A letter to my fellow graduating seniors.
By: Ellice Ellis ‘20
It’s senior year y’all! And whether you transferred to this beautiful school at some time during your colligate journey or have been here since year one… the lessons we’ve learned and our growth deserve to not only be celebrated but to be reflected upon.
USC’s First Feminist Media Festival
By: Terry Nguyen ‘20
On Sunday, April 2, the Women in Cinematic Arts hosted its first ever Feminist Media Festival. Although this was an inaugural event, the organization hopes to host more festivals in future years to improve inclusivity and diversity within an industry predominantly represented by cisgender white men. The USC School of Cinematic Arts is diverse in its student demographics — the school’s demographics reveal that it is 50% female. Unfortunately, the film industry does not reflect these numbers, as only 3% of women direct the top films of the field. Such events like the Feminist Media Festival aim to create and build a network of feminist filmmakers to pave the way for the film future.
USC Alternative Winter Break in French Polynesia
By: Rachel Bennett ‘18 and Ayman Siraj ‘18
As the sun set at the heart of the island, we were welcomed to a feast. In the middle of the Tahitian jungles, local men and women pulled colorful foods from a traditional earth oven set deep into the ground.
Nobel Prize Winners at USC
By: Ayman Siraj ‘18
The Nobel prize is a set of six international prize awards in the fields of chemistry, physics, literature, economics, physiology and medicine. They have been awarded annually since 1901 in honor of the will of Alfred Nobel – the inventor of the dynamite. The winner receives approximately 8 million Swedish Krona ($1 million USD) and an 18-karat gold medal. Over the years many University of Southern California professors have won the Nobel Prize. Let us take a look at what research led them to winning the Nobel Prize.
The Weekender!
By: Ayman Siraj ‘18
Last weekend, I and a few friends headed up North to the San Francisco Bay Area to what is the annual pilgrimage for many USC students – The Weekender. This year it was Stanford’s turn to host the USC Trojans for a PAC-12 footballing showdown.
The Young Turks films at USC!
By: Ayman Siraj ‘18
The Young Turks, a progressive left-leaning political commentary web show filmed live on campus this last Monday, the 12th of September. Filming occurred at the new Annenberg building atrium. The show has erupted online over the years as they address issues not given airtime by the mainstream news media. The panel featured Cenk Uygur (the founder of TYT), Nando Vila (Vice President of Programming of Fusion TV). The show was hosted by Ana Kasparian along John Iadarola.
Let’s Talk Culture: Who’s paying the bill?
By: Ayman Siraj ‘18
The biggest fear for any international student coming to the U.S. for the first time is not being able to adapt to U.S. culture. It’s true that cultures are different as you transgress borders. When I was learning English, I was at a British School in Saudi Arabia and it led to a few funny encounters with my friends here in America. One such instance: My friend Tim and I went grocery shopping and I was like, ‘Tim, should I grab a trolley?’ Tim burst out laughing, and I didn’t understand why. He responded that it’s called a shopping cart here. While I wasn’t wrong, Tim and I at that moment realized that even though we speak the same language, there are subtle differences in word usage between different countries.
If USC Dorms Were People
By: Judy Lee ‘17
I’m going to preface this post by saying that I don’t mean to generalize in a derogatory way! Just some fun and games regarding our building stereotypes on campus. FRESHMAN: take this as you may.
5 Nostalgic #JustFreshmanThings
By: Judy Lee ‘17
To be quite honest, I was a very lame freshman. But even looking back, I wish I could relive some of the moments from those days. When it comes down to it, we may all have been pretty derpy kids, but we were carefree kids nonetheless. Here’s some things I miss.
New Blogger Introduction: Ayman Siraj
By: Ayman Siraj ‘18
It’s funny that in my native mother tongue of Bangla there is no word for ‘Hello!’ When I’m writing in English, my brain is thinking in Bangla while my hands translate to English. On that note, Hello! My name is Ayman and I’m a sophomore majoring in Chemical Engineering with a Nanotechnology emphasis and Cyber Security specialization (I know that is a mouthful). I’m stoked to be blogging for Trojans 360 and would like to thank Andrea & Felicia for giving me the opportunity to do so.
