t
Wednesday April 6,1994 Vol. CXXII, No. 52
Weather
Morning clouds will give way to a light breeze by midday, revealing blue sky and warm sun. The temperature will peak in the 80s and drop to a low in the 50s.
Inside
'Major League II’ has same old fun
This baseball sequel offers nothing new; however the film is hilarious and is one of the better films to come along in months. It features Tom Berenger, Charlie Sheen and Corbin Bernsen.
Diversions, page 9
ITA plans to limit foreign players
The increase in foreign players on U.S. collegiate tennis teams prompts governing body to propose a minimum number of scholarships for American players.
Sports, page 20
Gangsta rappers, music defended
Gangsta rappers and their music do not deserve the bad name they have gotten. The media and the majority have once again ignored i" the
^nored the other side of lie story.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
Chance for bands to perform at USC
Bands looking for a place to perform should contact Brennan Penney at (213) 743-9101. GroundZero Coffeehouse is looking for bands to perform in the evenings.
There is no payment for the performance, but some equipment is provided and there is no time limit set on the length of the performance. The focus is on alternative music, but other types will be considered as well.
In the past, Wobble Shop, Seed, OJ on Ice and the Legumbres have performed at GroundZero.
Newspaper off the University of Southern California
African-American scholar urges community respect
Cornel West attacks ‘problem people’image
By Nik Trendowski
Staff Writer
It's time to institute some "non-market values" such as community and respect for the greater good in America, said Cornel West in a speech last night at Bovard Auditorium.
In his speech to an audience of about 300, West, a professor of divinity and director of the African-American studies program at Princeton University, provided a view of the United States that is not very rosy, but still sees room for hope if only everyone will begin to recognize each other's humanity.
West commented about the way homophobia is a reflection within the black community of not recognizing others' humanity, which spurred comments and questions
from the audience. One audience member provided an article from the Nation of Islam's The Final Call newspaper and alleged acceptance of homosexuality was an idea that infiltrated the black community from outside.
"That is too easy an excuse not to come to terms with the humanity of a slice of our community," West responded.
But West spent most of his hour-long speech commenting on how the white portion of American society views blacks as a problem and continues to relegate them to poverty.
"Black folk are viewed as a problem people, not a people with a problem,'' West said. "It's no accident that perceptions of black folk are as exotic objects or as trans-gressive objects. One always feels as if guilty before proven innocent, ugly before proven beautiful."
(See West, page 2)
Sophomore twirls her way to baton events around world
By Jack Whitman
Staff Writer
She's a common sight at USC sporting events, her quicksilver insignia flashing in the Coliseum sun. And if Alithea Corter has her way, the one-time national champion will high-step on to global fame — in the world of baton twirling, anyway.
Corter, a sophomore who aspires to be a premed major, knocked out the competition in the western regional finals for baton twirling held recently at Long Beach City College, qualifying her to advance to the national championships at Notre Dame. From there she hopes to compete in her third world championship in England in 1996.
Corter hopes to translate long hours of experience with the USC marching band into her ultimate professional goal — performing on behalf of an athletic team such as the Los Angeles Rams. And that means a lot of twirling, both with the USC band and with her coach, Jerry Alvarez.
"Sometimes we are performing on a field all day," she said.
The categories in baton competition are solo, two baton, strut and college miss majorette. Within the majorette competition are specific categories listed as interviews, mod-
specil
eiing, strut and solo.
In the individual events she represents her home state of Hawaii. But her composite (See Corter, page 6)
New dean envisions networks
By Nik Trendowski
Staff Writer
Described by his peers and students as a man with "a strong personality and bold ideas," Edward J. Blakely will join the Trojan Family July 1 as dean of the USC School of Urban and Regional Planning.
Currently a professor of urban and regional planning at UC Berkeley, Blakely brings to the school an ambitious plan to invigorate and challenge the department.
Appointed last month by provost Lloyd Armstrong Jr., Blakely's goals range from expanding connections with the surrounding communities, to adding an international scope to the school.
Both Blakely and professors in the school said he will provide a facet of expertise in community development not currently available here.
"If USC were doing enough, they probably wouldn't have selected me," Blakely said. "That's my forte."
"One of his big assets, 1 think, is he fills a gap in terms of our substantive interests in community economic development," said urban and regional planning professor Harry Richardson.
"I think everyone's quite happy that Ed Blakely's coming here," said outgoing interim dean Peter Gordon. "USC is managing to get one of Berkeley's best, so it's quite a coup for us."
Blakely has three goals for the school. The first is to improve enrollment of domestic, and especially Southern Californian, students at the undergraduate level, he said.
Blakely's second goal is to make the school's curriculum more representative of the Pacific Rim, including field trips (See Blakely, page 2)
Big bucks
John Collin / Dally Tro)»n
Zack Estrln of the Interfraternity Council presents Vallee Bunting, director of communications for RLA, a check for $2,000.
Graduate, professional board to hold elections
Current officer hopes to see increase in staff diversity
By Roger Sequeira
Staff Wnter
Representatives of USC's graduate schools will elect officers for the Council of Graduate and Professional Students on April 12 in the Seaver Science Auditorium between 5 and 7 p.m.
Candidates will vie for eight positions: chairperson, communications, external liaison (who works with the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students and lobbies for graduate student rights), finance, programming, recruitment and elections, the health sciences campus representative and a member at large ad hoc position.
Interested students may declare their candidacy at the
COGPS office in Student Union Room 408.
Lance Kaplan, the incumbent recruitment and elections officer, encourages international students to run.
"I'd like to see the executive board reflect different backgrounds," he said.
COGPS has three main functions: It allocates funds obtained from the graduate programming fee to academic-based campus organizations, it lobbies with the National Association of Graduate and Professional Students in the nation's capital for graduate student rights, and it coordinates a variety of activities for the graduate student community.
The next event, organized by COGPS programming officer Brenda Brasher, is Permeable Boundaries.
The event, scheduled for April 14, will begin at 9 a.m. with a morning conference at which three winning graduate student papers about the nature and extent of graduate educa-(See Elections, page 3)