4/3/01

LC010403

VAL>> ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT --

JESS>> THERE'S A PRETTY GOOD JOB OPEN IN HOLLYWOOD. THE PAY IS SO-SO, BUT THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT IS GETTING BETTER AND BETTER.

JIM HILL>> BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME SEEMS TO RING TRUE FOR THE 13TH COUNCIL DISTRICT IN LOS ANGELES AND MORE THAN A DOZEN CANDIDATES HAVE WALKED ONTO THE PLAYING FIELD HOPING TO REPRESENT MOVIELAND AND THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AROUND IT.

MARC HAEFELE>> POLITICS IS IN THE BLOOD OF THIS DISTRICT AND SO IS DISPUTE, CONTENTION, DISCUSSION.

VAL>> WHAT DOES THE FRESHMAN CLASS AT UCLA LOOK LIKE? UCLA CHANCELLOR, ALBERT CARNESALE, TELLS US IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS.

JESS>> ALSO, DURING THIS ELECTION SEASON, PATT MORRISON CAN'T DECIDE WHETHER TO HOLD BACK A CHUCKLE OR A TEAR.

PATT>> LAUGH AND THE WORLD LAUGHS AT YOU. THE SAD STATE OF POLITICAL HUMOR, ON TONIGHT'S INFINITELY MORRISON.

VAL>> AND EVERY FACE TELLS A STORY AND LOS ANGELES IS FULL OF THEM. L.A. TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER, BORIS YARO, HAS CAUGHT MANY OF THE CITY'S FACES ON FILM AND HE'S HERE TO TELL US THE STORIES BEHIND THEM.

JESS>> THESE STORIES COMING UP NEXT ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT IS MADE POSSIBLE BY THE FOLLOWING FOUNDATIONS:

THE JAMES IRVINE FOUNDATION
WHICH IS DEDICATED TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN INFORMED CALIFORNIA CITIZENRY.

THE L.K. WHITTIER FOUNDATION
DEDICATED TO IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY SUPPORTING INNOVATIVE ENDEAVORS IN THE FIELDS OF MEDICINE, HEALTH, SCIENCE AND EDUCATION.

AND THE CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
UNDERWRITING THE SPANISH LANGUAGE TRANSLATION OF LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

VAL>> GOOD EVENING, I'M VAL ZAVALA.

JESS>> AND I'M JESS MARLOW. OUR TOP STORY TONIGHT, A STARRING ROLE IN THE CITY COUNCIL, THE SEAT REPRESENTING HOLLYWOOD AND ITS SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES UP FOR GRABS NEXT TUESDAY AND AN IMPRESSIVE FIELD OF CONTENDERS HAS LINED UP FOR THE RACE.

VAL>> THE 13TH COUNCIL DISTRICT IS THE MOST LIBERAL AND ETHNICALLY DIVERSE IN THE CITY. AS JIM HILL REPORTS, WITH CANDIDATES RANGING FROM SEASONED VETERANS TO PROMISING NEWCOMERS, YOU MIGHT CALL IT A FIELD OF DREAMS.

JIM>> BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME. THAT SEEMS TO RING TRUE FOR THE 13TH COUNCIL DISTRICT IN LOS ANGELES. WITH A DEVELOPMENT BOOM OF SORTS UNDERWAY IN HOLLYWOOD, MORE THAN A DOZEN CANDIDATES HAVE WALKED ONTO THE PLAYING FIELD HOPING TO REPRESENT MOVIELAND AND THE DIVERSE COMMUNITIES AROUND IT.

JILL STEWART>> IT'S A HUGE HORSESHOE SHAPED DISTRICT CREATED BY RE-DISTRICTING AND IT'S EVERYTHING FROM HOLLYWOOD AND EAST HOLLYWOOD, VERY POOR MEXICAN BARRIOS OF ECHO PARK ALL THE WAY UP INTO THE HOLLYWOOD HILLS WITH THE QUITE RICH.

JIM>> TRUE TO HOLLYWOOD TRADITION, THE CONTEST TO WIN THE 13TH COUNCIL SEAT IS RICHLY CAST WITH INTERESTING CHARACTERS. AMONG THEM, FORMER CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR, MIKE WOO, WHO HELD THE COUNCIL SEAT IN THE 1980'S AND EARLY 90'S. ERIC GARCETTI, THE SON OF FORMER DISTRICT ATTORNEY, GIL GARCETTI. SCOTT WILDMAN, THE FORMER STATE ASSEMBLYMAN WHO SERVED TWO TERMS IN SACRAMENTO. AND ART GOLDBERG, THE BROTHER OF JACKIE GOLDBERG, WHO HELD THE COUNCIL SEAT BEFORE MOVING ON TO HIGHER OFFICE.

MARC HAEFELE>> AND THOSE OF US WHO'VE FOLLOWED CITY COUNCIL RACES FOR A FEW YEARS, IN MY CASE ABOUT 16 OF THEM, WONDER WHY THEY COULDN'T SPREAD SOME OF THESE PEOPLE OVER THE REST OF THE CITY TO SOME OF THE DISTRICTS WHICH HAVE SUCH A HARD TIME COMING UP WITH CREDIBLE CANDIDATES.

