The Academy News - July 12, 2013 by Jessica Stern

The Academy News

 Check out The Academy News online: www.usc.edu /langacad.Go to “Student Information” and then click on “The Academy News.”

 Blending in on campus. See p. 4

 Traveling during the summer break? See p. 5 for tips.

INSIDE THIS ISSUE: Language

Labs

Blend in at the 4 Lyon Center Airline Safety

Travel Tips Flagships

Theaters NBA Howard

Leaves Lakers Choosing an

English name Pics of the Week

V O L U M E

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I S S U E

J U L Y

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L. A with Fresh Eyes By TIAN LUN, RANRAN LI, WEIWEI YU, and JINGYI WANG

Never taking everything for granted, fresh eyes can always discover the beauty neglected by local citizens. When our brand new Trojans arrived in LA, not only was the crazy heat wave waiting ahead, but the metropolis was also there to be explored. Possessing fresh eyes, Tian Lun, Ranran and Weiwei are all ready to share their stories with you on how has LA impressed them in the very first week. Friendliness Every newcomer in LA

Language Academy students celebrate July Fourth at the Hollywood Bowl.

needs a Tap card first, and so do I. As I faced the Tap card machine in USC Metro Station, lots of questions

came into my mind. What is a Day-pass, a 7-Day pass or a 30day pass? What’s the differ See Fresh Eyes on p. 3

U PC O MING A C TIVITI ES Kayaks on the Water

Friday, July 12, 2013 1:00PM-6:30PM, $10 payment

Orange County Fair

Saturday, July 20, 2013 8:30AM-5:00PM, FREE If you signed up for kayaking this week, The OC Fair shows the rural side of the please meet at JEF Courtyard at 1:00pm. If county right in the city of Costa Mesa. There you have not checked in by 1:15pm we will are livestock shows and competitions, pig give your ticket to a person on the wait list. races, vegetable and garden exhibits, and Life jackets will be supplied. Please wear equestrian events. There are also home arts comfortable clothes that you do not mind and crafts, circus acts, carnival rides and lots getting wet and do not bring valuables that of fair food. This is a great American summay get damaged by water. mer past time! Sign up today at 12:00pm in JEF Courtyard. This activity is FREE!

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Tuesday, July 16th Time

Location

Description

Facilitator

12:30-1:30pm

KAP 150

IELTS Prep Lab (Levels 2-5)

James Hutzell Faculty

12:30pm-1:30pm

THH 107

12:30pm-1:30pm

VKC 204

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

1:30pm-2:30pm

KAP 150

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Statement of Purpose (Levels 4, 5 & 6) Limited to 1 time per week

Marisa Garcia-Crocker Faculty

Grammar Q & A (Levels 1, 2 & 3)

John Esposito Faculty

Conversation Level 1

Demetri USC Student

Conversation Level 2

Blaire USC Student

Conversation Level 3

Jay USC Student

Conversation Level 4

Liza USC Student

Conversation Levels 5 & 6

Lucy USC Student

GRE/GMAT Prep Lab (Levels 4, 5 & 6 )

Jeminah Jones Faculty

Conversation Level 1

Liza USC Student

Conversation Level 2

Jay USC Student

Conversation Level 3

Rachel USC Student

Conversation Level 4

Demetri USC Student

Conversation Levels 5 & 6

Blaire USC Student

IELTS Preparation: Test Overview—In this lab, you’ll have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks on how to ace the IELTS test. This week we’ll discuss the overview of the test. Conversation Practice—Practice speaking English by level with USC students. This is an interactive discussion in which you will participate in group discussions about several interesting topics. This is your opportunity to practice speaking and to ask questions. Statement of Purpose Workshop (Levels 4-6): Learn how to write an amazing SOP for graduate school. Grammar Q & A—Are you confused by the rules of English grammar? Come to the Grammar Question and Answer lab for help with your grammar questions! GRE/GMAT Preparation (Levels 4-6): Find out the best ways to succeed on the new exam

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Thursday, June 20th Time

Location

Description

Facilitator

12:30-1:30pm

KAP 150

GRE Prep Lab (Levels 4, 5 & 6)

Peter Guekguezian Faculty

12:30pm-1:30pm

THH 107

Statement of Purpose (Levels 4, 5 & 6) Limited to 1 time per week

Marisa Garcia-Crocker Faculty

12:30pm-1:30pm

VKC 204

Grammar Q & A (Levels 4, 5 & 6)

