By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

So. You live in Southern California and want to celebrate fall. Well, in the words of the great Mindy Kaling: first of all, how dare you? That’s right, I said it. Who do you think you are, to want seasons? To want to recapture that childlike wonder of cold noses, hot apple cider, pumpkins, falling leaves, and copious amounts of candy? That sounds like a bummer time to me. No way, Jose. That magical autumnal experience is not for me.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

So. Your parents are in town (and maybe your siblings too!) That’s great! You’re so excited! They’re stoked! You’re stoked! Then, they ask you what the three-day plan will be, and your heart stops. What will your three-day plan be? Normally on weekends, you just bum around with your friends, get some Blaze, and sleep until 2 pm! Oh no, what have you done?! You now have to prove to your parents that you live an exciting, responsible life full of nourishing food, educational activities, and good friends!

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

If you have a hankering for a milkshake at USC, you know where to go: Ground Zero. But Ground Zero is more than just a place for milkshakes—it’s an experience. There’s nothing quite like the ambiance: the hip dim lighting, the mood music, the constant whirring of blenders, and the oh-so comfortable couches. And, most importantly, there’s the stage. Night and day, there’s usually some sort of performance happening that’s cool, mindblowing, and all done by students.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

Did you know you can be a producer? Yes, of course you did. You might be one of the plenty of business and film students are currently working away in pre-professional classes at USC, dreaming of the day you can work behind the scenes of shows like SNL, Jimmy Fallon, or The Daily Show.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

We all knew it when we applied, we all knew it when we chose to come here, and we all know it every time we leave the house: celebrities live in LA. We live amongst the stars; this is Hollywood, land of glamour and paparazzi and home to every one of our favorite entertainment industry professionals (except the odd ones out who live in New York – whatever).

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

Saturday. 2 am. If you’re Taylor Swift, at 2 am, you’re in your car, with windows down (you pass my street, the memories start). If you go to USC, at 2 am, you’re probably in Spudnuts Donuts. Should you never have had the pleasure of attending this incredibly fine establishment in the ever-classy strip mall (at the corner of 28th and Fig), boy, are you missing out.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

Any comedic actor will tell you that if you are at all interested in comedy, then you should try improv. It doesn’t matter whether you want to act in comedies, write for comedies, or maybe even just watch comedies, but forcing yourself to think on your feet helps improve your craft.

By: AnnaLiese Burich ‘17

Hi! My name is AnnaLiese. My legal name is Anna and my middle name is Liese, but I’ve always smashed the two names together to be the uniquely-capitalized name that I have. I’m a junior here at USC, and I like food, TV, and sometimes people. Okay, kidding about the people part—I am lucky enough to have some pretty great ones in my life. Just so you can picture me while I’m talking to you, I’m the one in the patriotic striped shirt. Go America!