Actress Kelly Preston, who died over the weekend after a two-year battle with breast cancer, attended USC. Here she is in her USC sorority photo circa 1980-81. In Varsity Blues news, California couple Todd and Diane Blake agreed to plead guilty to charges they paid bribes to get their daughter recruited to USC as a fake athlete in the “Varsity Blues” case. Todd Blake will … Continue reading Afternoon Notes: Another USC Connection

The USC School of Cinematic Arts will remove a John Wayne exhibit, according to a Friday announcement. “Conversations about systemic racism in our cultural institutions along with the recent global, civil uprising by the Black Lives Matter movement require that we consider the role our school can play as a change-maker in promoting anti-racist cultural values and experiences,” said Evan Hughes, USC’s assistant dean of … Continue reading USC To Remove John Wayne Exhibit

Mel Hein Jr., a pole vaulter who was a member of two USC track national title teams, died Wednesday of a brain infection. He was 79. Hein Jr. set the world indoor record of 16 feet, 5 3/4 inches in the pole vault in 1965 at the Cow Palace in San Francisco. He later won three City titles as the track coach at Taft High … Continue reading Former USC Pole Vaulter Mel Hein Jr. Dies

Larry Scott graciously agreed to take a 12 percent pay cut for the next 12 months, according to an email obtained by the Oregonian. He will still survive on his $5.3 million salary. The problem is Scott is cutting other employees’ salaries 5-10 percent after making them work in super-pricey San Francisco. And he already laid off 8 percent of the Pac-12 Network staff in … Continue reading Larry Scott Takes Another Pay Cut But Is It Enough?

Princeton is cutting tuition 10 percent because most classes will be online. But it has come up with a creative plan for students: Half the undergrads will be on campus at a time: Freshmen and juniors in the fall, while sophomores and seniors will be there in the spring, with restrictions on social activities and a rigorous testijng program. Harvard said it is bringing up … Continue reading Some Schools Bringing Around Half Students Back To Campus

WINNERS USC athletes After the second round of coronavirus tests, USC has had two athletes test positive in two weeks out of 126 tests. Jacki Gemelos  The former USC basketball player, who was the No. 1 player in the nation in 2006 but had eight surgeries in six years, has signed with the WNBA’s Connecticut Sun. USC alumni More than 3,100 have signed this petition … Continue reading USC Morning Buzz: Winners And Losers Of The Week