Newspaper of the University of Southern California
Friday
April 24, 1998 Vol. QOOOH, No. 66
Headlines
USC not looking ahead of Bruins
The No. 5 USC baseball team's rematch with top-ranked Stanford is three weeks off, but for now the Trojans will deal with a UCLA team currently going through a losing season.
Sports, page 28
Summer fun at the movies
A brief look at what's going to be released this summer at the theaters including the "ID-4" of 1998 —"Godzilla," “Deep Impact" and " Armaggedon," — and "The Mask ofZorro."
Diversions, page 14
Queen of the mountain
Having finally reached the end of a harrowing semester at the helm of the Daily Dvjan, Editor-in-Chief > Kamron Barron reflects on the paper's attempts to reach the student community.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
Last spring DT, stop period
Today is the last issue of the Daily Trojan for the semester. The Summer Trojan will begin publication Wednesday, May 13.
• ••
There will be no classes during stop period, Tuesday, April 28, ana Wednesday, April 29. Final examinations are April 30 to May 7. Thursday, May 7, is also the last day of residence hall contracts.
• ••
Spirits in Action, an allday track and field event for the disabled, will start at 8 a.m. Saturday at Cromwell Field track. Volunteers are needed.
• ••
M.E.Ch.A (Movimiento Estudiantil Chicano de Azatlan) presents an evening of Chicano poetry and music from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m.
Sunday at GroundZero.
For more information, call (213)764-9184.
Former SAAS director terminated
Cairney denies committee's charges of academic fraud, racial commen ts
a letter detailing his
By Edward de la Fuente
Sports Editor
The former director of academic support in the office of Student Athlete Academic Services was fired Thursday following an eight-month long investigation by the university that began with charges he had initiated about wrongdoing in the office.
Christopher Cairney, who has been on paid administrative leave since September 1997, was terminated by Athletic Director Mike Garrett after a faculty-staff committee assigned to look into complaints made by Cairney and former tutor Noel Looney found that Cairney had, according to a report released by the committee, "engaged in academic fraud," and intentionally
backdated charges.
Contacted at home Thursday evening, Cairney categorically denied the specific allegations brought on by the investigation.
However, he was glad his job status was no longer in limbo. "I can tell you that it's a big relief," he said.
The findings were the culmination of an investigation that included more than 80 interviews with 64 people, according to the committee's estimates. The committee came to the con-
clusion that the SAAS office was being run to its satisfaction.
"We're convinced that the (SAAS) program itself, the training and supervision given and the dedication of the staff is intact and in place," said senior associate provost Carolyn Webb de Macias, a member of the four-person investigating committee. "We believe the reason the allegations were launched was that the accuser was already under a microscope."
The committee took no action against Looney.
The issue of alleged wrongdoing in SAAS was made public by Cairney, who revealed his allegations after being notified Sept.
■ ^ ^
%% We're convinced that the (SAAS) program itself...is intact and in place.
CAROLYN WEBB de MACIAS associate provost
4 that he was being placed on leave and would be investigated by the university's affirmative action office for alleged racial bias
"(Cairney) suddenly came up with a whole host of allegations that had never been brought up/' said university general counsel Todd Dickey, another committee member. "He never mentioned a word to anyone until his job was in jeopardy."
Other committee members included Pat Tobey, the university's director of academic support, and Curtis Roseman, a professor of geography.
Garrett and assistant athletic director Daryl Gross, who was present when Garrett notified Cairney of his firing, declined to comment Thursday.
The investigation into Caimey's actions centered on a letter he sent to Randall Lake, professor of communication,
(See Caimey, page 2)
Clean as a whistle
_
■7rWT.- WBit-
Krtetina Roodmari / DaUy Trojan
Enrique Florae, s maintenance worker, begin* praperations for the May 8 Commencement ceremonies.
California primary gets campus air time
By Rachel Campbell
Staff Writer
State politics are heating up, as the date for the California state primary elections nears. The June 2 primary, which will cover choices for governor, statewide offices ana various ballot initiatives, has many students and campus political groups talking.
One of the most controversial measures on the ballot is Proposition 227, the English language in public schools initiative. Under this measure, all
California public school courses would be reauired to be conducted in English. This includes a $50 million per year for 10 years to fund provide English tutoring for children.
Ballot measure 227 came about in response to a 19% survey of California public-school students, which found that about 25 percent of the students had limited English proficiency. Under this measure bilingual education would be eliminated.
The opinions concerning
(See Primaries, page 10)
1998 Ballot Initiatives
Proposition 219
Legislative Constitutional Amendment
Requires statewide/local ballot measure to apply in all parts of jurisdiction regardless of how parts of jurisdiction voted. Prohibits alternative versions of a measure from becoming law based upon specified vote percentage.
Fiscal Impact The number of measures this proposition would affect in the future, and the resulting fiscal impact, cannot be estimated.
‘ ’ V. '	•' >
Proposition 220
Legislative constitutional amendment
Provides for consolidation of superior and municipal courts in county upon approval by majority of county’s superior and municipal court judges. Makes related changes to court system.
Fiscal Impact Potential annual net savings to the state, in the range of millions to tens of millions of dollars in the long term, to the extent that most superior and municipal courts consolidate. Supported by state Sen. Bill Lockyer.
(See Initiatives, page 10)
Students organize last-minute hunger strike
By Anusha Ramanathan
Staff Writer
This past week, students have been wearing ana distributing green ribbons around campus. These ribbons are just one symbol of the many efforts taking place to demonstrate support for today's World Day of Fasting.
This 24-hour fast, organized by the National Student Campaign Against Hunger and Homelessness, intends to raise awareness of the North Korean famine.
According to the NSCAHH reports, 1 mil-
r in North Korea due to natural disaster Coupled with political strife. Droughts and flooding have damaged crops, resulting in the famine. Children, hospital patients and the elderly are at the highest risk of starvation, and child growth rates have decreased drastically throughout the country.
The shortage of food has led to rampant crime, where people are breaking into homes to steal bread, according to the report. The emergency food supply from the United Nations and its constituents is anticipated to
run out by the end of this month.
"People are comparing this to the famine in Ethiopia in the 1980s," said Katy McGiffin, field organizer for NSCAHH. "It is a tragedy that there is so much food but it is not being distributed in a way that is helpful to these suffering people."
The central obstacle to ending the famine is political, as the North Korean government refuses to accept food from neighboring South Korea, Japan and other non-commu-
(See Fasting, page 3)