Newspaper of the University of Southern California
Some say humanism led the way out of the Dark Ages; critics fault the movement with moral decline. Writers Ivan Feman-dez-Giraldez and Wind Gudmundsen take up opposing sides.
Viewpoint, page 4
L.A. alternative break still open
The deadline for the Los Angeles Alternative Spring Break project has been extended through the end of the week.
The project will include two days working on USC's Habitat for Humanity project, one day working with the Genesis I dome village temporary housing project, one day working with the Union Station homeless project, and one day working with sixth graders at Norwood Elementary School on a special art project.
The program includes all meals, transportation, lodging, et al and will cost participants $100 plus candy sales fundraising.
To apply, contact the Student Volunteer Center at Topping Student Center
101	A, noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday or call (213)^40-9116.
Headlines
Wednesday February 1,1995 Vol. CXXIV, No. 13
King’s ‘Insomnia’ dwells in surreality
Sports, page 20
Religion: opiate or necessity?
DUI more costly for non-licensed
By Nik Trendowski
City Editor
Repeat drunk driving offenders might want to think twice about driving with a suspended or revoked license in light of new California penalties.
The law went into effect Jan. 1 and increases penalties for driving with a suspended license to up to a year in jail and a $2,000 fine and require the forfeiture of any vehicle driven by someone with a suspended or revoked license.
Persons convicted of driving under the influence with a suspended or revoked license will face mandatory imprisonment,
according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.
"We feel that stiff penalties are needed as a deterrent," said DMV information officer Bill Madison. "The biggest thing is that, yeah, we find that there are a great deal of repeat offenders. Having a suspended license usually is not a deterrent."
In 1992, the most recent year for which statistics are available, 4,166 arrests of 18- to 20-year-olds were made for driving under the influence in Los Angeles County. 3,899 were men and 267 were women. In the 21-30 age group, 31,204 arrests were (See DUI, page 15)
Fit. Photo
A display on campus showed the deadly effects of drunk driving.
Abby Albrecht explores vibrant auras, life-cutting "little men" and themes of altered reality in the otherwise typical Stephen King novel.
Diversions, page 7
CSUN ruins USC home opener, 4-2
The USC baseball team had an unhappy ending to its beginning, losing its opening game, 4-2, to Cal State Northridge. The Matadors' Robert Crabtree fanned 12 Trojan batters.
MTA proposal angers many
Raglna Tao I Dally Tro|»n
Bus stops to pick up passengers
Bus fare increase prompts lawsuits
By Nik Trendowski
City Editor
The Metropolitan Transit Authority will increase its fares beginning today while keeping the regular monthly pass, through an agreement with opponents.
The Labor / Community Strategy Center, along with other civil rights groups, will be continuing its lawsuit against the MTA, which alleges discrimination against the poor and racial minorities, said Lisa Duran, or-
!;anizer of volunteer programs or the center.
"It's a lawsuit alleging that the MTA's transit policies have
created a separate and unequal transit situation in L. A.," Duran said. "Rail is incredibly inefficient and incredibly expensive. Ninety-four percent of the pie who use mass transit in use the bus."
A court injunction stopped the MTA from increasing its base fare from $1.10 to $1.35 in September. The MTA had proposed the fare increase, along with the elimination of regular monthly passes, to alleviate budget shortfalls.
On Jan. 17, a judge ruled the MTA would not be allowed to raise its fares, but could raise the price of the pass from $42 to $60. Later, the MTA presented an agreement was reached to raise the fare, but make passes avail-
able for $49. Tokens remain 10 for $9. The agreement also prevents the MTA from appealing court decisions.
Duran said the MTA's rail projects, such as the Red, Blue and Green Lines and Metrolink largely serve suburban and higner-income populations, use large amounts of money and helped cause the budget shortfall the MTA cites as a reason to raise fares.
"Every time you get on a Metrolink train, the MTA is paying $48," Duran said. "You're disre-arding people who ride the uses to build a stupid rail toy."
For heavily-traveled bus lines, the subsidy is only 17 cents per passenger, she said.
(See MTA, page 15)
School of Theatre restructures graduate admission program
By Huan Le
Staff Writer
The School of Theatre is looking to restructure all their aduate school programs to ftter meet student needs, the school's dean said.
Although this won't affect most programs dramatically until the next several years, the school will not be accepting graduate school applicants for the acting curriculum.
"We're not accepting incoming students for the next year for the acting or directing programs,” Dean Robert Scales said. "We're revamping the programs."
According to Scales, it is not out of the ordinary for the directing graduate program not to accept applicants this year.
"Every otner year we've accepted students," Scales said. "We didn't (accept applicants) on alternate years."
So far the directing program
has not changed from its previous acceptance procedures. However, the acting program will be one year off schedule, in that the school did not accept applicants for the program last year either.
"We're going to basically go to alumni and professionals and get some input from them
Fite Photo
School of Theatre's production of “Godspell" played last year.
in revamping the acting, directing and design programs," Scales said. "We're reviewing all our graduate programs."
"I've been a dean for a year now and I've been trying to shape (the programs) for the future," Scales said. "Some programs have gone topsyturvy.
"We're really searching for creative approaches to graduate level training in the School of Theatre," he said. "We don't want the programs to be just a continuation (of under duate programs) but may closer to a transition tha would take them (the stu dents) to a professional level
"This means we'll tie more into internships with professional companies," Scales said, "to make sure there are jobs on the other side."
Professor an activist architect
By Laura Margoni
Staff Writer
Elpidio Rocha was bom and reared in a Kansas City, Mo. barrio, amid the polluted environment of the industrial district and alienation from the dominant white community. It was exposure to this way of life that encouraged Rocha to enter the field of architecture.
However, Rocha, a professor of urban studies and community activist, is not a registered architect, because he believes the current system of architecture and the way it is taught to be a hoax.
"They teach you how to look," he said, "but not how to see."
This ability to see, to understand what you are building and for whom you are building it, makes you "an architect in the true sense," he feels. This is the type of architect which Rocha considers himself to be — a public artist looking out for the
(See Rocha, page 13)