By: Carla Rubio ‘19

My name is Carla Rubio, and I am studying Theatre Production at the USC School of Dramatic Arts. I was born in San Francisco but raised in Bakersfield, CA. I am the oldest child of four; I also happen to be a twin. If you were wondering, I am a fraternal twin but my sister and I do share similar features.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

This morning at the gym I joined in Buenos Aires, a trainer wished me “Feliz Día de la Mujer” which was the first time I’ve ever been greeted this way, although for me every day is women’s day. As someone who identifies as a woman and as someone who identifies as a feminist, I decided IWD is something I should probably be more knowledgeable about and I’ve compiled this handy guide for you, as well. So whether you’re abroad, like me, or on campus when you read this, if it’s March 8th, it is International Women’s Day and you should be mindful of this, because as far as women’s rights have come, we’re not there yet and by there I mean ~equal~. The quote below from earlier today sums this up very well.

By: Haley Coleman ‘18

Talented. Leaders. The future. These three words best describe five students at the undergraduate and graduate level, are following the footsteps of many prominent alumni within their major fields. In celebration of 40 years of The Center for Black Cultural and Student Affairs (CBCSA), we honor five black alumni who have served as great leaders within the community and have paved the way for amazing students coming after them. This is Black History Month parallel.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Spring Break is just around the corner and so are the possible dangers that come with it. Take the time now to become better informed about the helpful resources on campus and some savvy safety tips to ensure you have the best spring break possible.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

This year, my primary focus is my happiness. The first step to achieving this is by making your needs a top priority. A lot goes into your overall health and wellness and I feel that a blog post dedicated to this topic is long overdue. I am all about finding that inner-bliss and through these habits— many of which I have personally adopted over the past year— I can attest to what I’m saying. A healthy lifestyle is exactly that: a lifestyle.

By: Emily Young MA ‘16

When you’re busy and tired it can be the first thing to go. Taking care of yourself when you’re in a mental fog and on the brink of exhaustion is the last thing on your list that seems important with looming deadlines, but it’s the most important. Studies show dedicating time towards self-care increases productivity, well-being, and happiness…and even might improve your GPA.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

As college students, we were not alive during the original HIV/AIDS epidemic, so we might have a hard time taking it seriously. I know we are all well-educated, bright young college students who do our homework, so we know the logistics: in the late 80s, a good portion of society—a good amount in the gay community—were wiped out because of the horrible, incurable virus called “human immunodeficiency virus” that caused “acquired immunodeficiency syndrome” that interferes with one’s ability to fight infection. We may have listened to or seen RENT, and we may have read or seen Angels In America (and if you haven’t experienced these two works of art, I highly encourage you to check them out) that deal with the grave emotional stakes behind HIV/AIDS. We may think we understand.

By: Livey Beha ‘18

During the process of choosing a college, I created a long checklist of all the things I was looking for in a school. Unsurprisingly, USC topped the list for its bike-friendliness, 24-hour access to coffee, beautiful libraries, solid infrastructure for alumni and business networking, but most of all indefinable requirement that sat on the bottom of the list: “VIBE”. For a long time, I thought USC was special because there were people here who were similar to me, who approached and interacted with the world in the same way that I did. But in coming here, I realized what makes USC’s “vibe” unique is its diversity. A diverse institution allows for a vast array of varying perspectives to engage in intellectual, sometimes controversial, discussion.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Today, November 25, is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, an international recognition of the violence against women that is not confined to a specific region, country, religion, culture, or societal standing.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

November 20th is International Transgender Day of Remembrance, a day to memorialize those who were killed due to anti-transgender prejudice or hatred. And tragically, there are many victims to remember; according to TDoR’s founder, Gwendolyn Ann Smith, every two weeks, on average, someone is murdered in the United States in an act of anti-transgender violence and internationally, these killings occur almost daily.

By: Kelly Martin ‘17 (Guest Blogger)

It seems that there’s only one accepted to story to tell about college students and mental health. You probably don’t have to think too much to guess the main points. since we hear them repeated again and again here at USC:

By: Paul Samaha ’17

I began this post as I embarked on the annual USC “Weekender”– a weekend-long trip where Trojans travel to the Bay Area for either the Stanford or UC Berkeley football game. This year we play Berkeley, and I’ll be staying in the heart of Downtown San Francisco: a beautiful metropolis in Northern California filled with free spirits and views of the sparkling San Francisco Bay. This same city is also where my past LGBTQ community members shed their blood, sweat, tears and in the worst case, their lives for the sake of basic human rights. Let’s dive in.