USD Magazine, Fall 1996

University of San Diego Archives

USD Hosts America's the Final Town Hall Presidential Meeting Debate

Snacks, Facts and Gift Packs ~ On the Trail ~ Setting the Stage

UNIVERSITY OF SAN DIEGO

DEPARTMENTS

ALCALA ALMANAC 2 Volleyball Bulgarian style ... A master plan ... The science of sea bass ... A museum transformation ... Coffee kudos ... Napkin poetry ... Movers and shakers ... Survey said ... Hands across the border ALUMNI &ALLERY 21 Mike Whitmarsh '85 sees the silver lining, page 24 ... Dawn Lighter '90 (M.A.) has the write stuff, page 26 ... Michael Brower '92 (M.B.A.) is not just puttering around, page 28 KALEIDOSCOPE 33 President's reception ... Pericles ... The music of Bach ... Thanksgiving Mass ... French flute music through the ages ... Alumni Mass ... Starting a foreign operation ... Torero Tipoff ... Juliana of Norwich ... International negotiations ... Spring family weekend PARTIN& SHOT Back Cover

Gauer 0/ory

USO MAGAZINE

America's Town Hall Meeting After months of preparation, renovation and expectation, Shiley Theatre held the nation's spotlight for 90 minutes on Oct. 16 as the site of the final presidential debate. When the audience filed out and the candidates left for their respective ral– lies, quiet fell over the theater once more. But, like the renovation that improved this venue, the USD community is forever changed by the experience that came to be known as "history in the making."

EDITOR Trisha J. Ratledge CONTRIBUTING EDITORS Kate Callen Michael R. Haskins

PHOTOGRAPHERS Jim Coit Pablo Mason Rodney Nakamoto Jonathan Woodward

Jill Wagner '91 ART DIRECTOR Visual Asylum

ILLUSTRATION Amy Jo Levine Joel Sotelo

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PRESIDENT Alice Bourke Hayes VICE PRESIDENT FDR UNIVERSITY RELATIONS John G- McNamara DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC RELATIONS Jack Cannon DIRECTOR OF ALUMNI RELATIONS John Trifiletti '78

USD Magazine is published quarterly by the University of San Diego for its alumni, parents and friends. Editorial offices: USD Magazine, Publications Office, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492. Third-class postage paid at San Diego, CA 92110. USD phone number: (619) 260-4600; emergency security: (619) 260-2222; disaster: (619) 260-4534. Postmaster: Send address changes to: USD Magazine, Publications Office, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492.

CONTENTS

Yealures

SNACKS, FACTS AND GIFT PACKS Student volunteers kept the debate wheels turning and picked up a few secrets along the way.

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A ROOM WITH A VIEW Whether they were in the Sports Center for the group debate viewing, one of the few seats in Shiley Theatre, or a dorm overlooking Bob Dole's green room, stu– dents saw more than they bargained for.

JOE VS. THE CONVENTIONS After wrangling jobs at the Republican and Democratic conventions, Joe Brenckle '96 developed a raging case of Potomac fever.

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A LIVING LABORATORY Faculty and students magnified the debate experience with computers, campaign experts and community outreach.

SUMMER SCHOLARS Sister Patricia Shaffer invites high school students into her lab each summer, often planting the seed for future science careers.

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SEMPER GUMBY Flexibility was the watchword on campus as plans were made to be changed.

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FDR THE RECORD With media nearly shoulder-to-shoulder along Marian Way, students and faculty were quoted from San Diego to Hungary.

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AMERICA'S TOWN HALL MEETING When the nation's political bandwagon rolled onto USD's campus for the final presidential debate, the campus was trans– formed into a virtual Washington, D.C. Offices turned into campaign headquarters, Shiley Theatre was converted into a town hall, students analyzed the process, took sides and even temporarily became the can– didates. And 1,500 media reported on it all.

SETTING THE STAGE The 44-year-old Shiley Theatre got a facelift and looks years younger.

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ON THE TRAIL Campaign staffs enter loudly and carry a big shtick.

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~~ l(~ UPDATE li .'.Jrie path for implementation of the U niversity of San Diego Master Plan cleared a hurdle on Sept. 19 when the City of San Diego Planning Commission unani– mously approved the outline for campus development over the next 25 years. Final approval from the San Diego City Council, which was scheduled to hear and vote on the plan Oct. 29, was still pending as USD Magazine went to press. The master plan contains proposals for 26 building and development projects. Although a specific time line for the ele– ments of the master plan cannot be deter– mined, as funds to build the projects will come from private gifts and grants, USD was required to obtain approval of the entire plan before proceeding with any new campus construction. Highlights of the plan include: l(~ Expansion of the football stadium and a new sports facility featuring a 5, 100- seat arena, two gyms, aquatic and fitness centers, aerobic and dance studios, tennis courts and locker room facilities. l(~ A landscaped pedestrian mall to replace Marian Way, the road currently bisecting the campus. l(~ Additional apartment style and dormi– tory housing. l(~ A new building for environmental studies, a state-of-the-art technical learning center and a new academic office building. l~ Additions to several campus buildings, including Serra H all, Olin Hall and Copley Library. l(~ N ew entry stations with information kiosks at the east and west entrances to campus. l~ Two new multilevel parking structures. The first projects planned for construction are a parking lot on the west end of campus and a new 1,000-car parking structure. For more information, or if you would like a copy of the master plan, please call the Office of Community Relations at (619 ) 260-4659.

