Grand jury rips USC hospital Sam Gordon
ticket cited for 3 violations
A grand jury reported the hospital has been mixing inmates and regular patients.
By STEVEN CHEN
Staff Writer
Thousands of patients, staff, volunteers and visitors are being placed under risk of “grave bodily harm and death" at the Los Angeles County + University of Southern California Medical Center because of the hospital's policy of combining patients and inmates in the same ward, according
to a report released Feb. 7 by the Los Angeles County civil grand jury.
The report, “A Disaster Waiting to Happen at Los Angeles County Hospital," revealed that in a sample of 34 days at the hospital, an average of fewer than 15 inmates were treated in the “open ward,” where general patients are treated, despite having more than 15 beds available in the “jail ward.”
The jail ward, located on the 13th floor of the hospital, is a secure facility where inmate-patients do not have access to visitors, contraband, medical equipment, drugs or tele-
phones, according to the report.
‘Dangerous individuals’
The inmate-patient sample over the 34 days included a total of 496 inmates placed in the open wards of the hospital, where many were classified as “escape risk,” “mentally ill” and extremely “dangerous” people, according to the report.
Of the sample, the grand jury reported that 24 inmates were charged with homicide; 30 with sexual assault; 33 with assault with a deadly weapon; 35 with robbery; 18 I see Hospital, page 3 I
Facts
The report is titled "A Disaster Waiting to Happen at Los Angeles County Hospital.”
The report was released Feb. 7.
Del Taco considering early closure after thefts
If chair thefts do not stop, management could decide
to close the 24-hour eatery's dining area at midnight.
By CHAU TU
Contributing Writer
The Del Taco on Figueroa and 28th streets might limit its dining room hours if chairs stolen over a series of weekends are not returned to the fast-food restaurant, said Juan Cruz, general manager of the restaurant.
The last resort in dealing with the thefts is to close the dining area after midnight, leaving only the drive-thru open 24 hours.
“We’re probably going to hold up for another month to see what’s going on (first),” Cruz said. “The reason why we put so much more into this now is because it cost us a lot of I see Dal Taco. page 13 l
Musical chairs. Del Taco at Figueroa and 28th streets will be installing a new security system and possibly closing the dining room earlier if chair theft and vandalism do not stop.
A fourth complaint filed against the ticket was heard by the Election Commission.
By JOANNA UN
Staff Wnter
Among the three complaints heard against Sam Gordon and Sahil Chaudry Tuesday night, the Student Senate Elections Commission unanimously found the presiden-tial-vice presidential ticket guilty of five violations of the Senate bylaws, Election Code and Code of Ethics, but the Gordon-Chaudry ticket did not fully comply with all of the Commission's rulings.
The Commission ordered the ticket to “remove all publicly posted campaign materials, including but not limited to, Trousdale (Parkway) signs, postcards on kiosks and fliers from 6 p.m. Feb. 15 until 6 p.m. Feb. 16. T-shirts are included as a publicly posted campaign material. Violations of this sanction will result in even harsher sanctions and/or disqualification (from the election).”
But as of 7:52 p.m. Feb. 15, two Gordon-Chaudry postcards remained on cash registers in Downstairs Commons, and three of the ticket's posters remained on Trousdale face down on the grass.
In the coiiipUiai. the Gordon-Chautli> ticket accused of posting a sign reading "Don’t" above a large composite of signs Gary Lee and Robert Tenney made that read, ’Vote Gary Lee.”
The “Don’t" sign appeared in the dormitory window of Birnkrant Residential College resident Andrew Samel.
Samel is not a Gordon-Chaudry campaign volunteer, Gordon said.
But the commission ruled that the Gordon-Chaudry ticket is responsible for "the actions of any student affiliated with its campaign, regardless if (he or she) is an official volunteer" and nonetheless referred to Samel as a volunteer.
“The actions of Andrew Samel embarrassed both other candidates as well as the Student Senate Elections as a whole," the commission's ruling states. “More importantly, the Elections Commission is disappointed by the malicious intention behind his act and believes it to be a significant violation of the Senate Code of Ethics.”
Another complaint alleged that the Gordon-Chaudry ticket’s campaign manager, David Salter, was appointed in this academic vear as a co-director of elections and recruitment — a violation of Senate bylaws and Election Code, said Matt Basco. Program Board executive director and who filed the complaint.
The commission found that even though Salter resigned
I se< Senate .oage 12
INSIDE
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1
www.dailytrojan.com
February 16, 2006
The Northridge Matadors
manhandled , the USC men's volleyball team in three sets Wednesday. 20
Vol. CXLV1II, No. 26
INDEX
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Singing legacy: the second in a series on the road to Songfest 2006.10
Villaraigosa a poor choice for commencement speaker. 4
Newt Dignt—2 Utnljrl*------7
Upcoming___ 2 CUstiArds—12
Opinions __4 Sporti.....	1#
WEATHER
Today: Mostly sunny. High 63, low 42
Tomorrow: Partly cloudy.
Lecture series addresses mental, spiritual health
The final Examined Life' lecture is at 5 p.m in Hedco Neurosciences. Room 100.
By DIYA CHACKO
Staff Writer
College students barely have time to keep up with all their work, let alone contemplate their own existence, but many medical studies have shown that people who take the time to examine their own way of life often end up improving them substantially, said Owen Flanagan, professor of philosophy, neurobiology. psychological and brain sciences at Duke University and USCs 2006 Templeton Fellow.
Flanagan has addressed the question of how to live a truly meaningful life with good mental, physical and
spiritual health in his “Examined Life” lecture series, which began last week and will continue through this week.
“The quality of our lives, and whether our lives are meaningful or not. is measured on how we participate in the spaces of our science, technology and spirituality.’ Flanagan said at the start of his"Finding Meaning in the Material World" lecture.
He continued to explain how the views of certain philosophers apply to the way people live their lives.
Flanagan paraphrased Plato, saying that people naturally care about three concepts: what is good, true and beautiful. The people who can see and understand these concepts are the ones who will "flourish."
He also interpreted Sigmund i see life page 14
Examine. Owen Flanagan is USC's 2006 Templeton Fe< ow and a professor of philosophy, neurobtotogy. psychological and bran sciences at Di*e University