JIM>> THE DISTRICT DEMANDS THAT CANDIDATES JUGGLE THE NEEDS OF NEIGHBORHOOD GROUPS THAT RANGE FROM POOR IMMIGRANTS TO WEALTHY LAWYERS, 260,000 PEOPLE INCLUDING LARGE POPULATIONS OF POLITICALLY ACTIVE GAYS AND LESBIANS, HISPANICS, ASIANS AND ARMENIANS.

>> BUT YOU HAVE TO GET ALONG WITH PEOPLE AND THAT'S IT.

JIM>> AND A BATTLE OVER DEVELOPMENT PITS THE CHARM OF SMALL FAMILY-RUN STORES AGAINST THE TAX-GENERATING POWER OF SO-CALLED BIG BOX RETAIL GIANTS.

RANDY PARKER>> I THINK THAT DEVELOPMENT IS A KEY AREA HERE AND THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE HOT TOPICS, YEAH. SO I THINK PEOPLE WOULD LIKE IT TO STAY MORE OF A SMALL TOWN FEEL IS MY SENSE OF THE COMMUNITY HERE.

JIM>> IT'S BEEN SAID THAT POLITICS IS IN THE BLOOD OF THE 13TH DISTRICT, SO IT'S NO SURPRISE THE AREA IS OFTEN SEEN AS A CATAPULT TO HIGHER OFFICE. FORMER COUNCIL MEMBER, JACKIE GOLDBERG, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOW IN THE STATE ASSEMBLY AND MIKE WOO, WHO HELD THE COUNCIL SEAT BEFORE GOLDBERG, LEFT OFFICE IN 1993 TO MAKE AN UNSUCCESSFUL RUN FOR MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES.

JILL STEWART>> I THINK IT IS A GOOD SPRINGBOARD BECAUSE YOU'RE IN THE NEWS A LOT WHEN YOU'RE THE COUNCIL MEMBER OF THE 13TH DISTRICT. IF YOU'RE QUOTABLE, YOU'RE IN THE NEWS EVEN MORE, SO, YEAH, YOU BECOME WELL-KNOWN, YOU BECOME A HOUSEHOLD NAME, YOU GET VOTES FROM PEOPLE WHO MAY NOT KNOW IF THEY EVEN LIKE YOU OR DISLIKE YOUR POLICIES, BUT THEY VOTE FOR YOU BECAUSE THEY'VE HEARD YOUR NAME.

MARC HAEFELE>> I THINK THE SPRINGBOARD ETHIC, YOU GOT TO BE CAREFUL. MIKE WOO THOUGHT IT WOULD GET HIM INTO THE MAYOR'S OFFICE AND IT LOOKS LIKE HE MISSED THE BASKET.

JIM>> THIS MAY BE THE RIGHT TIME TO BE THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM HOLLYWOOD. FOR DECADES, ONE ATTEMPT AFTER ANOTHER FAILED TO CLEAN UP THE SQUALOR AND RETURN HOLLYWOOD TO ITS GLORY DAYS.

JILL STEWART>> THIS IS THE MOST VISITED PLACE IN AMERICA BY TOURISTS AND THE AVERAGE STAY IS 23 MINUTES. (LAUGHTER)

JIM>> BUT HERE ALONG SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE LANDMARK CINERAMA DOME IS NOW UNDERGOING A MAKEOVER THAT'S EXPECTED TO BRIGHTEN THE AREA FOR BLOCKS AROUND. AND THIS HUGE COMPLEX AT HOLLYWOOD AND HIGHLAND WILL SOON HOST THE ACADEMY AWARDS AND BRING THE PRESTIGIOUS SHOW BACK TO TINSELTOWN FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS.

MARC HAEFELE>> I LOOK FORWARD TO WHOEVER IS ELECTED COUNCILMAN WHEN THEY HAVE THE FIRST ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY AT THE CENTER ON HOLLYWOOD BOULEVARD -- I THINK IT'S NEXT YEAR OR SO -- WILL DEFINITELY BE INVITED AND SHOW UP AND WAVE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YEAH, THE GLITTER WILL ACCRUE IT.

JIM>> AS FOR WHO WILL BE TAKING THE BOW AS COUNCIL MEMBER ELECT, THE TERM "HORSE RACE" MAY APPLY.

JESS>> ALL RIGHT, WITH ALL THESE FAMILIAR NAMES INVOLVED IN THIS, WHO'S LEADING? WHO'S GOING TO WIN?

JIM>> WELL, THERE ARE TWO PRETTY SAFE PREDICTIONS. FIRST OF ALL, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT ANYONE IS GOING TO GET A MAJORITY, 50 PERCENT OR MORE --

JESS>> -- THERE WILL BE A RUNOFF THEN?