The past two seasons started with a bang as the Toreros challenged Notre Dame and Kansas. With the help of the San Diego International Sports Council, USD puts together the game to promote Torero basket– ball throughout San Diego. Call the athlet– ics department at (619) 260-4803 if you are interested in attending the tipoff. \TOl.,l.,EYHAI.. t HUI..GAllIAN S'IYI..E Petia Yanchulova, a freshman outside hitter on USD's women's volleyball team, will put away a huge kill, smile quietly and pre– pare for the next point. No raucous cele– brating from the player who began wowing fans the first day she hit the court in a Torero uniform. Head Coach Sue Snyder notes that by nature Yanchulova is a reserved person, but she also figures the native Bulgarian is still getting used to the more boisterous ways of American players. "Americans are yappy players," Snyder says. "We talk a lot during the game and we celebrate more." Yanchulova red-shirted with the team last year, taking time to acclimate to the university and life in Southern California. After playing seven years on a competitive club team in Sofia, Bulgaria, Yanchulova graduated from high school intent on attending college in the United States. With encouragement from her older sister, who played volleyball for the University of Idaho, Yanchulova contacted Snyder and began the admissions process. While she has practiced with the team since 1995, it wasn't until Labor Day weekend that Yanchulova competed for the Toreros. The 18-year-old distinguished herself immediately by winning the MVP title at a tournament hosted by USD, where in three matches she recorded 41 kills. A week later she again was selected to the all-tournament team in a two-day event held in Santa Barbara. The women have their sights set on winning the league and qualifying for the NCAA tournament this year. Yanchulova, alongside nine veteran players, will make the team a force to be reckoned with.

1iuo11 '1101) lll.JIYEll '110 111~1\I) (;()1\(;II The 1996 Toreros opened the football season with a new team leader. Head Coach Kevin McGarry, though, is no stranger to USD. McGarry first got a taste of Torero ath– letics when he joined the football team as a defensive back and wide receiver in 1976. After he graduated, McGarry joined the coaching staff and spent the past 14 years as the defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. "I fell in love with this place the second I came here as a recruit and that hasn't changed in 20 years," he says. When Head Coach Brian Fogarty stepped down this year after 13 seasons, moving into the job of associate director of athletics development, McGarry was select– ed to take the helm. McGarry earned a bachelor's degree in education in 1979 and continued his stud– ies at USD with a master's degree in educa– tional administration in 1985. He is cur– rently on a leave of absence from the School of Education's doctoral program in leadership. McGarry's belief in the value of educa– tion apparently rubs off on his players. Since 1981, eight USD football athletes have been named GTE/Academic All– America, and seven of them came from the defensive side of the ball. '1111, 01i1i '11IIE HASllE'l1HAI..I., SEASON USD's men's hoopsters are readying them– selves for a matchup against the Pac 10 big guns from Stanford University in the third annual Torero Tipoff, Dec. 14, at the San Diego Sports Arena.

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American Parlor Transformed into Museum U SD's French Parlor, with its elegant furnishings, hardwood floors and frequent music recitals, is distinctly European. Its lesser-known neighbor, the American Parlor, now too has a feel that lives up to its name. Previously a study lounge off the foyer of Founders Hall, the American Parlor has been transformed into a Native American art museum. Specially built cases and pedestals display Southwestern pottery and ceramics, California basketry, Kachina dolls and tex– tiles. The David W. May Indian Artifacts Collection showcases only a small portion of the 1,600 pieces of Southwest Indian art bequeathed to the university by the family of May, a former USD student. Mary P eter J. Hughes was named chairman of the USD board of trustees, effective at the beginning of the 1996-97 school year. Hughes, an attorney and USD trustee since 1973, is the fourth board chairman in the university's modern history. His predecessors were Bishop Leo T. Maher (1973-1990), Ernest W. Hahn (1990-92) and Daniel J. Derbes (1992-1996) . "Peter Hughes has been an integral part of this university's growth over 23 years," says USD President Alice B. Hayes, "and we are delighted that he has assumed the leadership of our board." Hughes is a certified specialist in crimi– nal law with the California Board of Legal Specialization and a diplomate in criminal law with the National Board of Trial Advocacy. A past president of the San Diego chapter of the American Board of Trial Advocates, Hughes is a fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He Peter J. I-Iughes Hamed Chair al USD's Baard al Trustees

