Happy Black History Month, Trojans! In February, we take time to celebrate Black students, professors, history, and culture on this campus and beyond. In honor of the month, here are a few events you can still hit!

By: Antonia Le ‘22

Valentine’s Day has come and gone and here I am again: single. I’m twenty years old, and I’ve been single for twenty consecutive years. Not to sound all cringey Riverdale ~I don’t fit in and I don’t want to fit in~ but I’m one of the only people I know that has never had a serious relationship, nor have I ever kissed somebody. Being in college, where it can often seem like everyone is hooking up with everyone else, being someone who’s inexperienced in dating can make you feel weird. Even broken. But, I’ve been working on myself lately, and in doing that, I’m working on telling myself that I’m not defined by whether I’ve kissed someone or not. If you’re like me, click the “Read More” for some tips on how to stop feeling like you’re gonna be forever alone.

By: Antonia Le’ 22

It’s always daunting trying to reach out and seek mental health care. Most people have heard some criticism of USC Student Health Center, and that might scare them off from seeking the treatment that they need. However, asking for help shouldn’t be scary, and the process of seeking help should be transparent and known to all. So, if you want to know more about mental health care at USC and what you can do to make your life better, read on!

By: Ann Nguyen ‘22

Happy Galentine’s Day!! “Oh, what’s Galentine’s Day? It’s only the best day of the year.” “February 14, Valentine’s Day, is about romance, but February 13, Galentine’s Day, is about celebrating lady friends. It’s wonderful, and it should be a national holiday.” — Leslie Knope, Parks and Recreation. If you don’t already have plans yet to set up your mother with an old flame or your best friend with… well, just about anyone, don’t worry. Whether you’re a Ron, April, Ann, or anyone in between, I’ve got the perfect Galentine’s Day activity for you!

By: Talia Walters ‘20

I always tell myself that I can study in my bed, which I know isn’t true, and then I end up falling asleep ten minutes later having got nothing done. If this sounds like you, you might want to look into a new study spot on campus, just so you’re not constantly sacrificing your productivity. Below is a curated list of 8 unique places on campus that I feel like most people don’t remember. So go and stop by between classes – you might just find your new favorite study spot!

By: Talia Walters ‘20

I had the recent, somewhat horrific discovery that Valentine’s day is currently less than 3 days away, and I have planned almost nothing for this weekend. In that panic, I realized I needed to figure something out and fast. So if you also happen to be in that boat (I super don’t blame you, this year is already flying by), then take the research I’ve already done so you can get all of your planning out of the way super fast. Here are a few cool things happening around LA this weekend. At the time of posting, all events still had tickets available, but act quick as I’m sure they’re bound to sell out soon.

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

If you have ever been interviewed, or have even just talked to a career representative at a career fair, you’ve probably heard this question at the end of the conversation: “Do you have any questions for me?” Too often many of us are so grateful to have just gotten to the end of an interview, we brush past that final question, not even realizing the power it holds. I didn’t even realize until recently just how much of a tool this question can be. The right questions can turn an okay interview great, and make a great interview even better! But what exactly should you ask? What if you think you don’t have any questions? What if you just can’t think of anything? Don’t worry! Here are twenty-two easy questions that’ll be sure to aid your next interview or career fair, regardless of the type of job or how sure you are that you have “covered everything” already.

By: Ann Nguyen ‘22

Whether you’re having an Oscars Viewing Party and want to impress your SCA friends or you just want to be informed, here are my recommended picks and everything you need to know in making your own 2020 Oscars predictions! The 92nd Academy Awards are THIS Sunday, Feb. 9 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood. The show starts at 5 PM PST and will air on ABC. You can stream from ABC or through Hulu Live to catch the awards. If you enjoyed checking out my 2019 predictions, welcome back for some more cinephile fun! For the 2020 Oscars, my prediction was correct for 17 of the 24 categories — with my second choice going on to win in 4 of the remaining categories. So you can trust me. I do in-depth research for each category, analyzing all the nominees carefully. Hopefully this year my foresight is 20/20.

By: Camila Grases ‘21

As everyone starts to settle into a constant routine — to class, back home, eat at this dining hall or that one, take the same route there and back every time — it’s really easy to miss some of the amazing things USC has to offer. If you really take a look around, you might find some pretty amazing things that will make you realize USC is full of history, good or bad, that’s worth taking a look at. I have compiled a list of some neat places you should visit while you are here, so grab a friend and take a look around!

By: Talia Walters ‘20

Studying is not the easiest thing to get done, and we’re all looking for shortcuts and tools to help make our lives easier. I may not be able to help you find a way to avoid studying or decrease the amount of studying you need to do, but I do have some resources that should help make the process a little easier. If you’re interested in more study tips, check out this article on the best ways of studying or this article on the best places to study!

By: Sophia Pei ‘22

With Valentine’s day just around the corner, now’s the time to find out your love language, or how you most prefer to be loved. Keep reading to find self-love ideas (after all, you should be your own best lover) or Valentine’s ideas be it for friends or your special someone.

By: Talia Walters ‘20

When I was in high school, the theater group put on a performance of Eurydice, and in the production, I played a stone. If you’ve never seen Sarah Ruhl’s telling of the Orpheus myth, then I’m sure that sounds just as exciting as playing a tree in your elementary school play, but I promise that the stones are characters with lines. It was probably my favorite show that I was in, so when I saw Sarah Ruhl was coming to a Visions and Voices event to talk about the world premiere of the new version of her show, I couldn’t say no. It wasn’t until after I reserved my tickets that my friend pointed out that it was in fact the “LA Opera,” and so the new version was an entirely different, operatic version of the show that I wouldn’t recognize. I have no knowledge of the opera or how to talk about operatic music, but I was still determined to go. So, here’s a review of “The Life and Afterlife of Eurydice (and Orpheus) in Opera” from someone who has never been to an opera before in her life.