect the low to fall to the mid-60s.
Say goodbye to summer movies
The summer is almost over but you still have time to catch a good movie before Labor Day. Our Fire & Ice section tells you what is worth spending your last summer dollars on. Diversions, page 7
Players up ante in Stanley case
USC's women's basketball team announced that they would consider leaving USC together if Marianne Stanley is not rehired as coach. Legal action could also follow.
Sports, page 20
Professors’ pride and their politics
USC academics defend the First Amendment in theory but not in practice. It's easy to get fed up with liberal professors' hypocrisy and their self-serving politics.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
Students urged to be Buddies
Best Buddies, a national organization which allows students to work with individuals with mild mental retardation, is recuiting student volunteers for the USC chapter. Students have the opportunity to interact with mentally retarded local high-school age students.
Volunteers can expect to share experiences with their buddies by participating in activities such as picnics and zoo visits and outings to the beach, movies and bowling.
The annual recruitment meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 8, at 7:30 p.m. in the Neurosciences Building's Hedco Auditorium. The program is open to all USC students.
Interested students can contact the USC chapter director at (213) 743-8204.
Newspaper
the University
Southern California
Suspect charged in the slaying of USC student
By Bill Byron
Staff Writer
A prison inmate has been charged in the murder of a USC student, Soy Song Lao, a 21-year-old Cambodian refugee.
Lester W. Virgil, 28, was charged Aug. 20 in the slaying of Lao, who was stabbed 36 times while working at her sister's Gardena doughnut shop last October.
Deputy Dist. Atty. Martin Oghigian said a "special circumstances homicide" has been filed against Virgil.
Virgil is currently serving an eight-year sentence at Wasco State Prison for the assault of a motel worker in the South-Central Los Angeles
area days after the Oct. 24 slaying.
If he is convicted of the special circumstances homicide charges, he could face life in prison without the possibility of parole, or even the death penalty. Either sentence would supersede his current sentence.
Gardena police, working with the L.A. County Sheriff's Department, were investigating Virgil in connection with similar crimes when the arrest was made, said Sgt. Her-nandes Lobo of the Gardena Police Department.
Oghigian said the other crimes included a grocery store robbery and a stabbing incident in Lennox.
Lobo said officials were linked Virgil Lao's slaying through a stolen bag and raffle tickets that were left at the doughnut shop, as well an eyewitness report from a neighboring merchant.
Gardena police said they believe Virgil wanted to rob the doughnut shop when he allegedly stabbed Lao. The attacker fled the scene with $80 from the cash register.
Although Gardena city officials posted a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the attacker, the reward expired without any leads.
"It was necessary to approach the case from a new (See Suspect, page 2)
Fill ’er up
Laur«< William* / Dally Tro|«n
Alumni DeNail Sparks, a sociology major, blows up s balloon for the Trojan Christian Fellowship.
Name change reflects wider Public Safety role and tasks
By Marc Salvatierra
Staff Writer
The recent change in name and badges worn by the Department of Public Safety, formerly the USC Security Services Department, reflects a shift in focus from mere security to a broader emphasis on community policing, according to Deputy Chief Bob Taylor.
"The department is moving towards community-oriented problem solving and working together with its many community constituents," he said.
Sgt. John Lewis said, "The change from (the name) Security Services Department to Department of Public Safety is driven by what we do. We perform security and police work, but also deal with chemical spills, fires, medical emergencies, crimes which have occurred and crimes in progress. The term 'security' didn't reflect this."
Taylor said that a distinction needed to be made between USC's public safety program and the type of security found at businesses such as retail stores and banks. A notable difference, according to Lt. David Ritch, is that "the department's power to arrest comes directly from the penal code."
The department's latest changes were originally proposed by Chief Steven Ward to Thomas Moran, vice president for Business Affairs.
Taylor notes, "All the California state colleges have the name 'Department of Public Safety.' It's also true of the University of California system."
Department employees had the opportunity to give input to a new badge design which accompanied the name change. Two ceremonies were held last Tuesday, both in the morning and the afternoon, so all officers could be included in the presence Badge, page 6)
Fraternities offer new, improved rush
Council’s provisions aim at making events more accessible to freshmen
Jason S. Grant
Stiff Writer
With rush just around the corner, fraternities are working to make the process more open so prospective members can feel more comfortable, said Interfraternity Council President Kent Mader.
"We are having an extended rush to last three weeks rather than two," said Mader. "We are having a fraternity forum on campus so that rushees can meet the guys in a
iv fee
different environment. Some may feel in-into a big house rush to campus.
that, so we've broug
timidated by walking into a big house like rougnt;
Other changes include less stringent dress codes for rush, which begins next week, and a policy of ethical rushing. He said the coun-
cil suggests no alcohol be present so that those under the drinking age — primarily freshmen — do not feel pressured to drink.
Though previously forbidden, women may this year attend rush parties, Mader said.
"I think parties have improved (over the last few years). We're taking a look at the grade requirements. That seems to be the next hurdle in improving the Greek system," said Jeff Shields, area coordinator for residential and Greek life.
The consensus among fraternity members and leaders is that the changes are for the better. Most members agree freshmen should feel comfortable coring rush with the new system.
"We're trying to get a lot of active involvement and trying to abide by the rules," said Chip Robinson, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
"We're trying to make the guys feel comfortable, make sure that there is no alcohol involved because most are freshmen. I think IFC is doing a great job of communicating the way rush needs to be run. I think the Greek system as a whole is communicating better now«and I've communicated to my chapter the guidelines that we ne'ed to go by.
Drew Graham, vice president of Sigma Chi, said, "The new rush system is a lot more fair and effective for all the houses on (See Rush, page 2)