By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

On March 24th, my friend Amirta Srinivas and I co-directed and hosted the annual SCIA culture show at Bovard Auditorium.  SCIA’s annual culture show highlights South Asian talent on campus and gives them a platform to showcase South Asian dance forms and music styles. As a member of the SCIA E-board, I was involved in marketing the show last year. Despite that, I had no idea what planning and managing the show entailed. Due to the show’s increasing popularity and the expansion of South Asian talent on campus this year, I stepped as co-director to help take on a more ambitious event.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Are you a person who identifies as APIDA (Asian Pacific Isander Desi-American)? Do you enjoy writing prose/poetry or dabble in the arts? Well, Descent Magazine is made for you! I joined Descent as a staff writer at the beginning of last semester. I’ve always enjoyed writing poetry and prose, and I always aspired to be a published writer. As a journalism major in college, however, I felt myself quickly getting jaded with the staccato of AP style writing and was craving for an outlet for creative writing. Descent has filled that void for me.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

On February 21, I attended An Evening with Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of ‘The 1619 Project’ at the Bovard Auditorium. Being able to attend this event and listen to Nikole Hannah Jones felt like a dream come true—for young journalists and women of color, Jones is a beacon of hope and inspiration for those who seek to shatter glass ceilings and create new legacies for generations to come.

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Founded in 2010 by the United Nations Foundation, Girl Up is a girl-centered leadership development initiative focusing on equity for girls and women in underrepresented spaces. I first learned about Girl Up through my friend Rumaisa Islam, who coincidentally happens to be the president of the USC chapter this year. I recently got the chance to sit down with Islam to learn more about the organization:

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’re a journalism major and you’re feeling super overwhelmed and thinking about changing your major, but still like journalism - don’t worry we have literally all been there. My journalism friends and I can all attest to our second year being our “weeder” year — most of us were at difficult crossroads in deciding whether to continue in the major or not. If you feel the same way, don’t worry, I got you! Here are some tips for getting through your second year as a journalism student:

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Have you been craving something new to watch lately? Is your current watch list going a little stale? Well fear not! As your resident Bollywood Movie expert (take this with a grain of salt), I’m here to help diversify your watch list. Here are some incredible Bollywood “coming of age” movies on Netflix to offer both a sense of comfort and entertainment!

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

The honest and terrible truth is that finding the time to plan a cute date on a budget can be extremely stressful. Suddenly, you find yourself missing out on asking out your crush because you can’t figure out the perfect place to take them. Not on my watch! Here’s five simple, fun, and affordable dates in the USC area that you can take your partner out to!

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

If you’ve wanted to create your own podcast,  YouTube channel, or online product and you’ve never felt confident or comfortable enough to, USC has the perfect elective to finally launch your dream project. All I knew was that I needed a 2 unit journalism elective course—I had no idea how impactful and important this class would be for me as a journalism student. 

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

Last semester, no matter how hard I tried to take care of myself and go to the gym, I found myself making excuses. I hated going to the gym and felt like I didn’t know what I was doing. Knowing my struggles, a friend suggested I try out PHED 104A. It turned out to be one of the best classes I’ve taken at USC! 

By: Tamanna Sood ’24

As a freshman, the main organization you might be hearing about is APASA, [but] APASA bears the burden of representing a lot of communities and  groups a lot of experiences together. Here’s a list of clubs that might offer more of the nuanced and personal experiences you’re looking for: 

By: Tamanna Sood ‘24

One of my favorite orgs that I chose to be a part of this year was USC’S SCIA (Southern California Indo-Americans). I applied to be on E-board as on a whim at the beginning of the semester because I wanted to join a club that would connect me to my culture.