My First Week at USC
By: Ela Rybak ‘25
I always dreamed of being a Trojan. I know it sounds cliché, but I truly set my heart on it as a young girl growing up in Los Angeles. After moving into my apartment near campus, everything moved so fast: one second I was attending convocation in my future graduation gown, and the next, I was sitting in my first official university classes. I couldn’t believe all my hard work finally paid off and that attending USC was finally a reality!
Creating an Easy and Affordable Skincare Routine For Busy College Students
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
While the beauty gurus 12-step super expensive routines still overwhelm me, I’ve slowly eased into researching the most essential steps to formulating a simple routine I can maintain even on the most chaotic college days. Here’s the steps I use in my morning and evening routine to offer some inspiration if you’re overwhelmed by the skincare world too.
Anya Ball: Now Rising
By: Amy Argueta ‘25 (USC Student Life Guest Blogger)
Anya Ball is the next rising DJ you need to check out. After feeling uninspired and unmotivated during her first semester in college, Ball turned to DJing as a new creative outlet. Just eight months after buying her first mixer, she already has 25 venues nation-wide under her belt, and a whole lot of future to look forward to.
5 Classic Rom-Coms to Watch this Holiday Season!
By: Sanaa Alam ‘25
One of the best parts of the winter holidays is cuddling next to the fireplace with a warm cup of hot chocolate or cider, spending time with family and friends, and watching holiday movies! As an avid rom-com watcher, here’s my favorite 90s and early 2000s movies perfect for embracing the holiday vibes this winter season!
The Ultimate (Affordable) Holiday Gift Guide
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
With the holidays already upon us, you might be scrambling to think of last minute gifts for everyone on your list. This gift guide is focused on keeping gift giving affordable (everything is under $50) and heartfelt. Hopefully it will spark some inspiration to make your friends and family think you read their mind.
10 HBO Max and Showtime Movies to Watch during Winter Break
By: Hannah Skinner ‘23
If you didn’t know already, USC students have free access to both HBO Max and Showtime! Now that winter break is coming up it’s the perfect time to flex your free accounts and have a movie night at home with friends and family. Here are 10 movies to add to your watchlist.
Watch Recommendations from a Film Major!
By: Nancy Aguilar Sanchez ‘22
I tend to be more drawn to films that are character driven, but this one is more thematically driven and does it well. It touches on themes of mental health, fame, and consumer culture. It’s an exploration and scrutiny of audience consumption, so as a viewer, you find yourself questioning why you’re watching this film and the ethics behind what you consume.
HBO’s The Sex Lives of College Girls Returns for Season 2: Episode 1 and 2 Recap
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
While HBO often loves to play up shock value and larger than life plots in their popular shows, The Sex Lives of College Girls is a refreshingly down to earth, hilarious, sometimes ridiculous, honest portrayal of what it’s like to stumble through adulthood for the first time. Schedule a Thanksgiving/winter break binge session to catch up on this delightful show that’s now back for season 2.
A trip to the Mt. Wilson Observatory with Thematic Option
By: Ngai Yeung ‘23
Like many people, I’ve never been to an observatory before, nor did I have any plans to do so. But when I saw the Thematic Option honors program’s latest field trip to Mount Wilson Observatory in the San Gabriel Mountains, I suddenly had a new bucket list item to cross off.
What To Bring (and What Not to Bring) to Your Freshman Dorm
By: Kathryn Aurelio ‘25
It’s the summer before you move to the city of stars and into the 12ft by 12ft dorm of your dreams! Save your time and money with these do’s and don’ts for what to bring to your freshman dorm!
USC Student Voting 101
By: Hannah Skinner ‘23
It’s Midterm Season! Well, not those kinds of midterms…either ways, we all know the power of voting, so if you need a refresher on the process or are a first-time voter, here’s what you need to know to register and vote in the 2022 elections:
Five Easy Dinner Recipes for a Busy College Student
By: Nancy Aguilar Sanchez ‘22
I find that when I’m caught up in my responsibilities, I often neglect my body by eating ramen or frozen foods. Here are some of my favorite stress free recipes perfect for the busy school year, from vodka sauce pasta and broccoli to butter chicken and rice.
The Latinx Artists, Shows, and Films I Recommend for the Perfect End to Hispanic Heritage Month
By: Nancy Aguilar Sanchez ’22
As a Mexican-American student at USC, here are some of my favorite Latinx artists and media for you to explore in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month:
It's PSL Season! Ranking Starbucks' Fall Limited Menu Items
By: Hannah Skinner’23
The time of Pumpkin Spice is upon us—this fall season, I took it upon myself to try the Starbucks’ limited edition fall-inspired menu. [This] is my ranking of the Starbucks fall menu items from the ones you can skip to the ones absolutely can’t miss!
The 5 Best Places to Eat in the USC Village
By: Sydney Fiorentino ‘24
Cooking and meal preparation can be difficult, especially as a college student… But if you are ever indecisive about what you want to eat, look no further! Here are my top five places to eat in the Village.
8 Pre-2000s Films I Recommend for a Day Off
By: Nancy Aguilar ‘22
Now that summer is around the corner, here are some pre-2000s movie recommendations that are a must!
An Introduction to Live Streaming and the Gaming Community at USC
By: Nancy Aguilar ‘22
A brief introduction to live streaming and the gaming community on our very own USC. Enjoy!
My Favorite Books of the Year (So Far) to Add to Your Summer TBR
By: Lanie Brice ‘24
Summer is finally in sight past the last few days of finals season, and that means that we’ll finally have time to get back to our favorite hobbies that fell by the wayside during the semester.
Come with Me to Asli Baat’s Senior SCendoff!
By: Sanaa Alam ‘25
Longing to find cultural organizations that embraced my South Asian culture, I turned to USC’s premier South Asian fusion acapella organization, Asli Baat’s semester showcase called Asli Baat (AB) SCendoff.
Things To Do in L.A. Before Summer Break
By: Sian Salazar ‘25 (Guest Blogger)
It’s kind of shocking to me that we only have 3 weeks left in the school year. This semester flew by so incredibly fast. Since we’re running out of time, I’ve put together a little guide on how to spend our last couple of weeks here at USC before we have to say goodbye (just for the summer, though!).