SAN DIEGO STATE LAUNCHES PUBLIC-RELATIONS EFFORT AFTER HUGE DRUG BUST

Prominent Alumni of the University, Including Athletes and Local
Notables, Appear in a Newspaper Ad and in Spots on Radio and Television.

SAN DIEGO -- Stung by bad publicity from last week's massive campus
drug bust, San Diego State University has begun a public-relations
blitz with the theme "We're prouder than ever."

The university has taken out a full page in today's Union-Tribune
with names of more than 500 alumni and local notables boosting the school.

The $19,000 ad was paid for, in part, by Cox Business, a division of
cable and television giant Cox Communications, and by restaurant
owner Ralph Rubio.

Radio and television spots were being recorded Thursday that feature
prominent alums such as San Diego Fire Chief Tracy Jarman, Hall of
Fame baseball player Tony Gwynn and former Jack In the Box executive
Jack Goodall. The spots will play on KPBS public radio and television
through Memorial Day weekend, officials said.

Bill Trumpfheller, president of the San Diego State Alumni Assn.,
said the ads are part of an effort to reassure parents that the
campus is safe and to emphasize to students that the drug arrests
have not devalued their diplomas.

"When I hire, I'm still going to give first look to San Diego State
students," Trumpfheller, executive of a local public-relations firm,
said as he waited to film a spot. "Always have, always will."

The newspaper ad does not mention the drug arrests, but says the
undersigned "support the university and its leadership in taking a
stand to ensure a safe campus environment."

Among those signing the ad were San Diego County Sheriff Bill
Kolender, former San Diego Police Chief David Bejarano, Chula Vista
Mayor Cheryl Cox, Chula Vista Police Chief Rick Emerson, actor and
former pro football player Fred Dryer, State Sen. Christine Kehoe
(D-San Diego) and San Diego City Council members Kevin Faulconer, Ben
Hueso, Tony Young and Jim Madaffer.

San Diego State grads are spread throughout local government and business.

The five members of the county Board of Supervisors are alumni, as is
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders. Among his recent predecessors, Maureen
O'Connor was a San Diego State grad, and Susan Golding was the
daughter of a former San Diego State president.

Authorities last week announced that 96 young men, including 75
students, had been arrested after an undercover operation centered
around San Diego State's fraternity houses. The number of arrests was
later revised to 125, including 95 students.

Drug Enforcement Administration officials said 130 undercover buys
were made as part of what they called Operation Sudden Fall.

Within a few days, officials had clarified the numbers.

The undercover operation led to the arrest of 54 of the students. The
other 41 were arrested as a result of normal police work over a
period of months, and many of those arrests involved small amounts of
marijuana.

News stories about the bust made international headlines.

"We've been on the road for three weeks, and we got ragged a lot
about it," said Gwynn, now the university's baseball coach.

Six campus fraternities have been suspended pending an investigation.

But student-body President James Poet, 23, a business major and
member of the Sigma Chi fraternity, said he doubted that the
publicity would hurt the fraternity system.

"The Greek system battles stuff like this all the time," said Poet,
fresh from filming a spot. "We're always fighting against bad
stereotypes, but Greeks are very resilient."

Goodall said he thought the school would be too.

"The publicity was mammoth, but I don't think, long term, that the
university was hurt," he said.