Gracefully Abroad: El Calafate
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
Last weekend I set several alarms for 3 AM Friday morning, strapped on my massive backpack filled to the brim with assorted snacks and jackets, double-checked I had my passport, and hopped into a taxi with my friend and fellow Trojan, Francesca, for our obscenely early flight (saving some moola, gaining some time) to El Calafate in the southern part of Argentina, a region called Patagonia. It may come as a surprise to some of you that your trendy-yet-functional-cold-weather-Patagonia-brand gear is named after a real place, but I can now officially confirm this fact first-hand and let me tell you, it sure is a beauty.
4 Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) for Admitted Students
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
1. High School Musical 2: This franchise changed a generation, in my humble opinion. This sequel appeared on Disney Channel in 2008. While it included many adults acting as high schoolers and singing about their feelings, they also discussed topics that relate to the youth of America: Friendship, college, scholarships, and trying to actually have a job in the summer months during high school…
Sports 360: Lacrosse
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
I’ll level with you all. I have never played lacrosse. I know it’s the one shortcoming of my sports education. But just because I have not played it does not mean I cannot enjoy it. And I do enjoy it and YOU SHOULD TOO. USC’s women’s lacrosse team is absolutely KILLING IT this season, so to get you all ready to support them at their next game, I’m here to break down the game of lacrosse for you.
State of Emergency: Homelessness in LA
By: Felicia Zhu ‘17
This past Sunday was the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, 2016. USC hosted several panel discussions, and homelessness in Los Angeles was one of them. Here’s what was discussed in case you missed it.
Art as Activism as a Blog Post
By: Michael Boyle ‘18
On the surface, “art” and “activism” feel as if they could conflict with one another. Activism has a specific goal rooted in the real world and often brushes up against the uglier side of humanity. Art, on the other hand, is about boundless creative expression, often depicting beauty. Yet at their cores, the artist and the activist are quite similar people. Both are deeply passionate about their emotionally involving work. So the question becomes, how does someone exist as both an artist and and activist? Last Sunday, at the Los Angeles Festival of Books, I attended a panel that answered this very question.
Sexual Assault Awareness Week
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
This week, from April 11 to April 15 is Sexual Assault Awareness Week at USC. The gravity of the problem of sexual assaults on college campuses is starting to be recognized nationwide and hopefully this week will serve as a step towards addressing the issue on our own campus. If you or someone close to you is a survivor of sexual assault, then you know how important recognizing this week is, although it can be difficult or triggering.
Festival of Books 2k16: To Live and Thrive
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
While the weather was not the best this past weekend, the Festival of Books was a major success, at least from where I’m standing. At that point, I was walking around campus without an umbrella with a light shower making me slightly damp. There were families, school groups, couples, the old, the young, and everyone in between. It is so special that the University of Southern California gets to host such an important event. Even better, all of the students for USC get to experience this festival and listen in on the amazing talks happening throughout our campus.
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.