University of Southern California
DAILY • TROJAN
VOL. LXlV NO. 16
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1971
Presidency to be solo race
By PETER WONG Staff Writer
The confusion over the ASSC presidential election was finally cleared up late Tuesday night when it was announced that John McGuinness was below the necessary 2.5 grade point average, thereby making him ineligible to run.
As a result. Kent Clemence will be the only name on today's presidential ballot, although write-in votes will be permitted. The election will take place as scheduled.
The announcement by Brian Heimerl. assistant director of student activities, to a late session of the ASSC Executive
Council, ended the most recent controversy over the ASSC presidential election — that of the eligibility of McGuinnes. former Associated Men Students president and first place finisher in the contested spring primary that was eventually invalidated by President Hubbard.
Heimerl was one of three university officials who had access to the grade point average of McGuinness. The other two were Robert Mannes, dean of student life, and Daniel Nowak, acting vice president for student affairs.
McGuinness was not available for comment on Tuesday night's announcement.
However, though the council voted 8-0-1 to proceed with the presidential election, members were disappointed over the election situation.
Jim Lacy, sophomore representative. abstained from voting and said. “Student government at USC is really screwed up." referring to recent events.
The council convened for its regular meeting at 5 p.m.. recessed for a dinner break at 6:05 p.m.. then met again at 6:45 p.m. to hear the report of the Elections Commission.
The commission again was handed the task of determining McGuinness’ eligibility, after it had originally decided Oct.
CLEARING CONFUSION — Brian Heimerl, assistant director of student activities, announces to the ASSC Executive Council on Tuesday night that
John McGuinness is below the necessary grade average and is ineligible to run for ASSC president in today's election. DT photo by Rivian Taylor.
TREATMENT AT GAME HIT
BSU protests incident
During the USC-Oregon football game this past weekend, a number of black students were asked to leave, supposedly on the ground of improper identification. Henry Blackburn, chairman for the Black Students Union. said that the eviction was not called for.
“We have our own rooting section with our own cheerleaders for the games." Blackburn said. This group, according to Blackburn, has been subjected to things being thrown at them such as paper airplaines.
“At the end of the fourth quarter an usher came down to our section and indiscriminately started to point at black students. claiming that they did not have identification cards. He then claimed that we had to leave." Blackburn said.
The usher, said Blackburn, continued to antagonize the
black students by saying. “Well, you're not going to win this time." referring to the incident that occurred last semester during the USC-BYU baseball game.
“The black students were almost on the verge of jumping on him and the police too. He sent down three black policemen thinking that that would pacify us." Blackburn said.
Blackburn said that despite a number of white students fighting in the stands, it was the black students the usher asked to leave and the black students whom he called a disgrace to other black students.
Paul Moore, director of student activities, did not physically intervene even though he was present, said Blackburn. But Moore did tell the usher that he felt that such action was not necessary. The usher
went ahead anyway, added Blackburn.
At present. Dean Robert Mannes is investigating the disturbance. Other university officials. such as Athletic Director Jess Hill, have refused to comment upon it.
Just two weeks earlier the BSU became involved in a dispute over office space in the Student Union. Members held a sit-down in the ASSC office demanding an office “where black students can come to find out information on programs and activities of the BSU." The Student Union Board has not as yet ruled on its request.
The BSU also made headlines last semester when Key members demonstrated on Bovard Field during a baseball game between USC and Brigham Young in protest of BYU s alleged racist policies.
5 that McGuinness could run for president in the fall elections. But that first decision, which was approved by the council, was. in effect, overturned by the ASSC Student Court on Oct. 6.
McGuinness then appealed the court's decision to the university. first seeking a hearing with Scott Bice, associate dean of the Law Center and chairman of the Student Behavior Committee panel that last spring ordered a new primary.
In a clarification issued Sept. 30. Bice said the committee believed that qualified candidates in the first primary should be allowed to run again.
However. Bice was out of town during last week's controversy. so McGuinness filed his appeal Tuesday morning with Mannes. who referred it to Nowak for decision.
After meeting with those involved in the case. Nowak is-' sued a four-page statement around 6 p.m. that he refused to make public. However, student officials said that Nowak's statement referred the entire question of McGuinness' eligi-
bility back to the Elections Commission, thereby avoiding university intervention.
Nowak said earlier that while the ASSC Constitution provides for appeals of court decisions to the university, it does not say to which authority appeals should go.
When the Elections Commission was informed of Nowak s statement, it was proposed that the council adjourn until 10 p.m. and let the commission debate McGuinness' eligibility and the possibility of postponing the presidential election.
The commission met at 7 p.m. and continued to 10:15 p.m.. at which time the commissioners said they would qualify both Clemence and McGuinness for the ballot pending a check on their grade point averages, as provided in the Elections Code They also urged the council to postpone the presidential election for one week but leave the other races as scheduled.
But after extended debate and Heimerl's announcement, the council voted merely to continue as planned with the election.
Elections to be conducted today
By GUNTHER MERLI
Staff Writer
Despite the eleventh-hour controversy the fall ASSC elections are upon us. Polling places will be open today and tomorrow. (See other story on page 1. >
Polls are located in front of Bovard Auditorium, at the corner of University Avenue and 28th Street on the Row and on the Medical School campus. The Bovard poll will be open from
9	a.m. to 7 p.m.. the Row poll from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and the Medical School poll from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.. both today and tomorrow.
Students need a current identification card to vote.
Kent Clemence is the only candidate for ASSC president on the ballot. John McGuinness has been disqualified because his grade point average is below the 2.5 required for an ASSC officer. Write-in votes will be counted.
All men students are eligible to vote for the Associated Men Students president. Joel Jacobs and Ron Rus are on the ballot.
Dave DeRieux. Paul Gautreau. Bob Glushon. Rich Sharp and Dan Strong are all on the ballot for freshman representative. (Glushon was incorrectly identified in yesterday's Daily Trojan as a write-in candidate. He was put on the ballot by a deci-
sion of the Student Court last week. The Elections Commission had originally denied his application because he had missed the filing deadline.)
Jamshid Tadjiki is alone on the ballot for international students representative.
There are six vacancies for graduate representatives. Four grad students. Dave Krill. Herb Krimmel. John Moore and Dave Wolds, are running.
A proposal for a refundable $1 per semester fee increase is also on the ballot. The funds would go to the Center for Law in the Public Interest, a nonprofit group doing work in law concerning environmental and consumer matters.
“No students will touch the ballots." said Lauren Sherman. a member of the Elections Commission. The American Arbitration Assn.. an off-campus organization. will man the polls and count the ballots.
The Student Court will meet tomorrow night to validate the results of the elections, after the polls are closed and the ballots counted
If runoffs are necessary, they will be held Oct. 20 and 21.
Amendment IV to the ASSC constitution states that a candidate needs only 40rc of the votes cast to win. if no other candidate has more than 25crc of the vote.