Senate votes to change elections
Student Senate president and vice'president in 2005-2006 can now be from the same student constituency.
By JOANNA UN
Staff Writer
The Student Senate president and vice president may now represent the same constituency under a resolution passed Nov. 22 that will affect candidates in the 2005-06 Senate election.
Senate bylaws previously required the president and vice president to run from different constituencies
and remain in those constituencies
—	Residt'iiUai. Commuter or GreeJi
—	during their terms.
The elimination of the requirement will ensure “the fairest appropriation of our student body's opinion," the resolution states.
“1 think the restrictions limited the position of the president and vice president This new, relaxed version of the Elections Code will better represent students and allow Student Senate to serve n>ore effectively," said Chris Collier, author of the resolution and a residential senator.
Senate President Jessica Lall, a member of the Greek constituency, said her constituency has no effect on her leadership as president
“I don’t operate with a bias toward Greeks in this position. Fm not advocating in Greek interest but rather in student interest," she said.
The purpose of the requirement was to ensure that the president and vice president represented a broader range of students, but many members of Senate argue that the requirement is not needed or appropriate.
“The president and vice president are supposed to represent the entire student body.” said Sam Gordon, a I see Senate, page IS
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December 1, 2005
SPORTS
EXTRA
USC vs. UCLA
Complete football preview 32
Vol. CXLVII. No. 67
DPS chief
may leave for Texas
top spot
The Department of Public Safety hired Assistant Chief Carey Drayton a month ago after a four month search.
By KRISTIN MAYER
Staff Writer
Katherine Beck I Daily Trojan
Welcome home. CDI Management President Harold Tennen walks out of the Trojandale doors. The building, located on Ellendale Place, is one of the many buildings in the USC area that companies are turning into "luxury" developments.
Housing turns to luxuiy
As the semester comes to an end. Department of Public Safety officers are stepping up to new roles and planning for next year.
Chief Aaron Graves has been extended an employment offer as chief of campus police at the University of Texas, Austin.
“I will make a determination within the next day or so to accept that opportunity," Graves said.
Graves worked as chief of police at Southern Methodist University for 10 years before coming to USC. He had planned to return to Texas eventually, but did not expect an opportunity like this so soon.
Graves was appointed as the executive director/chief of public safety in February 2003.
The job would be similar to Graves' current position, policing a large uni- , versity that excels in research and athletics in an urban environment.
As the department prepares for the possible change, it has also taken on Assistant Chief Carey Drayton, who joined DPS one month ago today.
DPS started the search in July a month after the previous assistant chief, August Washington, moved to the University of Tennessee to serve as the chief of police there.
When Drayton expressed interest in the vacant position of assistant chief at DPS, he immediately moved to the top of the list
“I was impressed by his knowledge of the field and his ability to work with a group of people to get things done,” Graves said.
Graves described Drayton as an articulate, bright officer with a passion for law enforcement
I see OPS, page 23 I
Local developers are going along with the downtown condo boom in the USC area.
By UNDSEY DAVIS
Staff Writer
With the booming demand for student housing in the area, some developers are turning to something new to lure in renters: “luxury” amenities.
When Conquest Student Housing opens its newest building, Tuscany, in August, more than 500 studenLs will have the opportunity to live in a facility with a health spa and state-of-the-art fitness center touting individual plasma TVs.
“It's the most amenized, luxurious housing ever at USC," said Casey Smith,
assistant manager for Conquest.
Quality amenities in the area have also become the motto for CDI Management Inc.
“I want to provide (tenants) more than they’re paying for,” said Harold Tennen, president of CDI. “If there’s anything to be done in the building, we spare no expense."
Dowell Myers, professor of urban planning and demography, said additional developments are good for students and the community.
“The location near campus is an amenity by itself,” he said.
USC students spread out citywide and do not concentrate their housing demand solely around campus, he said. But a housing shortage in general is backing students up toward campus.
“It’s much preferable to have new
housing develop around campus then have students travel long distances,” Myers said. “More housing close to home here is a good thing."
Market shifts
Increased demand near USC is part of the larger housing demand in Southern California.
Housing has become more expensive in Southern California since 1992 or 1993 and there has been acceleration in recent years, said Raphael W. Bostic, associate professor and director of the Master in Real Estate Development program.
But this has simply been an acceleration of a longer-term trend, he said.
“It's happening rapidly, and it's hap-I see Housing, page 20
INDEX
Lodrick Stewart made nine of 10 shots to help USC dominate UC Riverside, 81-48. 31
Two juniors breathe new life into their bare-bones loft •
News Digest.— 2	Sport*.-------32
Upcoming_______2	Classifieds---29
Opinions.______4	Lifestyle------•
WEATHER
Today: Mostly cloudy. High of 67, low of 55. Tomorrow: Showers. High 62, low 46.
PART THREE OF A THREE-PART SERIES ON DRUGS
Ecstasy use can lead to depression
One USC student said the drug made her feel like she had no cares in the world
By SUMAYYA AHMAD
Staff Wnter
M.A.. a senior majoring in civil engineering, has been doing ecstasy for about four years. At the peak of her usage, she would take ecstasy every weekend, sometimes more. Although she is not such a hard
user now. M.A. describes her experience as one she will never forget
M.A. S initials are used throughout the story on a condition of anonymity.
M.A. said the reason she started doing ecstasy was because she want ed the chance to try something harder than alcohol or marijuana. M.A. described the experience as drinking "without the out-of-control-ness."
‘You have no cares in the world ... you're extremely happy but it’s not like you’d do something you
would never ordinarily do," she said. “You stop thinking about the negative things (and) just enjoy the moment."
MDMA is the active ingredient in ecstasy. It is synthetic and was initially a by-product produced by Merck Company scientists in Germany in 1912.
Eventually, the United States tested MDMA as a truth serum, but it failed and eventually resurfaced in the 1970s when it was used as a I set- Ecstasy page IS
Fact ♦ -
MDMA, the active ingredt ent in ecstasy, was used as a therapeutic agent in psychotherapy in the 1970s.
End of semester: The Daily Trojan resumes publication Tuesday, Jan. 10,2(X)6.