UNIVERSITY TO ASSIST IN L.A. PLAN
Commission discusses community revitalization
Members of University Admissions Committee disagree as to its purpose
By Cliff Tan
Staff Writer
At the first meeting of the University Admissions Committee Monday, members disagreed over what the purpose of the committee should be.
The committee, a special committee of the President's Advisory Council, was formed last November in response to protests of minority groups on admissions policy last spring.
William Weber, a chemistry professor and chairman of the committee, said to change admissions policy would take many months, and that the committee should be doing something which will have an impact on admissions in the near future.
Policy is a complicated issue, Weber said, with many different areas which would have to be ex-
amined if it is to be changed.
Weber proposed that the committee explore ways to encourage greater faculty and student participation in the recruitment process, noting that out of every two students admitted to the university, only one enrolls.
According to a copy of several proposed goals of the committee, faculty members may be encouraged to contact prospective students on their own with an effect of increasing both the number and quality of the undergraduates in their program.
Students may serve as recruiters for students from their high schools, said the copy of the goals.
(Continued on page 15)
University’s role in bicentennial sought
By Linda Suzuki
Staff Writer The Los Angeles 200 Committee presented proposals on the university's role in the 1981 bicentennial celebration to the University-Neighborhood Relations Commission Monday.
The committee, a California nonprofit organization, was established by Mayor Tom Bradley to plan and coordinate a
12-month program of events and activities to commemorate the founding of Los Angeles pueblo, Sept. 4, 1980 through Sept. 4, 1981.
Richard Rosenthal, planning director for the committee, said the committee's goal for the university and surrounding community is a program of urban improvements that would lead to “long-range interaction and permanency."
Specifically, the committee presented three proposals for university-involved, projects. These proposals were submitted to the committee by the North University Park Community Association, a grass roots, nonprofit organization comprised of community resi-
dents including those in off-campus student housing.
The first proposal is for a farmers market that will bring fresh produce to the area at a lower cost than conventional supermarkets by eliminating middleman profits.
The second project called for the creation of an urban minipark on a vacant 20,000-square-foot parcel of land near the intersection of Estrella Avenue and 21st Street,* to be called the Estrella Avenue Mini-Park.
The association hopes the (Continued on page 7)
FINDS IT A CHALLENGE
Appleton available to students
By Yolanda Barnes
At times the university seems like a land of red tape where administrators are the all powerful string-pullers. Seldom seen by students, they can be distant, untouchable, hidden behind scores of secretaries, desks, computers and closed office doors.
James Appleton, vice president of student affairs, could be the exception. His office serves as a bridge between students and administrators.
"The university exists because of students. That seems obvious, but most university administrators don't hold to that. He (Appleton) does," said Peter Shugarman, associate professor of biological sciences and assistant dean of the division of natural sciences and mathematics.
"He's not like most administrators. He's not way up there, you know what I mean?" said
Kathy Long, his administrative assistant.
"Out of all the rest of them (administrators) I trust him the most," said Randall Craig, co-chairman of the Black Student Union.
"I think I listen to students," said James Appleton, the man they all referred to.
Appleton affects nearly every student at the university. He is chief administrator of student-related affairs. Under his guidance a staff of more than 200 people run the Health Center, Counseling Services, El Centro Chicano, Campus Life and Recreation, Career Development Center, Learning Skills Development, Residential Life, student publications and International Students Association.
Appleton's job, responsibilities and loyalties are two-fold. "I see myself as an administrator," he said, but "also (as an) advocate for the students."
(Continued on page 8)
By Gina Becchetti
Assistant City Editor
At a meeting of the University Neighborhood Relations Commission Monday, university and community representatives discussed who should take the initiative in implementing the South Central Los Angeles Plan in the university area.
The plan, adopted last April by the Los Angeles Gty Council, addresses the problems of South Central Los Angeles as an inner-city area and outlines steps which can be taken to revitalize the area.
During the meeting, the commission, one of several committees of the President's Advisory Council debated who should play a leadership role in implementing the plan before it was agreed that some kind of advi-
sory council, made up of university and community interests, needs to be formed before any effective action can be taken by the university. Some members felt the university should provide that leadership.
In summary, the plan said that "the vitality and health of the various portions of the City are interdependent; the wellbeing of South Los Angeles is essential to that of all of Los Angeles." The plan was drawn up by the Los Angeles Gty Planning Department and is part of the General Plan of the Gty of Los Angeles.
South Central Los Angeles includes the communities of Adams, Exposition and South Vermont, of which the university is a part.
The city and county are vague on the plan, but the
university is strong enough to provide that leadership, said Edward Robinson, program coordinator of the Neighborhood Adult Participation Project.
The university can provide the atmosphere to bring in groups to help with the plan, Robinson said. We need to define the area of the community and identify who we are communicating with and why, he added.
"USC is a broad community with impact on all the schools in the area," Robinson said. "It should be our business to attract resources that would play a role in the development of the area."
"The diversity of interests within the square mile area is enormous," said Robert Biller, dean of the School of Public
Administration and chairman of the commission.
"Somehow, unless the folks who live, work and go to school in this area act as owners or the neighborhood and find a way to pull themselves together, I don't see how anything can happen," Biller said.
Some commission members believe the commission should play a leading role, but Biller contended that the commission has a simpler agenda.
We need some type of election or open forum strategy which would include representatives of institutions, resident associations, the Coliseum crowd, the private sector and other community interests, Biller said.
"My idea is to pull these guys (who are already involved in various projects) in and ask
'where do you fit in?' And ask 'where do we fit in?' Robinson said.
"We need to look at the implementation, development and impact of university policy towards the community," Robinson said. "A group of people need to sit down and talk about the impact, the bread and butter, the. critical issues, and brainstorm to work out the specifics."
If anything, such as the demolition or construction of a building, was planned, it would have to be brought before the council for its advice and approval.
"The university is doing things which impact the community but which they're (the community) not aware of," (Continued on page 15)
Volume LXXXVIII, Number 7
Staff photo by Wayne Lavfne
WHITE OUT — Vandals covered Tommy Trojan with white paint over the weekend, causing some $400 worth of damage. Paint shop employees said they are used to cleaning up the statue after games involving UCLA. The Trojans were defeated by the Bruins in basketball Saturday night. See story on page 12.
trojan
University of Southern California
Tuesday February 12, 1980