INSIDE
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
www.da ilytrnjan.com
Oc tober 20,2005
Vol. CXi VII. No. 42
Students lack places to skate
DPS officers are called upon when the department receives complaints about skateboarders allegedly harassing students.
By KEVIN UEDA
Contributing Writer
Taking the streets of Los Angeles away from skateboarders is like taking a canvas away from a painter.
And for skateboarders at USC, finding a space to express themselves is extremely difficult, several students say.
"Skateboarding is something like a performing art; like dance. It's alL about
style and form," said Evan Ross, a sophomore majoring in computer science and a member of the USC Skateboard Club.
Ross and about 18 other members formed the skateboarding club to further their skateboarding skills and to find places to skate — two activities that students said are difficult to do in Los Angeles.
City laws, the lack of a skate park.
and Department of Public Safety officers who do not exercise understanding with skateboarders, make it difficult for students to skate, Ross said.
Ross said he and club members are sometimes "hassled’’ by DPS and the Los Angeles Police Department.
“We’re kind of mistreated," Ross said. “People think we re there to destroy stuff when we really just don’t have a place to go and we’re just trying to find new places (to skate)."
The Hoover pedestrian walkway, near the intersection of Hoover Street and Jefferson Boulevard, is a popular
skating spot for Ross and other club members, as well as world-famous skateboarders featured in skate magazines and skate videos.
Capt Gloria Graham, DPS captain of operations, said officers are called upon when the department receives complaints about skateboarders allegedly harassing or harming other students near the pedestrian walkway.
"We respond to complaints by students who have been cursed at by individuals skateboarding." Graham said. "Students have been knocked down in I see SkatafcoanMntf page 13 l
Student
assisted
historic
church
The church is the first landmark in Santa Monica designated for its cultural significance.
By COURTNEY WILLIS
Staff Writer
Phillips Chapel Christian Methodist Episcopal Church had little ties to USC until a graduate student requested that the building be nominated as a cultural landmark earlier,this summer.
The Santa Monica Landmarks Commission unanimously approved the nomination OcL 10. making Phillips Chapel CME Church the first landmark designated on cultural significance rather than architectural significance in Santa Monica.
"I am still in the process of trying to realize what (becoming a landmark) means. I didn't have any expectations but the publicity. I knew this would get the word out that we were here and located in the community." said Rev. James C. Raymond. Jr., minister of the Phillips Chapel.
Alison Jefferson, a sec-ond-year master's candidate in the Historic Preservation Program at the USC School of Architecture, said people were hesitant to make the church a landmark.
Phillips Chapel CME Church, located on Fourth and I see Church, page 11
Providing a helping hand to Gulf Coast students
Junior Mike Gao mixes beats for a Chicago-based hip-hop record label 8
Religion is a vital part of California's history. 4
Newi Digest.—2 Sport*--------it
Upcoming-----2 dutififdi.- 12
Opinions —t lifestyle—..—7
WEATHER
Today: Mostly sunny. High of7\ low of 56. Tomorrow: Mostly sunny. High 75. low 57.
Professors asked students in their classes to volunteer to be academic peer mentors.
By JUSTINA LY
Contributing Writer
Nearly two months after , Hurricane Katrina destroyed the Gulf Coast college students from l-ouisiana are working on rebuilding their lives at USC with the help of an academic peer-mentoring program.
The peer mentoring program was set up to facilitate the transition into a new school and new classes for the transfer students, said Jane Cody, associate dean of academic programs for Ihe USC College of Letters. Arts & Sciences.
There are 106 students from
Dillard University. Xavier University of Louisiana and Tulane University at USC, according to the USC Student Affairs office.
The % undergraduate and 10 graduate students are officially recognized by USC as Gulf Coast visitor students and are allowed to attend USC full-time for one semester, according to Student Affairs.
“We sent out a list of the students to professors who were getting transfer students," Cody said. "Then we had the professors ask the students currently in the class to volunteer as peer mentors."
English professor lawrence Green had one traasfer student Robert Oliver, a freshman biokigy major from Tulane University, in his upper division Shakespeare class.
Green said he asked a few of his
I see Mutors page 2 l
Tyrone
Willingham has had a rough go since his
2m
loss to USC. 16
Ed Ou I Daily Trojan
No place to go. Sophomore electrical engineering majors Jesse Hans, Nate Dahlin (foreground) and Richard Chou (background) observe the skateboard prohibition near the intersection of Jefferson Boulevard and Hoover Street. The walkway has been used by famous skateboarders and featured in magazines.
Uumta OMiftoiw
A Itotantng mt. Belinda Swfta (left), a senior majonng m Mychotagy. mentors Ertynnda Brewington, a Dillard University freshman mafortng in psychology
I