By: Antonia Le ‘22

According to Murphy’s Law, anything that can go wrong will go wrong. As a woman of science and perpetual optimist, I’m usually the first to tell you that Murphy’s Law is absolute garbage. It’s not even a real scientific law! However, as an intern for USC’s Student Coalition for Asian Pacific Empowerment (SCAPE), I witnessed the effects of Murphy’s Law firsthand. On Thursday, February 28th, SCAPE put on its signature event, inspirASIAN. As part of my intern duties, I had to help the executive board make sure that everything went according to plan (spoiler alert! It did not.). Yet, as I think back on that exhausting Thursday night, what sticks out to me the most is that fact that despite all the bumps along the way, the SCAPE E-board ended up putting together something pretty great.

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.

By: Jordan Bucknor ‘22

If you don’t know about the Tuskegee Airmen, you should. The Tuskegee Airmen were the first Black military aviators in the U.S. Army Air Corps. They’re best known for the extraordinary efforts in the aerial warfare of World War II and for challenging the stereotypes that had kept Black Americans from serving as pilots. Together, they encouraged the eventual integration of the U.S. Armed Forces. If what they’ve done already wasn’t amazing enough, to this day, they continue to give back to the world with the Tuskegee Airmen Scholarship Foundation.

By: Sumaya Hussaini ‘22

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was honored by the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism with the 2019 Everett M. Rogers Award, being recognized for her impeccable talent for storytelling and for working towards changing the discourse on gender, race, and identity. The award was named in honor of the late USC Annenberg professor Everett M. Rogers, and is presented each year by the Norman Lear Center on behalf of the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism.

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.

By: Talia Walters ‘20

If you’ve looked at my writer’s bio (available just up there at the top of the page if you’re interested in learning more about the writers of Trojans360 – I promise we’re really cool people!), then you know I spend a lot of time teaching languages. Luckily, this past semester, I was given the opportunity to teach French to high school students, allowing me to make my love of language education accessible to those students who are often forgotten in the Trojan Family. I was an inaugural member of the Shaukat Initiative.

By: Lilly Kate Diaz ‘20

Ever wanted to conduct research on a subject you are interested in with a faculty member? Are you currently interested in pursuing a Masters or PhD.? Then maybe the Gateway Scholars Research Program is for you! The Gateway Scholars Research Program is designed to prepare and nurture undergraduate students for doctoral studies through involvement in research and other scholarly activities.

By: Awo Jama ‘22

On October 5th, USC students were granted a rare opportunity when they had the chance to not only attend an early screening of the film First Man, but to witness a discussion panel featuring several notable figures in the aerospace field. The event was produced by both the Viterbi School of Engineering and USC’s Arts and Humanities initiative, Visions and Voices.

By: Alexis M Peters ‘20

When Amber Rose walked into the room, I couldn’t help but nudge my neighbor and whisper anxiously: “She’s here!” The model, actress, and activist entered the room to a smattering of applause, her blonde-headed entourage bobbing behind her. The event hadn’t even started, but a respectful hush had fallen over the crowd, everyone ready to absorb empowerment and knowledge. On Tuesday, October 2, I attended OpenEd: A Fireside Chat with Amber Rose, hosted by USC Dornsife and The Amber Rose Foundation. It was an event to promote open dialogue and education about sex positivity, rape culture, gender inequality, and digital activism. With Amber Rose herself as the discussion mediator, there were four women panelists: Shafika Ahmadi, Associate Professor of Clinical Education at the Rossier School of Education; Genie Harrison, a trial lawyer with her own law firm, and recognized by Best Lawyers in America; Liz Havstad, executive director and COO of Hip Hop Caucus, a civil and human rights organization; and Nicole aBeckett, the cofounder of SameSide, an organization that uses art, music, and culture to make political action more accessible. This was certainly an esteemed group of women, and they perched on their little stools, smiling out at us like elegant queens.

By: Danielle Collins ‘20

3, 2, 1, blast off! The countdown is on for USC’s Rocket Propulsion Laboratory (RPL). After the end of the semester, RPL will be heading to the desert to launch their student-built rocket, TRAVELER III, into space. I sat down with Karen Zhu, a member of RPL’s core team, to learn more about the upcoming launch.

By: Maddie W. ‘20

Football season is a staple of the USC experience, and nothing beats going through it for the first time as a freshman. Most first year students spend the fall semester assembling the perfect game-day outfit, bouncing between fraternity tailgates, and navigating an overcrowded campus on their way to the coliseum, but for a select group of freshmen, game-days don’t involve any barbecues on the row or a crammed student section. No, for the freshmen football players, game-days are all about lining up with their “brothers” and watching their hard work pay off. I had the opportunity to sit down with red-shirt defensive linemen Jay Tufele and Marlon Tuipulotu who told me all about their first year being a part of the team, and how the football team takes the phrase “Trojan Family” to a whole new level.

By: Maddie Walsh ‘20

When building government (BG) elections came around last year, I completely rejected the idea of running for a position as something I would NEVER do. However, when the application to campaign opened this year,I thought why not? I was looking for more leadership opportunities and wanted to be more involved on campus, so I decided to run for president of the Cale and Irani Residential Colleges. At the time, I really had no idea what I was signing up for, but being a part of residential student government (RSG) turned out to be an extremely formative experience.