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NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
September 13,1999 Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 9
Drug use is not widespread on USC campus
FOllOW-UP: Friends of student arrested Sept. 2 for LSD sales say Scott McLetchie is not a dealer
By JENNIFER MEDINA
Assignment Editor
Friends of Scott McLetchie would never describe him as a drug dealer.
They would use words like generous, supportive and loyal instead.
A federal grand jury indicted McLetchie, a senior majoring in theater, on charges of selling 11,500 doses of LSD to undercover Drug
Enforcement Administration agents Thursday, according to Friday’s Los Angeles Times.
Rita Wadhwani, a senior majoring in literature, was also indicted as McLetchie’s partner, according to the Times.
McLetchie’s arraignment is set for Sept. 20.
Undercover agents say he admitted to selling LSD-laced snow cones to five teens at a rave in the Angeles National Forest last month. The five teens later died after they drove off a cliff.
McLetchie was probably joking when DEA agents recorded him saying he sold the snow cones to the teens, said his friend Danny McKeever, a senior majoring in theater.
“He was pretty clean,” said McKeever, after declining to comment on McLetchie’s use of drugs. “He really cleaned up his act in I see McLetchie, page 10 I
Sidebar: According to university studies and officials, alcohol is more prevalent around school
By ELISSA K. KONOVE
Staff Writer
While the Sept. 2 arrest of USC senior Scott McLetchie for allegedly selling LSD may lead some to believe that the use and sale of drugs by USC students is widespread, surveys and studies have shown that this is not the case.
Although some USC students abuse
drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, and LSD, use of these types of drugs is not as common as alcohol use, recent surveys report.
“Every semester we wind up arresting some students for drug violations,” said Department of Public Safety Deputy Chief Bob Taylor. “Most of the time it is for marijuana, and sometimes we see cocaine or peyote buttons or some similar hallucinogenic drug.
“Last year, we had several students in a dorm room having a pot party, and we found them using bongs and other paraphernalia,” he added. “We also had an officer observe a student jump on a parked car on 30th Street. He was stopped and found to have been using and in possession of I see Drugs, page 11 I
Travel agency for students opens in UV
Business: Vacation packages, air fare tickets are less expensive and more flexible, officials say
By ANNE WONSONO
Staff Writer
Just three weeks into the semester and already looking to take a vacation?
Students can now make travel arrangements through STA Travel, an agency chosen by USC Travel Management Services to provide vacation plans specifically for students.
Travel Management Services is currently determining whether or not to renew its contract with the USC Travel Store, which provides travel plans for university officials, faculty and staff, said Clare Hansen-Shinnerl, director of Travel Management Services. Another travel office may be opened to provide services specifically for university employees, she said.
STA Travel, which opened last week in University Village, beat seven other travel agencies in a competitive bid USC organized. Part of a 240-branch global network, STA Travel has 40 branches on campuses throughout the United States, including UC Berkeley and Columbia University.
Its focus on customer service, as well as the availability of online bookings, were the factors that led to the success of their bid, Hansen-Shinnerl said.
‘They had a particular focus on customer service and they were the only agency with online, web-based booking product,” she said.
While regular airline tickets are only valid for a month, students can buy tickets with STA Travel that are valid for up to three months at a lower price. It is also possible for students to get better deals without making advanced purchases for most flights, and instead of paying $75 for date changes on domestic tickets, students need only pay $25, said Laura Stegeman, marketing manager of STA Travel in the United States.
“Students are traveling on a budget, so (airfare deals) have got to be affordable,” she said.
Stegeman also added that students can cash in the unused portion of their tickets and change it for another one with different travel plans.
“STA is able to (give good deals) as they have contracts with more than 40 airlines for Student Ticket (packages),” Stegeman said.
STA Travel also employs experienced travel advisers to provide better customer information as well as to live up to its motto of “We’ve been there,” said Heidi Podjavorsek, branch manager of the STA Travel office
I see Travel, page 10 I
’SC SPOTLIGHT
American Beauty
Jhe Miss Teen USA contestant says that pageants aren’t what they’re perceived to be
BY MARYLYNN RODRIGUEZ
Staff Writer
Azad Jafarian I Daily Trojan
Kristen of Troy. Kristen Walthers, a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism, placed eighth in the Miss Teen USA pageant, which was held last month.
Walthers isn’t your typical beauty queen.
The sophomore broadest journalism major from Nev., w'as one of the top 10 finalists in last month’s Miss Teen USA pageant and won the title of Miss Teen Nevada earlier this year. But unlike the catty, competitive beauty contestants portrayed in movies such as “Drop Dead Gorgeous,” Walthers insisted that she’s not like that.
“It wasn’t as superficial and vicious as I thought it would be,” she said.
Although Walthers admits some of the contestants are not as pleasant as they appear, she said that for the most part, her fellow state representatives for the Miss Teen USA pageant provided her with a great learning experience.
“It was truly a blessing to participate in the Miss Teen USA pageant,” she said. “I met so many girls and learned so much about different people and a live production. It was such a neat experience.”
Going into the pageant, Walthers sought to make the finals and was happy with her eighth-place finish afterwards. She now hopes the publicity will help her future career as a broadcast journalist.
“It was so much fun. All the appearances and free stuff we got definitely outweigh the long, tiring hours of singing, dancing and interview practice we endured,” she said.
Walthers also loved that she met so many different teenagers from other states, and was awarded $500 and a free Tommy Hilfiger wardrobe.
Unlike the majority of the pageants’ participants, Walthers has had little experience with pageants herself.
I see Spotlight, page 2 I