Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
INSIDE
USC falls to UCLA in third round of the NorCal Tournament Sunday. 24
www.dailytrojan.com
October 4, 2004
Vol. CLIII, No. 28
Students start online event list
SoCalendar.com offers personalized touch to entertainment listings in Southern California.
By REBEKAH SANDERS
Contributing Writer
A new Web site, www.SoCalendar. com — the brainchild of two USC entrepreneurs — offers entertainment listings and reviews customized for college students in Southern California, especially at USC.
Launched Sept. 14, the site has logged more than 2,000 page views.
"When I came to USC, 1 was trying to gain the LA. experience by going to clubs and concerts and special events," said Aaron Levie, president of the site and a sophomore majoring in business. “But, while 1 was living in the dorms, I saw that a lot of people didn't know how to get that information too efficiently. I saw that as an available market."
I^evie said other sites such as Los Angeles Citysearch “don't make sense for a college user.”
"We have more of a personalized feel than Citysearch," said site developer Josh Bigelow, a senior majoring in
psychology and computer engineering and computer science.
Bigelow said that other entertainment sites are too general, catering to all age groups and to the greater Los Angeles area. Instead, www.SoCalendar. com “target(s) our age group and our area — like Hollywood, not Orange County,” Bigelow said.
Sites such as USC Student Senate's Network for Activities, Production and Promotion, www.mySNAPP.com, by contrast, are too limited, Levie said.
"It only has on-campus events. ... It's limited from providing information about concerts and clubs in the area," he said.
The SoCalendar Web site has both city listings — such as an upcoming Ben Folds concert at the El Rey Theater and a review of the Viper Room in West Hollywood — and on-campus listings, such as a Second Nature Improv show at USC's Ground Zero Coffee House. The site works with USC's Program Board to provide on-campus information.
Student Senate director of promotions, Brian Lovett, said that www.myS-NAPP.com does offer a section for Los Angeles events, but that he’s glad for USC students to have www.SoCalendar. com.
I see SoCalendar page 17 I
More students take physical education
Rachel Elias l Daily Trojan
Enrollment spike. Students in Julia Sprague's Friday beginning volleyball class learn how to play. In the last five years, more USC students have signed up for physical education classes.
Number increases credited to differences in students and separation from exercise science program.
By SARAH FILUS
Contributing Writer
The number of students taking physical education classes at USC has increased by 52 percent in the last five years, said Steve VanKanegan, director of physical education.
The reason for the increase in enrollment is the students, VanKanegan explained.
"(They are) a different breed than we had several years ago," he said. “The students coming in are a lot more health-conscious. They’ve been educated on how to live a healthy lifestyle.”
Five years ago the program became independent of the Exercise Science Department, which eventually led to the enrollment increase, VanKanegan said.
"The (PE) program was near extinction and (we) determined that it would fare better as an independent program.” he said. “Exercise science was moving in a different direction and the PE program was not considered a priority within that department at that time.”
The physical education program currently offers 11 courses, including a new yoga class. Even after setting higher caps than capacity
allows, classes have been maxing out, VanKanegan said.
“We’re pretty saturated at this point,” he added. "There's only so much space.”
Within the next two years, the PE program plans on increasing the number of classes offered, especially in the morning and early afternoon.
VanKanegan said.But they do not intend to add new class types.
In order to sustain increased enrollment, the PE program has continued to hire instructors.
At the time the PE program became independent in 1999, it employed eight instructors and now there are 13, VanKanegan said.
The highly qualified instructors make the difference between the PE program at USC and at other schools, whose PE programs seem to be declining, he said.
Enrollment in USC PE classes rose by 202 students from the 2002-2003 school year to the 2003-2004 school vear.
I see PE. page 18 I
USC ranks as 30th best school For blacks
List considered schools with best sense of black community and high black enrollment numbers.
By NANCY RODRIGUEZ
Contributing Writer
Black Enterprise magazine named USC No. 30 in its list of 50 best colleges for African-Americans in the magazine's October issue, a drop from No. 28 during 2003.
But some administrators are questioning the statistics Black Enterprise magazine used to compile the rankings.
The 50 best list considered each school’s social and academic environment, undergraduate black population percentage and the school’s five-year graduation rate for blacks bv survevin? 1,855 black highei education professionals.
“Not only do students want to consider the academic standards of the school, but they also want to keep in mind the importance of attending an institution where a certain percentage of the student's faculty and administrators look like them,” Tanisha A. Sykes, consumer affairs editor for Black Enterprise, wrote in an e-mail.
A total of 482 colleges and universities were selected for the rankings because they were accredited four-year colleges with a black student enrollment of at least 3 percent or they were colleges that were large and well-known.
Black Enterprise reported that USC's black population was less than 3 percent, but USC was ranked No. 30 because it is well-known and large.
But USC's undergraduate population is currently 6 percent black, said Kirk Brennan, senior associate director of admission. The graduate population is 4 percent black.
J. Michael Thompson, vice provost for Enrollment Management and dean of Admission and Financial Aid, said he met with a representative from Black
I see Ranking, page 18
INDEX
Columnist Paul Loban weighs in on how Sen Kerry dealt President Bush a whomping. 4
Val Kilmer should stick to his day job and avoid musicals. 11
Newt Digest...2	Sports......24
Upcoming______2	Classifieds™.-..20
Opinions______4	Lifestyle___-9
WEATHER
Today: Mostly sunny. High of 78, low of61. Tomorrow: Partly cloudy. High 81, low 61.
Sorority hosts conference for at-risk girls
Saturday event brought 20 girls to USC to talk about the importance of choices.
By RACHEL GALLEGOS
Staff Writer
Groups of six teenage girls each sat together in a circle, with one group per room, talking about issues that are affecting their lives: teenage pregnancy, drugs, parent's alcoholism and being first-generation Americans.
Through the joint effort of La Calle News Inc. and the USC chapter of
the Sigma Lambda Gamma Sorority. Inc.. around 20 at-risk girls from Los Angeles, Orange and Ventura counties came to the “Makers of Eagles ’Been There-Done That' Conference Series" event on campus Saturday. While here, the girls had free food, a campus tour and discussion sessions where they could speak with counselors about issues that are affecting their lives.
La Calle News Inc/is a nonprofit organization that brings at-risk young women together with older women who have been through similar experiences, emphasizing the
importance of choice and taking control of their own lives.
“If anything, take away with you the possibility of going to a college.” said Laura Morfin. a juvenile drug court coordinator for the Orange County Superior Court.
Counselors such as Morfin volunteered time to tell personal stories and give advice on how to deal with problems.
Some of the girls, who ranged in age from 13 to 18, are currently on house arrest or probation, already having spent time in juvenile hall or county jail. Others came with stories I see Conference page IT I
This is the fourth year that the USC chapter of Sigma Lamda Gamma Sorority. Inc. hosted the conference on campus.