Court throws out 1,242 write-in votes
By LAURINDA KEYS News Editor
The ASSC primary elections were validated by the Student Court at 4:40 a.m. today in a decision that caused the three elections commissioners to resign in disgust. The court voided all 1.242 write-in votes cast.
Bruce Mitchell and Melvin Murphy, candidates for ASSC president, are eligible for the run-off election April 19 and 20. Bruce Mitchell received 649 votes, Murphy, 514. Jim Lacy came in third with 488.
Michael Lance Trope was declared the new vice-president of programs with 547 votes, only one-third of the total ballots cast. According to the ASSC constitution, a candidate must have 40<7r of the vote to win the primary if no other candidate receives more than 259c. Jack McNamara, who asked that his votes not be counted, received 759. There were 56 write-ins and 322 blank ballots.
The Student Court ruled that McNamara’s ballots would be considered void and not part of the total ballots cast in a decision of a case Trope brought before them. In a last-minute appeal. Lee Blackman, current ASSC vice-president of academic affairs pointed out to the
court that the elections code states void ballots are those that are illegibly marked or on which more candidates are designated than are constitutionally allowed for that office.
Although McNamara’s ballots did not fit these criteria the court abided by its decision, saying it was upholding the right of a candidate not to have his ballots counted.
Cliff Ishii and Greg “Hands” Cole will enter the run-offs for vice-president of academic affairs. Ishii polled 623 votes, Cole, 478. Chuck Jones was third with 268.
In the race for senior representative, Kent Clemence, present ASSC president, was declared the winner with 145 votes. An informed source said that James Booker, running as a write-in for the office polled more than 25% of the votes, but the 158 write-in votes for that office were not counted.
Clemence brought a successful case to the court at 7 p.m. last night asking it to declare unqualified all write-in candidates who had not filed a petition accompanied by a $5 fee with the commission and attended a mandatory candidates’ meeting. These are the requirements for regular candidates but Blackman later argued before the court that
in the spirit of the elections code, a provision is made for write-in candidates.
The elections code states, “All votes cast shall be counted and recorded” and “Write-in votes will ... be counted in the primary election.” A contradictory sentence in the code, upon which the court based its decision states, “All write-in candidates shall be subject to all rules of this code.”
Blackman also said the case was invalid because interested parties, (write-in candidates) were not notified and could not present their sides.
After her resignation, Elections Commissioner Mary Ann Galante said, “The Student Court fucked up the whole thing. Two weeks of work just to see them mess the whole thing up.”
Elections Commissioner Pat Nolan made this statement: “The elections commission ran a technically well-run election, so no one could accuse the commission of having an inequitable contest. We wanted to make it clear that if anything would louse up this election, it would be politics itself. And that's exactly what happened. Everyone is talking about going to the administration about what’s happened.”
After the court ruled against Blackman,
he said, “It was a triumph of procedural bullshit over equity.”
Trope said. “I will admit that one of my reasons for presenting the case was because it would make my election more plausible. I also uphold the right of an individual not to be a candidate and to request that his ballots not be counted ”
Clemence said, “I brought my case to court in the interest of fair play for all candidates in the election.”
In other races: Brad Taft with 161 votes and Larry Platt with 133 will run off for junior representative. John Kay was elected sophomore representative with 318 votes. No one who was qualified in the election for Associated Men Students president received any votes.
Hilary Hilton became Associated Women Students president; Ross Boylan, Associated Men Students vice-president; Shelly Nolan, Associated Women Students vice-president; Bob Gobrecht was elected senior class president; Jamshid Tadjiki, foreign students representative. The proposal to add a 50-cent Troy Camp tax to the programming fee was defeated 1,056 to 838. Only 1,931 votes were cast in the election as opposed to about 3.000 last year.
University of Southern California
DAILY m TROJAN
VOL. LXIV NO. 104
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
FRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1972
Open house to be held
“The Future Now” will be the theme of USCaleidoscope, USC’s fourth annual open house, Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
More than 200 free demonstrations, campus tours, lectures and exhibits will highlight the annual event that will take place on both the main campus and School of Medicine campus.
Among the events to take place will be the formal unveiling of a 57-foot-long three-dimensional
mural by Thomas Domino, a student, in the student lounge ofthe Law Center.