John Esposito Faculty

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 1

Liza USC Student

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 2

Lucy USC Student

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 3

Demetri USC Student

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 4

Blaire USC Student

12:30pm-1:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Levels 5 & 6

Rachel USC Student

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 1

Lucy USC Student

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 2

Demetri USC Student

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 3

Rachel USC Student

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

Conversation Level 4

Liza USC Student

Conversation Levels 5 & 6

Jay USC Student

1:30pm-2:30pm

JEF Courtyard

to be super-friendly and patient. ”If you do not use transportation a lot, just put Continued from p. 1 some money inside the card, and use it whenever you need.” She continued, “If ence? Which is better? I was totally lost. you take trains a lot, say, for a whole I needed help. week, then you can buy a 7-day pass. If Having heard of the so-called Caliyou take trains a lot only for one single fornia style before, I was prepared to day, then a day-pass meets your needs. “greet” the impatience and indifference You’d better know how much you would from those passengers. However, they use the train.” Well, I could understand were more willing to give me a hand. that. But these questions solved, others A girl with many earrings turned out rose again. How does Metro-to-Muni

Fresh Eyes

Transfer work? Can money be stored if not all spent? How to add value? She kept explaining things clearly and patiently till I fully understood and got my own Tap card. It did take her a really long time there. But she was really nice to me, as a stranger. I thanked her a lot; she simply replied a “Cool” and smiled away. Well, this time, I thought I knew what California style was. Read the second part of this series next week

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First Choice to Blend in at USC By MINGXU (MATTHEW) SUN

Till now, all the students belong to language academy have settled down at USC. They must have had a tense week due to trivia such as house renting, shopping and time differences. Considering human nature, I suppose that it is a good time now for the students to look for some entertainment and sports. However, as a freshman here, most of them have no friends and family to hang out with. Though there are many interests in LA, they still cannot go without a car which is too early to buy. So we strongly recommend The Lyon Center on campus. The Lyon Center features the Main Gym, for basketball, badminton, volleyball; the Klug Family Fitness Center; the Robinson Fitness Room and so on. Going to The Lyon Center gradually becomes the best choice for freshmen. Not only because it is all set free and really not far from our house but it also helps us to start a brand new life at USC in LA. Why is that? I think the reasons are twofold. For one thing, The Lyon Center helps us to build friendship with our new friends. On July 8, Mike, a Language Academy student from China, asked his roommates Matthew and Patrick to go play basketball in The Lyon Center. They were on the same team fighting against another group of players which

The Lyon Center offers classes and has many places to work out and have fun.

consisted of Europeans and Americans. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I feel that playing basketball with my new friends is the best way to get familiar with them. When I pass the ball to them, a trust has been built among us.â&#x20AC;? Mike said so during the interview. In fact, sports do enable us to stand together. For another thing, joining in the activities at The Lyon Center helps us gain it is easy for us to feel homesick when we first arrive at an unfamiliar environment, especially studying abroad in LA. Personally speaking, the main reason we feel hopeless and helpless is that we have a lack of confidence. However, if you start exercising in the fitness center or finish an excellent shot in a basketball game, you will

feel better about yourself because sports leaves a positive effect on our mental health. According to a small survey conducted by The Academy News, 67.7% of the girls in MSPR (Master of Science in Public Relations) are willing to go to Lyon Center now and 75% of the boys in MSPR have already played a basketball game in it. All in all, if you want to start a brand new life at USC at the beginning of your arrival, just go to The Lyon Center with your friends. Do not hesitate to contact the new friends you meet here, it is the best choice for you to blend in at USC.

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AIRLINE SAFETY 101 passengers we lost, Jialin Wang and Mengyuan Ye, were on their way to attend a West Valley Christian School summer camp. Asiana Airline Flight 214 deAs we mourn over the loss of parture from Incheon International Airport, South Korea crashed when the two students, we should notice that both of their bodies were found it attempted to land at its destinaoutside the aircraft, which implied tion, San Francisco International that they probably had not fastened Airport, United States, on July 6, their seat belts when the airplane 2013. was landing. Whenever we travel in San Francisco Fire Departa domestic flight or fly back to our ment Chief Joanne Hayes-White confirmed that this fatal crash killed homeland, it is always important to keep in mind the basic rules for flytwo passengers and 183 were ining safely. jured. Those two young Chinese By ZIJUN (MIKE) LU and MEIYI (CANDICE) YU

Here are ten airline safety 101 tips* we should remember when we are on a flight. These tips are taken from Wikipedia. 1、Fly on Nonstop Routings Most airliner accidents happen during the takeoff, climb, descent, and landing phase of the flight, so the easiest way to reduce your chance of getting in an accident is to take flights with fewer stops. See Airline Safety on p. 6