JIM>> SO YOU'LL GET A RUNOFF ALMOST CERTAINLY AMONG TWO OF THE FRONT RUNNERS WE TALKED ABOUT. ANOTHER SAFE GUESS IS THAT A PROGRESSIVE IS GOING TO WIN. MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE FIELD ARE PROGRESSIVE AND, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY OF THIS, FROM JACKIE GOLDBERG TO MIKE WOO IN THE 1980'S, THIS HAS BEEN THE DISTRICT WHERE A PROGRESSIVE TENDS TO DOMINATE. IT'S ALSO WHERE THE PROGRESSIVE IDEAS TEND TO COME FOR THE WHOLE COUNCIL. IT KIND OF TAKES THE LEAD IN PROGRESSIVE IDEAS WHICH EITHER ARE PICKED UP BY THE REST OF THE COUNCIL OR DIE IN THE COUNCIL, BUT THEY ALMOST ALWAYS COME FROM THE 13TH DISTRICT.

VAL>> THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING WHAT SHE SAID IN THE PIECE ABOUT THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF A STAY BY A VISITOR IN HOLLYWOOD IS 23 MINUTES? (LAUGHTER)

JIM>> YEAH, IT'S AMAZING WHEN YOU CONSIDER ALSO THAT IT'S SUCH A POPULAR AREA. THERE'S A MYSTIQUE ABOUT HOLLYWOOD, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY --

JESS>> -- IT ONLY TAKES TEN MINUTES TO GO THROUGH GROMAN'S CHINESE AND CHECK THE FOOTPRINTS.

VAL>> RIGHT.

JIM>> THAT'S RIGHT, AND AFTER THAT, YOU LOOK AROUND AND PROBABLY DECIDE IT'S TIME TO GET OUT BEFORE DARK, I THINK.

VAL>> BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT MAY CHANGE WITH ALL THIS REDEVELOPMENT?

JIM>> IT'S BEEN PREDICTED A NUMBER OF TIMES BEFORE AND THOSE PREDICTIONS DID NOT HOLD TRUE, BUT THIS TIME, YOU'RE SEEING SOME REALLY BIG DEVELOPMENTS AND THAT CAN'T HELP BUT HAVE A POSITIVE EFFECT OF SOME SORT. WILL IT TURN AROUND HOLLYWOOD? WELL, THERE ARE PEOPLE NOW WHO HAVE BEEN SKEPTICAL IN THE PAST WHO ARE NOW SAYING THIS MAY BE IT.

JESS>> AND THE INDEPENDENCE FOR THE CITY OF HOLLYWOOD IS NOT AN ISSUE IN THIS CAMPAIGN?

JIM>> NO, IT IS NOT.

VAL>> VERY GOOD. AND, OF COURSE, A LOT OF THE TURNAROUND WILL DEPEND ON WHO THEIR COUNCIL PERSON IS. JIM HILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

OUR TOP STORY TOMORROW, A RESPECTED SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA CONGRESSMAN DIED SUDDENLY LAST DECEMBER. NOW THERE'S A GLUT OF CANDIDATES ANXIOUS TO HEAD OFF TO WASHINGTON TO TAKE HIS PLACE.

LEAH SANDERS>> MORE THAN A DOZEN CANDIDATES ARE RUNNING FOR THE HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER 32ND CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT SEAT. JULIAN DIXON, WHO PASSED AWAY IN DECEMBER, HELD IT FOR 22 YEARS.

>> SPECIAL ELECTIONS ARE JUST INCREDIBLY GRUELING AND TIRESOME. THEY'RE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT AND SOMETIMES NOT ALWAYS THE BEST CANDIDATE WINS.

VAL>> SO WHO ARE THE CHOICES? FIND OUT TOMORROW AT 7:00 P.M. RIGHT HERE ON LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT.

JESS>> IN TONIGHT'S THINKERS, SHAKERS & NEWSMAKERS, WHEN A UNIVERSITY HAS TO REJECT THREE OUT OF FOUR APPLICANTS, HOW DO YOU MAKE SURE THE ONES THAT GET IN ARE THE BEST? THAT'S THE DILEMMA FACING UCLA, WHICH GETS MORE STUDENT APPLICATIONS THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE CAMPUS IN THE COUNTRY.

VAL>> THIS YEAR, FOR EXAMPLE, SOME 40,600 STUDENTS APPLIED TO GET INTO UCLA, BUT JUST 10,700 OR SO GOT IN. NOW ONE OF THE SCHOOL'S BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS TO ENSURE ETHNIC DIVERSITY AMONG THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ADMITTED. HERE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT CAME OUT JUST TODAY FOR THE FALL FRESHMAN CLASS. FORTY PERCENT WERE ADMITTED FROM THE ASIAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY. WHITES REPRESENTED 34 PERCENT. THAT'S MORE OR LESS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR, 11 PERCENT ARE LATINO. THAT IS UP JUST SLIGHTLY FROM LAST YEAR'S 10.3 PERCENT. AND JUST OVER THREE PERCENT ARE AFRICAN-AMERICANS. THAT ACTUALLY IS DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM LAST YEAR. AND THEN FEWER THAN ONE-HALF OF ONE PERCENT ARE NATIVE-AMERICANS. THOSE ARE THE ADMISSIONS THAT WERE MADE JUST RECENTLY.

