Being Muslim at USC: Experiences and Advice
By: Badruddin Mahamed ‘25
Freshman year at USC can be an uncertain time for many freshmen as it is likely their first time living away from home. The beginning of my first semester, I faced the common challenges of getting a sense of the geography of campus and developing a good living situation with my roommate and suitemates. These challenges however were compounded by some other unique challenges I faced as a practicing Muslim: from finding a quiet place to pray to making friends who understand your values and beliefs. With some preparation though, your transition to life at USC as a Muslim can be much less tumultuous than mine.
USC Muslim Student Union (MSU)
The USC Muslim Student Union (MSU) provides many resources and a vibrant community for Muslim students at USC. The most important of these resources is the URC 204 prayer room located at the USC University Religious Center. The URC 204 prayer room provides Muslim students with a quiet place for their five daily prayers as well as just a positive environment for Muslim students to engage with each other. The prayer room is open from Fajr (morning prayer) to Isha (night prayer) and is open 24/7 during Ramadan. USC MSU hosts many events throughout the year, from social events for members to get to know each other to religious events such as weekly halaqas (religious gatherings) with our very own Sheikh Jibreel Speight from the Insitute of Knowledge (IOK) Chaplaincy program. In addition to halaqas, Sheikh Jibreel is also available for free 1-1 appointments with students for spiritual care and guidance. USC MSU members also walk together every Friday to Masjid Omar ibn Al-Khattab located next to campus for Jumu’ah Prayer.
Being part of MSU was the highlight of my freshman year. I made some of my closest friends through MSU socials and have been able to strengthen my faith by engaging in religious events. The MSU community is a supportive network of Muslim brothers and sisters who uplift each other personally and professionally. A large part of my decision to attend USC was the Trojan Family and joining MSU has provided me with a family within a family.
Meal Plans and Dining Halls
All freshmen in USC Housing are required to have the Cardinal meal plan at a minimum. The cardinal meal plan provides students with 19 meal swipes per week, which can be used at the buffet-style dining halls or for combo meals at certain USC cafes. While the USC dining hall menus are displayed on screens in the dining halls with a legend specifying ingredients, it can be cumbersome to stand in front of the screen and wait for foods that meet your dietary standards. Going to the USC Hospitality website or downloading the Trojan Dining app to view the menus beforehand can save a lot of time. For campus cafes, downloading the Mobile Ordering app allows students to order food and pick it up quickly too.
Muslim students who consume Zabihah Halal meat have very few options on the Cardinal meal plan. The only two options include the USC Village Dining Hall, which offers microwaved frozen Saffron Road meals, and the Tutor Hall Cafe at Ronald Tutor Hall (RTH), which offers Halal Chicken Tikka Masala. Muslim students who live in USC Housing apartments with kitchens can ask to be exempt from the meal plan requirement if they wish to prepare food themselves in their apartments.
During my first semester of freshman year at USC, I was on the Cardinal meal plan while living in a four-person loft with a kitchen in Cale and Irani. While my diet during this semester was very imbalanced and consisted mostly of pizza and pasta, the convenience of the meal plan was quite helpful as I didn't have to worry about cooking or meal prepping. The downside of course was the extra $3,315 it was costing me each semester. I discovered the meal plan exemption option during my second semester. While my family lives close by and are able to drop off food, many of my Muslim friends with work-study jobs and meal plan exemptions have applied for EBT to use on groceries. Ultimately, the decision of what meal plan to choose to ask to be exempted will be a personal choice in terms of your personal diet and financial situation.
Making Friends
Every freshman at USC enters with the fear of how to make friends. As a practicing Muslim student, I was worried about not only making friends but finding people who respected my values. The easiest way to make friends as a Muslim student is of course through the USC Muslim Student Union. The community I found at MSU has been invaluable and hanging out with other Muslims means I never have to explain my identity. The URC 204 prayer room is a place where I feel accepted and supported.
Apart from making friends with other Muslims, I have also been able to make friends with non-Muslims through common strategies such as joining organizations, collaborating with classmates, and talking to people in my apartment building. As I made friends with non-Muslims, however, I was constantly afraid of whether people would accept me. Being Muslim comes with a plethora of challenges when interacting with others, especially in regards to the work-hard/play-hard culture of USC and the general presence of Islamaphobia in society. After a couple of months, however, I began to realize that people in college are adults. The diversity of USC lends itself to an understanding community and most college students are aversive to peer pressure. While not everyone is the same, the majority of students at USC are welcoming. It's important to keep an open mind when meeting new people and have patience as making friends is a process of trial and error, not an overnight occurrence.
For all the newly admitted Muslim students out there: Asslam Alaikum and welcome to the Trojan Family. Your first year at USC is going to be an exciting one, filled with ups and downs and surprises along the way. I encourage you all to follow USC MSU on Instagram (@usc.msu) to get a sense of the Muslim community at USC. I look forward to meeting you all next fall and Fight On!
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