Fast
Forward
Wednesday February 3,1993 Vol. CXIX, No. 15
Newspaper .of the University of Southern California
says six
Mr. Groundhog more weeks of winter. On a lighter note, expect sun and warm temperatures.
The high should climb into the 70s and the low dipping down to the 50s.
Inside
Trojans tame Lions in season opener
Catcher Casey Burrill hit two home runs to lead the USC baseball team to a 7-3 win over Loyola Mary-mount in their season opener Tuesday afternoon at Dedeaux Field.
Sports, page 16
‘River’ book and script wins award
Last Saturday's celebration of the Fifth Annual Scripter Awards honored late author Norman Maclean and screenwriter Richard Frie-denberg for "A River Runs Through It."
Diversions, page 7
Writer responds to angry feminists
A composition teacher from the Freshman Writing Program answers critics after his expose on alleged incidents of reverse-prejudice under the banner of feminism.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
Scholarship for women students
The Women In Management Scholarship Award, presented to a female graduate student, recognizes an outstanding record of scholarship during her graduate studies at USC.
The purpose of the award is to recognize, encourage and assist women graduate students over the age of 35 who demonstrate strong leadership qualities or potential.
Application materials may be obtained from the USC Graduate School (UGR 114), SWMS (SOS B15), COGPS (STU 408) or from Phyllis Steiner, HOH 500B beginning Feb. 1.
Class terrorist demonstration draws security
By Jonathan Ching
Staff Writer
In a radical display of alternative education, Professor Richard Dekmejian's Terrorism and Genocide class was taken hostage last night by two armed terrorists.
This action, however, was not politically or religously motivated, it was merely an exercise to educate students.
With the terrorists dressed from head to toe in black and brandishing replica automatic weapons, the demonstration was apparently realistic enough to convice some passer-by to call USC security.
"At 7:35 p.m., we got the call," said Sgt. John Lewis, of University Security. "Two armed persons dressed in black, armed with automatic weapons had entered Taper Hall, room 102. Seven USC Security officers responded to the call only to learn that it was (See Terrorism, page 6)
Tennis anyone?
Jason K. Hellmtnn / Dally Trojan
Junior Jon Leach won his singles match sgalnst Sen Diego Stste. See psge 16.
Student governments face trouble
By J
Staff!
ason S. Grant
Writer
USC is not alone when it comes to controversies in its student government.
While ballot boxes have been stuffed and senators impeached at USC, universities all over the country have had their share of scandals.
Perhaps the worst blot on the record of student senates occurred at the University of Alabama.
gove ided,
cording to the Crimson White, the student newspaper.
The managing editor of the Crimson White, Tom Buckley, attributes the Alabama scandal to a supposed campus "mob-type" organization called "The Machine," which is composed primarily of fraternities and sororities. The group has never been proven to exist, though.
The Machine has controlled
The entire student government has been disbanded, ac-
the Alabama student government for the past 10 years, Buckley claims, literally forcing them to comply with their wishes.
During the 1980s, alleged wiretapping of campus presidential candidates was attributed to this group.
In 1989, a student government presidential candidate whose father owned a pizza business was ruined when The Machine allegedly persuaded fraternities and sororities to boycott the establishment.
New charges have now been attributed to The Machine. During Thanksgiving, a cross-bum-ing took place in the front yard of Minda Riley, a candidate for student government president who was a member of a Ma-chine-related sorority.
The Machine considered her a "traitor," Buckley said, because she was running against their official candidate.
Last Monday morning at 2
a.m., she was assaulted in her house and slashed in the face by a suspect wearing nylons pulled over his head, he said.
The suspect said to her, "You fuck with the wrong people, and you get fucked," Buckley said.
As a result of the apparent danger to the university community, the paper reported that University President Roger Sayers has suspended all elections and student government activities.
All activities that would be under student government control, including distribution of student fees are now Sayers' re-sponsibilty. Sayers is also offering a $5,000 reward for the capture of Riley's attacker.
Other schools on the West Coast also have problems with their student governments.
According to a story in the The Daily of the University of Washington, Mike Egan, the presi-
dent of the Associated Students of the University of Washington, was forced to apologize to the student community recently after charges of racism erupted when he and fellow fraternity members donned black paint masks and portrayed singer Michael Jackson in a skit.
Black student leaders protested the skit, which they said was demeaning and dated back to the early 1900s when minstrels donned black paint and ridiculed and lambasted blacks.
At Stanford University, the government has been reduced to senate form after an election in which a slate of candidates called "I Prefer Not To Have a Council of Presidents" was elected by the students.
The senate is considered by many to be a group of "resume packers," said Julie Makinen, editor-in-chief of the Stanford Daily.
Honor bound
Academic integrity codes may not be effective in curbing cheaters
By Michelle Ladd
Staff Writer
Why do students cheat?
While the academic community has debated this question along with which methods best curb and sanction cheating,
donal statistics on cheating in various ways.
Honor codes, similar to the one proposed by the School of Accounting and the one adopted by the University of Virginia in the mid-1800s, are one method of enforcing academic standards.
SECOND IN A THREE-PART SERIES
perspectives vary among administrators, faculty and students.
"Nothing has happened to say our students are more dishonest than other students," said Michael Diamond, dean of the USC School of Accounting.
Diamond, however, acknowledged concerns about cheating, adding, "Students are as upset about it as the faculty are."
Schools have handled the alarming na-
Once formally accused of an academic integrity violation, a student can either leave, admitting guilt, or request a trial. If found guilty, the one sanction for dishonesty in schools adhering to an honor code is expulsion.
Frank Hoppe, chairman of the Judiciary Committee at the University of Virginia, said questions about the effectiveness of honor codes are valid, and the size of a
school may affect enforcement.
"As the university has grown and become more diverse, the code has become less effective," Hoppe said.
Larry Singer, assistant dean of undergraduate studies for the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, concurred with Hoppe.
"I have real reservations whether it would work for us at lower level, introductory level courses," Singer said.
"I have a lot more confidence once they get to upper division courses within a major," Singer said, adding that at the upper division level students may be driven by a love of the subject rather than getting good grades.
Michael Klineman, assistant dean of undergraduate programs in the School of Business Administration, said students cheat for many reasons, including pressure and insecurity.
Jennifer Scehovic, a senior majoring in business marketing who helped complete a
(See Cheat, page 5)