Did you know...
A total of 302 USC athletes have participated in the Olympics since 1904 - more than any other university in the world.
Who’* No. 1?: The USC baseball team travels to Palo Alto this weekend to battle No. 2 Stanford for the Pacific 10 Conference lead._***12
That'* ‘LM*’: Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence star as fellow inmates in this new comedy. _ <7
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http://www.UK.Mhi/dt
NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Speed demons
Skateboarders near campus practice their moves while avoiding wrath of DPS
By KIMBERLY TABA
Staff Writer
Nearly every afternoon, passersby cast curious and occasionally suspicious glances at the half dozen or so skateboarders practicing their moves on the cement blocks around the fountain at Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street. The skaters come from different areas of Los Angeles, and even different states and countries, although the regulars are from the immediate neighborhood.
“It’s close to home. 1 prefer to come here than take buses somewhere else," said David Navarro, 21, a regular skateboarder at the fountain.
The fountain area is a popular place to film tricks because of the many long cement blocks. It is even listed in skateboarding magazines as one of the best places to go. The skaters wax the edges of the benches to make “grinding" (riding the edge of the bench on the skateboard) easier. Many hours are spent practicing and recording the same trick until it is perfect.
The main problem the skaters face is not in mastering the difficult tricks on their skateboards, but in avoiding Department of Public Safety officers who accuse the skateboarders of harassing women and destroying university property.
“(Skateboarders) have been a continual problem for the last couple of years,” said DPS Lt. Hugh Mears. “They are becoming very vocal and say abusive and sexual things to the women passing by.”
However, Carlos Fuentes, another regular skateboarder to the area, said he and his friends don’t harass women I see Skat*, page 3 I
Amber Otto I Daily Troian
Skate or die. The man above is one of many who use the concrete benches at Hoover and Jefferson boulevards for tricks, some up to 10 hours per day.
Honor society tricks students with a ‘trailer7
Prank: Skull and Dagger publicizes ‘Star Wars’ presentation; also rumor of Lucas appearance
By JEANNE KLEIN
Staff Writer
Hundreds of students waiting in line for almost an hour Thursday to see a new “Star Wars” trailer were surprised to see a trailer of a whole different kind at noon in Hahn Plaza.
The Skull and Dagger Society, the oldest all-univer-sity honorary organization, announced its new student members, upsetting some and amusing others with a hoax.
The honor society had publicized an exclusive presentation at Bovard Auditorium of a special trailer and surprise guests for the “Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace" movie in the Daily Trojan. The hoax even attracted outside media representatives from CNN and Newsweek, among others.
About 300 students lined up almost an hour early from Bovard Auditorium to VonKleinsmid Center after rumors spread that George Lucas was making a guest appearance.
At noon, the line was suddenly forced to break apart by a short but loud parade of of cheering Skull and Dagger initiates in costumes inside a trailer driven by a Volvo down Trousdale Parkway. A poster on the side of the cart read, “Star Wars Trailer - Episode I.”
The trailer stopped at Tommy Trojan as cheering seniors jumped out.
“We started (the prank) Wednesday with an advertisement in the Daily Trojan and a fake phone message,” said Michael S. Carter, co-chairman of organizing the prank, a new member of the society and a senior majoring in history.
The phone number given in the ad was picked up by a phony automated voice from the made-up Office of Special Events at USC, Carter said.
Many groups on campus were tricked by the elaborate prank.
The USC Helenes were asked at their meeting by Irene Park to usher the event at Bovard “as a favor for Emily Mark,” said Laura Kawano, a Helene and a senior majoring in social science. Both Park and Mark are new members in the society and participated in the prank.
“It was heavily rumored among the seniors that it was a (joke),’ said Helen Gu, a Helene and senior majoring in biology and international relations.
The Skull and Dagger Society pulls a prank annually for its “informal initiation” of its new student members.
The society selects students, faculty, staff, adminis-
I see Prank, page 3 I
Parents concerned about demolition of Parkside child care
Facilities: Students and employees looking for alternative locations for day care programs
By KAREN SANTOS
Staff Writer
Loren Smith, an assistant professor of biology, is worried about finding day care for his 5-year-old daughter, Emma, next year because the summer demolition of Parkside Apartments may leave the school-age day care program without a site on campus.
At least 25 children of USC
employees and students are facing the same problem because USC’s childcare program will possibly be reduced by September.
“(This announcement) left us scrambling,” Smith said. “But we all understand that the university has to make financial decisions.”
Smith hopes to get Emma into the arts magnet at 32nd Street School. However, like other magnets, 32nd Street’s program has a December deadline. If his daughter gets into the program, then the Anna Bing Arnold Center would be the best option for after-school care.
But if Emma had to go to another child-care facility, it would severely impact his daily routine, as his family has only one car and his wife works on
the Health Sciences Campus.
“People were upset because they had little warning and little lead time to make other arrangements,” Smith said. “If there had been more input from parents, they might have prevented this difficult situation.”
The university might not be able to recruit students with children if they are left without child care, said Ginger Foster, an undeclared sophomore with a
5-year-old daughter, Madelene. She said that she first inquired about child care before even applying to USC, to ensure that her daughter would be cared for.
She thought that there were many good things about the school-age program, including the positive methods of discipline and the cultural diversity among the children.
“It’s important to know that the university is working very hard with external relations for the children at 32nd Street School,” said Sandi Schwarm, director of child care programs, who mentioned that many of the children in the program currently attend 32nd Street School. “When you get misinformation, everything gets blown out of proportion.”
Parkside now houses the infant care program. After the demolition, the university planned to combine the children from that program to the Anna Bing Arnold preschool, where the toddler program is currently housed. The number of infants would displace the school-aged children who are currently cared for in the Anna Bing Arnold annex.
I see Cara, page 2 I
“People were upset because they had little warning and little lead time.”
Loren Smith
professor
biology
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April It, 1999 Vol. CXXXVI, No. M