By: Paul Samaha ‘17

This past Friday, I attended and attentively listened to MINDS MATTER: USC Policy on Student Mental Health, a panel discussion on the topic of mental health and what it means to USC specifically. This event was a part of the USC ZYGO series, which is a student lunchtime panel series on ethics and medicine. What made this particular panel special was the variety of voices heard– from USC Student Body President Rini Sampath, to the Engemann Health Center Medical Director Dr. James Jacobs. As you can imagine, the approaches from each of the six panelist were all very different. But there was one commonality between them all: Mental health matters, and we all need to do more as a Trojan family to improve the mental wellbeing of our student body.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

Here’s a little video I made of my adventures yesterday in the Arts District. I encourage everyone to check out the Arts District; it’s just a 15 minute drive away from USC and you can spend the whole afternoon walking around the beautiful post-industrial neighborhood, making it the perfect getaway from the hustle and bustle of the downtown college life. Spots located in the video are the Daily Dose Café, Artist & Craftsman Supply and Little Bear Pub. The Arts District is definitely one of LA’s most underrated neighborhoods. Be sure to check it out and enjoy the getaway!

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

Yes, being on a gluten-free diet can suck at times. I personally was diagnosed with Celiac Disease about four years ago, and haven’t intentionally had gluten since. There are a vast number of reasons why some people don’t eat gluten (Celiac Disease, allergy, intolerance, preference, etc). But the good news is that being gluten-free at USC is not only possible, but it’s actually quite simple. I know that there will be a good amount of incoming freshmen in the fall that had the same questions I had when I entered USC… “what are my gluten-free food options on campus?” Well, thankfully, there are a lot of convenient options for us glutinos at ‘SC; no one even realizes my diet is different from theirs. To help you find your meals on campus, I have sufficiently compiled this guide for you!

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

If you’re a USC student, you more than likely know that this time of the year is Vegas Formal season. Fraternities and other organizations around campus hold a formal invite, but instead of the usual invite where you and your date go to a venue for a few hours and come back, this invite is a whole weekend trip in Vegas. Read this post, taken from a crazed Vegas weekend of personal experience.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

This year’s annual Springfest at USC was a certified banger. With a stacked lineup and attractions all around (including a brand new beer garden!), the student body never saw a dull moment on McCarthy Quad this past Saturday.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

“My name is Andrew Menard, and I am the undergraduate student body president. I come to you now as President who only has a couple short months left…”

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

USC is traditionally known as a school that has big social events Thursday-Saturday, and this tradition is very much so held true today. However, different party trends come and go. Here are some social event trends that I’ve noticed so far in the 2014-2015 school year.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

Music festival season is quickly approaching us. But with so many different options for today’s festival-crazed youth, it can be hard to decide which festival is best for you. I’m going to break down some of the most popular music festivals for Trojans to attend in chronological order, so that before you dish out a couple hundred dollars on a ticket, you’ll know what you’re in store for.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

Holding a position in the Greek System comes with a certain level of social responsibility; this applies to both fraternity and sorority leaders. I believe now is the time to educate ourselves on what some of these specific responsibilities are– not just responsibilities to our own chapter’s constituents, but to our university’s student body as a whole.

By: Paul Samaha ‘17

A few months ago, I was sitting in Nature’s Brew café studying. I saw that the Undergraduate Student Vice President Rini Sampath was calling me, and I could only think two things: this is either something really good, or terribly bad. Thankfully, it was the former. Rini Sampath explained to me on the phone that she was running for president with Jordan Fowler as her running mate. Rini asked me if I would be interested in being on the Rini Jordan “core 5” team and help them with the PR for their campaign. As someone who looks up to both Rini and Jordan with immense respect, I was so stunned and honored that I screamed “YES!” before Rini could even finish her question.