Newspaper of the University of Southern California
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Friday March 1,1996 Vol. CXXVII, No. 33
Headlines
Women of Troy have weak showing
The USC women's basketball team gave its fewest points of the season in a 67-53 loss to Oregon at the Lyon Center Thursday. The team never led in their third straight season loss.
Sports, page 12
Lots of fizz with 'Bottle Rocket'
"Bottle Rocket" proves that little films can be made on a shoestring budget. Brothers Luke and Owen Wilson star in the film that follows the story of three would-be thieves.
Diversions, page 7
Tests—when the tools become ends
Not only are most tests inapplicable to the real mrld, but editorial writer Adam Powell writes that they have a habit of confusing the ends with the means, becomes the end goal of learning.
Viewpoint, page 4
F.Y.I.
Hawaii club luau, street closures
USC's Hawaii club will have its annual luau on Saturday, March 2 in the South Gvm P.E. Building. For more information, call Elaine at (213) 764-1267.
•	• •
Due to the Los Angeles Marathon on Sunday, March 3, certain streets around the USC area will be closed.
Figueroa Street and Exposition Boulevard will be closed from approximately 5:30 a.m. to 11a.m. to accommodate runners and bikers.
For more information, call Doreen Cooke at (310) 444-5544.
•	• •
Ringling Bros, and Barnum & Bailey is seeking male and female applicants, 17 year of age or olaer for their clown college.
Auditions will oe held Saturday, March 2 at 12:30 p.m. at Moro Landis Studios (Studio F), 10960 Ventura Blvd., Studio City.
Call 1-800-755-9637 for more information.
DaifyTrojan
Commission announces winners
By Jin Whang
Staff Writer
Results of the 1996 Student Senate Elections were announced Thursday at 5 p.m., and did not include the results of the
f(residential race, due to the pending udicial Council hearing.
Amy-Cecilia Sanders, Erica Kreer, Becky Nelson and Eric Flores won the seats as Student Community senators; slate runners Tamra Massey, Aaron Paquette, Timur Taluy and Dave Holmlund won the seats as Residence Hall senators; Christina Ackerman, Yvonne Chavez, Fred D. Dorton, Jr. and Yasir Akmal won the seats as Commuter senators; and the slate of Mike Hendershot, Monique Valles, Brent Weinstein and Jeff Smith won the Greek senator seats.
More than 2,400 out of ar 14,000 undergraduate students voted Tuesday and Wednesday, said Brandon Mercer, associate director of the Elections Commission.
However, approximately 100 to 200 votes, mostly comprised of Greek Senate and Commuter Senate votes, were invalid because student identification numbers were not written in, Mercer said.
This year's voter turnout was 600 fewer than last year, Mercer said.
"The rain and the cold weather affected the lower turnout but we had a good campaign," Mercer said. "I am very happy with the senators who were elected. Tne going to serve well."
The newly elected senators for the Residence Hall and Greek communities were candidates running on the same slates.
rtey are
In the Student Community and Commuter constituencies each had only three of the four senators elected were from the same slate.
But Flores said the similarities in platforms from both slates eliminated competition.
"The toughest part of competing in this campaign was that there wasn't too many different ideologies from both sides. There wasn't a distinct Democrat or Republican group or side," Flores said, who commented that he plans to carry on his slate's main concern, which was to bring forth the misrepresentations of ethnic assemblies on campus.
Sanders said people weren't clear if the controversies involving the presidential elections had any relation to the Senate elections.
"People kept asking me if I was involved with the (alleged) briberies," Sanders said.
Patrick Moir, chair of the Elections (See Elections, page 3)
Playing it SAFE
Doan La / Daily Trojan Henry Ukshlni and Josh Haring of the environmental group SAFE, rescue a palm tree growing in a sewer.
Judicial Council to hear appeal
By Susan McAllister
Staff Writer
The Judicial Council of the Student Senate decided Thursday to hear the appeal of an Elections Commission decision to disqualify candidates on the "Experience Counts!" ticket from the Student Senate elections, held this week. The council will hear the case Sunday, March 3.