Whelan, professor of art, and students from her exhibition design class selected what she calls the masterpieces of the col– lection for the initial showing in the muse– um. The collection of artifacts and paint– ings includes items from numerous Native American tribes ranging from prehistoric pieces to reproductions, Whelan says. Also with the help of student workers, Alana Cordy-Collins, professor of anthro– pology, cataloged and photographed each piece. Some of the items were more pre– cisely identified by Cordy-Collins and her students, who pinned down which tribe produced the pieces and when. Cordy– Collins also is producing digital archives of the collection so students won't be limited to studying only the items on display in Founders Hall. "We hope, after we get this initial exhibit up, to continue rotating the collection," Whelan says. "Maybe we will do something on one particular tribe or a particular style of pottery. The collection is large enough that we can come up with new angles for the exhibits." was a member of the board of governors of the State Bar of California from 1976 to 1979. He has served on the board of direc– tors of the San Diego County Bar Associa– tion, and he is the 1992 recipient of the Daniel T. Broderick III Award for exempli– fying professional integrity and commit– ment to the legal profession. c~,au~4 ll SD boasts the top-ranked collegiate coffeehouse in the nation. Aromas, which opened in Maher Hall in February 1994, won the Loyal E. Horton dining award in the specialty shop category (the category for coffeehouses) from the National Association of Collegiate and University Food Services. Contest judges gave Aromas high marks for creative marketing, superb customer service and an eclectic slate of entertain– ment programs, such as the annual simulta– neous chess match between national chess master Alex London and more than 20 opponents.

Campus Visitors Study Sea Bass, Taste College Life I f you visited Jane Friedman's or Sarah Gray's office last May, you might have found a "Gone fishin'" placard hanging on the doorknob - which is precisely what they did with a group of Los Angeles high school students. The professors hosted a three-day math and marine science institute for 20 Dorsey High School sophomores and juniors. The group toured a fish hatchery and the USD campus, spent two nights in the Alcala Vista apartments and attended math classes. For some of the Dorsey students, it was the first time on a campus other than their inner-city high school. For the USD con– tingency, it was the first of what Friedman and Gray hope will be a yearly event to teach students the practical uses of mathe– matics and science, and introduce them to the university. "The theme of the institute focuses on environmental policy, realizing that as we overpopulate the world we are increasingly having to manage our resources," says Gray, assistant professor of marine and environmental studies. "Math and science skills are essential to doing that." The institute began when Dorsey and USD students and professors met at a North San Diego County lagoon and toured a sea bass farm. The high schoolers spent the next morning in workshops designed and taught by USD students. Friedman, associate professor of mathe– matics, recruited students who want to teach high school and gave them the free– dom to write the curricula. Groups of four to five Dorsey students rotated between Serra Hall classrooms, where they re– searched fisheries on the Internet, charted sea bass landings of commercial fisheries, and learned to derive statistics from the data and analyze their findings . The group conducted more research that evening on a boat trip in San Diego Bay.

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N~"-"W~ Ron Hill spent afternoo of his high school years in soda shops, sketching on napkins. Today the USO professor of English has drawers spilling over with pink cocktail napkins, but these are filled with poems. Some of the words, written in impecca- ble penmanship, form short phrases or "snatches of poems." Many of the napkins boast complete sonnets, yet Hill is quick to say his poetry is almost never finished. He will add words, change phrases and move commas days, weeks or even years later. Hill lives in a quaint, European-like community of San Diego known as the Uptown District, where living and shop– ping are combined to create a distinctly cosmopolitan feel. Until a few months ago, neighbors gathered regularly at Canes American Bistro for happy hour. This is the place where Hill once again succumbed to the allure of cocktail napkins. He writes sonnets primarily and finds the size of napkins ideal for the 14-line poems. "The napkin is limited in space, so it cooperates with that idea of discipline," Hill says. A USO professor since 1971, Hill writes for publication, but says writing poetry is his form of recreation as well as a profes– sional creative activity. While talking with friends and sipping a glass of wine, the words would often come spilling from his mind, so he could do nothing but listen to the muses in his head and put pen to nap- kin. When Hill began writing, his friends at Canes knew to leave him alone until the

JOAN KROC DONATES $3 MILLION TC USO F"CR STUDENT FINANCIAL AID P hilanthropist Joan B. Kroc donated $3 million this summer to the University of San Diego for use in awarding student financial aid in the form of no-interest loans. This donation, the second-largest single gift in USD's history, will be invested in the university's Student No-Interest Loan Trust established in 1986 by the Los Angeles– based Weingart Foundation. Additionally, the $3 million gift will enable USO to qualify for matching funds from the Wein– gart Foundation. In the past 10 years, USD's Weingart-supported no-interest loan program has provided $8.5 million in loans to under– graduate students. ''We are deeply honored to be a beneficiary of Mrs. Kroc's legendary generosity," says USD President Alice B. Hayes. "Her strong belief in the value of hard work and respon– sibility is reflected in this loan program, which gives deserving students the oppor– tunity to finance their own education." Joan Kroc has served on the university's board of trustees and received a USD hon– orary doctoral degree in 1988.

napkins were stuffed in · shirt pocket, to be carried home for later revision. "Canes was like an anchor," he says. "I would go in there and my mind would cen– ter itself." Sadly, the bistro shut down this summer and Hill misses it mightily. But the poems continue to come and he still reaches for a napkin - now from the local bagel shop.

