LGBTQ+ History Month takes place throughout the month of October and has become an integral part of the USC community for more than fifty years. The origins of this celebration date back to 1970, when a group of students and faculty established the Gay Liberation Forum. This initiative aimed to advocate for the rights and recognition of LGBTQ+ individuals. After years of dedicated activism and perseverance, the movement achieved a significant milestone in 1975 when it was officially recognized by the USC Board of Trustees. This acknowledgment marked a pivotal moment in the university’s history, solidifying the importance of LGBTQ+ issues within the campus community.

You often hear that there’s millions of scholarships available for college students. But most of these scholarships can have extremely niche criteria that you don’t feel like applies to you, or feel like a shot in the dark. As someone who’s successfully landed thousands in scholarships, in my experience, the more narrow the criteria to apply to a scholarship, the more likely you are to get that scholarship. And surprise, surprise, there can be one piece of criteria that already benefits a large percentage of USC students. 

L.A. is known for good weather and palm trees. Part of the city’s picturesque stereotype is the quintessential beach: rolling, deep blue waves, miles of fine-grained sand and a blazing-hot sun. While I am forever grateful for my close proximity to several beaches, I’ve learned the beaches I prefer and the ones I don’t. This past summer, I took it upon myself to frequent as many beaches as I could to curate my ideal beach day. This is my list of beaches in Southern California I’ve most recently visited. Some are a pass, but some are definitely worth a splash!

Have you ever dreamed of bringing creative marketing campaigns to life for real companies? At Trojan Marketing Group (TMG), you’ll do exactly that and so much more! TMG is USC’s very own full-service, student-run, pro-bono marketing agency, where passionate members work together to create impactful, story-driven campaigns for businesses and non-profits across Los Angeles. Want to know what it’s really like behind the scenes? During this club spotlight, I’ll give you the insider’s scoop on all things TMG.

A common refrain that you might expect to hear from Political Science majors is, “Majoring in Political Science made me realize I hate politics.” As a bright-eyed underclassman, I didn’t think this would be what I would become. I had dreams of becoming a political journalist with wide expertise. I would “speak truth to power.” I would “comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.” These are sentiments I hold a great respect for still, but the avenue that I see myself fulfilling these pursuits has changed dramatically.

Sometimes it feels like the friendliness at this school flows as much as the LA river. Maybe it was strong and powerful in the past. But over time, it’s slowed to a trickle. Then the walls went up, and now at times, the friendliness is barely there. In some areas, it’s more of a creek than a river, to be honest. 

Even though Starbucks is constantly throwing out new drinks, it’s still easy to get tired of just Starbucks. As a self-proclaimed coffee lover and fun drink connoisseur, seeing how many coffee shops there were on campus was exciting, but also a little confusing. I wasn’t sure which one would become my favorite, because how could anything replace my favorite hometown coffee shops?

This summer was an absolute whirlwind. Like many others can attest to, the process of obtaining an internship and then moving to a new city to work for three months can be extremely exciting but also nervewracking. Transitioning from applying for my L’Oréal internship to studying abroad in Milan last spring to moving straight to New York City for my internship was a hectic experience, especially as an LA native, but it was definitely manageable and enjoyable!

Going into my junior year, I knew I wanted to start making the most of my summers. With only two left, it was important for me to find an internship or some sort of career-advancing opportunity. As someone who’s heavily considering staying in Los Angeles after graduation, it was important for me to find said opportunity down here. The only problem was that I’m from Portland, not LA, so staying here over the summer would require more effort than it would if I tried to find a job back home.

The 2024 Election is Tuesday, November 5. Visit USC Votes to register to vote, find vote centers, get reminders and info on key dates leading up to election day.

Latine Heritage Month is a great time for Latines to celebrate their culture, build connections with those of similar backgrounds, and learn about their family history. USC offers many resources to aid Latine USC students in this pursuit of celebration and solidarity–including a Latine student lounge in the Student Union, numerous clubs that highlight the intersection of Latinidad with various interests and fields of study, and a range of events being held between September 15 and October 15. For me, I will be spending this month specifically celebrating the half Puerto Rican side of my heritage. To do so, I will be taking the following steps to celebrate half of Latine heritage month.

We have all probably had one too many near-miss scooter encounters. Speaking from personal experience, I have almost been hit by a scooter on or around campus when minding my own business numerous times. So I am here to highlight the importance of pedestrian safety.