May 17, 2006	Vol. CXLIX, No. 1
am trojan
Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912
INSIDE
The Playstation 3’s steep price tag did not wow people at the E3 video ga, conventio,
7
Basketball player loved his team
Point guard Ryan Francis brought pride to his high school and community.
By ADRIAN FLORIDO
Staff Writer
Those who knew him said Ryan Francis’ spirit was the biggest thing about him.
The unexpected death of USC’s 511” 19-year-old freshman starting point guard has left a void in the lives of those who knew him at USC and in his hometown of Baton Rouge, La., where Francis had brought pride to his high school and community as a model athlete and student.
“He was just an outstanding young man that worked hard in the classroom and on the court,” said
Harvey Adger, Francis’ basketball coach at Glen Oaks High School in Baton Rouge, where Francis led his high school team to a state championship and was named Most Valuable Player last year.
Francis was shot multiple times and killed early Saturday morning as he and three others were stopped at an intersection near his Baton Rouge home, where he had returned to visit his mother for Mother’s Day after having taken his last final exam last Monday.
D’Anthony Ford, 19, the alleged shooter, pulled up next to the car and shot. The bullets were intended for the car’s driver. Francis, sitting in the rear driver’s side passenger’s seat, was the only occupant hit as the car he was in sped away. He died at a nearby i see francis. page 3 I
Freshman starting point guard Ryan Francis, 19, was shot and killed early Saturday morning.
Friends described Francis as a hard-working man full of spirit and determination.
Joel Zink I Daily Trojan
Teamwork. USC basketball player Ryan Francis shares a moment with teammate Nick Young. On the court, Francis worked hard to help the team and overcome his short statute.
Infant in Ashcraft case returns to L.A. Coroner’s Office
Hillside Mortuary refrigerated the child for five months before returning it to the coroner.
By JOSHUA SHARP
Staff Writer
The deceased child in the Holly Ashcraft murder case still has not been buried, said Craig Harvey, a spokesman for the coroner’s office.
Ashcraft, a third-year USC student, is charged with murder and child abuse after the body of an infant was found next to a dumpster behind the 29th Street Cafe.
Ashcraft’s mother, Marlene Zentz, claimed the child, in lieu of a next-of-kin, Dec. 9 to arrange for burial, but on May 8, after being refrigerated for five months at Hillside Mortuary, the child was returned to the coroner’s office, Harvey said.
“A body that’s deemed abandoned is the responsibility of the coroner to make ultimate disposition,” Harvey said.
Prosecuting Deputy District Attorney Efrain Aceves said he was “surprised” the coroner received the body again, noting the autopsy was completed in January and all tests were performed.
“The baby should be put to rest,” Aceves said.
While the situation was “somewhat” unusual, it is not unprecedented, Harvey said. Aceves said he has never
I see Ashcraft, page 6 I
INDEX
USC receiver Dwayne Jarrett might have to repay as much as $10,000.16
The president is allowed to keep data on phone records. 4
News Digest........2 Sports................It
Upcoming...........2 Classifieds........11
Opinions..............4 Lifestyle—.........'
WEATHER
Today: AM Clouds, PM Sun.. 62.
Tomorrow: High 80, low 63.
High of 79, low of
Students
graduate
across
campus
Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa spoke about USC’s rivalry with UCLA and political cooperation.
By ADRIAN FLORIDO
Staff Writer
Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa addressed more than
8,000 graduates at USC’s 123rd commencement ceremony in Alumni Park Friday, drawing on themes of rivalry and politics to encourage unity and cooperation among people of differing backgrounds and opinions.
Villaraigosa, Los Angeles’ first Latino mayor since 1872, was met with mixed applause and boos as he was introduced by university president Steven B. Sample to deliver the main commencement address.
During the address, Villaraigosa, a UCLA alum, made several references to USC’s athletic rivalry with his alma mater as well as to the increasingly polarized atmosphere prevailing in national politics, using the themes to emphasize the danger of close-mindedness and intolerance.
The mayor said increased security measures since the 2001 terrorist attacks have led to discriminatory policies against certain ethnic groups and foreign countries. He then declared his. confidence in the new generation’s ability to overcome these perceptions.
I see Graduation, page 8 I
Joel Zink I Daily wojan
Remembering Tommy Trojan. The graduating class of 2006 mingles with friends and family at USC's 123rd commencement ceremony in Alumni Park Friday.