JESS>> THE UNIVERSITY IS TRYING A NUMBER OF WAYS TO INCREASE ITS MINORITY ENROLLMENT. JOINING US NOW IS UCLA CHANCELLOR, ALBERT CARNESALE. CHANCELLOR CARNESALE, WITH ONLY 34 PERCENT BEING WHITE, MANY PEOPLE WOULD SAY IT'S DIVERSE.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, IT IS DIVERSE IN MANY WAYS, BUT IT DOESN'T MIRROR IN ANY WAY THE POPULATION OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA. SO WHEN YOU THINK OF THE GROUPS THAT ARE UNDER-REPRESENTED, IT'S PRIMARILY A LATINO-CHICANO GROUP AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN GROUP. NATIVE-AMERICANS, OF COURSE, THAT'S A PRETTY SMALL NUMBER IN ANY EVENT AND STATISTICS DON'T MEAN MUCH THERE, BUT WE CERTAINLY WOULD LIKE TO RETURN, AT THE MINIMUM, TO THE KINDS OF DIVERSITY WE HAD BEFORE PROPOSITION 209 BECAME THE LAW OF THE LAND.

JESS>> THERE'S CERTAINLY A REASON FOR IT, BUT SOME WOULD SAY 40 PERCENT ASIAN-AMERICAN? MAYBE THEY'RE OVER-REPRESENTED.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, IN A TECHNICAL SENSE, THEY'RE AN UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUP, BUT, OF COURSE, THE ADMISSIONS ARE BASED ON ACADEMIC CRITERIA AND ALSO, NOT ONLY ON ACADEMIC CRITERIA, ABOUT 55 PERCENT OF THE STUDENTS WE ADMIT, TO ACADEMIC CRITERIA ALONE. THE OTHER 45 PERCENT INCLUDES, FOR EXAMPLE, LEADERSHIP, EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, CHALLENGES THAT A STUDENT HAS TO OVERCOME IN LIFE, WHETHER THEY BE SOCIOECONOMIC OR WHATEVER. SO WE DO MANAGE TO ACHIEVE SOME DIVERSITY, BUT ONE THING THAT WE, OF COURSE, ARE NOT ALLOWED TO CONSIDER IN THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS IS RACE OR ETHNICITY OR GENDER OR NATIONALITY.

JESS>> THANKS TO PROP 209.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> THANKS TO PROP 209.

VAL>> BUT EVEN BEFORE THAT, THE UNIVERSITY HAD A POLICY, CORRECT? THE UC REGENTS PASSED A POLICY THAT WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED RACE FROM BEING CONSIDERED A FACTOR?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> THEY DID INDEED ADOPT A POLICY BEFORE PROPOSITION 209 WENT INTO PLACE, BUT ACTUALLY IT NEVER WENT INTO EFFECT BEFORE PROPOSITION 209 BECAME THE LAW.

VAL>> SO, IF ETHNIC DIVERSITY IS A GOAL, IF YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE EVEN, YOU SAY, SPECIFICALLY MORE AFRICAN-AMERICANS AND LATINOS, AND SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY, WELL, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A COMMON GOAL, HOW ARE YOU DOING IT?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, OF COURSE, WE'RE DOING SEVERAL THINGS TO TRY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. THE REGENTS, AT THE SAME TIME THAT THEY SAID YOU COULD NOT USE RACE AS A CONDITION OR A CRITERION IN ADMISSIONS, AGREED THAT WE SHOULD DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD. SO UCLA, FOR EXAMPLE, IS NOW INVOLVED IN 58 HIGH SCHOOLS IN THE LOS ANGELES AREA IN TRYING TO LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD IN WHAT WE CALL THE SUPER 12. WE'RE ENGAGED IN EVERYTHING FROM DEVELOPING THE CURRICULUM AND WORKING WITH THE TEACHERS AND COUNSELING PARENTS AND COUNSELING THE STUDENTS AND REALLY TRYING TO HELP IN WAYS THAT WILL LET THESE STUDENTS KNOW THAT UCLA IS A POSSIBILITY FOR THEM.

VAL>> SO YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP THEM BE QUALIFIED TO APPLY AND GET IN.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> QUALIFIED, AND ALSO TO REALIZE THAT IT'S NOT THE COST. THERE IS FINANCIAL AID AVAILABLE, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF THERE'S ANY MESSAGE WE WANT TO SEND, IT'S THAT MINORITY STUDENTS ARE WANTED, NEEDED AND WELCOMED AT UCLA AND YOU'LL GET A GREAT EDUCATION THERE IF YOU COME.

JESS>> TO WHAT EXTENT WOULD THE IMBALANCE IN DIVERSITY, IF THAT'S PROPER TO SAY, IS BASED IN PART ON THE FACT THAT YOU GET THIS ENORMOUS NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS, THE MOST OF ANY UNIVERSITY IN THE COUNTRY?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, THAT IS A BIG PART OF IT AND THE FACT IS THAT NOT EVERYBODY IN THE STATE GETS THE SAME OPPORTUNITY FOR EDUCATION IN K THROUGH 12, SO OUR ADMISSIONS REFLECT THAT. BUT IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE ACADEMIC QUALITY OF THE STUDENTS THAT WE DO ADMIT IS ABSOLUTELY EXTRAORDINARY AND KEEPS GETTING BETTER EACH YEAR. AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE STUDENTS WHO APPLY ARE IN THE TOP ONE-EIGHTH OF HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS IN THE STATE TO BEGIN WITH. YOU HAVE TO BE THAT GOOD TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR ANY CAMPUS IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA.

