Mix of thoughts to stir up summer’s end

Monday, 8/25/97 Mix of thoughts to stir up summer’s end TALK:
From baseball to beaches and worthy Bruins, Harwin tells all

Hey Bruins. It’s my last Bruin column for the summer, and guess
what? It’s the last Daily Bruin of the summer, so for those on
campus, whether you’re at work, at summer camp, or in your fourth
week of Summer Session C, let’s stroll down the walk of this week’s
"Bruin Talk" … For Bruins looking to buy a new car, I hear you
can get a good deal at Ford of Orange. Just tell them that you’re a
student at UCLA (and that you’re also starting in the backcourt of
the basketball team next year) … Speaking of bonuses for being
involved on campus, I’d like to say I’m all in favor of the
Undergraduate Student Association Council (USAC) getting an
adequate stipend. But, doing it without the whole student body here
is just one more tacky thing that USAC has done in recent years. As
I said, I am all in favor of kids on campus being adequately
compensated for making this campus a better place. If you’re doing
work, you should be paid. At the same time, I think it would be
fair for the USAC to publish a monthly log in The Bruin detailing
what they’ve actually accomplished. I won’t be happy if the most
significant thing they accomplished this summer was the pay raise.
Actually, I think that USAC pay raises will be worth it, if they
get the new international center (the one next to Dykstra)
repainted from the toxic orange it is now. It’s a definite eyesore
on a campus that has spent so much money to look like an Ivy league
school. It was probably some architect’s idea (the same one who put
golden arches over Ackerman). I still haven’t found a McDonald’s
… Mohini Bhardwaj, an incoming UCLA freshman, recently qualified
to compete at the world championships representing the United
States in women’s gymnastics. From my perspective – from someone
who does not know much about gymnastics – I was thoroughly
impressed by her strength and presence at the U.S. Gymnastics
Championships. This woman has some major hops – which in standard
English means vertical leaping ability. If she adds some finesse
she’d be like Michael Jordan who rounded out his game with a deadly
jump shot … And now on the late night dials, former Bruin Chris
Spencer has joined the talk show circuit with "Vibe", and now is in
competition with Keenan Ivory Wayans to get that all-important
"urban" viewing crowd, which will get more packed later with Magic
Johnson getting his own talk show. Wayans is not a good
interviewer, and his monologue isn’t very funny, although he’s had
some good skits. The show seems to expect that the viewer is low in
the brains department. Not to show any type of bias toward a Bruin,
but "Vibe" is very put together – but you would expect that from
anything Quincy Jones lends his name to. From my viewpoint, Wayans’
show will be dropped after a year … Magic’s show – I still have
no idea why he’s doing this – will be canceled after two weeks. And
I think Spencer, who until recently was a virtual unknown – will
stick around as something closer to a darkhorse … I’d like to
applaud Disney for dragging its heels with bringing back, and then
suspending Anaheim Angels’ outfielder Tony Phillips, who was
recently arrested for possessing cocaine, but has been declared fit
to play by Major League Baseball. Let’s assume Phillips had a
cocaine problem all season … that might explain his under-.280
batting average, a decline in stolen bases and on-base percentage
from previous years and his much talked-about temperamental
attitude. In that case, he’s been doing something that was
detrimental to his playing ability, and affecting his team’s
chances of winning. Aside from the fact that as a celebrity he’s
considered a role model, I don’t think it would be fair for him to
collect his two-million dollar salary. A fine doesn’t cut it, he
should give back everything he has earned this year … Any
detractor of Hall of Fame manager Tommy Lasorda gets no love from
me. Unfortunately during a week when his accomplishments should
have been noted, newspapers, magazines and television still find
time to put his legacy down. Basketball has recognizable faces like
Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal who are known internationally.
And baseball has Tommy. In a time when baseball popularity has
plummeted, and sports celebrities are making headlines because of
legal troubles, Tommy Lasorda is still inspiring people to stick
with their dreams … And this week’s Bruin No-Prize is going to
the lucky Bruin who can answer the question, "Why do flies always
fly directly to light?" For thousands of years flies and bugs have
been drawn to light and fire (and it seems like they’re always
getting burned) … Parking along the beach is scarce, with
everyone out to dodge the dog days of August. (Unless of course you
pay for it, but why do that?) Because it is my responsibility as
giver of sage advice to Bruins, I found a somewhat convenient place
to park and load up on food at Zuma Beach. If you go along Pacific
Coast Highway, past Zuma Lifeguard Tower 6, 7, … 12, you’ll find
right there: Trancas Market. There’s a big parking lot there, and
no "No Parking" signs … And finally, Mattel has released Baywatch
Barbie, complete with the classic red Baywatch bathing suit,
bullhorn and towel. Early speculation is that new editions will
include multiple-size breast implants to make the Baywatch doll
more like her television counterparts … A.J. Harwin Previous
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