2021 Quarantine Upgrade
By: Sophia Williams ‘22
By now, everyone is exhausted by having to find new innovative ways to fill the long days of quarantine. However, boredom often leads to innovation, which is why I’ve pulled together a list of some fresh new takes on how to make the most of our time at home.
Takeaways from the Asia Pacific Virtual Career Fair
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
An odd and extensive game of corporate speed dating, USC’s semesterly career fairs have always been one of the biggest events on campus. But as all events were moved online this spring, the school continued to host a virtual career fair as well as a smaller, separate one for the Asia Pacific region on April 23rd PDT, the latter of which I attended; here are my takeaways from this novel experience.
10 Ways to Volunteer Online and Do Good From Home During COVID-19
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
We are in the midst of an unprecedented challenge, united against a common invisible enemy. At this time, many of us may feel the urge to do something to help out, but social distancing rules prevent us from coming into contact with others and even just leaving our house. And while donating is another way to contribute, many are not in a position to do so due to the global financial situation now. Fortunately, modern technology allows us to make good use of our skills and do good from home no matter where we are in the world, whether it’s in the form of translating, playing games or counseling via text.
How to Stay Social with Social Distancing
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
The new guidelines ramping up nationwide have shut down restaurants, public spaces, and gatherings of any kind. Just because you need to keep 6 ft of physical space between you and the person next to you, doesn’t mean you need to grow apart from your friends. Keep reading for some fun ways to still “hang out” with your pals!
How to Succeed in Zoom Lectures
By: Sophia Pei ‘22 and Sumaya Hussaini ‘22
Due to the Coronavirus outbreak, USC recently announced that classes will be conducted online via Zoom. This transition will be challenging, and many students are concerned about the quality of online educational instruction. If you’re worried about falling behind with the transition to Zoom, keep reading for some tips on how to succeed in any online college course!
Impacts of COVID-19
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
The recent string of nightly emails from the Provost’s office has caused an uproar not only on campus-wide, but nationwide. COVID-19 is having a larger societal impact than anyone had anticipated. Everyday, researchers are finding out more about this strain of the coronavirus and along with more knowledge comes more questions. Keep reading to find out more about the coronavirus, its impacts, and some tips to stay healthy.
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.
Best organizing methods/planners to kick off the new year
By: Ellice Ellis ‘20
The start of a new year and coincidentally a new semester is a great time to get organized. Having all your obligations, homework assignments, significant events, and even free time sorted out will make the remaining 15 weeks of the semester a lot easier. For myself, I use the calendar app on my phone as well as a physical planner to help guide my weeks. I schedule in my workouts, time with friends, work obligations, and classes, as well as using reminders, so I am on top of everything in my worldview. Here’s to a new year, and here are 5 organizing products and methods that will help you get off on the right foot.
My Experience Traveling to China as a First-Year Business Student
By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20
I remember the day I got this little red and yellow box in the mail. It was in late March of my Senior year of high school. I was coming back home from Debate practice at around 6 and at the sight of two little boxes just chillin’ on my doorstep, my breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t really sure what they were about whatsoever, but they seemed rather important and they had the colors of the school I had just committed to on them, so. I was anxious and excited and maybe a little teensy bitsy sweaty but upon opening them, I learned one thing and one thing only: I was going to China.
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.
4 Freshman Dining Hall Food Hacks
By: Terry Nguyen, ‘20
As a dorm-residing freshman, it is easy to complain about the culinary scene of the dining halls: The food is too bland, they serve the same options weekly, the cooked meat sometimes looks suspicious, they added cheese into your omelette again — you get the point — the list can go on and on. Nevertheless, as your days at the dining halls are coming to an end, you realize that you have developed some clever food hacks over the past months dining at EVK, Parkside, or McCarthy. It is an acquired skill, and dining hall food is also an acquired taste, especially after months and months of the same salad bar with the same offered options of condiments. You learn to look past EVK’s strange-looking edamame, and un-avocado-like “avocado” sandwich spread. The period of super salty kale and sauteed greens are also fading into the memories of first semester. As a soon-to-be sophomore, here are a few easy food hacks to make the most of your time at a dining hall before that all-you-can-eat privilege is replaced by an apartment meal plan — or, no meal plan at all.
Why the USC Memes Page is So Iconic
By: Terry Nguyen ‘20
What do you meme you haven’t heard of USC’s meme page? For the latest college trend this past semester, students are turning to a new fascination within internet culture: college-related memes featured on Facebook meme “pages” within a university subculture. As meme culture continues to grow in popularity, college campuses are adopting their own, specific brands of humor. USC is no exception. USC’s page, titled USC Memes for Spoiled Pre-Teens, takes its name inspiration from UC Berkeley’s — UC Berkeley Memes for Edgy Teens. UCLA consequently named its group UCLA Memes for Sick AF Tweens, but the Trojan meme-makers would like to believe pre-teens are arguably cooler than “sick af” tweens. But the real question is: what makes USC’s meme page so iconic? An average USC student’s humor consists of more than simply bagging on UCLA students; it’s a combination of poorly Photoshopped Nikias memes, the slow burn torture of rising tuition, and the strange neo-Gothic pointy structures that guard USC’s gates.
Reviewing the Freshman Dorms: 2016-2017 Edition
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.
Meet the Blogger, Adri
By: Adriana Bernal Martinez ‘20
Hi there! I’m Adriana, Adri for short, and I’m a First-Year student studying Business Administration at the Marshall School of Business and minoring in French.
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.
Gender-Based Violence in Asian-American Communities
By: Shannon Lam ’19
I was 10-years-old when I was first sexually harassed. I was at the grocery store with my parents. Normally, I stick by my parents, walking next to the cart, admiring the vast options of chips and cookies. However, at one point, my mom realized we had forgotten to grab the milk. Me, adventurous and trying to be as independent as a 10-year-old could be, offered to quickly go grab it. My mom was hesitant at first, but since the milk aisle was just a few aisles down, she let me go. It was only for a brief second, but as I leaned into the fridge to pick up the milk, I felt a hand on my butt. I turned around and a middle-aged man quickly walked past me. At first, I didn’t think much of it. Maybe I was taking up too much room in the empty aisle, maybe I was in the way, maybe it was my fault. When I walked back to my mom, there was a sinking feeling that was hard to describe at 10-years-old. Something didn’t sit right with me. I felt lost, I felt guilty, I felt violated. At 10-years-old.
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.