Thursday January 18, 1996 Vol. CXXVII, No. 4
Headlines
Gallien tries to turn USC around
New USC women's tennis coach Richard Gallien has brought in four new players and improved team morale. USC participates in the Pac-10 Conference Individual indoors this weekend.
Sports, page 16
Stone explains stance on Nixon
In the first of a two-part series on the epic film "Nixon," writer/director Oliver Stone details his views on the power of the presidency, and that of the film's namesake.
Diversions, page 8
Why are we here? To waste time?
Editorial writer Colin Dean Smith questions the so-called advantages of college life. The new-found 'freedoms' of students are accompanied by unexpected losses and drawbacks.
Viewpoint, page 6
F.Y.I.
Evening of Soul, Tour Guides
Organizers of the 23rd annual Evening of Soul are seeking actors, actresses, singers and dancers.
Students, faculty and staff are invited to audition tonight between 6:30-9:00
&m. at Taper Hall of the umanities, room 201. No experience is necessary.
For more information, please call Talicia Raggs at (213) 380-8444.
• • •
The Guest Relations Staff will hold the last information session today for students interested in becoming 1996-1997 tour guides.
The meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m. at the Admission Center (Trojan Hall 101).
• • •
The USC Symphony, led by conductor Donald Crockett, will be performing tonight in Bovarcl Auditorium at 8:00 p.m.
Newspaper of the University of Southern California
King festivity stresses reform
Expert confronts complacency over activist's dream
By Jonathan Atienza
Staff Writer
Keynote speaker Todd E. Boyd warned at Wednesday's Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration that the issues the late activist fought for are being overshadowed by the recognition of his birthday as a holiday.
"Don't let the dream become a distraction," Boyd told the more than 200 people in Hahn Plaza. "Let us not use the holiday as an excuse not to reform our society."
Boyd, an assistant professor at the School of Cinema-Television and a noted expert on the portrayal of African-Americans in movies and television, was invited to the be the keynote speaker at the event, which was sponsored by the USC Black Staff and Faculty Caucus and
the Department for Civic and Community Relations.
The event's theme was "Putting Dr. King's vision into action."
"I am starting to wonder if the visible celebration of (King's) birthday has become a distraction, an excuse ... for not changing and altering our world," Boyd said.
Before his speech, Boyd said that his goal was to oppose the complacency he believes many have come to feel over racial issues ever since King's birthday was recognized as an official holiday in 1986 after a hard-fought struggle.
"What you have in America is a situation where progress has been made politically and economically, but, in so many areas, it has moved backwards, including racial progress," he said.
Boyd also said that society must continue to confront the prejudice King strove to change.
"Racism is running rampant,
(See Celebration, page 3)
Laura Lanchastar / Daily Trojan Cinema/Television assistant Professor Todd E. Boyd speaks to a crowd of over 200 during the Martin Luther King, Jr. birthday celebration Wednesday afternoon in Hahn Plaza.
Filmmaker shares views on history
By Christian Cooper
Staff Writer
Award-winning historian and filmmaker Ken Burns spoke discussed his influences in a speech before an audience of approximately 220 at the Annenberg Auditorium on Tuesday.
"Historians delight in telling us what our history is, and what it means," he said. "The documentarian, on the other hand, often delights in recording and conveying the simple fact that we had a history at all."
Burns, 42, whose documentaries on the Civil War and the history of baseball have won critical acclaim, spoke at USC as part of a university speaking tour sponsored by General Motors.
"1 am honored and delighted to have this opportunity to speak with you this evening to celebrate the special messages the past, our common heritage, continually direct our
way," Burns said.
In an hour-long speech and question-and-answer session, he talked about his past film projects, and works in progress.
"The last twenty years of my own life has been, in a way, a search to learn about the mysterious inner workings of this remarkable republic and those strange and remarkable people who like to call themselves Americans," he said.
Burns started his film career in 1981, with the Academy Award-nominated "Brooklyn Bridge," followed by documentaries on the Shakers, the Statue of Liberty and Congress.
"I have in many ways made the same film over and over again in my career," Burns said. "Each new production asks one deceptively simple question: who are we?"
Burns' series "Baseball," which premiered in September, 1994, was the most-watched series ever broadcast on American public television. Four and one-half years in the
making, the eighteen and one-half hour documentary covered the history of baseball from the 1840s to the present.
"The story of baseball is the story of America," he said.
Speaking on the social significance of the sport, Burns said, "When Jackie Robinson walked out onto that ball field in the spring of 1947, his glorious moment was the first real progress in civil rights since the Civil War.
"At that moment, when that proud grandson of a slave made his way to first base at Ebbets Field, his miraculous and heroic example, turning his cheek against the thousands of racial slights, threats and abuse that he would face would be watched with awe and gratitude by a young junior at Moorehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, named Martin Luther King," said Burns.
"When baseball became in truth what it
(See Bums, page 3)
New concession to meet late-night pangs
Services. "We wanted to offer something new and upbeat."
Managed from tne same office as Ground Zero, Common Grounds and all other university dining facilities, Trojan Grounds is not in competition with other campus coffee shops and wants to be a different alternative.
Many prices at Mainstreet Commons have been lowered, so its business will not suffer from the opening of the coffee house.
"We wanted to have a different product, and to achieve a very high quality product with a somewhat different twist,” Gratz said. "You'll find that the sandwich selection and the salad selection is very different than anything else we offer,"
In addition, Starbucks has placed a cart-vendor that sells
(See Starbucks, page 2)
Antonia Barber
Trojan Grounds replaces snack bar in EVK donnitory
Staff Writer
Doan La / Daily Trojan
Staff member Maria Prado prepare* a cup of Starbucks coffee in the newly built Trojan Grounds convenience store located in Bimkrant Residential College which opened Tuesday, Jan. 9.
Samples of vanilla and chocolate biscotti, turkey sandwiches and Danish pastries were passed out to the first customers of the new Trojan Grounds convenience shop during its grand opening Wednesday.
The late-night snack and coffee shop, located at the south corner of Birnkrant Residential College and adjacent to Leavey Library, features coffee from the popular Starbucks chain.
"Starbucks has no representation in Downtown, so we are the only Starbucks specialty coffeehouse in the area," said Michael P. Gratz, director of Hospitality