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.
16 Things to Do Before Graduation
By: Emily Young MA ‘16
Class of 2016, we have 16 days till our hats are in the air. Here’s 16 ways how to make them count:
Fight On Through Finals With USC’s OWHP!
By: Sydney Fishman ‘16
Hello fellow USC students! My name is Sydney Fishman. I’m a senior majoring in Environmental Studies, and I am also a Student Worker at the Office for Wellness and Health Promotion. Whether you’re a freshman finishing up your first year of college, or a seasoned senior looking ahead toward your next steps, we all have finals season ahead of us. For many like myself, it’s challenging to stay well during the last few weeks of school—you stay up too late, don’t eat well, and feel generally “blah.”
Holly’s Hit List (You Don’t Want To Miss This)
By: Holly Liu ‘17
This is where I present to you some of my top must do events for the upcoming week! This is the last week of class…you know what that means. DOOM. Jokes, as the semester comes to an end, make sure to buckle down and study. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have some last minute fun before crunch time swings around! This is probably my last post for this semester so until next time!
Graffiti in Buenos Aires
By: Grace Carballo ‘17
When I moved into my Casa Compartida in the Palermo barrio of Buenos Aires, I knew nothing about the house or the neighborhood- my friend Katy did all the hunting and I just showed up with cash for the deposit at the address she sent me. Of course, my parents immediately asked me about the location. “Is it safe?” I think so. “Is it clean?” I wouldn’t eat off the floor. “Are you close to campus?” Not in the traditional sense of the word…
Happy Earth Day: 10 Ways to Be More Green
By: Samantha Romero ‘16
(1) Avoid Plastic Bottles: Sure, this may be the most convenient option when you’re on the go but you should consider the negative impact of plastic bottles. According to onegreenplanet.org, studies have proven that plastic has a negative impact on humans, animals and the environment…
Ask a Trojan: Finding a Roommate
By: Kelly Kinas ‘16
Yo, Anonymous! First off, Congratulations on applying, getting in, and choosing USC!! Welcome to the Trojan Family! Housing freshman year is really… interesting. In my experience, finding a roommate online is kind of like online dating. People put themselves out there and you can either put yourself out there and wait for someone to contact you or look through all the people and reach out to people. It depends on what you want to do.
The 2016 Ed Wood Film Festival
By: Michael Boyle ‘18
Last Saturday, a series of films were screened seeing if USC students could make better films in 24 hours than the notoriously awful filmmaker Ed Wood could his entire life. Trojans 360 was there to capture the results.
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.