Netters win without Laux
Sports, page 20
Media deserves access to Gulf
Viewpoint, page 4
Morse has Tru’ magic
Life / Arts, page 7
trojan
Volume CXIV, Number 10
University of Southern California
Thursday, January 24,1991
Time to punt?
Quarterback prodigy fumbles bright future
By William Merone
Staff Writer
Todd Marinovich was bom on the Fourth of July, 1969, and by September 1990, indeed he was everybody's All-American.
He had just led the Trojans to a nationally-televised 34-16 victory over Syracuse. Sports Illustrated splashed his face on the cover of its college football preview issue. And almost everyone tagged him as a Heisman Trophy candidate.
Even Ronald Reagan called to congratulate the boyish redhead on his success.
But the 1990 football season turned out to be a tumultuous one for the 21-year-old redshirt sophomore. At times he was brilliant. When he wasn't, he watched the game from the bench. All the while, personal problems plagued the (See Marinovich, page 6)
Drugs called gift from football fanI 20
Senate delays impeachment
Vice president’s dismissal tabled; resolution to be decided on Feb. 6
By Allison Tatum
Staff Writer
The Student Senate considered a resolution Wednesday to dismiss Vice President Sam Sheldon from his duties as a student representative.
The resolution would have been effective upon passage, but the Senate moved to table the issue until it comes up at the next joint Senate meeting on Feb. 6.
In other business, Sheldon's firing of Human Justice Affairs chairman David Wells was upheld by a 17-10 vote with one abstention. Sheldon's new appointee, Jeffrey Mclllwain, was not immediately approved. The Senate moved to open the position to other applicants for one week.
Sheldon's dismissal, if approved by the full Senate, will go before the four-member Executive Committee. President Steve Webber, Graduate Speaker Suzy Jacobs (the two authors of the resolution) and Undergraduate Speaker Marc Crosby are the voting mem-
bers of the Executive Committee. Sheldon is also a member but is not allowed to vote.
If two or more committee members vote to dismiss Sheldon, the decision will go to the Judicial Council.
"The thing that is so ironic about this is that the two authors of the resolution to dismiss me from office are two out of the three people who are going to be voting," Sheldon said. "So, basically, if Steve Webber wants me out of of office he can do it."
The dismissal resolution charges that Sheldon:
•	used Senate office staff to type his homework on Senate time.
•	tried to use his position for personal goals, such as a Palm Springs Senate retreat and Jeff Mclllwain's appointment. Mclllwain is Sheldon's roommate.
•	bypassed the Senate President's rule of working through the Public Relations chair resulting in self-serving publicity in the Daily Trojan.
Katerina Zarkas / Dally Trojan
Sam Sheldon
•	used the Senate name and logo, particularly to ask former President Ronald Reagan out for lunch as a fellow USC sports fan and then destroyed the evidence.
•	regularly violates the Senate Constitution pertaining to maintaining a
(See Senate, page 13)
Senate funds troop rally/ 3
Chemical spill forces building evacuation
Kria Chun I Dally Tro|an
Seven people had to be evacuated from the Andrus Gerontology Center Tuesday after a minor spill of a beaker of xylene, benzene and other organic materials.
By Alexandra Matisoff
Staff Writer
A chemical spill in a gerontology laboratory Tuesday night prompted an evacuation of the building as Fire and Health Department cleanup crews responded to the 9 p.m. call.
A graduate student was at work in a third floor lab when she "heard a pop," said Lt. David Ritch of University Security.
Security cleared the area along McClin-tock Street and called in city personnel to assess the damage, said Sgt. John Lewis of University Security.
Cleanup crews found a "5-liter beaker filled with a mixture of xylene and benzene" and various organic wastes spilled
on the lab floor, a Fire Department official said.
Seven people were evacuated from the building, the official said. The student who witnessed the spill was the only person exposed to the chemicals. Fire officials said she felt dizzy, but was not transported for treatment.
After the evacuation, Fire Department officials called Hazardous Material Specialist Jerry Munoz from the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services to determine the exact contents of the spill.
"This was a very minor spill, but the chemical we suspected had to be handled properly," Munoz said. "The Fire Department was able to remove the material
(See Spill, page 3)
Speaker refutes arguments of peace activists
By Holly Ziemer
Staff Writer
Since the war began in the Persian Gulf, students have gathered to denounce it in protests and with posters, often citing the slogan, "No blood for oil." Also emerging into the public debate are those in support of the war.
Dennis Prager, a commentator for KABC Radio, had much to say about the Gulf War in a speech delivered at Annenberg Hall Wednesday.
The lecture was part of the War in the Gulf Lecture Series sponsored by the USC Hillel Jewish Center, the American-Is-rael Alliance and the USC Rashi Club.
Prager, whose lecture was titled, "Why the Peace Position Is Immoral," said he distinguishes between immoral murder and necessary killing. Prager asserted that a pacifist position, such as the peace movement, is immoral because it allows evil to exist.
"The argument that peace is always preferable to war is evil against evil," he said. "Was fighting Hitler immoral?"
Prager detailed nine arguments used by the peace movement that he felt were invalid. "You cannot fight violence with violence," Prager said. "Oh really? What else do you fight violence with? Beatles' songs?"
Prager said war is a tragedy
Robert Menaalan / Dally Tro|an
Dennis Prager
but that it is sometimes moral. "Sometimes advocating peace means advocating letting the murderers work," he said.
Prager acknowledged the economic reasons, specifically oil,
for the Gulf War. He said oil is not just gasoline for cars, because if it were, it would not be a good enough reason to go to war. Prager said oil was food for democracies.
"Oil is what makes the Western democracies capable of functioning," he said.
Many in the audience of more than 250 agreed with Prager's message.
Lisa Dahl, a junior majoring in education, said she supports the war effort and often listens to Prager's radio talk show.
"He enlightened me on why we should be there," she said. "He more or less confirmed what I believed."
Jennifer Lancaster, a senior
majoring in philosophy, also listens to his radio program.
"I thought (the lecture) was excellent. He always sees things other people cannot," she said.
Others who attended the lecture disagreed with Prager.
Manuel Gallego, a peace activist, said Prager made a forceful argument, but over-simplified the peace movement.
"I would hope that those who support the war understand that the peace activists have thought this out," he said.
Gallego said he did not support the Gulf War, but added he would fight as a last resort.
"If I see this country threat-(See Lecture, page 12)