Am I Even An Adult? A Teen Navigating Independence in College
By: Alexandria Frank ‘21
Storytime! So, I bought these tickets last month to go see Cavetown at the Roxy Theatre. I was excited because music is amazing, and live music is even better. I was hesitant to drop $30 on these tickets, not to mention I’d have to pay more on the Uber, but I was committed because I needed to treat myself. It was Valentine’s Day. I ate at the cafeteria in the Village so I wouldn’t be hungry in West Hollywood. I was dressed like an indie music darling. I had ordered my Uber which was taking forever to reach me for some reason, but I wasn’t bothered because I made sure to head out early. I was nearly in the clear. And then my phone rings. It’s my dad.
Artists to Watch for & Listen to in 2019
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
Music makes the world go round. For when you’re stressed and just want to relax, for when you’re sad and just want to simp, or for when you want to work out and get motivated — music helps with it all. It’s universal and inspiring. I have compiled a list of artists for every occasion — from parties to study sessions — and ones you should be on the lookout for 2019.
What to Binge on Netflix
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
For self-care purposes, obviously. I don’t know about you, but for me, Netflix is on par with therapy (okay, maybe that’s an overstatement). However, I can recall turning to Netflix for help any time I was upset, overwhelmed, angry, or felt any other negative emotion. Not only do I believe that taking your mind off of things by watching TV is stress-relieving, but I also believe media, movies, and shows can enrich your mind. Especially nowadays, more and more movies offer political and social commentary on important topics and present themes which were previously left untouched. So, without further ado, in the name of self-care and college student survival tips, I present to you my comprehensive list of the most binge-worthy shows and movies to watch on Netflix.
Explore LA: Smorgasburg
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
Every Sunday there is a food festival with hundreds of vendors hosted in Downtown LA and New York City. Smorgasburg in LA is hosted from 10AM to 4PM at 777 S Alameda St, Los Angeles, CA 90021. This is the perfect place for open-minded people willing to try LA’s signature food fusions as well as a great place to just browse the latest food trends and enjoy aesthetic lifestyle stands (after all, admissions is free!). This Sunday, some friends and I decided to explore. Here are some highlights and breakdown on the biggest open-air food market in America.
A Recap of USC FIA’s 15th Annual Fashion Show: Made in LA
By: Karla Leung ‘22
Fashion Industry Association, most often abbreviated as FIA, is a Marshall School of Business based club and is the only fashion focused club on USC’s campus. Hosting a fashion show for the past fifteen years, this year’s theme was Made in LA, meaning every brand and designer featured is based and made in Los Angeles. Not only is it supporting local brands (including USC student designers), but also ensuring that the clothing is ethically sourced. Los Angeles is known for being one of the fashion capitals of the world for its innovation and fashion startups, and the USC fashion show highlighted some of the great talent coming out of LA.
Why We Should Attack Admissions Bribery Scandals Instead of Affirmative Action
By: Sumaya Hussaini ‘22 and Ann Nguyen ‘22
“They’re taking someone else’s spot.”
For years, the sentence was uttered in reference to affirmative action — admissions practices that provide equal access to education and are preferential toward groups that have been historically underrepresented, disadvantaged, and/or discriminated against. However, the same sentiment was recently expressed by the general public in response to college admissions scandal, in which the children of wealthy celebrities and prominent business leaders were accepted to USC and other elite universities through illegal means of bribery and fraud.
My Favorite Things About USC
By: Lindsey Hamilton ‘22
Raindrops are nowhere while walking through campus
Bright kids all around and “Fight On’s” from Trojans
Brown paper bookstore bags filled with school merch
These are a few of my favorite things!
Oh, Y’all Different Different: USC vs. Howard As An Exchange Student
By: Alexandria Frank ‘21
As a more formal introduction, my name’s Alexandria Frank and I’m an exchange student at USC from Howard University by way of Corona, CA. I’m born and raised in California but as far as my college experience goes, it’s been East Coast and it’s been Black. That’s because Howard is a historically-Black college/university (HBCU) located in Washington D.C. In other words, it’s very different from USC.
USC Student Reactions to the College Admissions Scandal
By: Sumaya Hussaini ‘22, Karla Leung ‘22, and Ann Nguyen ‘22
In light of USC’s involvement in the recent college admissions scandal, we wanted to shed light on this issue by gathering reactions from our student bloggers, first generation students, and organizations closely tied to the scandal like the USC Crew Team. The USC student body is represented by people of many different identities, yet this scandal is disappointing for many of us, devaluing our hard work and dedication to gain acceptance to this school.
