because I'm a good soldier of Troy

November 29, 2007

The Honorable Antonio R. Villaraigosa
Mayor
City of Los Angeles City Hall
200 North Spring Street, Room 303
Los Angeles, California 90012
Fax: (213) 847-0680

Dear Mr. Mayor,

I would like to express my appreciation and gratitude for your support of the University of Southern California remaining a tenant of the Memorial Coliseum.

As a recent graduate of USC I was very upset to hear that the Coliseum Commission might not renew our lease and allow us to make very necessary renovations to the building. As I understand it, the school is offering $100 million to make upgrades to return the Coliseum to world-class status. I also think that allowing USC more say in our now 80-year residency at the venue is not too much to ask. The contributions that USC has made and will continue to make to the area and the city as a whole far outweigh any notions of an elusive NFL stadium.

I am a Trojan, my mother is a Trojan and I hope someday my grandkids will be Trojans too. The Coliseum lease is not only important to us in the practical sense of having a place to hold events, but also in terms of our historical presence at the stadium. Trojan traditions are extremely important to us. We are grounded in this storied 127-year history, and this gives us the strength and passion to excel at what we do. I recently returned to campus for homecoming celebrations, as many of us alums do, and I cannot fathom the loss of community that would occur if our home games were moved to the Rose Bowl.

I was saddened to read Commissioner Bill Chadwick’s comments in the LA Times this morning. He said, "I think it would be great if they played at the Rose Bowl for two years. At the end of that two years, the leverage we would have in negotiations would be spectacular." This Marie Antoinette attitude does not reflect a spirit of friendship or even compromise. I truly hope that your positive influence may change the opinion of the Coliseum Commission members so that my school and the venue that we know and love may return to the bargaining table to reach a fair and fruitful agreement.

I know that you went to UCLA, but fight on, sir!

Sincerely,



Meilee M. Wong
Class of ‘07