Sweet victory | Max Slavkin and Sahil Chaudry celebrate the unofficial announcement of USG election results. The presidential/vice-presidential ticket won more than 2,000 student votes.
Chaudry, Slavkin win election
‘Be the Change’ ticket secures almost half the student vote m election.
By BLESSING WAUNG
Daily Trotan
Sahil Chaudry and Max Slavkin won the Undergraduate Student Government presidential/vice-presidential race, capturing almost 50 percent of votes cast in last week’s elections.
Slavkin and Chaudry secured 2,029 student votes, according to unofficial results from the USG elections and recruitment directors.
Of the total 4,577 votes cast, Jeremy Avila and LauraLee Brown
came in second with 1,269 votes, and Ryan Bethea and Ross Ruschhaupt came in third with 1,106 votes,
Chaudry. who won last year as vice president, said this year’s victory came sweeter because of the preparation he and Slavkin put into the election, as well as the margin of victory
"I was really anxious about the results last year,” Chaudry said. “But this year, I felt more calm because I learned from my mistakes last year and ran the best campaign I possibly could. At the end, it was out of my hands.”
Together, he and current student body president Sam Gordon beat the runner-up ticket by 67 votes. “This is bigger than me and
Max,” Chaudry said. "Forty-six percent of the voters believe that our ideas are necessary. Now it's not just about me and Max, it’s more about the ideas, and it's our job to get those ideas in place.” Residential Sen. Brian Brett said he was impressed with the high voter turnout.
"That gives our organization a lot of strength going into the new school year,” he said.
Chaudry attributed the campaign's success to the group of volunteers supporting his campaign.
Immediately after the results were announced, Chaudry and Slavkin said they were having their “first meeting” to discuss plans for the’ upcoming year.
I see ELECTION page 17 I
Alumni launch campaign to curb drunken driving
Pubfec service video announcements wii be fimed in a reafty-TV style.
By WHITNEY JOHNSON
Daily Troian
Two USC alumni are taking a unique approach to creating a public service announcement against drunken driving Their 20-minute reality-style film will aim to deter high sch<x)l students from engaging in reckless behavior.
Bob Pack. 79, the creator of the project, was inspired to speak out against drunken driving after his two children were killed by a drunken driver in 2(X)3 while getting ice cream with their mom.
Pack said he hopes high schools show the film and heighten awareness especially before prom and graduation nights, die peak season for drunken driving among their students
During prom and graduation season in 2004,713 youths v< mnger than 21 died in alcohol-related collisions, according to the National Highway
Traffic Safety’ Administration.
After his children — Troy. 10, and Alana, 7 — died, Pack spoke at drunken driving education programs in California high schools.
Those involved in the nationwide program travel to high schools and use members of the student body in realistic portrayals of tragic drunken driving scenarios, which include a Grim Reaper, police officers and emergency personnel.
Thev select victims from classes, report the incident to the students' peers, arrest a drunken driver and attempt to revive the convincingly made-up victim, before having students place memorial photos on the victim’s locker.
Bv choosing someone from the school's sttulent body, the program shows students that someone in the United States dies in an alcohol-related crash every 15 minutes.
Pack realized that despite the program's efficacy, it is too expensive and elaborate for many schooLs to coordinate
“So I thought, what if we made a film that students could connect I see DRIVING page 17 |
Aced Ventura »
Jit, Carrey stars as a man whose life becomes mtert* tn#d *ith that of a fictiooa* detective in the y "r and violent The Number 23 "
LIFESTYLE PAGE 9
Moving out»
Conquest's takeover of family-owned building raises rent but lowers its allure, writes columnist Joanna Lin.
OPINION, PAGE 4
Late rally downs Trojans »
The USC baseball team allowed four late-innmg runs to lose to UC Irvine. 6-3, Tuesday night at Dedeaux Field
SPORTS, PAGE 24
Atomic Cafe »
Skeet Ulrich plays a mysterious drifter who returns to his hometown shortly before a series of nuclear attacks in “Jericho "
LIFESTYLE, PAGE 9; Review PAGE 14
STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1912 I VOL. 160, NO 28 WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM
(♦.DAILY TROTAN
« DEVILISH DEFEAT
THE TROJANS LOSE TO PREVIOUSLY WINLESS ASU IN PAC-10 ACTION
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 2007
NEW DEAN SPICES UP STUDIO
ARCHITECTURE-DEAN QINGYUN MA BRINGS HANDS-ON APPROACH
BACK TO THE FUTURE »
DIRECTOR ALFONSO CUARON ACCEPTS THE SCRIPTER AWARD FOR	A
CHILDREN OF;.MEN’ SUNDAY	9
USC in second month without LAPD officer
The position has been vacant for two months,
LAPD officials say.
By KAELYN FORDE ECKENR0DE
Daily Troian
The Los Angeles Police Department Southwest Division is entering its fifth week without a senior lead officer for the USC/Exposition Park area.
Former Senior Lead Officer Gary Cantu w'as promoted to sergeant at the North Hollywood Station more
than two months ago, Southwest Division officials said.
Senior Lead ()fficer Robin Suren-dranath, who is responsible for part of the North University Park area, said the absence of a USC/Exposition Park senior lead officer has stretched the division thin.
"The officers from the surrounding area that abuts Officer Cantu's area pick up thc slack and take care of the area," Surendranath said. “It does spread time too thin to a certain extent, but we try to spread
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