University of Southern California - El Rodeo Yearbook (Los Angeles, CA)

Page 26 text:

22 Student Life

Page 25 text:

RIENTATION PRO RAMS the day unnoticed. Presumably it was meant to be opened and read, but spare seconds never came. From ' check-in ' on, I was putty in the ' Orientation Advisors ' hands. I was led to take tests. (Enough said). The lunch was in Trojan tradition. Gourmet chicken sizzled in the sil- H USE Good Food Good Dnnks Good Tunes No Turkeys : J r ir i She was very pretty, dark, smartly dressed and sporting a nametag. ' Nancy ' fit my preconceptions. ' ]Nelcome to USC! Check-in is to the left, and help yourself to juice! ' FHer smile never thawed as she waited for me stop staring. Embar- rassed, I noticed my parents had dis- appeared into the brick-and-glass , —building in front of me. ' Fluor Tow- I Jc ' . The right place. My first day at USC; Orientation; I had made it. BrpathintJ Hppniv I pntprpH My eyes met panic, glossed cheer- fully in red-and-gold. Several thou- sand very frightened teenagers were queued up waiting to sign in. Par- ents looked both anxious and re- signed. I saw more Orientation personnel: polite, competent, sum- mer-tanned. And from director ' Peg- gy ' to ' Kathy ' , smiling. Omniscient shepherds with new Trojan lambs. Finding my line, I was handed a packet of ' general ' info the size of a nhnne hook. This tome. alas, soent ver serving dish. A silver-haired dean urged us to be ' not like blind men touching an elephant ' but to see the whole institution. Inspired, I saluted Mom Dad (we were scheduled to be separated until ' later ' - like 1988!) and trooped away to learn all about USC. Terry, my Advisor, said he was a mere student - not, as I had thought, a demi-god chum of Tommy T. He said ' relax ' , and, ' get involved ' . I wondered if that was contradictory. The day continued in the same vein: people happily explaining what I should do. What ' profs ' would do. Where to go. Whom to talk to. I absorbed more information in 12 hours than I had in 12 years. Then we partied. Fluor Tower at night was full of wildness. Dancing, drinking, laughing; some incipient romance. And always ' OA ' s and ' RA ' s hanging out, talking to us like people they were glad to meet. I completed registration the next day in a blur. At 4:30 pm, my future, in the form of a pink-and-white ' en- rollment verification ' , screamed that fall would bring classes and text- books. I ignored it. I knew the real USC. I said temporary goodbye to my challenging new home, thinking it beautiful and competitive. But thanks to Orientation, I was prepared to join in - ready for USC. And clearly USC was ready for me. ' by Jon Burdick

Page 27 text:

TOUCHING OUR UV€S DfllLV INTERNATIOIIftL PfEB HDl OCATES ■ Many students often wonder just what purpose the Office of Student Affairs serves. To fully understand this office, it becomes necessary to ask a few questions. Have you read the Daily Trojan lately? Have you been to the health center? Are you an international student? Did a tutor help you pass chemistry? Have you participated in an event sponsored by your residence hall or apartment? Chances are that you have been touched in some way by Student Af- fairs and are not even aware of it. Under the direction of Vice-Presi- dent for Student Affairs James Den- nis, the Office of Student Affairs has a great responsibility to see to the physical, cultural, emotional, and social needs of students. To accom- plish this task, seven major depart- ments have been established in a variety of fields to deal with the many aspects of student life. These offices include Student Health and Counseling Services, Campus Life, Residential Life, Mi- nority Consortium, Learning and Ca- reer Development, International Students and Scholars, and Student Publications. Clearly it would be ex- tremely difficult, if not impossible, to attend this university and not come into contact with Student Af- fairs. The various departments are ad- ministered under the guidance of two of the most distinguished indi- viduals at this university who have almost 70 years of service between them. Dean of Student Life, Robert Mannes, has been a fixture here for 38 years and continues to reside in the use neighborhood. He finds himself involved in almost every conceivable student activity, includ- ing the Student Conduct Code. Joan Schaefer, Dean of Women, is in her 29th year of dedicated service to this university. Known to many as Dean Joan, she advises many of the honor societies and overseas programs. by Johnny Shum Student Life 23