Dressed in morning coat, the Sun rose today, A gentle caller in quiet array, To pay his early respects at your door. Not finding you about, with nothing more To do, he fondled the blossoms and leaves Of plants upon the stoop, poked under eaves, And peeked beneath a close-drawn window blind. He loitered amongst the gardens - to find Some sign of your coming or going - through Mid-day. By noon, quite heated alike by Hope and despair, frustrated, he then threw Off his gentler guise and scorched half a world. At evening, wrapped in mourning's cloak, he hurled Himself down the dark western slope, to die.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS As the renovation for the Author E. and Marjorie A. Hughes Administration Center neared completion during the spring and summer, many USO departments were lit– erally on the move. The Hughes Center, formerly the San Diego Diocese building, is the new address for 19 departments, including career services, parking services, public safety, loan administration, student accounts, the president's office, financial aid and the provost's office.

- Ron Hill

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Surueg Said I n a recent survey about USD Magazine, we wanted to know what you thought about the magazine, which articles and departments you read and which you found less useful. The fnuelope. Please First, the survey results. During the spring, we sent several mailings to a random sam– pling of readers. The respondents included undergraduate and graduate alumni as well as parents and faculty. The typical USD reader is a 1989 under– graduate alumnus from the School of Business Administration, 35 years old, married, a resident of California and has been a USD Magazine reader for 4.5 years. Of those responding, 26 percent read all or nearly all of each issue. Another 33 per– cent read about half, 28 percent less than half and 12 percent seldom/never read the magazine. Of the five departments appearing regu– larly in USD Magazine, Alumni Gallery is the best read, with 60 percent of respondents saying they read it regularly. Another 44 percent regularly read Alcala Almanac, 33 percent Kaleidoscope, 23 percent Letter from the Editor, and 20 percent Parting Shot. From a list of 19 article topics ranging from alumni profiles to university financial needs, the largest percentage of readers in each category believe the current level of coverage should remain the same. However, 37 percent of readers want to see increased coverage of the university's financial needs, 35 percent want an increase in coverage of higher education issues, 34 percent want increased coverage of new programs at USD, and 31 percent more coverage of faculty and student research. At least 64 percent of readers agree the magazine does a good job of meeting each of its four objectives: providing information about the university, fostering pride in and respect for the university, discussing issues of interest and increasing understanding about USD's problems. Roll With the [hanqes Based on this feedback, we made a number of changes to the magazine:

We revised the Alcala Almanac section to include more campus news. We've also made the articles shorter for quick, easy reading. You will see an athletics roundup in this section every issue. The feature section will continue to include in-depth articles, but we'll also include one or two shorter personality pro– files featuring alumni, faculty or students. The Alumni Gallery section will include alumni profiles so we have more opportuni– ties to spotlight the experiences and successes of USD alumni.

The contents page has been expanded to include more story descriptions so you can easily find articles of interest and people you want to read about. Our mission doesn't end with these improvements. We will continue to solicit your comments and update USD Magazine so it provides the information you want from your alma mater. Please send your comments and suggestions to: USD Magazine, University of San Diego, 5998 Alcala Park, San Diego, CA 92110-2492.

A s students huddled with their books during spring semester ---- finals week, USD President Alice B. Hayes signed an agreement that will shape the rest of their education at Alcala Park. On May 13, Hayes met with Augustfn R. Rozada, S.J., president of Tijuana's Universidad Iberoamericana Noroeste (UIA), a 12-year-old university in the Jesuit Iberoamericana college system, to formalize a partnership that will include educational exchange and collaboration between the two universities. "We take this agreement as a sign of hope," said Humberto Baquera, a U IA dean. "It is incentive to achieve peace and understanding in our common region." The cities of San Diego and Tijuana together share four million residents who frequently travel between the two countries, said Norman Singer, U.S. consul general.

For many people, however, there are psy– chological and physical barriers between the cities. "For commerce and culture, but most importantly for education, that barrier has to be invisible," Singer said. Theology and religious studies students will be the first to take courses across the border and receive credit for their work in Tijuana. The exchange is set to begin this academic year with up to six students com– muting to Mexico for a class. U IA students will have the same freedom to take courses at USD and receive credit at their school. Ultimately, the goal is to form additional agreements between similar disciplines at the two universities. "The search for truth that surrounds this agreement transcends boundaries," Hayes said. "So we join today to direct our knowledge toward the service of humanity."

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they immediately assigned him to guest relations, which involved getting scheduled guests up to the booth and sometimes con– vincing political leaders to be interviewed. That's how Brenckle met Jesse

nity but gained the experi– ence of a lifetime. Yearning to work in the nation's capital after graduation, he hoped to work for Sen. Frank Murkowski from his home state of Alaska. But that job search fizzled and along with it his plans to move from Marian Way

