Trojan Welcome Experience Brings New Students into the Trojan Community
By Aedan Henry ’24 (Student Life Guest Blogger)
The school year always starts with a bang for new students at USC, and this August was no different with a thrilling Welcome Back Concert, electric Splash Bash, and triumphant debut game day. The Trojan Welcome Experience brought thousands of first years into the Trojan Family through unforgettable events big and small — forging new friendships that will last the next four years and beyond.
New students moved into USC housing from August 12 to 16, kicking off a jam-packed first week of Welcome Experience events. Many students’ first exposure to the USC community was through Residential Education events, such as the Courtyard Connections meet-and-greets. Caden Williams, a freshman Accounting and Finance major, felt like these events helped him feel close to the other students in his smaller dorm: “I was constantly meeting new people. New people of different interests, from different countries and different states. I really enjoyed it.” Fernanda Sanchez, a freshman Political Science major, went on a retreat during her first week at McCarthy Honors College and says, “It was such an amazing experience because I felt more comfortable in my environment. I was able to secure a foundation of who I was going to be with, who were my new friends, and who I was going to see every day.”
Move-in culminated with Light Up the Night ‘SC, a late-night festival of games, music, and food vendors to usher in the new year. New Trojans were then officially initiated into USC the next morning during Convocation.
A major highlight of move-in week is the Splash Bash, a massive pool party on campus at Uytengsu Aquatics Center. The Splash Bash is the kind of party only USC could throw — swimming in an Olympic pool and dancing to a performance by DJ Mal-Ski.
The Welcome Experience continued with Spark!, the Visions and Voices kickoff arts festival. McCarthy Quad was taken over by musicians, poets, dancers, DJs, and drag performers along with interactive arts experiences like collective painting and button making.
But the first week of Welcome saves the best for last, ending with the Welcome Back Concert on August 19, put on by USG Concerts Committee. This year’s show was headlined by Pi’erre Bourne with Frat Mouse, Spill Tab, and student artists opening. The massive event brings recognizable music acts to campus and always fills McCarthy Quad with students of all ages. “Pi’erre is someone a lot of people know,” says Caden. “I really appreciated that USC had the opportunity to invite someone like that.”
The fun didn’t stop after that first week. Late Night ‘SC events, which continue throughout the school year, give students fun evening activities and provide additional opportunities to connect with new people. Late Night ‘SC events during the 2023 Welcome Experience included a paint night, string art night, a carnival, and multiple outdoor movie screenings on the Village lawn.
In addition to connecting new students to friendships, the Welcome Experience ventured to connect them to professional, academic, and extracurricular communities. Students could find on-campus employment at the Student Job Fair, athletic opportunities at RecFest, and engaging student organizations at the Involvement Fair. Feeling like a part of the Trojan Family means getting involved in the community, and USC’s student events aim to facilitate those connections from week one. “There were clubs I didn’t even know about,” Fernanda remembers about the Involvement Fair. “Something that I wanted to do this year was challenge myself and try something new.”
Of course, an event that every student at USC looks forward to is the first football game at LA Memorial Coliseum. Hype for the season kicked off with the Spirit Rally and Game Day Experience at the end of the first week, where students could get a taste of home-game festivities and learn USC cheers from our very own “The Spirit of Troy” band. But the main event kicked off the following week, with the debut football game on August 26. Students were treated to the usual tailgate events on campus, before proceeding to the Coliseum to watch the Trojans beat San Jose State 56-28. Quite the way to start a school year!
“I had never been to a big football game,” remembers Caden, “So going to the USC game and seeing the amount of spirit that this school has really made me feel at home with the school and allowed me to fit right in with the other students. I was sitting next to people I had never met before and we were all doing the same chants and the same cheers. It really gave that connection of family.”
Reflecting on her first weeks, Fernanda also thought about family: “Being away from my family was really hard since I'm super family oriented. Family means so much to me. But I've met so many great people and I've been a part of so many great events that have helped me call USC home.”
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