Power cut blacks out campus
Classes, health services halted
By Roger Gray
Assistant City Editor
Underground primary lines at the university shorted Tuesday morning, cutting power to half the buildings on campus.
On the west side of campus electricity went out about 9 a.m.. leaving some buildings dark for a little over an hour while others remain without power this morning.
The Student Health Center and the Religious Center, the only buildings on campus still without power, should have their electricity restored by noon today, said Arnold Shafer, executive director of facilities management.
Vivian Hall remained dark all day Tuesday and Wednesday, but was scheduled to have power by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
Underground concrete conduit, housing primary electrical cables, shifted and caused the short, Shafer said. Deferred maintenance on the system may also have contributed to the problem, he said, since the cables that shorted were 10 years overdue for replacement.
Four of the university’s eight main electrical lines were down at the height of the blackout.
Shafer said, but the problem has been isolated in one section of one of those lines.
“We are in the process of pulling cable and replacing it. We’re having a devil of a time getting the cable out of the conduit, but the power should be back on tomorrow (Thursday).’’ he said.
No damage or injuries due to the outage were reported, but the Los Angeles City Fire Department responded in order to free people stranded in elevators. Most freed themselves when the electricity came back on in the buildings, according to fire captain Richard Smith.
Chemistry Department laboratories had to be evacuated for about 30 minutes because potentially dangerous gases accumulated when electric ventilation fans died, said Sgt. Herman Aviles of University Security.
The University has been troubled by dangerous power fluctuations and outages, Shafer said, so Physical Plant employees attached a recording device to the primary power lines to locate the problem.
Monday afternoon an alarm discharged and (Continued on page 3)
Outages result of pranks, accidents
By Marc Brown
The lights have gone out three times in the last week in some areas of the university.
Monday night power in the southwest section of the campus was shut off by university electricians. Last Thursday evening, there were two power outages, one intentional and one accidental. in university-owned housing.
Bimkrant and Von KleinSmid dorms and Birnkrant cafeteria were enveloped in darkness Nov. 6 during dinner when a transformer apparently malfunctioned.
A food fight ensued, and students were detained for about 10 minutes, according to one food service worker.
At about 9:30 that same evening, pranksters turned off the power in the Regal Trojan Apartments.
“They thought there was going to be a fire drill.” said Barry Houlehen. a resident who is acquainted with the two culprits. “They pulled the switch to get even.”
One of the pranksters said he and his roommate gained access to the main electrical switch and turned off the power. The pair waited for about 10 minutes, then turned the power back on.
When asked how he and his roommate gained access to the building's main electrical switch, he replied. “It's a trade secret, but there’s a way you can do it.”
The fire drill, which was supposed to take place last Thursday was held instead on Friday.
DT computer fails
Due to repeated computer malfunctions, the Daily Trojan was forced to suspend publication Wednesday.
Attempts to Fix the computer system, which the newspaper has used since fall 1979, w ill be made during the remainder of the week. Meanwhile, the production of the paper will continue at a printing facility in Glendale rather than at the on-campus site.
Volume LXXXIX, Number 40
Professors analyze results of election
By Eric Vincent
Staff Writer
Expressing their opinions on the future of politics in the United States, five political science professors analyzed the recent election during a panel discussion Wednesday afternoon at the Von KleinSmid Center lounge.
"Many of the voters saw the opportunity to throw the rascals out,” said Herbert Alexander, director of the university's Citizen’s Research Foundation. “I think that there is an accumulation of grievances that manifested themselves in this election."
Alexander pointed out that although the House of Representatives is still controlled by the Democrats, the increase in conservative members is an indication that it will work well with the now Republican-controlled Senate.
Asked what influence the moral majority politics may have in the future, Alexander said he does not believe the government will be steered by the new right.
Larry Berg, another panelist, felt the debate was a decisive factor in the outcome of the election.
"After the debate, I saw Carter in a great deal of difficulty. His accusations of Reagan were just not proven to be true," Berg said.
On the conservative mood in the country Berg said, “If Reagan is successful, there will be a greater trend towards conservatism. If not, there will be another election similar to this one, in which the incumbents are thrown out.”
Joseph Cerrell was concerned with the moral majority issue. He saw the losses of Sen. Frank Church and Sen. Birch Bayh a direct result of the actions of groups like the National Conservative Political Action Committee.
(Continued on page 7)
trojan
University of Southern California
Thursday, November 13, 1980
Staff photo by Jennifer Boiler
ELECTION FORUM — George Totten, chairman of the political science department, emcees a forum on election results during open house.
Professor to change U.S. defense
B\ Matthew Kane
Staff writer
After vears of vocal disagreement with Carter administration defence policies. William R. Van Cleave, director of the university's Defense and Strategic Studies program, finally has the chance to change things as President-elect Reagan's senior defense adviser.
In an exclusive telephone interview with the Daily Trojan. Van Cleave, in Washington, outlined his views on defense issues.
Van Cleave said his greatest concern is that a Soviet first strike could incapacitate the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile arsenal before U.S. missiles can be launched.
“My objective is to solve the ICBM vulnerability problem as quickly as possible,” Van Cleave said.
Van Cleave supports the MX
missile but is no^ totally satisfied with the current plans because of the length of time it will take to become operational.
“I favor the capability represented by the missile. I favor some variation of multiple-shelter basing. I think that a very serious option would be to take the Minuteman missile and redeploy it in a multiple shelter mode." he said.
Van Cleave favors insuring the survival of U.S. strategic nuclear missiles in order to have a second-strike capability. This is contrary to the policy of Mutually Assured Destruction accepted under another name by the Carter administration until this year.
“I think Mutually Assured Destruction is a bankrupt policy,” he said. “I find it morally reprehen-
sible and strategically abominable."
Van Cleave said ICBMs should be aimed at Soviet military targets, not cities.
Van Cleave also favors programs to minimize the damage a Soviet strike might cause.
Limiting the destructive potential of both sides’ nuclear arsenals is also the objective Van Cleave said the U.S. should pursue in arms negotiations.
Van Cleave opposes passage of SALT II because it allows an increase in the number of nuclear weapons.
Reagan plans to withdraw SALT II. Van Cleave said, but intends to continue arms negotiations.
“What we want to do, of course, is keep alive the arms negotiation process," Van Cleave said.
The U.S. needs to re-evaluate its (Continued on page 18)