Sports 360: Volleyball
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
I’ve played volleyball. Oh yeah, I’ve played volleyball. Eighth grade. Picture me: totally ready to already be in high school but still having another year of middle school. So I join every. single. sport possible. I joined basketball, cheerleading, swimming, track, cross country, and of course, volleyball. The only real skill I had at volleyball was being able to serve really well. The most prominent memory of my 8th grade volleyball career was at the championship match. I was put in to serve and then taken out the next point. Every single time for the same girl who was better at everything but horrible at serving.
Daddy-Daughter Rings: Cute or Creepy?
By: Judy Lee ‘17
While scrolling through my Facebook newsfeed the other day, I came across a particular story on CNN detailing a “giving-away” ceremony held between a young girl and her dying father.
6 Disney Movies to Get You Through the Last Month of School
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
I know what you’re thinking. Disney movies are for kids! The character’s struggles can’t be related to my personal struggles! Lucky for you all, you have me, a creative thinking, Disneyland annual pass holding, USC student who can come up with connections when you can’t.
Waiting (ever so patiently)
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
When you’re adjusting to a new city, of course you need to give yourself some time to figure out how everything works. Waiting to feel comfortable and for some semblance of confidence is frustrating to say the least, especially when you can’t help making comparisons to how things work “so smoothly” back home.
Alternative Spring Break in Peru
By: Carolina Canseco ‘16
If someone told me I would spend my spring break with 18 strangers in a foreign country and love every second of it, I would have been skeptical. But now that spring break is over, I can’t believe how lucky I was to go on this amazing trip. Hours of volunteer work, late nights playing Mafia, and tours of the city left me more exhausted than any midterm season ever could. However, every long day made the trip an unforgettable experience.
On the Lookout for Adventure
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Adventure is all around us, you just have to watch….TV? Yes, my most recent adventure destination came from a television episode of the new series “Lucifer” on Fox which is filmed in Southern California. During the episode, the main character Lucifer interrupts this couple that was about to get married in beautiful glass covered chapel overlooking the ocean, pictured above. Curious, I Googled, “glass church by the ocean in Southern California.” Wayfarers Chapel, Rancho Palos Verdes.
My Alternative Spring Break in Baltimore
By: Megha Gupta ‘18
We land in Baltimore one early, early Saturday morning, and what do we see first but a Trump family? This trip did not get off to a favorable start. After flying for 6 hours from chilly, windy California the first day of freedom after two and a half grueling months of school, I don’t think anybody was ready for what was to come our way in the next week.
¡Felices Pascuas!
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
In my experience, the most difficult times abroad, whether for the culture shock or the homesickness, are during holidays back home. If you would like anecdotal proof, last Thanksgiving I was probably going on hour ten or so working in front of my laptop and a fan on my ISP in Nicaragua when I FaceTimed by family during Thanksgiving dinner. Eating a bag of peanuts and raisins from the pulpería while everyone I missed dearly passed the phone around mid-feast, including my new “brother” Kevin (who’s from Nicaragua studying in my home town), was a less than festive experience.
When Hillary drops by while you’re abroad
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last Thursday, I did what any productive exchange student would do in between classes- checked my instagram and ate yesterday’s dinner leftovers from my new tupperware. Such multi-tasking was dangerous and nearly caused me to choke on a spoonful of lentils because within the first few photos alone, I realized my fellow Trojans were with Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Gracefully Abroad: Asado
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last week I went to my first asado, which is essentially what in the U.S. we would call a barbecue. After speaking with the Argentinian students present, apparently this wasn’t a “real asado” because it was more of a meet and greet (or meat and greet if you catch my drift) for the international students than the extensive sit-down affair that asados normally are. Still, I’m counting it as an asado because it had all the makings of one (chorripan, which is sausage on a toasted bun, a parilla, which is the big open-fire grill, and lots of sides and ensaladas, thank goodness.)
Meet USC’s Next Student Body President: Edwin Saucedo
By: Edwin Saucedo ‘18 (Guest Blogger)
Hi there! I am Edwin, and I will be serving you as your 2016-2017 Student Body President. I want to thank you in advance for checking out my blog post and hope I don’t bore you before you reach the end (lol). Over the next year I am looking forward to sharing with you a little bit about Austin and me, the work that our student government is doing, and any thoughts or tips that we may have throughout the year.
A Look at Arts in the PAHRC
By: Michael Boyle ‘18
Last Saturday was the Arts in the PAHRC event, and Trojans360 was there to capture all its creative glory.
Gracefully Abroad: Lollapalooza Argentina
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last weekend I went to Lollapalooza, a musical festival, that’s become quite global with locations in São Paulo, Santiago, Berlin, Bogotá, and of course, my home of Chicago, where I first experienced the magic. This time, however, I experienced Lollapalooza Argentina in San Isidro, a suburb of Buenos Aires.
Gracefully Abroad: Being the Exchange Student
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
When you study abroad you have a few different types of programs to choose from. You can go to one of the USC Abroad locations, which I did last summer in Madrid, where you are taught by USC professors but in a new city. You can also choose to go through a study abroad provider, like CIES or SIT, which I did last fall through SIT Nicaragua. The benefits to going with a study abroad provider are, in my experience, a strong relationship with the local community, reciprocity, authenticity, and well-organized group excursions included in program costs. Currently, I am doing a direct enrollment study abroad experience, which means I am enrolled as a student as this University and take classes alongside Argentinian students. During my time at USC, I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know a number of exchange students, and it’s been very interesting to now be on the other side of that.
Gracefully Abroad: The Tango
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Some of my tango partners might protest to the title of this blog citing their sore toes from me stepping on them as evidence to the contrary, but I was blessed with a name that can be turned very smoothly into a modifier (adjective OR adverb, how versatile!) and who can blame me for playing the cards I was dealt?
A Weekend Getaway: Portland + Seattle
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
I’ve had the travel bug ever since I got back from living in Paris. So it’s no surprise that I took advantage of Thanksgiving break for a quick getaway up North. Here’s a look into what we did along the way.
Pura Vida Part Two: 5 Things You Must Do in Costa Rica
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
This past weekend I decided to take a trip to Costa Rica. My weekend getaway left me craving the delicious freshly made coffee and lush rainforests. Here are some of the things I plan on doing during my following trip.
Pura Vida Part One: Weekend Getaway to Costa Rica
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
As my taxi drove into the driveway of the Coffee Britt plantation, I could immediately pick up the wafting aroma of fresh coffee. Coffee Britt was one of the places I visited during my weekend getaway to San Jose, Costa Rica.
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.
10 Instagrams Photos You Probably Have if You Go to School in LA
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
Let’s be real: it’s hard to come up with an original Instagram photo and caption these days. You think of something creative and new to you and then when you search the hashtags, everyone said the same thing! For me, it’s not a bad thing to have a common photo (what some people call “basic”). If you go to school in Los Angeles, you definitely have at least 3 of these photos on your Instagram. How many do YOU have?