Newspaper of the University of Southern California
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Headlines
Trojans squander must-win No.2
The No.14 USC men's volleyball team dropped a must-win match Wednesday at North Gym against San Diego State, 10-15,15-9,7-15, 15-5,15-11, putting playoff hopes in serious jeopardy.
Sports, page 16
Fear not the great 'Primal Fear'
Richard Gere gives his best performance in 15 years as an ambulance-chasing attorney in his latest film,
"Primal Fear." The film is the first true courtroom drama since the O.J. trial.
Diversions, page 8
Don't be a slave to Nicotine
It's hard to argue against figures like 400,000 smoking-related deaths a year. Health Center Director Dr.
Lawrence Neinstein warns not to get burned by smoking and nicotine.
Viewpoint, page 4
Play production, summer volunteers
USC's production of Sophocles's "Antigone" will be performed April 4, 5 and 8 at 7 p.m. and April 6 at 8
?.m. in the Anna Bing heatre. The classic story is revamped and set in the year 2500, and focuses on man's misuse of power and the struggles between man's law and God's law.
General admission is $10 and is $5 when presented with a student ID card.
For more information and advance ticket sales, call the theatre box office at (213) 740-1111.
t • •
The Council on International Educational Exchange, a organization that sends volunteers to 22 different countries to do environmental and community service projects, is currently looking for volunteer at least 18 years old to par ipate in its summer program. For more information, contact Stephanie Orange at (212)661-1414, ext. 1439.
Course readers may get cheaper
By Elba Solano
Staff Writer
A federal court ruling by the Sixth Circuit Court in Michigan against publishers collecting royalties for student course readers could mean a 25 percent cost reduction in course readers for USC students, said D<m Archer, course materials director at the campus bookstore.
In the case, Princeton University Press sued Michigan Document Services, a copying service that works in producing course readers, for not asking permission or paying fees for the use of copyrighted materials in course readers.
The court ruling only pertains to Michigan, Onio, Kentucky and Tennessee. However, the Association of American Publishers is
(See Readers, page 3)
Overheated elevator causes
Thursday April 4,1996 Vol. CXXVII, No. 51
Blackmar rehired by university
By Tara Nakashima
Assignment Editor
David Blackmar, the former assistant director of housing who was laid off last week, was rehired Wednesday to a new position.
Blackmar was laid off March 26 as part of an organizational restructuring in the housing department, officials said.
BlacVmar said he doesn't know what department he will be working in.
'He was rehired because he never should have been treated that way in the first place," said Senior Vice President of Administration Dennis Dougherty, who was out of town on business when Blackmar was fired.
Dougherty notified Blackmar that he was rehired through a series of phone calls Wednesday morning.
"They did notify me this morning," Blackmar said Wednesday. "I appreciate tne fact that it's been corrected and I'm grateful to everyone who has rallied to help me out."
Several people petitioned on his behalf, he said.
"I have no idea what turned it around or which petition...maybe it was their own decency about it," Blackmar said.
"I do think Mr. Dougherty is a person of integrity," he said. "I've dealt with him a lot before."
Blackmar was fired in an effort to decentralize services, said Philip Chiaramonte, director of Auxiliary Services, in Wednesday's issue of the Daily Trojan.
"The old organization didn't allow on-site handling of problems, and we hope that this plan will put students in a position to receive services more directly and efficiently,"
Chiaramonte said.
Blackmar received news of his layoff last week from Jeff Urdahl, director of housing, who acts directly under Chiaramonte.
Blackmar said he did not know why he was fired.
"He was rehired because he never should have been treated that way in the first place."
— Dennis Dougherty
"It just doesn't make sense to me," he said in the Daily Trojan article. "It doesn't fit when someone says it's not your performance, when they didn't mention financial or bud-
(See Rehire, page 3)
smoke, traps staff member
Market Place
Store manager says lozver prices are needed to compete with Main Street Commons
By Troy Witt
Staff Writer
Student patronage is a hot commodity when it comes to food at USC—so hot that two university-owned facilities less than 100 yards apart are competing with each other.
The results of a price survey conducted March 24 between Main Street Commons and Market Place, the convenience store located below Pertusati University Bookstore, found that the Market Place offered lower prices and a larger selection.
"I want to compete with (Commons)," said Robert Lo, assistant manager of Market Place. "I want to bring more customers down here."
Francisco Pineda, senior manager of USC Dining Services, said he was unaware that products wen* being sold at lower prices less than 100 yards away.
"We're in the same family," said Pineda, who is in charge of pricing at Commons.
By Keith Caulfield and Jennifer Hamm
Staff Writers
Seventy-five people were evacuated and one woman remained trapped in an elevator at the Annenberg School for Communication Wednesday afternoon when an elevator motor overheated, filling the lower level of the building with smoke.
The occupants of the building remained outside for nearly 30 minutes while the Department of Public Safety and Los Angeles Fire Department Station 15 investigated the cause of the alarm.
"The elevator motor overheated, creating a lot of smoke," Fire Captain R. Camarena said. "It caused a lot of concern."
No one was hurt during the alarm or evacuation.
Jean Campbell was in the same elevator generating the smoke, which was between the second and third floors.
"I couldn't smell any smoke. I had no idea any of this (the evacuation) was going on," she said. "Luckily, the light didn't go
undercuts Commons' prices
Firefighters investigated smoke
out."
According to the DPS incident report, Campbell was not injured and did not require any medical treatment.
Dean Jerry Davison said he initially heard the elevator alarm go off and soon discovered that Campbell, his secretary, was inside.
"She said she was by herself but had my mail," he said. "We joked about that for a minute."
While waiting outside the
Although some prices at Commons were between 66 percent and 100 percent higher than at Market Place, Pineda said he doubted that Commons would lower its prices to be competitive with Market Place.
"We belong to the same organization, Auxiliary Services. I don't know why he's doing this, we're not competing with each other," he said.
When asked about being in the same USC branch as Commons, Lo said, "We're a different department, a different decision."
The operation of Market Place falls under the university bookstore, while Commons is operated by Dining Services.
Auxiliary Services oversees food services, the bookstore and all on-campus vendors.
Vice President of Auxiliary Services Phil Chiaramonte said, "i wasn't aware of the problem."
"1 guess I’ll have to do some investigating," ne said.
Some students said they have noticed the price differences.
"It seems ridiculous that these two places at the university offer the same products for different prices. 1 hope that the university
(See Prices, page 4)
Troy Witt / Dally trojan in Annenberg Wednesday.
building to get word on Campbell's status, Davison said, "You bet I am (concerned), very. Everybody is."
After Campbell was inside the elevator for 20 minutes, it was manually lowered to the Garden Level by Operations and Maintenance technicians.
Staff in the Garden Level, the sub-street level of the building, noticed smoke coming out of a vent in the north end of the
(See Evacuation, page 3)
Troy Witt / Dally Trojan A student leaving from Market Place.