How I Celebrated International Women’s Day
By: Ann Nguyen ‘22
International Women’s Day was March 8th this year, and I knew the perfect way to celebrate — by spreading some love, appreciation, and confidence throughout USC. After all, the first step of female empowerment is believing in yourself, ladies!
International Women’s Day: What USC Should be Doing
By: Natalie Oganesyan ‘22
As an intersectional feminist, I love going to events around campus which feature panels of successful and powerful women. I’ve seen Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie being honored, Roxane Gay and Amanda Nguyen tackling the pervasive problem of sexual assault, Grammy-nominee artists TOKiMONSTA and Cam discussing the lack of gender parity in the music industry, Sandra Bland’s sister calling for police accountability, and much more. All these events uplift women and give them a space to talk about the struggles they face not only as women but also within the intersections of race, sexuality, and class. While these events on campus are phenomenal and I am grateful for the plethora of opportunities available at USC to engage in thoughtful discussions about activism and social change, I feel that engagement on a mass scale is lacking.
Art by Being Yourself
By: Camila Grases ‘21
I am by no means an expert in the art department. Creativity is something that everyone has but few are experts at expressing. This semester, in particular, has given me plenty to reflect on. Taking black and white film photography and my first writer’s workshop, there are some surprising things I have learned about the creative expression and the artist. Here are just a few things that I would like to reflect on, coming up on mid-semester.
Top 10 Ways to Actually Use Top 10 Lists (& other ways to deal with information overload)
By: Lindsey Hamilton ‘22
You’ve seen them all. There are so many “top ten” lists and similar compilations of bite-sized information you could practically make an encyclopedia. Yet because lists are meant to be skimmed, depth is usually sacrificed. We have so much information easily available that we don’t know what to do with it — so oftentimes we don’t do anything. But that’s not good! We have the potential to do so much good in the world, and I believe that in approaching information from the right angle we can do just this. So in the spirit of our favorite easy-to-read format, here is a list of ways to hack the famous Top Ten List and deal with information overload (including some other fun Top Ten finds)!
USG Election Rundown
By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22
You can stop avoiding Trousdale now. Election season is over! You no longer have to rack your brain thinking about polite ways to decline informational handouts or feverishly avoid eye contact. No more poster boards and no more free food (kinda bummed I never got my In-N-Out) because the results are (unofficially) in!
Notable Black USC Alumni
By: Alexandria Frank ‘21
It is, of course, that magical time of year – Black History Month. And even though February never lasts long enough (like can we please get a do-over BHM in March, please), USC churns out wonderful alumni all year long. Still, the Black alumni of this university can be overlooked at times in favor of Steven Whatshisname. No more! This February, we’re looking at some of USC’s notable Black alumni and letting them have their day in the sun. Of course, there are plenty more wonderful folks that can be found through USC’s Black Alumni Association. But for now, I’ll just give you a little taste.
2nd Annual USC Asian Pacific Film Fest
By: Ann Nguyen ‘22
A martial arts master, a ninja warrior, a mystical and wise old mentor, an annoying know-it-all, the main character’s shy friend, the second person to die in a horror movie… These are just some of the stereotypical representations of the Asian community in film. (You know what I’m talking about!) Though Hollywood definitely isn’t perfect in regards to representation and diversity, it has gotten much better for the Asian-American community with the great strides of improvement that were made thanks to the success of Crazy Rich Asians in 2018. Not to be forgotten in its shadow, however, are works like Japanese drama Shoplifters, which is nominated for an Academy Award, and Sundance-hit Searching, which was made, in part, by USC alumni. And let’s definitely not overlook the great works that Asian Pacific and Asian American filmmakers are continuing to produce about Asians that also feature Asian actors.
Reflection: First Semester
By: Sophia Pei ‘22
It’s now the third week of the second semester and honestly, the first semester really flew by. To be fair, everything seems to fly by when looking back on it – I highly doubt that the Sophia trying to finish my WRIT 150 essay while studying for biology midterm 3 and a chemistry midterm felt that way.
USC Students' Favorite Dishes from their Countries
By: Camila Grases ‘21
So I got to talking to a few international students about what it’s like to be far away from home; for Los Angeles to be a foreign city as opposed to some of us who grew up here. Part of what is most inherent in people’s culture tends to be the food, something you may not even realize is fundamental to your daily life until you are thrown into a place entirely out of your comfort zone. So what is it that these students miss the most, food-wise? The answer from every single one of them was “my mom’s cooking.” No doubt, your mother’s cooking holds a very special place in your heart. But what food exactly? Lets find out.