Student Newspaper of the University of Southern California Since 1912 | www.dailytrojan.com | VOL. 175, NO. 66 | Wednesday April 25, 2012
Tiny dancer: Billy Elliot delights
with strong performances and
direction that’s on-point. PAGE 5
Home lose: USC men’s baseball
loses 1-0 against Long Beach State
at Dedeaux field. PAGE 12
weather
today
hi 68
lo 54
tomorrow
hi 61
lo 52
USG
By Meghan Heneghan
Daily Trojan
New Undergraduate Student
Government officers said they plan
to achieve goals — ranging from in-creased
sustainability to better uti-lizing
the Ronald Tutor Campus
Center — by increasing communi-cation
and building upon achieve-ments
from the past administration.
Over the summer, USG repre-sentatives
said they plan to solidify
their goals and conduct research to
ease the pressure when officers re-turn
in the fall, USG President Mikey
Geragos said. Geragos, USG Vice
President Vinnie Prasad and the USG
Senate were sworn into office April 3.
“We’ve finalized the team and the
budget,” Geragos said. “Now it’s less
administrative processes and down
to work.”
One priority for Geragos’ admin-istration
is to continue the previ-ous
administration’s advocacy for
USG plans
to increase
publicity
New officers say they will
work on sustainability and
communication this summer.
| see Goals, page 2 |
By Austin Byron
Daily Trojan
President Barack Obama will seek to obtain a one-year
extension on the current interest rate on federal student
loans in Congress before the rates double to 6.8 percent
July 1.
The increased interest rates could have dramatic
effects on financial aid and students’ ability to repay their
tuition.
“I’ve always believed that we should be doing
everything we can to put our education in reach for every
American student,” Obama said in a conference call to
student journalists. “In America, higher education can’t
be a luxury. It’s an economic imperative that every family
[must] be able to afford.”
It is necessary for Congress to extend the current
interest rates on student loans because higher education
must continue to be within the economic means of every
American, Obama said.
Cecilia Muñoz, an assistant to the president and
director of the White House Domestic Policy Council, said
in a press conference that extending the current interest
rate on student loans would be helpful in maintaining
high levels of employment and income within the nation.
“We know that students who complete a college
Obama asks for
extension on
student loans
The interest rate on federal student loans will
double if Congress does not pass an extension.
| see Obama, page 2 |
Politics
Ani Kolangian | Daily Trojan
Trojan spirit
The USC Silks of the Trojan Marching Band teach students the routine for “Tusk” in
front of Heritage Hall on Tuesday. Students without colorguard experience had the
opportunity to learn moves such as dropspins, backscratchers, happy feet and slams.
By Isabelle Mason
Daily Trojan
The Rossier School of Education announced last
week the appointment of Rossier alumna Kalim
Rayburn as the new director of alumni engagement
in the Office of External Relations.
Rayburn will serve as the manager of career
placement and development and will create new ways
for alumni to connect with Rossier’s 15,000 alumni.
She will also work to enhance external partnerships
that help students in their employment search.
Anne Wicks, the associate dean of external
relations, said the new position will greatly benefit
Rossier.
“There has been a hole in this department for quite
a while, and this is a terrific time to fill it,” Wicks
said.
Enrollment at Rossier has grown significantly over
the last several years, especially in the Master of Arts
in Teaching degree program, Wicks said.
“With an ever growing alumni population, we
want to make sure we can connect and serve all of
our alumni past graduation,” Wicks said.
Before Rayburn’s position was created, Wicks said
students used the Career Center for guidance on
placement after graduation.
“Dr. Rayburn has terrific entrepreneurial spirit,
and having graduated from Rossier last year, she
understands the school, programs, faculty and what
can best help the alumnus, and she has experience
in building, launching and executing successful
programs,” Wicks said.
Alumna named as
new director of
alumni engagement
The new position in the Office of External
Relations will help connect Rossier alumni.
Rossier
By Joey Kaufman
Daily Trojan
USC’s quest to obtain management
control of the 88-year-old Los Angeles
Memorial Coliseum is long overdue,
according to some residents and other
members of the community.
The university has been in negotiations
with the Coliseum Commission since
September, and last week, the commission
— the nine-member governing body for
the stadium — released a modified lease
agreement to the public.
Under the proposed lease USC would
control the Coliseum, Los Angeles Sports
Arena and adjacent parking lots for the
next four decades.
“They have proven to be of public
service — in the neighborhood and in the
hospital,” said Joe Essi, a nearby resident.
“Wherever they go, people want them
there.”
The lease, which requires USC to make
annual rent payments of $1 million, will be
subject to a vote later this year, possibly as
soon as May 2.
“This is going to be a great opportunity
for everyone,” said Charmaine Jefferson,
executive director for the California
African American Museum in nearby
Exposition Park. “[USC has] been a
fantastic neighbor and a fantastic partner
for us — and I believe here in the Coliseum.”
The Coliseum sits just one block south
of USC’s campus. The Trojan football team
has played at the venue since 1923 and has
been the sole tenant since the mid-1990s
after the then-Los Angeles Raiders moved
to Oakland, Calif.
One concern raised, though, has been
event scheduling and whether public
events will continue to be held regularly at
the venue.
As outlined by the 92-page document,
USC could limit the use of the facility for
public interest events, which include the
annual Fourth of July celebration, to eight
per year.
Cornell Ward, a local resident involved
with A Better LA, a non-profit group
devoted to preventing gang violence
Community members say they approve USC lease
Community members say they hope
the Coliseum will still hold events if
USC receives the master lease.
| see Coliseum, page 3 |
Coliseum
Corey Marquetti | Daily Trojan
Lease · Community members say they approve of USC gaining managerial control of
the Coliseum, but they hope the university will consider public opinion in its decisions.