Campus housing deadline
The deadline for returning residents to turn in their completed applications for the 1999-2000 school year is 5 p.m Friday. Applications should be turned in at a customer service center.
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http://www.usc.edu/dt
Sweep, sweep: The UCLA men’s volleyball team was too much tor the Trojans, as the No. 3 Bruins won in straight sets on Wednesday.	£0
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•ays ‘Ha’! The Saturday Night Live star talks about a new film based on her Broadway hit. ___^
NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
February 11,1SSS
Vol. CXXXVI, No. IS
Race for
Student Senate begins
ROVlBW: Senators reflect on.past year’s accomplishments and what could have been improved
By JENNIFER MEDINA
Student Senate Writer
Almost a year ago 11 students decided they could make a difference at USC. Some of them had big plans, while others promised to be the voice of their fellow students.
But with 1999-2000 Student Senate elections only two weeks away, the current senators have just two months to fulfill the rest of their campaign promises.
While most were quick to list off their accomplishments of the term, they admitted that their term has not gone by without its fair share of problems.
“It’s been a lot harder than I first anticipated, and a lot more rewarding,” said Senate Vice President Lynn Tran, a senior majoring in public relations. “We’ve had a few measurable accomplishments, and we fell short on some things - like working with administration, we were not very active in that.”
Tran and Senate President Kyetay Beckner, a senior majoring in music, campaigned with a “Five Point Plan" last semester. The plan outlined specific goals the two hoped to accomplish during the year, including a student referendum policy, extending USCard off campus, a 24-hour food vendor, transferable parking passes and reforming the 14 points of Greek life.
Tran said that while not all of Senate’s goals have been finished, most have been started. Senate held a mini-retreat last month and looked at things they will work on this semester.
Beckner said he felt that this year’s Senate has accomplished more than the past two senates.
“We’ve done a lot better than I realized, up until the retreat,” he said. “I was happy and impressed. A lot of good things had escaped me."
Last semester Senate passed a resolution that allows students to recall Senate decisions, as well as propose their own referendums through a campus-wide vote.
Beckner said members of his cabinet are still working with the administration and local businesses to extend discretionary off campus. A meeting will be held with them this month to work out an action plan for the next few years.
Senate tried to set up a 24-hour food vendor, but the administration said there was not enough funding nor student interest.
However, Senate did lobby to increase the hours of Trojan Grounds. The on-campus coffee shop, which was previously open until midnight, is now open until 1 a.m. during Sunday to Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
Though parking passes are still not transferable, the meters in front of Leavey Library were decreased to 75 cents per hour.
I see Sonata, page 131
Put 'er there. John Taylor (left) and Ryan Jarus tape fliers to a kiosk promoting Tyler Kelley for president and Cat Goddard for vice president.
Midnight madness
By CLAIRE LUNA
City Editor
Candidates for next year’s Student Senate and their volunteers braved the 45-degree weather early Wednesday morning as they posted fliers and started campaigning, which officially began at midnight.
“It’s got to be done," said Biyant Ross, a freshman majoring in business running for the Greek seats with Rina-Ann Hunter, a sophomore majoring in communication. “It looks good if people can see your fliers immediately. It builds recognition."
Kiosks, glass surfaces and certain dorms were all fair game as candidates hurried through campus, stapling and
Candidates post signs and fliers as election process for Senate starts
taping their fliers and posters up despite their shaking fingers. Despite the cold, most of the candidates found the words to succinctly describe their platforms for the upcoming elections, which will be held online Feb. 24 and 25.
Volunteers for the different candidates were matter-of-fact about their commitment to the campaigns, which kept most of them out until 2 a.m.
John Taylor, a sophomore majoring in business is volunteering for the slate
of Tyler Kelley, a junior majoring in international relations and political science, and Cat Goddard, a junior majoring in English and philosophy, who are running for president and vice president, respectively.
Taylor and Kelley busily wallpapered a kiosk in Fagg Park with bright yelbw fliers.
Quiet and businesslike, Taylor taped the posters up quickly with the help of Ryan Jarus, a freshman majoring in mechanical engineering.
Taylor said he did not have to think twice about helping Kelley with his campaign.
“It’s just something friends do," he said. A complete list of the candidates and the positions they are running for, will be in the Feb. 19 issue of the Daily Trojan.
Fire hose loss does not increase risk to campus dorms
Safety: Sprinklers and alarms compensate for missing extinguishers; no threat to students
By MICHELLE IALEGGIO
Staff Writer
USC officials and students expressed concerns this week after around 20 missing fire hoses and extinguishers have failed to turn up in the EVK dorm since winter break.
“No one knows what happened or
who took them,” said Ashleigh Stuckman, a freshman majoring in communication and an EVK resident “I wonder what would happen if there was a fire.”
Officials from the Los Angeles Fire Department said it is not a violation of fire hazard codes to not have fire extinguishers or hoses in residential buildings, as fire sprinklers and alarms alone are safer and more reliable than extinguishers.
Though it is still a mystery as to who removed many of the fire hoses and extinguishers that once lined the dorm hallways, the missing equipment is not a threat to residents.
There will be no more devastating fires," said Bill Regensburger, director of USCs fire safety.
About four years ago, after a major fire erupted from a lit candle in a Birnkrant dormitory room and caused more than $500,000 in damages, school officials became very concerned with fire safety, a campus official said.
The USC safety and risk management fire prevention program was able to obtain funding from USC to put in a full fire protection system, school officials said.
“1 was really pleased the university was willing to put in such an expensive system," Regen&urger said. "Yet the prevention that it takes is crucial. Our system in the dorm is the best fire protection in a building you could possibly get.*
The prevention system placed heat-activated sprinklers in each dorm room
and lined the halls with sprinklers and alarms.
“Sprinklers and alarms have been strategically placed to give all dormitories on campus the highest level of fire protection,’ Regensburger said.
The fire extinguishers and hoses are no longer required because the new high-tech fire prevention system is so reliable, USC fire safety officials said.
“Normally, when a sprinkler and fire alarm system are put into place they are so much more reliable than fire extinguishers alone that the extinguishers are no longer needed," said LAFD Capt Rick Watters.
“The hoses are also not necessary because if there was a fire, firefighters I see Safety, page 12 I