Some students say pepper spray deters thieves, but DPS officials urge caution.
By NANCY CHEN
Daily Trojan
With only the moonlight and dim street lamps to guide her way, Helen Kolpakov crosses Jefferson Street clutching a black leather case with a can full of pepper spray.
"I always hold my hand on the top of the spray in case there’s a sudden attack and I don’t have time to react or pull it out of my bag,” said Kolpakov, a freshman majoring in business administration.
She said she believes the weapon may one day protcct her belongings, if not her life.
Pepper spray has already recently proven to de-ter thieves at USC.
A student walking near Exposition Boulevard and Trousdale Parkway last Friday around 8:30 p.m. was approached by two suspects, one of them demanding money while wielding a knife.
The suspects ran away after he pulled a can of pepper spray from his pocket and pointed it towards the assailant holding a knife.
Pepper spray can stop assailants in their tracks, but can also be used to hurt their owners as well.
The weapon derives from a chemical known as "OC,” or Oleoresin Capsicum. Capsicum is found
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USC makes $14.6 million off Google/ YouTube merger
The university’s endowment is invested in about 80 venture capital funds, according to USC’s treasurer.
By HANNAH KIM
Daily Trojan
The same website students visit to watch “The Evolution of Dance” and popular "Saturday Night Live" sketches just cashed out for USC.
The university will receive $14.6 million for the 30,901 shares it held in YouTube, said USC treasurer Ruth Wemig, who confirmed thc university owned those shares.
"We had an investment in Sequoia (Capital), which invested in YouTube," Wemig said.
She added the university has not yet received the money from thc shares.
Sequoia Capital manages a venture capital fund that had invested in YouTube, according to thc Associated Press.
USC invests in about 80 venture capital funds Thc money to invest in these and other ventures comes from the university’s endowment. Wemig said.
It was not uncommon for universities to invest endowment money, said Lee Swartz, associate pro-
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On top | The employees of TicketClub, an online ticket-seller started by USC student Tyler Kurlas, socialize on top of a helicopter pad downtown. The company, founded last December, sells about 100 tickets a week to students and tourists.
Betting on a one-way ticket to the top
Viterbi student Tyler Kurlas starts an online ticket vendor for Los Angeles entertainment.
By VENUS LEE
Daily Troian
Tyler Kurlas said he has always had a knack for pioneering.
In December 2006, the junior majoring in industrial engineering teamed up with his brother, Nick, to launch TicketClub, which sells last-minute discount tickets to some of the hottest attractions in town.
To help launch the company, Kurlas garnered about $50,000 from local investors as well as family and friends
“I wanted to provide high-flying enter-
tainment for people short on cash,” said Kurlas, the 21-year-old CEO. “It’s perfect for people who like to save money, yet experience everything L.A. has to offer.”
Dino Perales, a senior majoring in business administration, said he started using the service a couple of weeks ago and has since attended three NBA games for a fraction of the retail price.
“I love it," said Perales, who is aLso in Alpha Tau Omega fraternity with Kurlas. “It's affordable, convenient and tailored to my interests."
The company is modeled similarly to Las Vegas' popular ticket venue Tix 4 Tonight, which buys extra tickets for events on consignment and passes along the savings to the consumer
TicketClub also integrates technology to personalize the service by basing its e-mail or text-message notifications upon customer preferences (date, type of venue or event) specified in an online questionnaire
The company’s local competitor is GoldStar Events, mn by a UCLA alumnus Kurlas said GoldStar is geared toward selling tickets to obscure events rather than mainstream popular concerts and sporting events.
Kurlas, who became a part-time student this semester to invest more time in TicketClub, said he spends about 50 to 60 hours per week creating marketing materials, securing direct sales, collecting feedback and garnering new contacts
“It's a lot of work, but it's also a k>t of I see PROFILE page 3
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Pepper spray: Armed and dangerous?
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