By: Cameryn Baker ‘22

Let’s face it…our football team has not been putting up the most satisfying performance this season. Yes, we’ll always support them, and yes—games, tailgates, and dressing up are fun. But losing? …not so much. But not to worry—if you’re into sports at USC and love to see Trojan victories, trade in football for fútbol. Our women’s soccer team is readying themselves for the postseason, and they’re on fire.

By: Camila Grases ‘21

I commute to USC. It’s about a 45 minute to an hour drive to and from my house. “Aw thats so sad, you aren’t getting the FULL college experience.” Oh hush hush now. It’s not sad. I wake up every morning in my own bed, my mom makes me breakfast in morning, and when I get home late, there is almost always food waiting for me (or for my brothers, but who am I to complain?). It’s really not so bad. There are definitely days where I wish I could live here, and have roommates and be able to stay late without having the fact that I have to drive home be in the back of my mind always. But I think having the constant support from my family has helped with my mental stability so much. Of course, there are commuters that don’t still live with their parents and whose experience is so different from mine. And there are students that don’t feel the same way about their parents. I’m just here to share a little bit of wisdom I learned from commuting for a full year now.

By: Awo Jama ‘22

On October 5th, USC students were granted a rare opportunity when they had the chance to not only attend an early screening of the film First Man, but to witness a discussion panel featuring several notable figures in the aerospace field. The event was produced by both the Viterbi School of Engineering and USC’s Arts and Humanities initiative, Visions and Voices.

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

From great food, to diverse cultural events, and great accommodations, Parkside IRC is definitely one of the best places to stay. Let’s pretend I’m unbiased and don’t currently reside in it…here’s why:

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

Yes, I am taking that class about Harry Potter.Every time I walk into the Norris Cinema auditorium, it feels like the first day of Hogwarts. The professor has the movie soundtrack playing in the background, and one of the house flags and colors projected on the big screen. Sometimes people come with various Harry Potter paraphernalia, repping their Hogwarts House. (GO Hufflepuff!)

By: Camila Grases ‘21

We all know this time of the semester can be stressful. Midterms around every corner, your work throughout the whole semester is culminating suddenly. Sometimes, the best thing we can do for ourselves and our mental health is step away from these stressful situations and take some time to allow ourselves to be transported to different worlds. Here is a list of some of my favorite movies to watch based on the moods and anxiety you might be feeling. Of course, as with anything, this is my own list. These are movies that I love, regardless of whether they are considered “good” or not. All I can hope is that this inspires a movie session or two.

By: Talia Walters ‘20

As class registration periods are quickly approaching, we’re all in the middle of the frantic search for classes that meet our GE requirements, finish our majors, and aren’t at 8am. Each semester we settle on four classes that meet our expectations and get us a little closer to graduation. However, we’re always left with those pesky two extra units. We’ve already paid for them, so not using them is a waste, but they’re not enough to take another full class. And when you start looking at all the options, you have almost 20 pages of classes in hundreds of different departments each with their own focuses, pre-requisites, and grading systems. But I have some good news for you! I love digging through WebReg for very specific classes, and you’re looking for a place that has very specific 2-unit options. Thus, I present to you: Talia’s List of 2-Unit Classes for the Average Linguaphile!

By: Fred Akau ‘20

After those seemingly endless years of high school, craving for that BIG next-step towards a new life of experience, opportunity, and (quite honestly) some fun, college has finally arrived. The long-awaited “best years of your life” have manifested themselves into that pretty sleek-looking, cardinal & gold, U-S-C acceptance packet. There is a tangible excitement when imagining the infinite paths your life can take; how, for what seems like the first time, you are in full control of what that path is. But, alas, that initial excitement now seems to have simmered down, and many of us are simply left confused, lost, and horribly indecisive. The endless list of opportunity that we once sought after has now turned into an endless series of difficult choices, a persistent frustration in deciding: “What the heck do I want?”

By: Cameryn Baker ‘22

College road trips have always been something that I thought you did as an upperclassman in college; once you’ve found your tight-knit group of friends and feel like you’re ready to take on this rite of passage. I definitely was not expecting to throw pillows, sleeping bags, and USC gear into my car and embark on my first road trip only three weeks into school.

By: Danielle Collins ‘20

Did you know that less than 50% of all US college students voted in the 2016 elections? And that was for a presidential election. This year’s general election takes place on November 6th. And no matter where you’re from, you should be voting this November! No excuses! I’ve already sent in my absentee ballot from Spain, so I promise you can do the same from wherever you are– whether it’s USC, or somewhere abroad. Here is the information you need to request your absentee ballot if you’re voting within the US (i.e. all of you at USC!).

By: Camila Grases ‘21

Listen, there are two kinds of people in this world: (1) The “I’ve been on thousands of night hikes, I basically have night vision, and darkness is my friend” person or (2) The “I enjoy the night from the comfort of my own home, nature is definitely nice but maybe not when I’m outside, because there may be ghosts here” person. Honestly, I’m the second. I am afraid of the dark (just scared of a lot of things really), so when my team brought up the idea of a night hike, I was a bit hesitant. The more I thought about it, though, the more excited I got. Sometimes, it’s the things we are most afraid of that give us the most pleasure. Compared to other thrill-seeking events, hiking is a relatively mundane activity. If you really think about it, it’s just glorified walking. So, we add a little spice. Go at night, in the hills of LA, to watch a city that is more beautiful in the dark than it is in the light. Trust me, it’s worth it.

By: Talia Walters ‘20

In the face of recent events both on and off campus, it is necessary that we open the conversation about Sexual Violence not only with our administration but also with each other. The problem is pervasive and growing. Among all undergraduate students on college campuses, 23.1% of females and 5.4% of males experience sexual assault or rape. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects of the conversation surrounding sexual assault, I’d like to instead focus on the resources and advocacy groups available to USC students. While justice and retribution is necessary, conversations with a focus on healing and prevention often get pushed to the wayside despite being an important aspect for many assault survivors. Below is a compiled list of resources depending on your situation. It is important to remember that assault can happen to anyone; these resources are available to you regardless of gender, sexual orientation, and experience, so please reach out if you feel as though it may be helpful.