By: Emily Young MA ‘16

Looking for fun things to do in LA this summer? Check out my list of great hiking spots and hit the trails!

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

For everyone who’s gone through one before… breakups suck. It’s as if your best friend dropped from the face of the planet and now, suddenly, you no longer have that go-to person to talk to about everything. I am in no way a relationship expert as I have been fortunate enough to have only experienced a breakup once. Still, I remember the awkward period of time where I had no idea what to do with myself— or, as I now put it, my newfound freedom. There’s a number of things that I recommend doing as well as not. I’m not ashamed to admit that revamping my life after nearly 3 years of being in a relationship was pretty scary at first. But, with a new mentality and my real best friends by my side, I was able to experience my best year ever.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

My screenwriting professor’s parting advice to us in our final class last week was to throw our phones off the balcony of our second story classroom in the cinema school. She explained that, after teaching for over 20 years, she has seen the detrimental effect cell phones and social media have had on the productivity of her students, citing how all of us immediately turn on our phones and computers during the 15 minute break, unable to go even three hours without being connected to the outside world, as a perfect example.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

Finals are Coming…. Are you ready to not sleep, forget to eat and have to hold off on the new season of Game of Thrones as you brace yourself for the most tumultuous week of 2015? When can we ever be ready? As a senior and a veteran of finals week in college, I’ve reflected back on the amazing times I deliriously sauntered into my finals and spilled every ounce of my knowledge onto bluebooks and scantrons. Of my successes and failures, I am confident that through following these 10 steps, your finals week will be more bearable than ever.

By: Judy Lee ‘17

So, it’s the last week of classes. Aka that period of time when you very tragically and conveniently fall into binge watching __________. I feel you so hard on this one. Daredevil and House of Cards are gaining momentum in my heart and it’s kinda scary.

By: Grace Carballo ‘17

I’m a big believer in this quote because I don’t know if I’ve ever been right about someone based on my first impression of them. And while it is very easy to assume the worst about the person who cuts you off on the highway or the person who honks at you when you don’t turn right away or the person who wrongs you in other frustrating non-driving situations (Can you tell I hate driving?), there is probably a lot more to that person that would justify their actions if only you knew a little bit about their life. Everyone has a story and all you have to do is ask a few questions and listen.

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: Lauren Brose ‘15

I’m just gonna put this out there: I really really love naps!! In fact, I took a glorious three 3 hour nap today. A lot of my friends are in full agreement that power naps, no matter how long or short, are better than not having naps at all. So I did some research on the topic of naps and found that not only are they good for your mental alertness but also your overall health.

By: Lauren Brose ‘15

When I was in high school I didn’t understand my personal worth. I looked upon my peers for validation and defined my self worth by the number of people who knew and liked me as a person. My lack of self-actualized self-love hindered me from gaining the confidence I now have within myself.

By: Samantha Romero ‘16

High above the clouds at an elevation of 8,600ft. we stood in awe as we admired the surrounding natural beauty and majestic views of the San Gabriel Mountains.

By: Kelly Kinas ‘17

WE’RE NUMBER 4! WE’RE NUMBER 4! WE’RE NUMBER 4!

By: Kelly Kinas ‘17

Are you seeing this right now? We are getting beaten by UCLA. Guys, we cannot have stooped this low. The PAC-12 Fitness Challenge is THIS WEEK. It’s half over! Create an account and start logging up to 2 hours of workout each day! Here’s the link!