The Truth About Being “That Annoying Person Studying Abroad”
By: Judy Lee ‘17
I’ve definitely been there. My older sister studied abroad in France when I was in high school and I remember her returning from her trip and complaining about the disgustingly large food portions America has. “There they go again,” we all collectively say, “just another study abroad student bragging about their trip that somehow makes them so much more special now.” Not gonna pretend that isn’t the attitude most people have, and the person I have come to sympathize with.
The NCAA Volleyball Tournament, Just Like the Hunger Games Movies
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Everyone knows that the new “Hunger Games movie: Mockingjay Part 2” is killing it at box offices, but that’s not this week’s top release or box-office smash for volleyball fans across the country. For them (myself included), it’s the NCAA Division I volleyball championships!
Make Your NCAA Volleyball Bracket...Because USC is Seeded #1!
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Hey sports fans! Do your Fantasy Football picks have you down this season? Can’t wait for March Madness? Need something to brag about during the holidays? I bring you NCAA Women’s Volleyball Bracketology. Why? Because USC is seeded #1 in the entire tournament!
4 People You Will Run Into At Halloween Parties This Weekend
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Halloween is always a blast–especially in college. Turning up is just different when you have a cool costume on. But sometimes, shit gets weird (or awesome, depending on your tastes). Here are some of the people you’ll be running into this weekend:
Why This Month’s Weekender Will Be Extra Epic
By: Lauren Brose ‘15
Do you remember what made you want to become a Trojan? For me it was my health class in 2010. My teacher (who was undeniably the coolest) from high school was a Trojan. Naturally, he was the driving force behind why I wanted to become a Trojan myself. He talked about Los Angeles, Greek life, our football team, the Trojan Family, and the insanely fun sh*t he did with his friends because let’s face it, USC is AWESOME. For half a year, I heard the most legendary tales of his days as a college student at the greatest school on earth.
What Changes around USC Once You Turn 21
By: Paul Samaha ‘17
This past weekend I turned 21. I had a great birthday (aside from the loss to Stanford) with great friends and even some family that flew in town from Virginia to visit me. While part of me is terrified of getting any older and wants to freeze time where it is, I’m mostly just excited to be able to explore new areas of USC and the nearby LA area that I couldn’t explore before! Below are some nearby places I can now legally enter/order from that I couldn’t before.
Presenting USC’s 123rd National Champions: Continuing a Trojan Tradition
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
One of the main aspects that drew me to University of Southern California was its history of athletic excellence. Since 1912, a USC athlete has won a gold medal in every summer Olympics. USC has produced more Olympians, overall medalists, and gold medalists than any other university in the United States. USC athletics is rich with tradition and it is displayed all around us: the pillars in the Louis Zamperini Plaza of Cromwell Track and Field, Heritage Hall, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, and even Tommy Trojan himself was modeled after different USC Football players. There is pride, history, and distinction in putting on a USC jersey. That is why hoisting USC’s 123rd National Championship Ring is so meaningful—it’s tradition.
SC Spotlight: Sydney Liu
By: Judy Lee ‘17
Last semester, I had a realization: we are in a very rare situation in which we are in the midst of people who will shape the future of this world. Seems dramatic, right? Not so far-fetched, though. Our professors have already had huge parts in shaping entire industries . Is it really a surprise that we’ll join them in the ranks soon enough?
Greek Leaders: It Is Our Responsibility
By: Paul Samaha ‘17
Holding a position in the Greek System comes with a certain level of social responsibility; this applies to both fraternity and sorority leaders. I believe now is the time to educate ourselves on what some of these specific responsibilities are– not just responsibilities to our own chapter’s constituents, but to our university’s student body as a whole.
“Take Superman… Actually You Can Have Him”: A Night with Stan Lee
By: Kelly Kinas ‘17
Where to begin with this USC Program Board event? USC Speakers Committee were absolutely fantastic and got the creator of Marvel, creative, hilarious, the man that every student at USC now wants as their grandfather, Stan Lee.