STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1912 I VOL 160, NO. 38 I WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM
« LATE RALLY BEATS USC
THE USC BASEBALL TEAM LOST 4-1 TO UC RIVERSIDE ON TUESDAY AT DEDEAUX FIELD
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 7, 2007,
‘NAME’ THAT TUNE »
KAL PENN, FROM 'HAROLD & KUMAR GO TO WHITE CASTLE,’ STARS IN MIRA NAIR’S FILM,‘THE NAMESAKE’ /
USG creates new Greek association
The council says the association will improve communication between the two student groups.
By BLESSING WAUNG
Daily Troian
Undergraduate Student Government unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night to create the USG Greek Association, which officials hope will facilitate discussion between USG and Greek leaders.
USG President-elect Sahil Chaudry said the idea for the association stemmed from talks with Greek Sen. Debbie Liu.
Chaudry said Liu addressed the "disconnect between USCi and Greek leadership ”
"Previously, the Greek senators had met with the councils individually. but this is a formal means of bringing USG and thc councils together." Chaudry said "We will take it on a case-by-case meeting ”
I see USG page 3 I
Conquest appeals against University Gateway denied
Conquest Student Housing’s appeals regarding parking and environmental violations were denied by the city.
By KATIE HILL
Daily Trojan
A city planning committee denied several appeals that threatened to postpone the development of a 1,600-bed housing complex planned for the corner of Figueroa Street and Jefferson Boulevard Tuesday.
University Gateway, a private housing complex funded by Los Angeles-based developer Urban Partners, LLC, would house students and low-income tenants in more than 420 apartments The building would also include a sit-down restaurant, a USC bookstore and health center and other retail shops.
Conquest Student Housing filed two appeals against the $135-million project, contesting a parking variance allowing Gateway to construct off-site residential parking at a distance further than the zoning code permits as well as the accuracy of the approved Environmental Impact Report.
Attorney Jack Rubens, who represented Conquest at the hearing, said the Environmental Impact Report relieving Gateway
of its environmental concerns is "inadequate."
“It doesn't disclose the actual environmental impact of the project,” he said “It basically conceals those impacts."
Rubens said Conquest also opposes parking variances allowing Gateway to move 440 residential parking spaces east of thc Harbor Freeway — more than a third of a mile from the site
“Under city law, off-site residential parking is prohibited,” he said.
Rubens said the Planning Department made a mistake in its argument in favor of the project.
While city planning department staff member Patricia Diefenderfer said off-site parking was permissible in accordance with city zoning regulations as long as it was less than 750 feet away from the residency. Rubens said such exceptions applv only to “commercial parking."
Howard Kabakow. a local property own-er. spoke out against the project
Kabakow said he is concerned Gateway might cause property values in the neighborhood to decline
Kabakow said he also worries that ‘the rental business of small property owners tin the neighborhood) will be destroyed ’
I see GATEWAY page I I
FOR THE STUDENTS »
Traddies should employ students exclusively, writes columnist Carlo Romero.
OPINION, PAGE 4
HOMEWARD BOUND »
Financial columnist Andy Tien explains why it’s smart to move back home after graduation.
LIFESTYLE, PAGE 11
SHUT OUT »
It’s tough for a guy to find housing around USC, writes Matthew Plofnik. OPINION, PAGE 5
	
TENNIS	
GOES FOR	
10th WIN »	
USC tennis team	i
will play No 17	A
Rice today before	
dueling rtVai UCLA on Friday.	
	
SPORTS,	# i %
PAGE 16	
Traditions bartenders replaced with nonstudents
TrojanHospitaWy says the bar lacks the structure to accommodate student schedules.
By ARIN MIKAILIAN
Daily Trojan
Regulars at Traditions will no longer see familiar fates serving their favorite drinks.
Six employees from Traditions were fired last week over two days, said Mike Huang, a Traddies bartender of four years and a senior majoring in cinema-television critical studies Only one original bartender retained her job, Huang said.
Though TrojanI lospitality officials cited an ongoing audit as a reason for the replacement of student workers with professional staff, Alain Yaacoub, a senior manager pf. dining services and Commons who Huang said fired the students, indicated in an e-mail exchange that the layoffs were instigated by unsatisfactory operation and oversight.
"I like to be proud of my bar and currently I am not, '' he wrote in the e-mail addressed to Huang
Yaacoub cited problems with staff selling T-shirts without permission to use university logos. He wrote the shirts were being sold without sales tax and sales were logged as tips on credit card transactions
“The illegal activity that happened in the past is raising a lot of questions among the management." Yaacoub wrote. “The T-shirts issue was a big thing, and all of you
Traditions end | Students gather at Traditions bar in downstairs Commons Tuesday evening. Six student bartenders	wcre t*ut U l^'s V’'IS
who were fixtures at the campus watering hole say they were fired by TrojanHospitality.	I see bar, page 2 I