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STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1912 I VOL 160, NO 52 I WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM
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THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2007
« ON THE MOVE
USC S SHAY MURPHY BECAME THE FIRST WOMEN OF TROY PLAYER DRAFTED INTO THE WNBA SINCE 2004 WHEN SHE WAS DRAFTEDISTH O'. ERALL WEDNESDAY 20
LUCKY NUMBER SEVEN »
FORMER ‘7TH HEAVEN’ STAR DAVID GALLAGHER TALKS .. ABOUT LIFE AFTER TV	/
MACHO MEN NEEDED » ENVIRONMENTALISTS -SHOULDN’T BASH MASCULINITY. WRITES DAN MCFAWN £|
USC financial aid head under investigation
New York attorney general sends USC a letter regarding Catherine Thomas' financial ties.
By DAN LOETERMAN
Daily Trotan
T he New York Attorney General found potentially unethical financial tics between USC’s top financial aid officer and one of thc university’s preferred lending companies for admitted students, a USC official said Wednesday.
New York Attorney General Andrew
Cuomo sent a letter yesterday to USC warning the school that Catherine Thomas, thc associate dean of financial aid, owned 1,500 shares of Education Lending Group Inc.
USC lists one of the group’s subsidiaries, Student Loan Xpress, as a preferred lender, the Associated Press reported.
The New York Times reported Thomas sold the stock in 2003 and held additional options in the company.
The attorney general also sent letters to the University of Texas and subpoenaed to Columbia University, according to thc AP The letters and subpoena are part of a
broader investigation into the $85-billion college loan industry, a news release stated.
“We have received the attorney general’s letter,” said James Grant, thc executive director of media relations at USC. "We are reviewing the letter and the information in it, and we will respond.’’
Cuomo said he is interested in the criteria colleges and universities use to determine their preferred lender lists. Cuomo found schools often purposely keep that criteria secret or unclear, the release said.
Grant would not say whether USC was
I see FINANCE, page 13 I
What’s the big deal?
“Students may... have been left with the false impression that the company was preferred because it was best for students, when in reality the company was selected because of its stock grants to Ms. Thomas.”
Euerpt from letter to USCfrom New York Attorney General Andrew Cuotno
NIGHT LIGHTS | Vigil for victims of sexual violence
Alexis Hawkins I Daily Trojan
By candlelight I Students held a vigil in Hahn Plaza Wednesday evening as part of Take Back the Night.
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Moving up »
U.S. News & World Report ranks USC Gould School of Law 16, one spot up from last year’s report.
NEWS, PAGE 3
Football ticket plans will not exclude grads
Administrators, Graduate Senate say there will likely be enough tickets for all.
By HANNAH KIM
Daily Troian
Though many graduate students worried there wouldn't be any room for them at the Coliseum come fall football season. Graduate and Professional Student Senate officials say changes in athletic ticketing policies should not affect their ability to attend games.
Provost CL. Max Nikias announced earlier this spring that the university would discard the current Spirit Card system and give all undergraduate students an opportunity to buy football season tickets. Graduate students would be offered leftover tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis, he said.
CiPSS President Albert Lai said despite there being 16,500 season passes available for the 32,000 combined graduate and undergraduate student population, he was assured by administrators that graduate students would not be left in the dark
“The probability of there not being enough tickets for grad stu-
dents is very, very low, ' said Lai, a biomedical engineering master's candidate.
After the Daily Trojan reported changes in the Spirit Cards, irate some graduate students said they felt the)' were receiving a scant number of leftover tickets.
“I have seen a lot of graduate students asking me for tickets," said Deshik Vansadia, an electrical engineering masters candidate. "I've seen grad students hang outside the stadium without tickets. They’re at the stadium anyways — they should be able to get tickets.”
Ron Osborn, a doctoral candidate in political science who does not attend football games, said USC students should have access to games
“Trojan football is clearly a totally irrational organized religion,” he said. "Still, USC should protect the rights of all students to practice their irrational Trojan beliefs.”
Lai, however, believes that the result, which was approved by Nikias is an acceptable compromise
“I'm not jumping-up-and-down-excited happy, but 1 feel what they have arrived at is acceptable," he said “There is a I see GRADS page 12 I
B grade »
Cult directors Quentin Tarantino and Robert Rodriguez joins forces for 'Grindhouse'
LIFESTYLE, PAGE 11