SCampus 2012-13

Sizana Ezana

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:31:51 +0000

Sizana recommends:

Centering Yourself
The Tutor Center in general is fantastic. Sometimes, you’ll see flash mobs, and friends will pass by. It’s busy, and it feels like you’re at school. There’s this study lounge on the second floor that I love. There are couches and beautiful paintings that they change every month around the room.
Following the Rainbow
I got really involved in the LGBT community. I was so surprised by how much of a force it was on campus, how supported it was by the administration, and by the funding we get from Program Board and Undergraduate Student Government. I’ve already thrown four events this semester.
Being on a Mission
I volunteer at LA Mission. It’s a homeless shelter. I just clean up, help to serve food. I find that we’re so lucky here, and volunteering provides perspective on the challenges in the real world. I didn’t come from a very wealthy family at all. And so the fact that I get to go to a top-tier school and get financial aid makes me think, you’ve been given this, so you need to give back. You get and then you give.
Letting the Spirit Move You
I’m not necessarily an avid football fan. However, it’s so infectious just being there, seeing your team play and cheering them on. It’s part of that school spirit and love of your institution. It’s infectious. You get Trojan-itis. I’m a Trojan. I go to USC. We have so much school spirit!

Norman Chootong

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:17:56 +0000

Norman recommends:

Orienting Yourself
Orientation was interesting. I didn’t know what to expect. I thought it was just going to be an academic process in which you register for classes. It was actually very fun, because it was social, and I got to meet a lot of cool people that I still keep in touch with today. I really liked it.
Finding a Home
We’re one of the few schools that actually offer LGBT housing. Since I’m on the Rainbow Floor, I get to be part of a special interest community, which I feel close to. It’s definitely better than a dorm experience because not only do I get to live in an apartment, but I also live close to people I really like.
Hitting the Sweet Spots
When you go to the back of Doheny, there is a beautiful fountain by McCarthy Quad. There is a little garden that encircles that area, and there are a bunch of statues. It’s very beautiful at night, especially, because you get to see all the lights. The second place I enjoy is near the Annenberg School. There is a giant bowl of grass, and you can see the trees gleaming at night and some of the stars. It’s a beautiful place. My friend and I grab lunch and eat there every Wednesday.
Showing Your True Colors
Be who you want to be, and pursue what you want. I know a lot of pre-meds who don’t want to be pre-meds, but their parents want them to be. I know a lot of people who have trouble coming out, because they’re very worried about what others might think. There are people who are trying to explore who they are, and they’re still trying to figure that out. I think college is a process in which you truly find who you are.

Nina Francis

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:12:19 +0000

Nina recommends:

Keeping It Close
I absolutely recommend living on campus. You’ll have people who are freshmen like yourself, and they’re open to being your friend and getting to know everyone. I lived in Parkside International Residential College, and I’m still in pretty close contact with my suitemates. Some of my suitemates were from Hong Kong and Taiwan, so that was definitely different and cool.
Hitting the Roof
I’m living in Gateway this year, and the Gateway rooftop is so cool. You see Downtown LA and the mountains behind it. It closes at midnight, but if you get up there before midnight, it’s a beautiful spot.
Getting an Earful
I’ve gone to a lot of concerts at the Music Box. They always have people that I like to see. I saw KT Tunstall and Amos Lee. I saw one of my friends in the popular music program open up for Needtobreathe. A lot of kids in my program have shows at Ground Zero and Tommy’s Place. I actually just booked my first one coming up in February.
Diving In
Try out a bunch of different clubs. You’re in college. Don’t be shy. Just dive in. Have a lot of fun, and study hard. Do it all first, and then scale back later.

Jordan Merimee

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:59:59 +0000

Jordan recommends:

Checking Out SCampus
When I was a freshman, I definitely went through SCampus. I liked to see general guidelines and ways to get involved, because I came from a school where everything was in one building.
Walking on the Parkside
Most people only get meal plans freshman year and sometimes sophomore year, but I’m still going strong. I actually am that guy who still has a meal plan, because I love Parkside Restaurant so much. I eat there three times a week. They cook better than I can. I get the community plan, and I just go crazy. It’s cost effective if you’re going to eat a lot.
Strolling through the Grove
The Grove shopping center is one of my favorite places, because it has a ton of places to go shopping, and it’s got a great movie theater. And the Farmers Market has restaurants that are all unique. Where I’m from in Kentucky, it’s all the national food chains. So my friends and I make a point to try a new restaurant every other week, because in the USC area, there’s so much great, authentic food.
Being Game
USC football is super fun. I try to get to every single game, but, if I’m in a play, there’s almost always once a year where it conflicts. That happened this year with the Oregon game. We put up USC banners in our dressing room. Someone brought a laptop, and we watched the game live backstage, but we had to cheer in silence. This was during an actual performance. It was pretty crazy.