VAL>> AND, IN FACT, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A LOOK AT SOME STATISTICS AS TO WHAT THE 2001 FRESHMAN CLASS LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF GPA. THE AVERAGE -- AND THIS IS FOR YOUR ADMISSIONS, YOUR 10,000 ADMISSIONS -- THE AVERAGE GPA WAS 4.23. THE SAT'S WERE 1328. THAT'S OUT OF A POSSIBLE 1600. AP CLASSES, 17.8 HOURS OF ADVANCED PLACEMENT CLASSES. THAT IS A VERY IMPRESSIVE FIGURE. WE SHOULD EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE WHO WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TEN OR TWENTY YEARS AGO THAT IT'S NOW POSSIBLE TO GET MORE THAN A 4.0. (LAUGHTER)

ALBERT CARNESALE>> THAT'S RIGHT, BECAUSE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF YOUR HONORS COURSES AND ADVANCE PLACEMENT COURSES CAN ACTUALLY ADD AN EXTRA POINT TO YOUR GRADE POINT AVERAGE. IN OTHER WORDS, IF YOU GET AN "A" IN AN HONORS COURSE, YOU CAN GET FIVE POINTS TOWARD YOUR GRADE POINT AVERAGE INSTEAD OF FOUR, FOR A LIMITED NUMBER.

VAL>> WHAT HAS FORCED THE ACADEMIC STANDARDS UP?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, IT'S MANY THINGS. STUDENTS ARE WORKING HARDER. FIRST OF ALL, MORE STUDENTS HAVE IN MIND GOING TO COLLEGE THAN DID MANY YEARS AGO, SO THEY'RE WORKING ON THEIR GRADES --

JESS>> -- AND COMPETITION.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> THAT'S RIGHT. NOT JUST TO GRADUATE, BUT NOW THEY WANT TO GET INTO THE BEST UNIVERSITY THEY CAN GET INTO. THE SAD PART ABOUT THIS IS TO REALIZE THAT, OF THE 30,000 STUDENTS WE'RE NOT ABLE TO ADMIT, THE VAST MAJORITY ARE EXCELLENT STUDENTS. WE HAVE MORE STUDENTS THAT HAVE 4.0 GRADE POINT AVERAGES THAN WE HAVE SLOTS FOR FRESHMEN.

VAL>> SO YOU CAN GET A 4.0 AND BE REJECTED?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> YOU CAN GET A 4.0 AND NOT BE ADMITTED. UCLA IS NOW ONE OF THE TOP TWO, AT LEAST ROUGHLY TIED FOR NUMBER ONE, OF PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES IN THE COUNTRY IN TERMS OF SELECTIVITY. IT'S NOW IN THE HIGHEST RANKS. SO THESE ARE WONDERFUL STUDENTS. WE'RE SAD ABOUT THE ONES THAT WE WON'T BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE, BUT DELIGHTED WITH THE ONES WE HAVE.

JESS>> HOW DOES THIS AFFECT YOUR RECRUITING FOR FACULTY?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, FACULTY WANT TO BE AT A UNIVERSITY THAT HAS EXCELLENT STUDENTS AND STUDENTS WANT TO BE IN A UNIVERSITY THAT HAS AN EXCELLENT FACULTY, SO THOSE GO TOGETHER. I DON'T KNOW OF ANY UNIVERSITY ANYWHERE THAT HAS EXCELLENT FACULTY AND MEDIOCRE STUDENTS OR VICE VERSA, AND WE HAVE BOTH.

JESS>> DOES DIVERSITY GO TOGETHER, FACULTY AND STUDENTS?

ALBERT CARNESALE>> YES, AND, AS A MATTER OF FACT, UCLA HAS ESTABLISHED A REPUTATION OF ACHIEVING EXCELLENCE AT THE SAME TIME IT ACHIEVED DIVERSITY. SO UCLA WAS THE CAMPUS THAT REALLY PROVED THAT EXCELLENCE AND DIVERSITY ARE NOT IN COMPETITION WITH ONE ANOTHER. THEY COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER. AND AT UCLA, THAT'S BEEN ONE OF THE SOURCES OF OUR EXCELLENCE, HAS BEEN THE DIVERSITY OF THE STUDENT BODY AND FACULTY.

VAL>> WE JUST HAVE A FEW SECONDS LEFT. I WANTED TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE TO TALK ABOUT UCLA AND THE LARGER COMMUNITY.

ALBERT CARNESALE>> WELL, AS YOU MAY KNOW, ONE OF OUR MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT WE'LL BE STARTING UP IS UCLA IN L.A., AND THAT'S TO INCREASE OUR INVOLVEMENT IN THE COMMUNITY. WE'RE VERY MUCH INVOLVED THERE NOW. IT'S ONE OF THE BETTER KEPT SECRETS. AS I INDICATED IN K THROUGH 12, WE'RE INVOLVED IN THE ARTS AND IN BUSINESS, BUT WE'RE SO FORTUNATE TO BE IN THIS EXTRAORDINARY CITY THAT WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A LOT TO OFFER AND A LOT TO GAIN BY BEING MORE INVOLVED WITH THE PEOPLE OF THIS GREAT COMMUNITY.

