Community Briefs

Bill Cosby’s son killed while changing tire

Bill Cosby’s only son was shot to death early Thursday in a
possible robbery attempt while changing a flat tire near Mulholland
Drive in the Santa Monica Mountains, police said.

Ennis William Cosby, 27, had placed the spare tire on his dark
green Mercedes Benz convertible and was replacing lug nuts when he
was shot about 100 feet east of the San Diego Freeway at the top of
the Sepulveda Pass.

Cosby died of a single gunshot wound, police said. A pool of
blood stained the street next to the driver’s door.

"He’s a fine young man, struck down for no reason ­ another
act of violence we all deplore," police Cmdr. Tim McBride said.

Cosby, a 1992 graduate of Morehouse College in Atlanta, was a
Columbia University student going for doctorate after earning a
master’s degree in 1995 at the university’s Teachers College.
Classes resume Tuesday at Columbia.

A female passerby who found the body about 1:45 a.m. indicated
the assailant was a white male. McBride said it may have been a
crime of opportunity by an "unknown suspect."

"It is unknown whether he was followed at this time or not,"
McBride said. "I think that’s a good probability. But it may have
been a chance opportunity that somebody took, robbery being a
possible motive."

But nothing was apparently taken, he said.

The 59-year-old star of CBS-TV’s "Cosby" was in New York, where
the show is produced, when McBride called him.

"I just talked to Mr. Cosby in New York and he is understandably
in considerable grief," McBride said. "Mr. Cosby and Mrs. Cosby are
extremely upset. Needless to say, losing a child is one of the most
severe things that can happen to anybody."

"We have every confidence in the LAPD. Our hearts go out to each
and every family that such an incident occurs (to). This is a life
experience that is truly difficult to share," Cosby said in a
statement released by his Los Angeles publicist, David Brokaw.

Research program director named

Visiting assistant professor of education Linda J. Sax was
recently named director of the UCLA Cooperative Institutional
Research Program (CIRP).

CIRP conducts various research on American higher education and
is known for its annual nationwide survey on entering college
freshmen. The program’s main goals are to evaluate the impact of
various higher education institutions and programs. This is done
through periodic follow-ups of the entering freshmen classes.

Sax replaces UCLA Professor Alexander W. Astin, who is stepping
down from the position after 31 years to spend more time on writing
and research.

"We are indeed fortunate to have someone of Linda Sax’s
exceptional talent and vision to take over the helm of this
important national resource," said Astin.

Sax’s own research focuses on gender differences in student
development. She has also been responsible for many other national
research projects over the past several years.

Orientation counselor recruitment continues

Orientation counselor recruitment meetings will continue to be
held throughout next week.

Orientation counselors work in the summer to help incoming
freshmen and transfer students during orientation sessions.

Counselors provide services such as giving academic counseling,
explaining degree and general education requirements and helping
new students set up their classes for the coming Fall Quarter, said
Molly Shen, orientation assistant.

The recruitment meetings will discuss topics such as what it
takes to be an orientation counselor, the training involved and
what the job entails.

The meetings will be held from Jan. 21-23. For more information,
call 206-6685.

Compiled from Daily Bruin staff and wire reports