Jackson. As Jackson walked off the stage from his speech, Brenckle stepped up and asked the leader if he wanted to join his son in an interview hap– pening right then. Jackson agreed but was stopped by so many admirers that his son's inter– view was over by the time he and Brenckle reached the MS– NBC booth. Jackson went on anyway. Though these brushes with fame were exciting, Brenckle says the most memorable moments at both conventions were hearing the political leaders speak. In San Diego, he joined the Alaska delega– tion in a private talk with Pat Buchanan, who won the state's straw poll for the Republican presidential candidate. With just 30 other people in the room, it was a rare opportunity to see politics up close and personal. When Elizabeth Dole stepped away from the podium to give her speech at the Republican convention, Brenckle was on the convention floor, kneeling in front of the Mississippi delegation so he didn't disrupt their view. And on the last day of the Demo– cratic convention, in exchange for rounding up a makeup person at the last minute for MS-NBC, Brenckle got a floor pass in time to hear President Clinton speak. "I pushed my way to the front of the California delegation," says Brenckle, his eyes shining at the memory. "I was about 35 feet from the stage and I could see Clinton perfectly. When his speech was done, all the glitter came down and - snap - like that, it was over. I almost went through withdrawal." It's no surprise that Brenckle wrangled himself yet another politi– cal job helping with the planning efforts of the final presidential debate Oct. 16 at USO. He mentions the inauguration in his next breath, speculating that extra workers will be needed for that event. Perhaps the inauguration will be Brenckle's first step in Wash– ington, but it surely won't be his last. "D.C. is my dream," he says. "I have Potomac fever."

to the Beltway. Now Brenckle had nothing but time on his hands in San Diego. Just his luck. But what great luck. Instead of spending the sum– mer holed up in a Washington, D.C., office, Brenckle found himself first in San Diego, then Chicago, sharing space with nation– al political leaders including Jesse Jackson, Newt Gingrich, Pat Buchanan and, yes, even Bob Dole and President Bill Clinton. His luck started to improve in July when NBC contacted USD seeking students to work at the Republican National Convention. Brenckle mailed his resume within hours and was hired soon after to set up the computers in the NBC booth. "It was basically grunt work," says Brenckle, who describes his personal politics as leaning toward Democratic. "But I got to see the convention center go from a blank canvas to the incredible Republican National Convention set. I got to go up to the podium before it was secured. I sat in Tom Brokaw's chair when the booth was all set up. I drove past Andy Rooney. I saw Steve Forbes and Colin Powell, and I literally ran into Oliver North." With such luminaries around every corner, security was airtight, which forced Brenckle to use his ingenuity. Like the time Tom Brokaw wanted two apples. Security refused Brenckle's entrance to the convention center with the produce because, they said, the apples could be used as armed projectiles in the convention hall. Brenckle argued to no avail. He instead took the apples to the delivery entrance where he waited with vendors carting huge crates of food. Brenckle and his two apples got in. For the Democratic National Convention, Brenckle was hired by MS-NBC, the new 24-hour news channel. He arrived in Chicago without an assignment, so he set out first to memorize the United Center floor plan. When he told the producers he had done that,

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"Our mission is to turn these disaduantaqed students in the direction of uniuersity study.

and 1·m happy that almost all of them qo on to colleqe careers in the sciences . SUMMER SCHOLARS

T he office of Sister Patricia Shaffer is crammed floor to ceiling with notebook_s, texts, folders and the_paraph_erna– lia of a 37-year teaching career. Yet when this chemistry professor turns from her de~k to consult the wall of shelves behind her, she alwhs seems to know exactly- h h . . I w ere everyt mg 1s. So it is no surprise that Sister Shaffer also knows the where– abouts of almost every high school student she has invited to work at USD for the past 10 years. They come to her through Project SEED (Summer Educational Experience for the Disadvantaged), a quarter-century-old program designed to encourage bright but eco– nomically deprived students to pursue an education and a career in science. They work with her for 10 weeks over one summer, and some come back for a second stint the following summer. Then they go on to pursue their educations and their careers. But Sister Shaffer almost always knows where they are. "The students keep in touch with me. They stop by or they call or e-mail," says Sister

lem. Most are studying the side effects of the gene source now being used. My hope is to eventually provide this gene as a I ew source." With a project this complex, student participants get to dq a little bit of everything, Shaffer says. "The SEED students, who work with current undergraduates, learn everything from how to cut and splice DNA to how to perform computer searches and present the results of their work." The students also get an early look at what a career in research might be like. For Leeda Haidary, a student who spent the past two summers with Sister Shaffer, the SEED experience solidified her desire to become a biology researcher. Haidary not only has a leg up on her college peers, who are learning to operate equipment she already is familiar with, she knows how her work fits into the world outside the lab.

"We weren't just told what to do; we were told why we were doing it," says Haidary, now a biology major at Grossmont College. "Seeing the big pic– ture makes you take pride in your work." The students are not the only beneficiaries of the program. Shaffer is keeping an anxious eye on the calendar as she races to complete this project before her retirement two years hence, and the budding scientists are a boon to her work.

Shaffer, who fondly remembers the troubles and triumphs of each student's summer work. "Our mission is to turn these disadvantaged students in the direction of university study, and I'm happy that almost all of them go on to college careers in the sciences." Sister Shaffer proudly points out the universities her summer students now attend - Whittier, Tulane,

"Some of them are just as good as college students at working the equipment and performing computer tasks," Sister Shaffer says. "I spend time teaching them while they are here, but sometimes they learn to work equip- . ment that even I can't operate." Those learning opportunities are what Sister Shaffer believes Project SEED, which is funded by the American Chemical Society, is all about. The students learn about science, about teamwork, and about hard work. And when Sister Shaffer smiles and tells you where they are now, it's clear they also learn to succeed.