VAL>> CHANCELLOR CARNESALE, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING BY, AND CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THOSE STUDENTS WHO GOT IN TO UCLA.

SO WHAT DO YOU THINK? DIVERSITY AND EXCELLENCE? IT SEEMS TO GO HAND IN HAND? WE'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. HERE ARE THE WAYS YOU CAN REACH US:

LIFEANDTIMES@KCET.ORG
WWW.KCET.ORG.
LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT
4401 SUNSET BLVD.
LOS ANGELES, CA 90027
(323) 953-5555

JESS>> LOS ANGELES MAYOR, RICHARD RIORDAN. HE MAY HAVE A FUTURE IN COMEDY. PATT MORRISON TELLS US ALL ABOUT IT IN TONIGHT'S INFINITELY MORRISON.

PATT>> [BROADCAST ERROR] ... LAST-MINUTE INITIATIVE TO SECURE HIS LEGACY. HE IS QUINTUPLING HIS ANNUAL SALARY FROM ONE DOLLAR TO FIVE. THE ACTION IS RETROACTIVE, MEANING RIORDAN WILL RECEIVE A LUMP SUM CHECK FOR $32 ON JUNE 30 ADDED TO THE $8 HE ALREADY GETS UNDER THE OLD COMPENSATION SCHEDULE. THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL TO $40. NOW RIORDAN SAYS HE'S ALREADY SPENT THE $8, BUT WILL DONATE THE REMAINING $32 TO THE L.A. UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT TO DEFRAY ITS $153 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET DEFICIT.

RIORDAN ALSO ANNOUNCED A NEW $10 MILLION DOLLAR PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE TO BUILD AND DEPLOY A CIVIC MISSILE DEFENSE SYSTEM. THE MAYOR SAYS HE MUST PROTECT LOS ANGELES FROM THE "NUCLEAR TRIGGER OF SUCH ROGUE GOVERNMENTS AS IRAQ, NORTH KOREA AND SAN FRANCISCO". BEING CONSIDERED FOR THE LOCATION OF THE MISSILE DEFENSE COMMAND CENTER ARE SITES IN THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, SAN PEDRO AND HOLLYWOOD.

FINALLY, THE MAYOR DECLARED SUNDAY, LAST SUNDAY, TO BE "LIGHTS ON, LOS ANGELES DAY". WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF WATER AND POWER FLUSH WITH KILOWATTAGE, THE MAYOR URGED ANGELENOS TO SWITCH ON APPLIANCES AND HOT TUBS DURING PEAK HOURS TO CELEBRATE THE CITY'S ENERGY INDEPENDENCE. ASKED WHY L.A. WOULD DO THIS WHILE THE REST OF THE STATE IS SUFFERING ROLLING BLACKOUTS, THE MAYOR REPLIED SIMPLY, "BECAUSE WE CAN."

I HOPE BY NOW YOU'VE GOTTEN THE POINT. THE DATE ON THAT PRESS RELEASE IS APRIL 1, APRIL FOOL'S DAY. NOT A LOT OF HUMOR COMES OUT OF POLITICS THESE DAYS AND THAT'S A PITY. IT'S BECOME TOO GRIM AND TOO PARTISAN TO LAUGH ABOUT. BUT THE FLIP SIDE IS THAT TOO MANY PEOPLE GET ALL THEIR POLITICAL NEWS FROM LATE-NIGHT COMEDIANS AND THAT ALSO IS A PITY BECAUSE THERE ARE MATTERS WE NEED TO TAKE VERY SERIOUSLY EVEN AS WE WISH OUR POLITICIANS TO TAKE THEMSELVES LESS SO.

IT'S A TRICKY BUSINESS, POLITICAL HUMOR. TAKE THIS GIMMICK FROM THE RECENT CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION. PARTISAN FORTUNE COOKIES. NOW LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THIS ONE SAYS. OH, YEAH, "ENERGY FIASCO. DNA PROVED PETE WILSON AT CRIME SCENE." SO IT'S NOT GREAT, BUT IT'S A START.

VAL>> IN TONIGHT'S PEOPLE, PLACES & THINGS, LOS ANGELES IS A CITY FULL OF FASCINATING FACES AND BEHIND EVERY ONE OF THEM IS A UNIQUE AND COMPELLING STORY, FROM THE STARS IN HOLLYWOOD TO THE HOMELESS ON SKID ROW.

JESS>> PHOTOJOURNALIST, BORIS YARO, HAS CAPTURED SOME OF THOSE AMAZING FACES AND THE STORIES BEHIND THEM FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES. YARO HAS TRAINED HIS LENS ON L.A. SINCE THE 60'S. IN HIS NEARLY FOUR DECADES ON ASSIGNMENT FOR THE TIMES, HE HAS PHOTOGRAPHED NOT ONLY THE CITY'S MAJOR NEWS EVENTS, BUT ALSO THE DIVERSE CAST OF CHARACTERS WHO INHABIT THE CITY.

VAL>> AND JOINING US NOW IS PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER, BORIS YARO. WELCOME AGAIN TO LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT. NICE TO HAVE YOU.

BORIS YARO>> THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

JESS>> THE FACES OF LOS ANGELES.

