The Los Angeles Loyolan, Volume 63, Issue 4 - September 23, 1985

INSIDE THIS ISSUE In News ... In Entertainment ... in Features ... In Sports ... In Opinion ... Students Unite Pete Townshend Faculty Team Magic Johnson Cross-Country .Against Drunk Debuts As ; Reports on Hosts Benefit Peace March Driving. Fiction Writer. Nicaraguan Game at Volunteers ... see page 2 ... see page 10 Situation. - ... see page O Gersten. . . . see page 15 Sought. ... seepageS Los Angeles Loyolan Loyola Marymount University Volume 63 Issue 4 September 23, 1985 CA Department Spends $500,000 By LISA MILLER, News Writer Bommunication Arts students and faculty welcomed the Fall semester with a type of enthusiasm seldom seen on college campuses, but for good reason. The 1985-1986 school year brought with it new equipment for CA students. Typewriters and calculators may be • ypical needs for other students, but the CA department is different. Cameras, sound boards, and other kinds of large and expensive equipment are necessary for students to sucessfully complete re¬ quirements for their production classes. A nonfunctioning computer is useless, and so is a broken lamp or an old camera for which replacement parts are no longer manufactured . The facelift within the Communica- »ion Arts department was long overdue and much anticipated. According to Don Zirpola, chair of the department, it began in 1981, when the Advisory Board of the CA council drew up an “extended memo” which detailed the refur- bishments and renovations necessary for returning CA equipment to a more than marginally functional level. One year Skateboarders Banned from the Roadways sidewalks are littered with pedestrians; secondly, there are not enough ramps to accommodate the skateboarders. If there were rules governing the skateboarders’ habits in the streets, much like the rules for cars and bikes, the streets would be far safer. Tickets should be given for breaking rules of the road, not just for being on the road.” Paul Feit, another skateboarding freshman troubled by the current system, said “When I first got to this school, I used my skateboard every where I went. Then as other skateboarders warned me that boards were being confiscated, I decided that my board should be kept in my room for fear of losing it.” Feit added, “I don’t know if there really is a solution to the problem. You * really can’t skateboard down the sidewalks because you run the risk Of running into a pedestrian. It seems a lot safer to ride on the road using good judgement.” Sergeant Boyd sympathizes with the skateboarders and explained that the stricter policies are for the benefit of the LMU community. He hopes to see fewer accidents and personal injuries related to skateboarding, and is confident that studehts will come to realize that securi¬ ty’s policies are for their own personal safety. Boyd welcomes comments or suggestions from students. ■ By GEORGE CORRAL News Writer 6 { I ffective immediately, persons E riding skateboards in unauthorized areas will be cited,” accor¬ ding to sergeant Charles Boyd, Acting Director of the Department of Public Safety. “This policy has been in effect , but will be strictly enforced henceforth.” The “Skateboard Policy” says that students should confine their skateboar¬ ding to the central mall area and sidewalks. Skateboarding on the designated street areas will result in cita- nons being issued. Citations for disregard of this policy run about ten dollars. “Recent accidents and serious per¬ sonal injury cases have made it im- erative that students adhere to and liiu I’ltoto Вч Both Simmons An LMU board rider cruises outside Whalen, abiding by Public Safety’s new policy. He’s on the sidewalk. respect traffic safety regulations for the general welfare of all students and staff, ’’said Sgt. Boyd in a recent an¬ nouncement. Before last year, there had been a skateboard policy prohibiting the use of any skateboards whatsoever on campus. Due to the sudden growth in popularity of skateboard riding last year, this policy became unenforceable and even¬ tually it was done away with completely. The many personal accidents occurring last year then forced some precautionary restrictions on skateboard riding. Although an official written statement actually conveying to the students the rules and regulations of skateboarding never really existed, LMU security of¬ ficers had been warning and sometimes citing riders in many areas during peak traffic hours. In some instances, security even resorted to confiscating skateboards in order to discourage riding on busy streets. This deterrence proved tough, because it triggered bitter feelings of hostility towards security officers in many skateboarders. Many LMU skateboarders were con¬ cerned about the preventative steps now being taken by security. Freshman Geoff Stricklin observed that in his “ex-; oerience here at LMU, it is more dangerous to ride skateboards on thes sidewalks than in the streets. First of all, i i Photo B> Santiago Cabalquinto This video switcher is just one new item purchased by Communication Arts. later, Academy Awards show director Marty Pasetta did a similar study, and his findings matched those of the staff. The list was finalized and presented to he university administration. From that point on, Fr. Albert Koppes, the academic vice president, played a major role in convincing the administration of he necessity of the requested equip¬ ment. Zirpola referred to Koppes’ sen¬ sitivity as a “real shot in the arm.” In December of 1984, the university secured a “large bond issue... as a gesture of goodwill [for the CA depart¬ ment to apply toward their needs],” said Zirpola. Zirpola, now in his second year as chair, is proud of his department’s “new look.” An LMU student was recently given a “Focus” award in a national screenwriting competition, and Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times told lie Director’s Guild last year that LMU’s CA department is now ranked with the film schools at USC and UCLA. The purchasing which helped to re¬ juvenate the department was done this summer, when Zirpola and five CA department staff members (Gary Parisi, Tom Delaira, Fritz Schwab, John Den¬ nis, and Vince Talbot), together with a number of students, challenged /hemselves to “scour the U.S. and England for the most reliable, most user-friendly, most professional equip¬ ment within our modest budget,” said Zirpola. The search yielded $725,000 worth of new and slightly-used quipment at a cost of $500,000. Zirpola defended the ex¬ penditure by saying that it was no “hardware binge,” but a purchase of ools which will enable people to “learn in a quality environment about CA, visual communication especially. . . [so classroom vocabulary] gets translated onto the screen.” The Von der Ahe CA building now has seven separate sound studios for recording music and film/television audio. The second floor has a film recor¬ ding and re-recording studio complete with new and refurbished recorders and a mixing console. It also has a screening room rebuilt largely through student ef¬ forts, and a room housing a sixteen- rack film/video mix center capable of interlocking sound effects, dialogue (continued on page 3)