U .C. Santa Barbara, among others - and can provide a litany of their achievements. She points just as proudly to the meaningful work they do while in her charge. "For several years, we've been working on cloning a gene that can be used in the treatment of childhood leukemia," says Sister Shaffer, explaining that her work will lead to an alternative cure for children who have negative reactions to the current form of treat– ment. "Not too many people are working on this particular prob-

- Michael R. Haskins

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A series al reports by Trisha J. RaUedge, Michael R. Haskins and Jill Wagner '91

W hen the months of preparation were completed and the last negotiation had been settled hours before broadcast time, moderator Jim Lehrer stood on USD's Shiley Theatre stage and called America's town hall meeting - the final presidential debate - to order. The two candidates stood at their podiums ready to outline their plans for America as the country faces the new millennium. Repre– senting America were 113 Gallup-selected San Diegans - one– third "leaning toward" President Bill Clinton, one-third "leaning toward" Bob Dole and one-third undecided - who glanced ner– vously at the candidates as they anticipated questioning the next president of the United States. When Jim Lehrer opened the debate, however, one detail could not have been planned or predicted. For the first question in this worldwide broadcast from USD, he pointed to the raised hand of Shannon McAfee, an educator and, by coincidence, a USD alumna. McAfee '96 asked how the candidates would end partisan con– flict and promote working together as a nation to solve the coun– try's problems; in effect, how they would practice what adults preach to children every day. "I was shaking like a madwoman," McAfee recalls. "I was ner– vous, but I figured I might as well get my question out." After the debate ended, McAfee mingled with the candidates on stage and talked briefly with Hillary Clinton about the importance of teachers. She says the experience gave her a stronger and more personal understanding of the political process. And her second– grade students were impressed the next day when she showed them her debate credential signed by President Clinton, Bob Dole and former President Gerald Ford.

McAfee's story was not an isolated one. The day after the debate, the campus buzzed with insider tales and close encounters. There was the student who snagged the assignment of interviewing Elizabeth Dole for the student newspaper. There were the faculty who participated in a CNN panel discussion broadcast to 500,000 high school students nationwide. There were the 115 students who landed coveted seats inside Shiley Theatre. There were the count– less USD folks who witnessed "Spin Alley" up close and saw politi– cal figures from Jesse Jackson to George Stephanopoulos give the media their interpretation of the debate. And there were a handful of encounters with author Norman Mailer, who was covering the debate for George magazine. It's experiences like these that spurred USD officials a year ago to submit the university to the Commission on Presidential Debates as a possible site for the 1996 debates. Always, the goal was to make this an educational and enriching event for USD students, faculty and alumni. Despite the inevitable disruption on campus, staging a debate would be an unparalleled opportunity for the USD community to gain a keen understanding and inside perspective of politics in America. USD already was familiar with the disruption surrounding the event. In 1992, the university was selected as a possible debate site and completed all the preparations, but was cut from the list just five days before the scheduled date. So, when the Commission on Presidential Debates confirmed USD as a 1996 debate site in January, university faculty, students and administrators dusted off their 1992 plans and started working again toward D-day, as the event quickly became known around campus. Director of Public Relations Jack Cannon assembled a 23-

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UNIVERSITY OF SAM DIEGO 1 9 9 6 PRESIDENTIAL D11 Al E Facing Facts Some of the minutia surrounding the debate Temperature of Shiley Theatre during the broadcast: 65 degrees

member task force to coordinate the myriad details the university would oversee, including how to involve students, how to accommodate the 1,500 media who would cover the debate, and how to complete nec– essary renovations and install air condition– ing in Shiley Theatre. Several weeks from D-day, plans were coming to fruition. Among them: •The Office of Community Service– Learning set up a database to match the tal– ents of the 600 student volunteers with the needs of the Commission, media and cam– pus departments. Students were enlisted for such wide-ranging tasks as serving as stand-ins for President Clinton and Bob Dole during sound, camera and light checks, assisting the media during produc– tion and acting as information officers for campus visitors. • Faculty and students developed classes, seminars and programs that explored poli– tics, the media and the debate process. Voter education programs and registration drives rounded out the educational events surrounding the debate. •The Hahn University Center Forum and main dining room were designated the media filing center - the location from which media would write and file their sto– ries electronically to their editors - and Spin Alley, where political representatives meet with the media to put their spin on the debate results. The public relations office organized work spaces, monitors and equipment for the visiting media. •Shiley Theatre underwent a complete renovation, including sophisticated stage lighting, auditorium seating, air condition– ing, and carpeting and footlighting in the aisles. • Administrators and students set up a site on the Internet that would hold the nation's first debate "webcast," a simulta– neous live video feed of the debate on the World Wide Web. •The Presidential Debate Host Robbins Jr., raised $615,000 from individ– ual and corporate sponsors. These funds would help offset the cost of producing the debate and the theater renovations required by the Commission. • Because few people would fit into the theater once the debate set was built, alter- Committee, headed by USD trustees Darlene Marcos Shiley and John M.