BORIS YARO>> THE FACES OF L.A. OH, THERE ARE SOME OUT THERE, LET ME TELL YOU. TALK ABOUT DIVERSITY? WE'VE GOT 'EM. (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> ALL RIGHT, LET'S TAKE A LOOK.

BORIS YARO>> AH, YES. THAT'S A CBS FELLOW, DARRELL ANDERSON. CBS SENT DARRELL TO ME TO BE TRAINED FOR A TELEVISION SERIES CALLED "LOU GRANT".

VAL>> SO HE IS AN ACTOR?

BORIS YARO>> HE IS AN ACTOR.

VAL>> WHO WAS GOING TO PLAY A PHOTOGRAPHER?

BORIS YARO>> TO PLAY A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER, OR WHAT WRITERS THOUGHT A NEWS PHOTOGRAPHER SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

JESS>> HAT ON THE BACK OF THE HEAD, DISHEVELED HAIR, CIGAR IN THE MOUTH, PERFECT. (LAUGHTER)

BORIS YARO>> RIGHT, AND A CAR THAT WAS A TOTAL DISASTER.

VAL>> WHY DID THEY SEND HIM TO YOU FOR TRAINING?

BORIS YARO>> BASICALLY, BECAUSE I'M KIND OF THE OUT-AND-ABOUT GUY. CRASH AND BURN, IF YOU WILL. DARRELL, WONDERFUL GUY, EVERYBODY LOVED HIM EXCEPT FOR NEWS PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO THOUGHT HE DIDN'T REALLY REPRESENT THEM. (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> THEY'RE A COAT AND TIE GROUP, YEAH. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT ANOTHER.

BORIS YARO>> OH, THAT'S EASY-E, WHO WAS WITH A RAP GROUP, NWA. IT'S JUST ONE OF THE DIVERSE THINGS IN THE CITY. I DON'T GET TO PHOTOGRAPH MANY RAPPERS. HE WAS THE FIRST. HE, UNFORTUNATELY, HAS SINCE PASSED AWAY.

VAL>> WHAT IS THIS SETTING?

BORIS YARO>> HE'S SITTING IN HIS OFFICE AND BEHIND HIM IS A MARVELOUS PAINTING THAT LOOKED LIKE AN AQUARIUM.

VAL>> WHAT WAS HE LIKE? AS YOUR FIRST RAPPER, HE --

BORIS YARO>> -- REALLY KIND OF LAID BACK, MAYBE TOO COOL.

JESS>> WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO TAKE THIS PICTURE?

BORIS YARO>> ESSENTIALLY, HE LOOKED UP AT ME WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, LIKE, OKAY. I SAID, DON'T MOVE. THAT'S MY PICTURE RIGHT THERE.

VAL>> LET'S SEE THE NEXT ONE HERE. WE CAN JUST GO FROM PICTURE TO PICTURE.

JESS>> SURE.

BORIS YARO>> OH, YEAH. (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> OH, THIS IS CRUEL, THIS IS CRUEL.

BORIS YARO>> THIS IS A PICTURE I MADE ABOUT 3:30 IN THE MORNING. WE HAD A FIRE DOWN THE STREET ON LA CIENEGA AND I'M WALKING BACK TO THE CAR AND I LOOK OVER THERE AND, OH MY WORD. WHO IS OUT THERE EATING HAMBURGERS AT 3:00 IN THE MORNING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? I WAS SCARED SILLY, SO WHAT I DID WAS, NO FLASH, I SNUCK A COUPLE OF PICTURES AND PITTY-PATTIED BACK TO MY CAR. (LAUGHTER)

VAL>> BEFORE HE LEFT BECAUSE YOU COULDN'T CAST THAT CHARACTER BETTER RIGHT THERE.

BORIS YARO>> I DIDN'T WANT HIM TO COME OUT AND ASK ME WHAT I WAS DOING. (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> THIS WAS FACES OF LOS ANGELES AND NOW HE'S SHOWING US THE BACKSIDES OF LOS ANGELES, INCLUDING A VERY FAMOUS BACKSIDE.

VAL>> VERY FAMOUS BACKSIDE.

BORIS YARO>> RIGHT. THIS IS MAE WEST. WHEN I GOT THE ASSIGNMENT FOR THIS TO GO TO ROYCE HALL AT UCLA AND PHOTOGRAPH MAE WEST, I WAS JUST BLOWN AWAY. THIS WAS A DREAM THING BECAUSE THIS LADY IS A LEGEND. WHEN I GOT THERE AND I'M LOOKING AT HER AND SHE'S NOT OVERLY GREAT LOOKING ANYMORE --

VAL>> -- YEAH, BECAUSE THIS WAS IN 1983. SHE WAS IN HER 80'S.

BORIS YARO>> 80'S, AND IT WAS ALMOST AS IF -- I DON'T WANT TO BE MEAN OR ANYTHING, BUT SHE WAS ALMOST A CARICATURE OF MAE WEST AND I DIDN'T WANT TO HURT THE IMAGE THAT PEOPLE HAVE OF MAE WEST. SO WHAT I DID WAS, I WENT AROUND BEHIND HER AND THE SILHOUETTE WAS THERE AND THERE WAS NO DOUBT.

