Trojans enjoy night at Beach
Sports, page 28
Marijuana leads to hard drug use
Viewpoint, page 4
Ibsen’s spirit Q lives in ‘Ghosts’
Life / Arts, page 11
trojan
Volume CXIV, Number 62
University of Southern California
Thursday, April 18,1991
University sued for ‘lack of security’
$1-million lawsuit charges USC with negligence in 1989 assault case
Alleged rape victim tells of nightmare attack on campus
By Michael Utley
City Editor
Walking on campus, at night, alone, in a south Los Angeles neighborhood known for its crime and violence is commonplace for most people at this university. But fears of what could happen often dissipate after the first few weeks here.
Taking the short cut home, or being in too much of a rush to wait for the Escort Service sometimes takes precedence over security.
But all that's needed is one reminder to shock everyone back to reality.
On Jan. 2, 1989, a nurse from County / USC Medical Center ventured onto the university park campus to make a deposit at the credit union. Before she could get there, she was attacked from behind by an unknown assailant. She testified in court recently that the man stabbed her, beat her, dragged her beneath a crop of bushes where they wouldn't be seen and raped her.
University lawyers doubt her story about the rape, but no one denied the attack. Whatever the outcome of her million-dollor suit, the wonvn was victimized that night. And, as she tells it, the attack was everyone's nightmare about what could happen here.
"As I was walking toward the credit union, this , man came up from nowhere and grabbed me," she told a Superior Court jury, tears streaming from her eyes. "He pulled a knife and stabbed me in my back and pushed me down ... He told me if I
(See Victim, page 10)
Michael Utley / Dally Trojan
Capt. Luther Lanier of University Security shows the location of security’s patrol boundaries, which became an issue in a million-dollar lawsuit filed against the university by a rape victim.
By Michael Utley
Gty Editor
A woman who said she was brutally raped on campus two years ago asked a Superior Court jury Wednesday to award her $1 million in compensatory damages against the university.
The lawsuit centers on an alleged "lack of security" on the night of Jan. 2, 1989, when the woman
—	who is a university staff member — said she was dragged into a clump of bushes, stabbed, beaten, robbed and raped by an unknown assailant one block from University Security headquarters on McClintock Avenue.
"I tried to imagine her anger and what she had to deal with," Natasha Roit, the woman's attorney, told the 12-member jury. "When I thought about all this, I asked myself, is a million dollars too much? ... I don't think so."
The jury went into deliberations at 3:30 p.m., and was not expected to release a verdict until today, Friday, or perhaps next week.
The attack, which has been disputed by university lawyers, reportedly occurred on the east side of the Credit Union building on Childs Way, across the street from the practice tennis courts. Certain areas of the building, the east side in particular, are shrouded by trees, plants and ivy.
But university counselors Mireille Gotsis and J.
(See Trial, page 8)
Shots taken, no injuries
Filming at USC attempts minimal disruption
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By Kyra Kirkwood
Staff Writer
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Actors were kidding around Wednesday while shooting scenes for the House Party 2 starring the man with tall hair, Kid.
A line-up of huge gray trailers greeted university students outside of Von KleinSmid Center on Wednesday, while camera crews and makeup personnel rushed about and fussed over last-minute details.
Wait a minute. Is this a college or Universal Studios?
In an attempt to keep filming within the state, the California Film Commission and the state of California have persuaded film companies to utilize college campuses and other "photogenic" locations to shoot movies, said Anita Goldstein, director of the university's public relation projects.
On-campus shooting is frequently done here because many university buildings resemble those found on the East Coast, Goldstein said.
She said film companies can easily transport their entire casts and film crews within the state to local college campuses rather than shoot a film in New York or Boston, where Ivy League scenes may be authentic but transportation costs are high.
The university, along with the state, receives financial benefits for allowing film companies to shoot on campus.
"Primarily, it's a source of income," Goldstein said.
The university does not put income above students, however, and there are strict policies
(See Filming, page 18)
Access system still not living up to expectations
By Alexandra Matisoff
Staff Writer
The Access Control Safety Network at the Parkside Residence Complex is not functioning to protect residents from unwanted intruders, students living there said Wednesday.
Installed to prevent anyone not living in the apartments and residence halls from gaining entry, the Access system has a shaky track record on campus, according to previous reports from officials and students.
Andrew Bettencourt, a sophomore majoring in business, does not think the fees for the system justify the service Parkside residents are receiving.
"I haven't had any troubles with burglars or anything, but I don't know, I mean you pay all this money for the Access system, and it just seems to be a big waste," he said.
Bettencourt said he has seen many people gain entry to the building without deterrence.
"It's hard to get up to the ele-
vators or the stairs, you still need some kind of key . . . but I've seen a lot of people who aren't USC students walk in. I know some friends of mine, they've come up — they've had a real easy time getting up to my room," he said.
Terry Riley, manager of the Access Control Safety Network for housing and residence halls, said the system at Parkside "will be activated at 10 a.m. next Wednesday," but that much is involved in getting the system running smoothly.
The Access system was installed there a few months ago, Riley said, but resident managers did not want to turn the system on during midterms because of potential disruptions caused by bugs in the system.
Bih Seen Hee, an undeclared freshman, lives on the ground floor of Parkside. He is not particularly worried about the lack of protection, because it would be possible to break into his (See Access, page 6)