nate events and viewing sites were set up for students, faculty, staff and USD friends. A luncheon for the San Diego cor– porate community would feature a panel discussion on debates moderated by Sam Donaldson. A finale for the DebateWatch '96 voter education program would be cele– brated at USD on debate night. Finally, a critical moment in the planning process. Three weeks from D-day, USD officials were working furiously and still no contract had been signed between the Commission and the Republican and Democratic parties. With no contract, no debate would take place. USD administra– tors wearily remembered similar circum– stances four years earlier, but stifled their concerns. Jack Cannon began an around-the-clock vigil, staying in frequent - at times, hourly - contact with the Commission as negotiations continued, then broke down, then resumed. Variously, the details of the debate were in jeopardy, including the date. It was possible that even if USD were to host a debate, the date might change, meaning many debate events would have to be redrawn on very short notice. On Sept. 28, the Democrat and Republican parties finally signed the contract. Though the date did not change, one important detail did - the format. Instead of a traditional debate with a single moder– ator, the USD debate would take the town hall format. That meant the theater, which had been completed days earlier, would have to undergo further changes to accom– modate a stage that could hold two candi– dates and up to 120 town hall representa– tives. Ten rows of new seating were removed, the stage was extended 38 feet and the Commission arrived to begin build– ing the set eight days before the debate. On the following pages, we provide a glimpse of USD on the final days leading up to the debate. It was a heady time for everyone on campus and we hope for alumni as well. As Cannon welcomed the audience in Shiley Theatre on Oct. 16, he addressed alumni who were viewing the telecast worldwide: "We know you are as proud of us as we are of you," he said, "and so we give you this legacy: History in the Making."

Length of stage extension for the town hall format: 38 feet

Audience seats inside Shiley Theatre: 375

Town hall seats on stage: 113

Photographers inside Shiley Theatre: 18

Students viewing the debate from the Sports Center gym: 2,000 Media who covered the debate from USD's campus: 1,500

Shortest print deadline after the debate: Less than an hour Work spaces inside the media filing center: 450

Television monitors inside the media filing center: 85

Student volunteers for the debate: 600

Additional local, state and federal public safety officers on duty for the debate: 425 Temporary telephone lines installed across campus: 1,200 Meals served on campus the day of the debate: 7,000 Winner of the First Lady cookie contest on campus: Hillary's chocolate chip cookies

The students erected a Wall DI Hope, a mural DI social and political commentary.

- Trisha J. Ratledge

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Patriotism as a fashion statement. a

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Far every opinion, there was a sign. T he Camino Hall dormitory room of USD junior Nicole Lamperis is only a stone's throw from Shiley Theatre. But Lamperis, like many USD students, figured the only chance she had of seeing either presidential candi– date was on her television screen or through the dark– ened windows of a speeding limousine. Like many USD students, she got more than she bargained for. "I looked out my window and realized that my room had a per– fect view of Bob Dole's green room," Lamperis said as she and two fellow Camino residents, senior Jennifer Castello and junior Neva Smith, settled in to watch the Shiley Theatre action in the dorm's television lounge. "Just before the debate started, he was watching the baseball playoffs." If Lamperis were a reporter, she would have had the first scoop of the debate, as Dole gave the audience a sports update in his opening comments. Her inside information wasn't unusual, however, as she and the rest of Camino Hall's 270 residents were in the thick of activities for most of debate week. Television technicians ran cable through their rooms, police roamed the halls and Secret Service agents with bomb-sniffing dogs checked their closets. Through it all, the students say, they were excited just to be part of the process. "During all the unpredictable changes, everyone was great to us. The Secret Service agents even let us take a picture of them and their dogs," laughs Castello, while Smith adds, "Above all, we're just really proud that the debate happened at our school." If these three women felt privileged to be a few hundred yards from the stage, perhaps the luckiest students were those seated inside Shiley Theatre during the 90-minute debate. While the univer– sity initially expected to receive only a small number of seats inside the hall for students, the Commission on Presidential Debates released more tickets to the university almost at the last minute, and 115 undergraduate, graduate and law students eventually were admitted to the venue. Alternates who didn't make it into the audi– ence in the hall were treated to a VIP reception and viewing.

"I really tried to absorb the whole experience, from what the Secret Service agents were doing, to how the governor and others in the front row reacted to the questions, to what the president looked like when he was watching the audience," says Lynn Eldred, a doctoral candidate in the School of Education's leadership program and the first student selected from the more than 2,000 who entered a lottery for the tickets. "But one of the most memorable experiences came after the debate, when I was walking down Marian Way and saw Norman Mailer. He was just walking to his car by himself, so I got to talk with him about books and politics for a few minutes." Although Eldred's was the first name drawn for the audience, a mix-up in calling the students meant she was one of the last to know. "I first found out when a reporter from the Vista (USD's student newspaper) called me," she says. "It put me on Cloud Nine." Eldred wasn't the only student to be surprised by the opportunity to get close to a presidential candidate on debate night. Across cam– pus from Shiley Theatre, more than 2,000 students gathered in the Sports Center gym to view the historic event on two 20-foot-high

The audience in the Sports Center gym was 2,DDD strong.