VAL>> NO DOUBT.

JESS>> STILL A GOOD PHOTOGRAPH.

VAL>> WHO'S NEXT HERE?

BORIS YARO>> THIS WAS MADE IN THE VERY LATE 60'S, EARLY 70'S. THE TIMES DIDN'T RUN THIS PICTURE UNTIL THREE YEARS LATER. IT'S AWFULLY HARD --

JESS>> -- HOMELESSNESS WASN'T VERY HIGH ON THE VISIBILITY LIST AT THAT TIME EITHER, WAS IT?

BORIS YARO>> EXACTLY. YOU KNOW THAT. (LAUGHTER) THERE WEREN'T A LOT OF HOMELESS PEOPLE OUT THERE. THERE WERE NO CARDBOARD CONDOS. THIS MAN IS MORE OF A -- HE WAS DOWN AND PASSED OUT WHEN I FIRST SAW HIM. WHEN I WALKED UP, A POLICEMAN HAD WALKED UP AND AWAKENED HIM ABOUT MAYBE 30 SECONDS BEFORE I MADE THAT PICTURE. IT'S REALLY A STRONG IMAGE. I REALLY LIKE IT, BUT IT TOOK -- AN EDITOR BY THE NOEL GREENWOOD SAID WE'RE GOING TO RUN THAT PICTURE AND, THREE YEARS LATER, WE RAN IT.

VAL>> NOW HERE'S AN INTERESTING QUESTION. HOW MANY PICTURES DID YOU TAKE OF HIM TO GET THAT REALLY GOOD ONE?

BORIS YARO>> WE HAVE, I THINK, FOUR OF THE FACE LIKE THAT AND THEN IT WAS, LIKE, BOOM.

JESS>> AND HERE'S A FACE.

BORIS YARO>> OH, YEAH. PRINCE PAUL. RINGLING BROS. BARNUM & BAILEY CIRCUS. I WAS MAKING PHOTOGRAPHS OF A COUPLE OF OTHER CIRCUS ENTERTAINERS AND I HEARD THIS VOICE, "HEY MISTER, WHAT ABOUT ME?" AND I LOOKED AT HIM DOWN HERE. (LAUGHTER) OH, YEAH. OH, YEAH. OH, I LIKE IT EVEN MORE.

JESS>> HE WAS LOOKING UP AT YOU?

BORIS YARO>> RIGHT, AND HE HAD A WAY WITH IT THAT HE TURNED HIS HEAD TO THE SIDE, I MEAN, THIS WAS A MAN THAT WAS FAMILIAR WITH THE CAMERAS AND HE MADE THAT PICTURE. HE REALLY DID. IT WAS HIS SMILE.

VAL>> THAT IS GREAT. ANY MORE? OH, THIS ONE IS GOOD.

BORIS YARO>> MY FRIEND, DAVE WILLER. THIS IS -- BRIEFLY, DAVE IS DISARMING A PRACTICE BOMB AND --

VAL>> -- OH, IT'S NOT A REAL BOMB? IT'S NOT REAL?

BORIS YARO>> PRACTICE BOMB. NO, IT'S NOT REAL, BUT IT HAD DETONATORS IN THEM. RIGHT AT THE TIP IS THIS LITTLE THING THAT GOES BANG AND SETS OFF THIS CLOUD OF SMOKE. WELL, THE SCRAP YARD OVER IN SAN FERNANDO BOUGHT A BUNCH OF THEM, THE WORKER WENT TO PUT SOME AWAY AND ONE OF THE DETONATORS WILL STILL LIVE AND HE ENDED UP WITH THE DETONATOR IMBEDDED IN HIS STERNUM. SO DAVE HAD TO GO OUT THERE AND TAKE ALL THE DETONATORS OUT. HE'S TURNING HIS HEAD. IT'S ALMOST LIKE IT'S USELESS, BUT IT WAS FUN. WHEN HE SAID, OH, NO, I SAID OH, YES, I GOT THAT. (LAUGHTER)

JESS>> DID YOU EVER SHOOT A PHOTOGRAPH THAT YOU REALLY FELL IN LOVE WITH THAT YOUR EMPLOYERS WOULDN'T PUBLISH?

BORIS YARO>> NO, THANK GOD FOR THAT.

VAL>> A TRIBUTE TO THE L.A. TIMES. BORIS YARO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING YET MORE OF YOUR WORK WITH US. WE REALLY ENJOY IT.

BORIS YARO>> THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HAVING ME.

JESS>> THANKS, BORIS.

BORIS YARO>> YEP.

JESS>> CALL THE NUMBER ON YOUR SCREEN FOR INFORMATION ON THAT EXHIBIT OF BORIS YARO'S PHOTOS. IT'S ENTITLED "ASSIGNMENT: L.A." IT IS ON VIEW AT CAL STATE NORTHRIDGE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER THROUGH JUNE 10.

818-677-3943
WWW.CSUN.EDU/ARTGALLERIES

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JESS>> THAT'S IT FOR TONIGHT'S PROGRAM. NOW FOR ALL OF US HERE AT LIFE AND TIMES TONIGHT, HAVE A GREAT EVENING.

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