By: Terry Nguyen ‘20

Dark eyebags and the overwhelming aura of desperation are all too common during midterm season, but there is a special treat for the despairing: coffee and café goods. Although Starbucks drinks add little to improve the aura of dark energy literally leaking out from Leavey, you might be feeling as if everyone is rushing to Starbucks and clogging up the Tapingo virtual lines. Have no fear — this listicle is here to guide you to the hidden gem cafés and coffee shops around USC that will help you survive midterms and bolster your energy levels into spring break!

By: Ellice Ellis ‘20

Podcasts and radio media are making a comeback and USC students are ahead of the curve. You can find students on campus not only producing their own content; but playing a wide variety of music, discussing the latest pop-culture gossip, or interviewing interesting people around campus. Finding the right podcast or radio show to get into can be a daunting task, especially if you don’t have hours of time to spare or the patience to sit through a crappy show. So what is the solution? Read the list below and get acquainted with following shows. I’m sure they will have you hooked instantly.

By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20

Next year, we’ll have McCarthy Honors College in The Village to consider as an additional option to the already present freshman dorms – but for now, I’ve taken upon the task of getting the scoop on current USC students’ reviews of their residence halls and suites for the 2016-2017 year. Here’s to hoping that this post compiling facts and feedback from the people that were in your shoes last year can help you incoming Class of 2021-ers a little bit in your housing preferences! It’s coming up a lot sooner than you think.

By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19

From February 22-26, the Japanese American National Museum and USC hosted the 2017 Hapa Japan Festival for the Los Angeles community. The festival featured events such as film screenings, discussions, and performances to celebrate multicultural voices and identities. I had the opportunity to attend the Hapa Japan concert featuring Kina Grannis, Marié Digby, Kris Roche, and Andy Suzuki & the Method.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last Tuesday, USC’s School of Cinematic Arts aired a pre-screening of ABC’s new miniseries, “When We Rise,” which officially premieres next week on February 27. Queer Cut, the LGBTQA Student Association of USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, hosted the event, which my friend and I were very excited to attend. All SC students, faculty, and guests had the opportunity to attend, but if you missed it, I highly encourage you to watch when it airs on Monday. If the rest of this post doesn’t compel you, then maybe the trailer will. ABC provided feedback forms for those in attendance to fill out after the screening. Fortunately, one of the co-presidents of Queer Cut reminded everyone that leaving sections of the form blank was absolutely fine, as ABC seemed to view gender as a binary concept. The feedback forms were definitely not made with this specific screening in mind.

By: Terry Nguyen ‘20

What originated as a snowboarding competition 21 years ago in Innsbruck, Austria has grown to be a global event that merges the latest music and the sport into an unforgettable two-day experience. From Feb. 18 to Feb. 19, Air + Style brought the world’s best snowboarders to downtown Los Angeles’ Exposition Park and rising artists, like Grammy-award winning DJ Flume and USC alumnus ZHU. Despite rain or shine, the festival went on for both days from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m., and crowds gathered enthusiastically between the Winter and Summer stages throughout the course of the afternoon into late evening. Their energy did not quell between the sets, as hundreds of people bunched towards the front of the stage, anxiously awaiting their favorite artists.

By: Ellice Ellis ‘20

This past Saturday, the Black Student Assembly (BSA) hosted Gearfest on McCarthy Quad - showcasing black artists, black-owned businesses and other local artists. After a very stressful week of midterms, Gearfest was the perfect pick-me-up and a fun-filled break from studying. As I walked around the festival, I saw that there was something different was offered at every booth. The running group, BlackListLA, had a booth set up promoting their various fitness activities around Los Angeles. I visited Ugly Betty Boy Crush: a jewelry store that sells stackable bracelets. Ugly Betty Boy Crush even had Mardi Gras-themed jewelry just in time for the revelry next week. The vendors at the festival were a great way to promote black business and introduce students to black entrepreneurs in the LA area.

By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19

Last Thursday (2/16), USC Vision & Voices took students to the East West Players in Little Tokyo to see a production of Free Outgoing. Based on a true incident that occurred in India, the play captures the unraveling lives of Deepa and her family after she is involved in a sex scandal that goes viral online. When it feels like the world is against them, Malini, the mother and head of the household, must make a decision to protect the family’s future.

By: Terry Nguyen ‘20

The diverse city of Los Angeles contains boundless opportunities to immerse yourself in unfamiliar cultures and their traditions. February, although mostly celebrated as the month of love, is also Black History Month and in this stormy political climate, a significant and relevant time to commemorate the Day of Remembrance for Japanese Americans. On Feb. 19, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, issuing the order to legally contain Japanese Americans in separate internment camps on American soil. The Day of Remembrance should be made aware of, and while we shame this period of American history for its discriminatory legislation, we should also strive to commemorate and understand the stories of those affected by this Executive Order. Below are a few events, exhibits and destinations you can visit if you want to further your understanding of American history and the effect of EO66 on the lives of many Japanese Americans.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Yesterday on Trousdale, there was a lot going on, so you may have missed the Postcards for Representatives table sponsored by USC Delta Phi Epsilon and Trojan Advocates for Political Progress. I stopped by in a bit of a hurry on my way to class and got a postcard to send to my representatives and some really helpful information about the Day of Action that I’d love to pass along to all of you.

By: Terry Nguyen ‘ 20

The spring semester may feel like a drag, but remember – life stops for no one, even if you have three midterms all in the same week (hopefully, not the same day). Career fairs, fellowships and summer internship applications are barely starting to roll out, and with that comes the need for a clear resumé booster to rival against the hyper-competitive students in your college.

By: Anna Lipscomb ‘19

Did you know that February 11 was National Inventors’ Day? Let’s take a look at a few of our notable Trojan inventors.