Started From The Bottom
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
When I first arrived in Madrid, I was jet-lagged, stressed, and barely able to put together an English sentence let alone one in Spanish. As she showed me around, my wonderful host mom told me to close the hallway door always “porque de las ratas” or because of the rats. This didn’t bother me one bit because she seemed very chill about it and I’m trying to be low-maintenance and honestly I’m not afraid of rats nearly as much as I’m afraid of actual scary things like sharks or my future kids growing up to be bullies.
Pocket Full of Karma
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
My first day in Madrid when I went for a run, I realized as I struggled to find my way home that someone had somehow pickpocket my running arm band of my ca$h (luckily just 10 euros at the time). Like any furious parent, I wasn’t mad, I was just disappointed.
Look, I Am Your Father
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
They say “absence makes the heart grow fonder”, but I believe a nice additive to this is “especially when you miss your father” because it kind of rhymes if you pronounce things a certain way and also it’s very timely given that today is Father’s Day.
Why Father’s Day is Today, Not Super Bowl Sunday
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Spoiler: Today is Father’s Day. If you have not yet wished your dad a Happy Father’s Day, please do so before continuing to read the rest of this article.
Home is Wherever There is Food
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
People always say that the best way to really immerse yourself in a new country is to live with a homestay family, especially when you’re trying to learn a new language. And I’m going to have to agree with the masses on this one, though at first I had my doubts.
A Nod To Modern Technology
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
I would just like to take the time to thank all the great inventors and big dreamers out there who made the world what it is today. Without you folks, I would have no choice but to continuously be at a loss for words with my host family’s hairless cats as my only companions.
Mingling in Madrid
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
A few days ago at the Instituto Internacional in Madrid, I went to an intercambio/language exchange and I feel pretty good about it because now tengo una cita (I have a date/meeting) with an older man named Ignacio!
USC Sand Volleyball European Tour
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
As an athlete, one thing I didn’t have an opportunity to do at USC was spend a semester abroad. USC has so many fantastic global programs and judging by friend’s first-hand accounts, blogs, Instagram posts, and Snapchats, it seems like the time of your life. Luckily, with fund raising and support from the athletic administration and donors, I received the opportunity to travel with the USC Sand Volleyball Team on the program’s first-ever European Tour!
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
This summer I am studying in the beautiful city of Madrid. This is my first time traveling without my family and my first time outside of North America so everything is new to me and so far has not been the smoothest of adjustments. I may not be the most fluent of speakers or the most apt of travelers, but I sure do have a gift for finding myself in interesting situations. While these incidents may not be funny to me for a few more years, I trust they will be entertaining for third party viewers and offer a good insight into the summer study abroad experience.
Summer Study Abroad Checklist
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
As I sit amongst my possessions in the beautifully chaotic metamorphosis from unpacking to repacking, I feel mildly overwhelmed by just how much I still have to do before I leave for Madrid on Saturday. I take comfort, however, in knowing that I have already survived finals so I’m probably immune to stress at this point and that I have compiled a very thorough To Do list with the help of those who studied abroad before me and the Internet community as a whole.
Class of 2015, Are You Ready to Graduate?
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Graduation is upon us! Check out these tips for a hassle free walk to your diploma.
The Importance of Mother’s Day
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Once you go to college, the significance of Mother’s Day increases exponentially. College makes you realize, that Mom was right…..a lot. Even though you graduated from high school, it doesn’t mean you’re ready to take on college and live on your own.
Friendly Reminder- Mother’s Day is TODAY!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Today is not just another day of finals preparation, excess coffee consumption, and a test of human willpower. In case all the days have sort of run together, today is, in fact, Mother’s Day!
Get Your Head In the Game
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
My screenwriting professor’s parting advice to us in our final class last week was to throw our phones off the balcony of our second story classroom in the cinema school. She explained that, after teaching for over 20 years, she has seen the detrimental effect cell phones and social media have had on the productivity of her students, citing how all of us immediately turn on our phones and computers during the 15 minute break, unable to go even three hours without being connected to the outside world, as a perfect example.
SOS: 10 Ways to Kill It During USC Finals Week
By: Lauren Brose ‘15
Finals are Coming…. Are you ready to not sleep, forget to eat and have to hold off on the new season of Game of Thrones as you brace yourself for the most tumultuous week of 2015? When can we ever be ready? As a senior and a veteran of finals week in college, I’ve reflected back on the amazing times I deliriously sauntered into my finals and spilled every ounce of my knowledge onto bluebooks and scantrons. Of my successes and failures, I am confident that through following these 10 steps, your finals week will be more bearable than ever.
National Champions Fight On to Victory!
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
USC Women’s Sand Volleyball had the perfect season—literally. They finished 28-0 with the AVCA Collegiate Sand Volleyball National Championship trophy in hand. The team brings home USC’s 123rd all-time national championship and I cannot think of a team more deserving for that honor.
Living Canvases, the story continues
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
As I wrote in a post last week, I had the opportunity to portray the amazing turning points in the life of a woman named Carolyn through the new program called Living Canvases. When I sketched and resketched and eventually painted these moments, my understanding of Carolyn’s life came from a recording of her describing these moments, a photo of her, and a sketch she had outlined herself. But, on Monday, I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Carolyn in person, along with two of her amazing neighbors, and her mother, Dorothy.
Take a Chance to Smell the Roses
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
As this school year comes to a close, I encourage you all to take a moment and cherish the time you have invested at USC. This semester you have learned a lot, made new friends, and created everlasting memories—all while attending this magical place where it is always 70 degrees and sunny.
Bye-Bye BYU! USC Men’s Volleyball Team Advances in the MPSF
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Men’s volleyball clinched their last home game with a five set win against BYU in the first round of the MPSF Finals. The epic game was the last match for USC Men’s Volleyball seniors in the Galen Center.
Baseball for the Win
By: Mark Love ‘16
For the football fans who are still bummed over last year’s mediocre season, hold your head high for an up-and-coming sports squad is well on its way towards national acclaim. The mens’ baseball team is entering home stretch of the regular season, and its winning record just simply cannot go unnoticed. With a 29-10 record, the Trojans have clinched an 11th place spot on the NCAA baseball rankings. From managing a 13-game winning streak to defeating top-ranked Vanderbilt, our Trojans are fighting on to become College World Series contenders.