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NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
TiilSOI
November 18,1999 Vol. CXXXVIII, No. 56
Coverage of hate crimes questioned
DiSCUSSiOll: Journalists say the media’s treatment of violent issues must be scrutinized
By YVONNE NGAI
Staff Writer
With the rise of hate crimes across the nation, journalists must question if they are handling their increasing coverage of them responsibly, a panel of professional journalists said on campus Wednesday during a discussion about their experiences dealing with hate crimes.
Led by Janet Clayton, editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Times, the six-member panel discussed issues ranging from racism to homosexuality.
“Hate crimes are nothing new — it’s a long-term virus, something society has dealt with better than others in history,” Clayton said. “Information is a great part of combating hate crimes.”
Held in Davis Auditorium in the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, the panel discussion was co-sponsored by Sexual Orientation in the News — an Annenberg School of Journalism program founded by visiting professor Roy Aarons — and the Unruh Institute for Politics.
One of the key topics of the discussion was the brutal murder of Matthew Shepherd, a University of Wyoming student who was beaten to death in Laramie, Wyo., last year because he was gay.
“In all the rush to make Matt the poster child in a political movement, I was afraid we would lose who Matt was as a person,” said panelist Jason Marsden, a reporter for the Casper Star-Tribune of Casper, Wyo., and a friend of Shepherd’s. “There was a real danger of Matt getting lost in (the national coverage of his death) and the family has had to scale back from the media.”
The shooting during the summer at the Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills was also discussed. Gene Lichtenstein, a panelist and editor in chief of the Los Angeles Jewish Journal, spoke on his fears of how the internet contributed to hatred advertising.
“The game is changing in ways I can’t predict, but it worries me,” Lichtenstein said. “With web sites, instead of 2,000 people (getting flyers in their mailboxes), 20,000 to a million people can reach (what people post on the internet). Suddenly, stories are out there and everyone can read them.”
Panelist Chris Connelly, an on-air correspondent and editorial director of MTV News, said that the channel tries to connect with its audience. MTV taped a video on Shepherd’s death six months afterward through interviews with friends who knew him well.
“A lot of the music that our audience listens to is made by and for people w'ho are outsiders,” Connelly said. “In covering outside music (such as the Shepherd story), we tried to bond him to the audience by having artists such as Melissa Etheridge call in and speak on political platforms.”
The audience of about 40 interacted with the panelists during the question-and-answer session at the end.
“I thought the panel was very' representative of different minority groups,” said Natalie Moniaga, a junior majoring in biology and gender studies. “I found the discussion very interesting.”
Ashley Crary, a teaching assistant for the class Sexual Orientation Issues in the News, which Aarons teaches, agreed that the discussion was “fascinating.” “(The discussion) was somewhat short so I think we didn’t get too much significant change,” she said. “Still, it was something, and hopefully other classes will talk about (hate crimes), because it is essential to talk about (them).”
Hollywood sculpture unveiled
flit Piece honors writers, directors and actors whose freedom of speech was restricted in ’40s, ’50s
Jessica Horn I Daily Trojan
Give a hand. Artist Jenny Hoizer receives applause at the unveiling of her artwork.
By JIN WOO
Staff Writer
USC’s Fisher Gallery unveiled Wednesday a sculpture celebrating the First Amendment by recognizing and honoring blacklisted Hollywood writers, directors and actors during the 1940s and ’50s.
In a garden setting at the rear of the gallery, more than 100 people gathered at the event, which featured speakers from the First Amendment/Blacklist Project committee, USC officials and relatives of those who were blacklisted.
The sculpture, which is inside a garden, consists of four stone walkways that lead into a circle of benches. The benches and walkways are engraved with quotes from those whom the blacklisting affected.
During the past several years, $250,000 in donations was collected through various fundraisers to create the sculpture by Jenny Hoizer to educate future generations about this period in American history, said Ben Halpein of the First Amendment/American Blacklist Project.
Playboy founder and owner Hugh Hefner and actor Jack Nicholson are among the 700 people who donated money for the sculpture that faces Exposition Boulevard. Actor Steve Martin also participated in the fundraising, donating a performance based on the letters blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo addressed to his son, Christopher Trumbo, while in jail.
Ten benches at the center of the garden feature the names and quotes from the Hollywood Ten — filmwrit-ers who refused to testify when subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee, exercising their First Amendment right. They were later imprisoned for contempt of Congress and blacklisted in Hollywood.
I	see Art, page 21 I
Senate supports tax-exempt law
Organization: Group to encourage schools to approve legislation that eliminates taxes on texts
By MEREDITH COOPER
Student Senate Writer
After unanimously voting Tuesday to support state legislation that would make textbook sales for students tax exempt, Student Senate will head a program encouraging other private schools in
California to support the legislation.
“It was a no-brainer for us to agree,” said Ben Berkowitz, housing senator and a senior majoring in communication.
California State Long Beach is in charge of the Cal State school program and UCLA is taking over for the UC schools, said Adam Levine, Senate chief of staff and a senior majoring in creative writing and biomedical engineering.
“We’ve been asked to head it up for the private schools,” Levine said. “That means contacting other private schools and getting them on board.”
A committee made up of students from participating schools in California is studying similar legislation in other states and
framing its own bill. States that have . passed laws making textbook sales tax exempt for students include Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Missouri, Oklahoma, New York, Tennessee and Virginia.
“We’re working on finishing the bill and finding a sponsor for it,” Levine said. ‘This is obviously time-consuming — it might take a few years.”
A sponsor can be either a state senate or assembly member, who will bring the bill into a committee. If the bill passes in the committee, there will be a general vote by either the state senate or assembly (whichever the sponsor is a member of) and if it passes, it will be voted on by the
I	see Legislation, page 22 I
PHC sorority to hold bid day on Friday
Greek: Interest in Delta Delta Delta is high despite the late membership drive, president says
By JEANNE KLEIN
Assistant City Editor
Delta Delta Delta sorority, which has been conducting a delayed rush process because of a rush incident last fall, will hold its bid day Friday.
While all other Panhellenic Council sororities held rush in September, Tri Delt’s delay was part of a punish-
ment from excessive hazing during last fall’s rush period, said Ken Taylor, assistant vice president of Student Affairs and director of Residential and Greek Life.
The delay did not negatively affect the number of pledges for this rash process, said Megan Wachtler, president of Tri Delt and a senior majoring in business.
“Everything is going really well, and we’re excited,” she said, declining to comment further.
The Panhellenic Council gives Tri Delt “good wishes,” said Patricia Kidder, PHC vice president of recruitment and a senior majoring in English. “PHC is supportive of Tri Delt’s recruit effort.”
Several groups of pledges were sent to two of six cooperating fraternities for hazing last fall, and alcohol
I	see Sorority, page 22 I
“Everything is going really well, and we’re excited."
Megan
Wachtler
president Delta Delta Delta