"Experience Counts!" presidential candidate Adam Stokes and vice presidential candidate Pete Baghdassarian filed an appeal with the Judicial Council on Feb. 26 asking that the council overturn the commission's ruling and postpone the elections for two weeks.
At Thursday evening's preliminary hearing, the council determined that it did have the jurisdiction to hear the appeal, based on Section VI.9.B.2 of the Student Senate constitution, which states that "any sanction given to a candidate, slate or ticket may be appealed by the sanctioned party to the Judicial Council." The council also said it has the ability to order a new election.
According to the constitution, the council has three calendar days or two working days, whichever is shorter, to reach a decision about the appeal. The Judicial Council will hear the appeal on Sunday, March 3 at
noon in VonKleinSmid Center 256.
"We're happy they're going to hear it and we hope to clear Adam's name," said Pete Baghdassarian after the preliminary hearing.
Stokes, Baghdassarian and their advocate, James Emerson, were instructed to deliver their petitioning briefs to the mailbox of Bronwvn Pollock, Judicial Council cnief justice pro-tem-
Eore, by noon today. Responding riefs from the Elections Commission are due at 11 a.m. Sunday at VKC 256, said Pollock at the close of the hearing.
Emerson indicated Thursday that he, Stokes ana Baghdassarian plan to file an amended version of their original appeal when they submit their briefs to the Judicial Council today.
"Tonight's preliminary hearing is to decide issues of jurisdiction only," said Pollock, in opening Thursday's hearing. "We're not here to try the case, or find anyone guilty or innocent. The goal in this today is to give an opportunity to Adam Stokes to prove to the Judicial Council that this is within our jurisdiction."
Although the purpose of the hearing was also outlined in a memo from the Judicial Council dated Feb. 26, Stokes, Baghdassarian and Emerson,
(See Judicial, page 2)
Possible cuts don't worry financial aid office
By Nate Akiva
Staff Writer
With the March 1 financial aid request deadline approaching, Congress' proposed cuts in student aid to reduce the budget deficit do not have USC's financial aid office worried.
All students who wish to cjualify for financial aid must have sent their Financial Aid Form and Free Application for Federal Student Aid in by tne March 1 deadline. Those who do not make the deadline will not be eligible for as much financial aid as those who mail forms on time.
This year federal student aid programs may be restricted if Congress is able to pass its spending reduction measures. The programs under consideration for cuts are the Supplemental Educational Opportunity
Grants (SEOG), Federal Work-Study, Perkins Loans, TRIO, State Student Incentive Grants (SSIG), scholarships and fellowships and the Federal Direct Student Loan Program.
All programs targeted for spending freeze or elimination by tne House bill will receive 75 percent of their 1995 funding. The only federal student aid program which will be increased is the Pell Grant. Under the current bill on the House floor, the maximum Pell Grant award will be increased by at least $100 to $2440 for the 1996-97 academic year.
Assistant Director of Financial Aid Carolle
Bellamy said, "Everything is exactly as it has been in the past. Any student who meets the financial aid deadline will have 100 percent
of their need met by USC."
Bellamy said she does not see the Stafford Loans being cut in the future and is optimistic about other financial aid programs
because of the increase in the maximum Pell
•	Grant award.
However, under the bills on both the House and Senate floors, SEOG and Federal Work-Study have been requested to remain at the current level for 1996-97. The current average awards for SEOG and Federal Work-Study is $559 and $1,066, respectively.
TRIO, a service which provides nearly 800,000 low-income students between the ages of 11 and 27 with a variety of services, including tutoring and personal and financial counseling, has been requested not to have any spending cuts.
The State Student Incentive Grants will be completely cut in fiscal 1996 by the House bill, and the Senate bill would only allocate $31.3 million, as opposed to the current $63 million. If this elimination of federal funding
(Sff Aid, page 3)