Things To Do At USC: January 2024

by Adrian Mendoza

In the new semester, you may be at a loss of how to reconnect with the USC community. You might have a general awareness that USC hosts events and activities for its students but not know where to find them. If you’re in this position and looking for events you can attend this January, I have compiled a list of notable cultural, political, and fun events you can attend for free on campus.

Nobody Knows: (Un)Muted Voices: Bing Theatre January 19th @ 7 p.m.

Curated by USC Thornton School of Music professor Ronald C. McCurdy and USC School of Dramatic Arts professor Anita Dashiell-Sparks, Nobody Knows is an event commemorating the 43rd Annual USC celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with performances by USC students.

This project is student driven. With the guidance of Professor McCurdy and Professor Dashiell-Sparks, the students involved have put together all of the compositions, stories, poems, and imagery that attendees will witness at this event.

The event was created in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, inspired by the African American spiritual, “Nobody Knows (The Troubles I’ve Seen).” From this prompt, coordinators work to curate a series of narratives that highlight the experiences of marginalized voices and invite in those outside their communities to experiences they would not otherwise understand.

These performances aim to further the dream of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. that all people may be judged by the content of their character rather than the color of their skin through what Professor Ronald McCurdy calls “edutainment.”

US Senate Candidates Debate: Bovard Auditorium and Livestream January 22nd @ 6 p.m.

Four front running candidates for the upcoming California Senate race have been invited to participate in a debate on campus on January 22 in an event hosted by the Center for the Political Future. The candidates speaking include Representative Adam Schiff, Representative Katie Porter, Representative Barbara Lee, and businessman and former baseball player Steve Garvey.

The debate will be co-moderated by Fox 11 News co-anchor and host of The Issue Is, Elex Michaelson, and POLITICO senior political reporter Melanie Mason. Students can expect a hard hitting conversation between candidates and moderators who have been instructed to push candidates to give clear answers to best inform voters ahead of the California Senate primary rice on March 5th.

The debate will be broadcast live on FOX 11 in Los Angeles and on Fox 2 in the Bay Area, as well as live streamed on FOXLA.com, POLITICO.com, and the Facebook page of the USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future.

Warschaw Conference on Practical Politics: Town and Gown January 30th @ 9:30 a.m.

In an all day conference, USC, in collaboration with POLITICO and Unite America, will host top experts across various political, governmental, and media fields to speak on four panels – Primary Colors: Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Beyond; November Showdown: Battle for the Presidency; Truth Decay: Misinformation and Disinformation in Elections; and Ranking Reforms: The Cure for the Ills of Democracy Is More Democracy. Attendees will be provided with breakfast and lunch if they choose to attend in person, or they can tune in live on Zoom. Both means of attendance are open to all students.

The Primary Colors panel will be moderated by the Center for the Political Future’s co-director Bob Shum and will include four panelists: speechwriter John McConnell, POLITICO reporter Chris Cadelago, National Women’s Vote Director Carissa Smith, and New York Times “The Argument” host Jane Coaston. These panelists will discuss the upcoming primaries for the 2024 presidential election and the potential challengers to Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

The November Showdown panel will focus on the general presidential election in November including the issues that will come to play in the election and expected voter turnout. This panel will be moderated by Elex Michaelson along with a great lineup of panelists: pollster John Anzalone, former presidential advisor Stephanie Cutter, and GOP Chairperson Jessica Millan Patterson.

The Truth Decay panel will be moderated by Center for the Political Future co-director Mike Murphy who will be joined by CEO and author Michael Rich, and reporter Sasha Issenberg to discuss the misinformation and disinformation perpetuated by social media, political media, and foreign influence to disrupt our electoral system.

The last panel, Ranking Reforms, will look at potential election reforms aiming to make our democracy more inclusive and representative. This panel will feature POLITICO reporter Johnathan Martin, political reform advocate Nick Troiano, former Washington Secretary of State Kimberley Wyman, as well as surprise guests.

Politics and Pizza: Social Sciences Building, B15 Wednesdays @ 1 p.m. starting January 31st

Beginning January 31st, Politics and Pizza is hosted by the Center for the Political Future (CPF) and happens every other Wednesday. These events are open to all students who wish to discuss current events and career paths in politics with CPF fellows and CPF Fellows Program Manager, Kayla Koerting. Upcoming guests include former Los Angeles Controller Ron Galperin, political consultant Tim Miller, and many others with great political knowledge and experience.

Spoiler Alert Improv Show: Tommy’s Place Tuesdays @ 10 p.m.

Every Tuesday, you can go watch an entirely new performance from the improv troupe Spoiler Alert. These performances are 45 minute-long “episodes” based on an audience suggested genre and title. This is a great event for fans of comedy.

Late Night SC: Dates and Location vary

Late Night SC is a series of events hosted all semester long by USC Campus Activities as an alternative to traditional college nightlife. These are wholesome activities held on-campus to allow students to join together as a community and give lots of opportunities to get creative. Some activities have included painting, crafts, and movies.

Farmers Market: Wednesdays @ 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

A classic activity for college students is attending the farmers market on campus every Wednesday. Here you can get a great array of hot foods from various cultures as well as fresh produce and jewelry. Best of all, nearly all vendors accept EBT in the form of tokens you can get from a designated vendor!

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