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l or those headiiig up lo Stanford this weekend, here • a list oj the hi t hangout' 7
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Opinion^ ..
www.dailytrojan.com
November 2, 2006
CLIX, No. 51
USG backs
Multi-Faith
Center
New facility would be available for all religious groups on campus.
in lit mm
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
Law students go all in for Katrina victims
ta uu i Daily irojan
Gambling for a cause. The USC Gould School of Law's Legal Aid Alternative Break hosted a poker tournament in the Law School Cafe Wednesday to raise money for the cost of law students to assist with legal aid in New Orleans.
By JODIE OXMAN
Staff Writer
Senators of the Undergraduate Student Government unanimously approved a resolution to support the new Multi-Faith Center for Research, Reflection and Practice Tuesday night.
Upon completion, USC will be the only major research university to offer a multifaith center to its students.
“(The Multi-Faith Center) is a resource that’s lacking on campus, and it’s an obvious need at the university,” said Steven Gaughan, assistant director of diversity affairs. "We have over 13 traditions represented on campus.”
With only four places of worship at USC, students are limited to where they can gather to practice their religious traditions.
“We don’t have the facilities necessary to accommodate the religious diversity on campus,” Gaughan said.
Rabbi Susan Laemmle, dean of religious life, said spaces will be availably to any campus groups, but detailed plans for allocation of space have not yet been determined.
“The center is for research, reflection and practice,” Laemmle said. “One goal is to bring together academic religion and practiced religion.”	^
The Multi-Faith Center will augment religious centers that already exist, Gaughan said. A number of religious groups do not have their own offices, and the center will be a place where all religious and spiritual groups can congregate.
“I’ve heard complaints from Muslim students about the lack of places to worship,” Gaughan said. “The Fishbowl (Chapel) is small and always packed with different groups trying to use it.”
Three out of the four spaces available for student worship on campus contain Christian iconography, and the Fishbowl Chapel accommodates about 50 people.
The plan is to create large rooms free of permanent iconography so that many different groups can use the rooms, Gaughan said.
The USC Multi-Faith Center must raise the necessary $20 million before construction can begin.
"The provost is supporting it,” Laemmle said. “With the money, it would happen right now."
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Creating a connection of students, faculty
Event brings 28 professors from variety of fields to help foster research relationships.
By EUNICE OH
Contributing Writer
More than 250 students and professors from a variety of fields gathered Wednesday at “Beyond Books,” a research-networking event sponsored by the Academic Honors Assembly.
The event, held at the Davidson Conference Center, was established two years ago and originally began as a panel and seminar with only five to seven professors.
This year, however, AHA brought 28 professors from a variety of fields,
including physics, chemistry, psychology, political science, classics, biological science and comparative literature..
“The overall goal (was) to basically help connect faculty and students, especially with regards to research on campus,” said Parth Shah, executive director of AHA and a junior majoring in biochemistry. "It can be intimidating to approach faculty members. This event (created) an environment where you’re more likely to go and pursue opportunities.”
The event commenced with speakers from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences including Peter Starr, dean of the College; Gene Bickers, vice provost of the
I see Books, page 3 I
Networking. Michael Quick, dean of Undergraduate Research Programs, speaks at the "Beyond Books” event held on campus Wednesday.
Orthodox group comes to campus
By JODIE OXMAN
Staff Writer
With the addition of the Christian Eastern Orthodox Studen t Association this semester, there are now 78 student religious groups on campus.
By gathering students who are either a part of the Christian Eastern Orthodox tradition or who are inter-
ested in it, the group said it hopes to provide a spiritual home for Orthodox Christians at USC by exploring the traditions and spirituality of the faith.
“(Christian Eastern Orthodox people) don’t really stand out, primarily because there aren’t that many of us, so it really meaivs something when you see this name,” said the
Rev. Patrick Irish, an administrative assistant in the Department of French and Italian and staff adviser to the group.
“There are Eastern Orthodox students on campus who will greatly benefit from the existence of the group,” said the Rev. Elizabeth Davenport, associate dean of Religious Life.
I see Orthodox, page 10 I
There are currently 78 student religious groups on campus.
INSIDE
Prized recruit Stafon
Johnson struggles to make an impact with Trojans this season. 16