Wednesday February 23,1994 Vol. CXXII, No. 28
Weather
There will be more sunny warmth today, as the clouds clear away by midday. The temperature will reach the upper 60s around noon and drop to the upper 40s after dusk.
Inside
‘Blue Chips’ gives genre fresh look
The newest basketball film, featuring Shaquille O'Neal, makes a strong case for paying college players, which is
Eresently illegal. There's also )ts of slam dunking from the great Shaq.
Diversions, page 9
UCLA cancels men’s swim team
USC beat UCLA in a dual meet for the eighth straight time and probably the last. The Bruins are canceling their program to make way for budget overruns and Title IX.
Sports, page 20
Rebuild L.A. now prepared to help
Reorganization and a newly elected leadership creates a more effective RLA. The restructured organization should focus on helping small businesses which will boost the L.A. economy. Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
RSLH scholarship applications out
The Residential Student Honorary announced its first Excellence in Leadership Scholarship. The scholarship is open to RSLH nominees and current members who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and contributed greatly to university life. Applicants must have a 3.3 GPA and must be continuing students in 1994-1995.
Application forms are available in the Office for Residential and Greek Life, STU 200 and are due by Tuesday, March 1 in ORGL. For questions, call Cyndie Colon, RSLH president, at (213) 740-2080.
Newspaper of the University of Southern California
A good deed
Jonathan S. Fox / pally Tro|an
Some kind soul has displayed good citizenship by feeding this parking meter and informing drivers that it no longer works.
Nine residence hall candidates debate
Hopeful student senators discuss issues a week before elections
By Melanie Asp
Staff Writer
In preparation for next week's Student Senate elections, candidates for the residence hall constituency had the opportunity last week to voice their platforms, ideals and concerns before the voters. Nine candidates currently on the ballot were in attendance for the debate in the Harris Hall lounge.
concern was security. As a current resident of Marks Hall, a facility faced with security problems last semester, Vitela said the senate needed a "competent person in senate working closely with the Security Affairs Liaison.
"In Marks Hall, we solved our problem," Vitela said. "We have security guards come by every hour on the hour through our
RESIDENT HALL SENATE
DEBATE
The debate, which was moderated by KSCR reporter Maggie Glasscoe, began with candidate introductions. Glasscoe asked the first five candidates to describe the main issues that must be faced by the residence hall constituency of the senate.
Jennifer Vitela said her main
dorm, and there's no reason why that shouldn't be done everywhere else on campus."
Scott Joe focused on apathy and the lack of student support for building governments as the main problem the senate faces.
Jennifer Canillas said that the visibility and accessibilty of the (See Debate, page 2)
Kemp appearance draws praise, fire
By Nik Trendowski
Staff Writer
As USC prepares for Jack Kemp's speech tonight, some campus leaders decried his $18,000 fee as exorbitant.
The speech, "Empowering America," will concern ways students can help remedy inner-city problems and increase personal empowerment, The speech, to be held in Bovard Auditorium at 7 p.m., will include a 30-minute presentation by Kemp and 30 minutes for questions from the audience, said Student Senate President Don Hansen.
Following his speech, Kemp will attend a reception hosted by the USC College Republicans at Town and Gown.
Kemp's appearance is being sponsored by USC Spectrum, the Program Board Speakers Committee, the Student Senate Political Af-
fairs Committee and the Council of Graduate and Professional Students, Hansen said.
He said much of Kemp's $18,000 honorarium is being provided by USC Spectrum, a committee set up last year to bring speakers and events to campus.
Brandon Shamim, chair of the Trojan Democrats, said the fee was too high, saying it was the highest since G. Gordon Liddy was paid $20,000 to speak here four years ago. He cited the examples of Ross Perot, who spoke for the price of a chilled Her-shey's chocolate bar, and Jesse Jackson, who charged a negligible honorarium.
"Jack Kemp as a speaker is thoroughly boring," Shamim said. "If you ask me, he's a demagogue."
Shamim said last year he wrote a letter to Kemp, who responded with a cordial letter
saying he was busy at that time but might speak at USC in the future. Shamim interpreted the response as an offer to speak for free.
In the Student Senate meeting when the expenditure by the Political Affairs Commit tee was approved, senator Julie Gabler raised the question of whether Kemp could charge, since he was a prospective candidate for the presidency. Because Kemp has not declared his candidacy, the fee stood.
Shamim also said he felt there was some impropriety in the way the portion of the fee from Student Senate was approved, saying a select group of individuals in the senate knew and kept the fee issue "under wraps."
Hansen said Kemp had charged up to $36,000 elsewhere and that the fee here was (See Kemp, page 14)
University Hospital spared from quake
Base isolation system absorbed shock, prevented structural damage
By Shanti Paladugu
Staff Writer
The structural design of the USC University Hospital is believed to have saved the hospital from damage during the Northridge quake, said William Regensburger of university Safety and Risk Management.
Designed to minimize quake damage, the base isolation system has been ready to absorb shock from earthquakes since the opening of the hospital on
May 20, 1991.
The system is much like supporting the structure on a flat plane of ball bearings, according to the office of Planning, Design and Construction.
"The intent is to provide a horizontal plane to isolate the building from the ground-shaking experience during an earthquake," a spokesman for the office said.
The University Hospital is believed to be the first hospital to employ the base-isolation system.
Ground acceleration in a multi-level building during an earthquake increases relative to the building's height, but the base isolation system absorbs
(See Hospital, page 3)
How the USC University Hospital fared
During the Northridge earthquake, not only were lives shaken, but the USC University Hospital shook as well. Unlike most buildings, the hopital was fitted with ball bearing-type supports that stabilized the building, preventing major damage.
# Supports
Ground Level
Tram It Tanaka/Dally Trofan