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NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
TUESDAY
December 7,1999 Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 65
Organization seeking $5 fee increase
Funding: Program Board directors say event quality will continue to improve with more money
By DANA NICHOLS
Program Board Writer
Though students have mixed feelings, Program Board directors say event quality has improved with this year’s $7 increase to the Programming Fee and that an additional increase next year would bring even bigger talent to the university.
Of the $53 Programming Fee the nearly 15,000 undergraduates must pay each semester this academic year, Program Board — the division of Student Senate that sponsors campus events, concerts and speakers — was allocated $5 for a total budget of $512,500.
But the organization’s directors said they hope to increase the Programming Fee at least another $5 for the 2000-01 school year to further enlarge their budget.
The more than §1-5 million Student Senate budget grew by almost $208,000 this year because of the fee increase. Program Board’s budget grew by $124,500. As of the week before Thanksgiving, Program Board had spent $307,180.
“The money we spent was very well used, and honestly, 1 don’t think we could have spent it better,” said Barrett Reiff, executive director of Program Board and a junior majoring in accounting. “The events looked better, had bigger attendance and were better promoted...There’s been no overspending, and no one’s sitting on a lump of money, either.”
Concerts this semester featured alternative band Save Ferris, pop band Smash Mouth and hip-hop group Naughty by Nature. Each drew anywhere from 3,000 to 6,000 people, directors said.
Appearances by comedian Norm MacDonald — who brought in twice the audience as last year’s welcome-back speaker, Jamie Kennedy — and talk show host Jerry Springer, who filled 1,600-seat Bovard Auditorium before an additional 200 people were turned away, were also popular, directors said.
However, Brian McNaught — a speaker in celebration of National Coming Out Week who attracted 1,500 at UC Berkeley — drew only 50 people at USC, and women’s U.S. soccer team goalkeeper Brianna Scurry had about 60 in her audience. Homecoming events had anywhere from 50 to 200 people in attendance.
“We are focusing on quality rather than quantity,” Reiff said at the beginning of the semester.
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Elizabeth Tabis 1 Daily Trojan
Book it. Doheny Memorial Library will not re-open until spring 2001 once it closes its doors later this month for construction.
Turning the page
Doheny Memorial Library enters a new phase of its 57-year history when it closes Dec. 15 for a seismic retrofit
An occasional feature that looks at noteworthy moments in USC history
By ARGHAVAN SALLES
Staff Writer
ince its dedication in 1932, Doheny Memorial Library’s bookstacks have . been infamous, from being part of f the first library built in Los Angeles to appearing in numerous Hollywood films.
But in preparation for the Seismic Retrofit and Preservation Project, which will begin at the end of the semester, the library will close on Dec. 15 for more than a year.
As the outside architecture of Doheny is ornamental, reinforcing the library walls with steel must be done from the inside of the building, said Stephanie Davis, Leavey
Library research services coordinator. This, along with the short timeline for the project, means that Doheny will have to be closed during the retrofitting. It will reopen during the spring 2001 semester.
Throughout the years, several films and television shows have been taped in Doheny, including “Ghostbusters,” Pacific Blue and Felicity.
The Scripter Awards, honoring the writer of the best screenplay adapted from a book as well as the author of the book, have been held in Doheny since 1988, said Karin Berger, the coordinator of the awards.
“The Scripter Awards make Doheny Library shine,” Berger said.
Students have also found a home at the
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Greek life does not hinder most religious practices
DIVERSITY ON THE ROW Part 2 of 3
Part 2: How
Greeks maintain their religious beliefs (Today)
Part 3: How gays and lesbians are perceived in the Greek system (Wednesday)
FaitllS: Students say they can express their beliefs though they may conflict with others in the house
By JEANNE KLEIN
Assistant City Editor
While the social environment of the Greek Row can make expressing religious beliefs difficult for some students living there, most said their faiths and practices are respected by their nonreligious Greek brothers and sisters.
Their ability to freely practice religion is most often hindered when house activities conflict with religious holi-
days, students said.
“Last semester, there were fraternity invites on the weekend of a Jewish holiday,” said Rina-Ann Hunter, a member of Gamma Phi Beta and a junior majoring in communication who is Jewish. In addition, some fraternities and sororities organize house retreats on Jewish holidays.
When that happens, Hunter said, people cannot attend the event because of religious and family obligations.
Hunter also said she feels excluded when fraternities and sororities decorate their houses for Christmas but not Hanukkah.
Although Hunter said she has never experienced extreme prejudice on the Row for her religion, she has dealt with intolerance on some level.
“I’ve met people who have made
really rude comments,” Hunter said. “It makes me feel uncomfortable and sometimes afraid that people will look at me differently if I say I’m Jewish.”
But difficulty in remaining confident in one’s religious beliefs is not just a result from living on the Row, Hunter said.
“In college, it’s hard to be religious and express your religion,” she said.
Chris Wolfe, a member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon and a junior majoring in international relations who is a Christian, agreed.
“It’s hard to divorce life on the Row' from college life in general,” Wolfe said.
Activities that go against his morals, such as underage drinking, are aspects of college life — not necessarily Greek life, he said. But despite the challenge of expressing his beliefs on the Row, in some aspects
it is easier than in campus dorms because his close friends now live around him and respect his religion, he said.
“Because of the close community on the Row, the more people who know about (the importance of religion), the more they will respect you and not challenge your faith,” Wolfe said.
But Wolfe said he is often teased about his beliefs and receives wisecracks about not drinking.
“It bothers me,” he said. “You feel like you’re not part of some things — you’re different.”
In addition, Wolfe said he struggles with being tempted by activities on the Row that do not coincide with his religious morals. But overall, he said he tries to set an example as a Christian.
“I don’t (force) it because there is more I see Diversity, page 3 I