Party orruption
Shant Minas the hypocritical evil is partisanship in the government / 4
Student newspaper of the University of Southern California
MONDAY
January 29, 2001
Of interest...
“She's not the brightest bulb in the tree," Regina Hall says of her character in “Scary Movie" / 5
News Digest	2
Opinions	4
The Buzz	8
Crossword	9
vol. CXXXXII, no. 13
Roundup	3
Lifestyle	5
Classifieds	8
Sports	12
www.usc.edu/dt
Death toll in India staggering Ancient
Earthquake: USC students with ties to devastated country react to disaster; at least 16,000 dead after 7.9 temblor
By JEFF SKLAR
Assignment Editor
As India begins its recovery from Fridays devastating 7.9 earthquake that has killed at least 16,000 people and left 125,000 missing, some USC students with Indian ties are staying in close contact with their families who live in affected areas.
“1 have two uncles in Bhuj (a city
near the epicenter) and their property is no longer usable," said Vishal Rangwala, a graduate student in engineering management. “But I don’t think any of my close relatives have lost life."
More USC students are from the state of Gujarat—the hardest-hit state in the country—than from any other state in India, said Amit Chowdhry, public relations chair for
the Association of Indian Students. But it is still unclear if the lives of any students have been directly affected, Chowdhry said.
“I haven’t come across anyone who has had a tragedy of any sort," said Chowdhry, a graduate student in electrical engineering. “Friends have been telling me things like, that it affected the building behind their house."
Other Indian students who have not been personally affected by the tragedy are still watching it carefully.
“Every day we’ve been following the news very closely," said Yamini
Kaur, a graduate student in electrical engineering and the finance chair for USC’s Association of Indian Students.
Although the devastation may have escaped the immediate USC family, Indian officials have suggested that the death toll may rise much higher than the current tally, and that there may be up to 30,000 dead in Bhuj alone. The quake is already on the top 10 list of deadliest earthquakes in recorded history.
“There are many bodies buried
I see Earthquake, page 3 I
Next up, Stanford
Oklahoma St. players die in crash
Oklahoma State University was* stuck by tragedy early yesterday as a small aircraft carrying 10 people, eight of whom were affiliated with the men’s basketball team, crashed in what witnesses called a “ball of fire.”
The plane was flying at 34,000 feet when the pilot reported turbulence. A National Transportation Safety Board investigator said ice on the wings may have been a factor.
Two players, four staff members, a team announcer, two pilots and a student manager died in the crash.
The team postponed its Tuesday game against Texas Tech University.
“The players are handling this with each other and obviously are grieving very deeply," the school’s sports information director, Steve Buzzard, told ABC News.
—Rebecca Zak, Projects Editor
: - '''■ • / '
world buried in Taper
Archaeology: Artifacts of Old World cultures are accessible to students
By ROBB FERRIS
Staff Writer
The USC archaeological collection resides behind a closed door in the basement of Taper Hall, a usually overlooked treasure waiting to be discovered.
Classes use the collection's resources, including glass, coins, jewelry, pottery vessels, seals, tablets, sculptures and thousands of pottery shreds from archaeological excavations, according to the project’s website.
“The... lab gives students the chance to develop a first-hand knowledge of both the everyday life and the great events in Old World cultures of the Near East including those in Israel, Egypt, Babylon, the Greek and Roman Empires, Turkey and Mesopotamia." the website states.
The collection is not usually advertised on or off campus, giving the impression that it is only temporary, or that it is brand new.
“This is not a recently acquired exhibit," said Linda Wotton, an
* 1
I see Archaeology page 3 I
Tickling the ivories
Making music.
Three students practice their piano skills Thursday. The Thornton School of Music is renowned for the tunes, played on all sorts of instruments, that waft across campus from its classrooms as well as the grassy areas outside.
Off the bench. Senior forward Jarvis Turner had six points and three rebounds in 16 minutes during USC's 73-47 blowout of Oregon State Saturday at the Sports Arena. On Thursday. USC takes on fl-ranked, undefeated Stanford. For more /12