By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Some of my tango partners might protest to the title of this blog citing their sore toes from me stepping on them as evidence to the contrary, but I was blessed with a name that can be turned very smoothly into a modifier (adjective OR adverb, how versatile!) and who can blame me for playing the cards I was dealt?

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Spring Break is a well-deserved break after midterms for relaxation and recuperation, but like all good things, it must come to an end. And though finals are still far enough in the distance, the day-to-day tasks that were fine before Spring Break can often become unbearable after 10 days on a beach or in a tent or pretty much anywhere more scenic than Leavey.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

There’s a lot of different reasons to study abroad but one of the most common, and important, is to learn about a culture different than your own. I’ve learned first hand how challenging this can be- to embrace the unfamiliar, to accept my own cluelessness, to depend on strangers, to laugh at my mistakes, and keep on putting myself out there be it conjugating verbs or trying to use slang words correctly.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Yesterday was my first day of school in Buenos Aires at la Universidad de San Andrés, where 6 other Trojans and I will be taking our classes until our finals end in mid-July. It was a beautiful start and I have high hopes for what is yet to come. The program that USC students take, PLAS (Program of Latin American Studies), includes a number of cultural activities so this past weekend we all had the opportunity to go on a guided tour of the city and at least have a frame of reference for all it has to offer (a lot!).

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Nearly one-third of students entering two- or four-year college in the U.S. are first-generation students. Who are first-generation students? Those whose parents do not have four-year college degrees are considered first-generation. If you fit this description, you may have felt, as many do, at a disadvantage compared to your continuing-generation peers while adjusting to college life.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

…I’m in California dreaming about where we’ll go next week. Might I suggest a quick road trip out of the city and into the great outdoors?

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

This past weekend was long, both because of President’s Day and also because many ambitious folks ran great lengths. You may have seen some world class athletes speed by you on Saturday. If you didn’t ask follow up questions, allow me to clarify- what you witnessed was the U.S. Marathon Olympic Trials. 204 countries will be competing this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and each country can send just 3 athletes (except for team sports). The marathon trials are held in February because the event is so exhausting the athletes need ample time to recover and prepare for the actual games in July. Every four years the marathon trials are held in a different U.S. city and this year Los Angeles had the honor.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Today is Ash Wednesday so if you see someone walking around campus with what appears to be dirt on their forehead, don’t wipe it off for them! It’s actually ashes, obtained from burned palms from last year’s Palm Sunday.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

I first heard about Credits, a web series from Alex Burns and Alexandra Kyllingstad while I was abroad in Nicaragua this fall. I watched the trailer and then the season premiere on December 6th and was excited to see several familiar faces from around campus putting together a funny series about the nitty gritty realities of film school.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

I’ve found this particular Monday to be more exciting than most because not only am I in my 5th favorite state, Iowa, in the company of greatness (my grandparents), but also I’m here at a pivotal time- tonight is the kickoff of the presidential nominations process and I was more than willing to travel a few hundred miles and cross the Mississippi to see the Iowa Caucus in the flesh. (For the record, I came from my home state of Illinois, not SoCal - that would probably be taking things too far).

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Last May, the Class of 2015 moved on to bigger and better things but they certainly made their mark, especially with their graduation photos. As the Class of 2016 begins their last semester at USC, they have a lot to start thinking about- their futures, ordering caps and sashes, and perhaps most importantly, how they will pose for their grad pics. Will they be able to live up to the high standard set by their predecessors? Only time will tell. For now, here’s a reprise of the 15 best #USCgrad photos posted by the Class of 2015.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

Before you go abroad this spring, you’re probably feeling nervous and excited, and maybe a little worried about leaving USC and your friends there behind. All of these are completely normal emotions, and as you learned in your Overseas Studies Orientation, there will inevitably times where you feel homesick not only for your family, but for your Trojans and the familiarity and comfort USC has offered you all these semesters.