Taking place concurrently will be the finals in Regional Mock Law Office Competition. Students from many parts of the nation will be judged on their ability to interview and advise clients who bring them hypothetical legal problems.
The Division of Cinema will present three separate showings
Up, up and away
Balloons waved in the wind Thursday when international students were handing them out to publicize “The Carnival,” the fourth International Festival, which will begin Sunday with USCaleidoscope. Highlights of the weeklong event will include the Food Fair, international fashion show, and a Japanese tea ceremony. An international dance party on ^Friday will conclude the festival. DT photo hy Tony Korody.
of a series of USC student films that have won awards.
The School of Engineering will present a closed-circuit demonstration of the Norman Topping Instructional Television Center, illustrating the center’s broadcast capabilities.
“Nixon’s New Economic Policy: Will It Work?” will be the subject of a panel discussion by nine members of the Economics Department.
“A Celebration of Life,” a non-denominational worship service, will be conducted Sunday afternoon by University Chaplain Alvin Rudisill. Featured will be the USC Trojan Chorale, under the directioq of Terry Danne.
USC Chancellor Norman Topping will lead a panel discussion on “Urban Transportation.” just one of several presentations devoted to urban problems and the environment.
A model of a car fueled by natural gas and an electric car will be on display throughout the day in Archimedes Plaza of the School of Engineering.
Free shuttle buses operating at 15-minute intervals will transport visitors between the main campus and the campus of the School of Medicine.
Among the attractions there will be a demonstration of a heart-lung machine and a multimedia presentation demonstrating medical education techniques of the future.
The Bookstore and all eating facilities will be open for most of the day.
A child care center for children from two to six will be set up in the YWCA building.
All campus parking is free for the day.
A comprehensive schedule, listing time and place of events, will be available at numerous information desks and campus entrances on Sunday.
r	------ ..	^
Search begins today for new student affairs VP
A search committee to suggest candidates for vice-president for student affairs, will meet today at 2 p.m.
Chosen to serve on the committee are Jeri Banks, past Panhellenic Council president; Kent Clemence, ASSC president; Frances Feldman, professor of social work. Paul Knoll, associate professor of history; Charles Mayo, dean of the Graduate School, Mary Ann Pacheco, second chairman of MECHA; and Dan Smith, former Community Action Coordinating Council director.
Martin Levine, professor of law, was chosen chairman.
The office was held by Paul Bloland. who will not return this
fall.
Communications facility funded
The Annenberg School of Communications of the University of Pennsylvania will spend $8 million for the establishment and operation of a new educational facility, also to be known as the Annenberg School of Communications, which will be jointly operated with USC here.
The funds will be used to build a $3 million facility here for the study of communications and will provide up to $500,000 annually for the first 10 years as required in support ofthe school to supplement tuition income from the student body.
Announcement of the venture by the two institutions was made Wednesday by U.S. ambassador to Great Britain and Walter H. Annenberg, president of the Annenberg School, and by President John Hubbard.
The new building is expected to be completed by 1976. Hopefully, the educational program will begin in other facilities considerably before that date.
The decision of the communications school to establish another school here was based on the excellent programs already developed here in telecommunications, journalism, speech communication, the performing arts and related fields, and on the fact that much of the nation’s communications and entertainment industry is concentrated in Los Angeles, Ambassador Annenberg said.
The school’s curriculum will center on the advanced study of communications processes. Research, teaching and public service programs will examine the cultural, social and psychological effects of messages carried by modern media.
It is expected that the faculty and students will specialize in such fields as mass communication, linguistics and rhetorical studies, and communication in the performing arts, business, industry and government.
President Hubbard said, “We hope to make major contributions to society through analysis and experimentation in new media, techniques and message forms. The Annenberg School at USC will endeavor to provide an intellectual bridge between the scholar studying communication and the professional who is creating it.”
A task force of faculty and administrators has been working for over a year to develop plans for the school. The group, headed by Paul E. Hadley, dean of University College and Summer Session, is now screening candidates for dean of the new school.
A university spokesman said it is not known yet what USC's share of the project will be, nor how many students and faculty members will be brought into the program.