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WHERE STUDENTS WATCHED THE DEBATE • ie

Bob Dole made a surprise appearance in the gym after the debate.

screens. After a pre-debate warmup by Rock the Vote,

That experience started with a talk on Sept. 25 by Richard Kimball, director of the national voter education program Project Vote Smart, which took place in Shiley Theatre. A faculty panel helped students explore the first presidential debate on Oct. 6, and students themselves took to the stage with a USO talent show after

MTV and the popular rock band Better Than Ezra, the students applauded their favorite candi– date, waved "Clinton/Gore" or "Dole/Kemp" signs and wildly cheered whenever the universi– ty's name was mentioned on the C-SPAN broadcast. When the students returned to the gym after a pizza and soda break to

Clinton supporters sat side-by-side with Dole supporters.

hear promised guest speakers from each campaign, they already seemed to be winding down from a night they would not soon for– get. That's when Bob Dole walked in. Just minutes after the debate concluded, Dole took the Sports Center stage to an almost deafening roar from the re-energized crowd of students, who rushed the platform for a chance to shake hands with the former senator. Sharing the spotlight with his wife, Elizabeth, daughter, Robin, and former President Gerald Ford, Dole told the students, "This campaign is not about me. It's about you and your life in the next century." The Sports Center viewing was the culmination of a series of programs surrounding the 1996 debates that were initiated and car– ried out by students. Although the Oct. 16 debate at USO was the main focus, a student committee worked from early in the year right up until the final debate to offer students opportunities to par– ticipate in the debate process and educate themselves about elec– tions and politics. "Our goal was to create an awareness and an interest among stu– dents so they would realize the role they can have in the political process," says senior Greg Johnson, the Associated Students presi– dent and a member of the 14-person student program committee. "We wanted to bring the USO community together to experience the whole process."

viewing the vice presidential debate on Oct. 9. "Sometimes students can feel detached from the political process, but the debate at USO really gave them a chance to see the issues, the messages and the candidates firsthand," says Johnson, who cred– ited the enormous facu lty participation with making the viewings an informative experience. "There's a real difference when you have the event right in your own back yard." Nicole Lamperis, as she looked out her window and saw Bob Dole through the window next door, would certainly agree.

- Michael R. Haskins

The evening started with an enthusiastic performance by the band Better Than Ezra.

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About 450 media worked shoulder-to-shoulder in the filing center.

ess than an hour before the final presidential debate was to begin, USD senior Kevin Burke learned he lost his coveted position inside Shiley Theatre with Reuters news service. Instead, he spent the 90 minutes of the broadcast on the

NBC and C-SPAN - from USD's campus, nearly every student, professor and staff member had a media encounter. Countless stu– dents signed up to work with the media organizations on campus, as Burke did, and students, faculty and staff were interviewed by the score about the debate, politics and their brushes with fame. Kily Jones, secretary of Hahn University Center operations, and Antonieta Manriquez, campus scheduling coordinator, for example, were tickled to learn they appeared on NBC national news the morning following the debate. And when Jones was interviewed by NBC's affiliate in Mexico City, Mexico, she related how the debate enhanced her own personal achievement this year. Jones became a citizen in June and this election was her first. "One of my goals in life has been to vote," Jones told the reporter. "To me, this means everything." One of the most frequently interviewed USD people following the debate was Shannon McAfee '96, who was in the town hall audience and happened to be selected by Jim Lehrer to ask the first question. McAfee says she nervously stepped into the media spotlight to query the candidates, then her thoughts turned quickly to home as she sat down.

theater roof with snipers dressed in black. Philosophical but clearly disappointed about the change, Burke learned one of the first lessons about working with the media: Sometimes you get strange assignments far from the spotlight. Burke was one of Reuters' eight film runners - students who formed a human chain of sorts to get photographers' film from the theater to the dark room with minimal disruption. For Burke's length of the chain, he accepted the film through a hole cut into the theater's rooftop door and sprinted it to a student's dorm window - also at rooftop level. Another runner waiting at that window got it down to the dark room inside Camino Hall. Burke paid close attention to the Secret Service when they told him not to move unnecessarily between the film drops every 15 min– utes . "It's dark up there and they were concerned for my safety," he says. "I only saw the two snipers in the corners of the roof I was on, but I know they were everywhere."

"I thought, 'I just asked the first question,"' she recalls. "'I probably just gave my mom a heart attack.'" Noli Zosa's moment in the spotlight was spent in someone else's shoes - Bob Dole's to be exact. Zosa, a 1995 alumnus and first-year law student, volunteered for a debate assign– ment and landed a position in the CBS office. He soon discovered his assignment was one of the best since CBS served as the network pool,

When Burke got the chance to peek in the theater for five minutes, however, he took it. Unfortunately, it was the same five minutes the Secret Service was checking on him. When they couldn't find him, naturally con– cerns were raised. Burke didn't move from his post for the rest of the broadcast. Burke's story is just one of many. With about 1,500 media covering the debate or broadcasting shows - such as CNN, MS-

MS-NBC broadcast from Colachis Plaza throughout the day on Oct. 16.

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