David JB Lee

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:53:48 +0000

David JB recommends:

Going Wide
I was going to go to art school first. Then I realized that if I minor in something other than art, it’ll make me a better artist, because I’ll know more stuff besides art. USC provided a lot more options than any other college out there.
Fighting On!
I’m a big football fan. My high school mascot was a Spartan, and a Trojan’s kind of similar. USC students are crazy about football and the whole school spirit. The vibe is unlike any other football game. The fans just go buck wild. That’s what I like about it. You should go die-hard for your school.
Spinning Your Wheels
Don’t just go to classes and come home. Go out and experience school. I’m on the cycling team. We go everywhere. The short rides last about 30 to 40 minutes, longer ones are three to four hours. We’ve gone down to Long Beach, and that’s about 70 miles. And then once in a while, we go down to San Diego. The season is starting again in February, and we’ll be racing against UCLA, UC Berkeley and other teams.
Making Smooth Transitions
I transferred here. For the first two or three weeks, it was very hard for me to make friends. But then once I realized that people were friendly, it was easier for me to get involved in the school environment. I realized that people aren’t hard to get to know on this campus.

Erin Wolfe

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:11:56 +0000

Erin recommends:

Using the Force
Dance Force has a great dynamic. It’s under Athletics, which is cool. Technically, we’re the only athletic dance team. We do a lot of turns and leaps and jumps. In our competition routine, there are going to be some flips involved, and we’re going to be throwing other girls over us. We get to really show our technique.
Sweetening the Deal
When our Dance Force coach lets us take breaks, because we’re technically supposed to eat healthy, we’ll go to Syrup. It’s this really good dessert place right downtown, really close to everything. Bottega Louie is another one of my favorites in Downtown LA. Or if we want to stay close to campus, we’ll treat ourselves to Jacks N Joe.
Hitting the Stacks
I definitely like studying in Doheny. It’s so nice, especially because most people never go there, because it’s not open 24/7. That’s definitely my favorite library.
Crossing Borders
USC has everything I was looking for. I’m a business administration major, so I got to do the LINC (Learning about International Commerce) program in Sydney. So with 50 other business freshmen, I went to Sydney over spring break, and USC paid for most of it. It was the best experience of my life!

Emily Schubert

mcaskey — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:47:39 +0000

Emily recommends:

Finding Your Voice
I don’t feel like I have to be the stereotypical engineer. I don’t have to just study and, in my free time, code an iPod app. There’s a lot of opportunity to expand. I currently sing Soprano 1 in Concert Choir; it’s one of the Thornton choirs. I’m a diva!
Getting Fresh Air
I recommend all the nature places – Griffith Park, Yosemite. I love hiking and one-day trips. I went kayaking last weekend in Long Beach in the harbor and the canal. I got to see glowing jellyfish.
Exploring LA
I do love LA a lot. It’s a cool city, and it’s very cosmopolitan. While you’re here, go to the gameshows, go to the plays. We’re going to see Wicked. And out in Santa Monica, there are a lot of fun places with live music to hang out.
Reading Into Things
I watch movies and read books, mostly sci-fi and fantasy books. There’s one called Red Mars. It’s the story of people colonizing Mars, and it’s such good research that the science makes you believe it could totally happen. If people were having signups to go on one-way trips to Mars, I’d be there!

Culver City Art District

mcaskey — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:27:21 +0000

Clustered around the intersection of La Cienega and Washington is a dense collection of art galleries comparable to downtown’s Gallery Row. For more information, see ccgalleryguide.com.

Was That an Earthquake?

mcaskey — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 17:19:23 +0000

The U.S. Geological Survey provides detailed information about recent earthquakes on its Website at earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes. Visit the site to learn if that tremor you felt was actually an earthquake or just your imagination. The Website includes maps of recent earthquakes with information about their intensities and epicenters.

Sunset Junction

mcaskey — Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:52:57 +0000

Sunset Junction is a collection of shops and restaurants near the intersection of Santa Monica and Sunset boulevards where you can buy gourmet cheeses, exotic spices, craft supplies and comic books.