TRAVEL TIPS FOR YOU By SCARLETT CHEN and YUAN FENG

There is a two-week break after the end of the Summer B session. It will be a great time to relax and get prepared for the coming fall semester. Some people may have already started to plan trips in the U.S. No matter what the plans are, it is better to schedule ahead of time. Here are some traveling tips, since many of the Academy students are new to the U.S. Students can find cheap airfares on travel guide websites when they’ve decided where to go. It’s easy to navigate those websites by typing in the city of departure, destination and travel date. The website will list all the possible deals. Students can compare different airlines and pick the one that fits their schedules well. To save trouble, students can also find travel packages on those websites. It is convenient because the package will offer both flight and hotel sales information. If students have valid U.S. driving licenses or equivalent international driving licenses,

they can also find rental car information on those websites. Traveling is not just sightseeing. It is also a time to enjoy local food. With various online search engines, students can easily find out the names of local food. But if they want to read other peoples’ reviews, to get great deals, and even to see some pictures of the food, food recommendation websites are good places to check. After entering the city’s name, the websites will provide a list based on customers’ rate. Students will be able to find different kinds of exotic food that suits their needs. Moreover, students can also make reservations online, especially for some popular restaurants. Before leaving for the trip, students should also make sure they’ve packed everything they need. It’s important to check the local weather and bring the right clothes. In addition, wearing comfortable shoes is also necessary for a trip. Last but not least, students should have their passports with them at all

times. If they are traveling to another country, they should make sure they have enough time to get the visa and take their I-20 Forms before they leave the U.S. territory.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP Traveling guide websites:  Bing.com/travel  Expedia.com  Princeline.com

Food and restaurant websites:  Yelp.com  Urbanspoon.com

Places for short excursions:     

San Diego San Francisco Yosemite Seattle Yellowstone National Park

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Flagship Theaters: A Good Place to Go By XI (SILVIA) KANG and YATING (EVELYN) ZHAO Movie lovers have a place nearby to see first-run films with their friends.

The Flagship Theatres, located on 3323 South Hoover Street, is the most convenient cinema for USC students. It is in University Village, and it is only five minutes’ walk from Entrance 5 of USC. Students can have a discount with their student card. Typically, a student ticket costs six dollars, which is much

cheaper than the cost of tickets in other theatres. This cinema is open seven days a week, and it shows several of the latest films. For instance, recently it showed the movie “World War Z”,” Monsters University” and “Despicable Me 2”. On each Tuesday the theatre may change one of those films to another one, so that the audience can have more choices. People can watch films there as early as 11 a.m., and its closing

time depends on the length of the movie shows in the evening. This cinema does not allow people to bring in food or drink, but it is quite easy to buy foods or beverages at the concession stand of the theatre. Jiamin Wu, a new USC student majoring in signal processing, says that he knows about the Flagship Theatres and although he has not watched a film there before, he would like to have a try in his spare time later. He thinks the price is very attractive.

Many other USC students being interviewed on campus agree that it is a good place to go since it can save them a lot of time compared to watching a film in the downtown area of Los Angeles. Editor’s Note: Students can get discount movie tickets at the Student Union. They can find out which cinema chains they want to go to—Regal, Edwards, etc.—and ask for tickets for these chains by showing their USC ID. Student discount tickets for movies that have been out for two weeks cost only $6. The student union is located near the Tudor Student Center.

Airline Safety 101 continued from p. 4 be able to hold very heavy objects during turbulence, so if Currently, aircraft with more you or another passenger have than 30 passenger seats were all trouble lifting an article into the designed and certified under the bin, have it stored elsewhere. strictest regulations. Also, in the unlikely event of a serious 5、Keep Your Seat Belt Fasaccident, a larger aircraft protened While You Are Seated vides a better chance for pasKeeping the belt on when you senger survival. are seated provides that extra 2、Choose Larger Aircraft

3、Pay Attention to the Preflight Briefing Although the information seems repetitious, the locations of the closest emergency exits may be different depending on the aircraft that you fly on and seat you are in. 4、Keep the Overhead Storage Bin Free of Heavy Articles Overhead storage bins may not

protection you might need to help you avoid injuries from flight turbulence. 6、Listen to the Flight Attendants The primary reason flight attendants are on an aircraft is for safety, so if one of them asks you to do something like fasten your seat belts, do it first and ask questions later.

cabin is pressurized to about the same altitude as Denver, so any alcohol you consume will There are rather long lists of affect you more strongly than at hazardous materials that are not sea level. allowed, but common sense should tell you that you should- 10、Keep Your Wits about n't bring gasoline, corrosives, You poisonous gases, and other such In the unlikely event that you items on the aircraft unless they are involved in an emergency are allowed by the airline and situation such as a precautionshipped in a proper container. ary emergency evacuation, fol7、Don't Bring Any Hazardous Material

8、Let the Flight Attendant Pour Your Hot Drinks

low the directions of the flight attendants and flight crew and exit the aircraft as quickly as possible.

Flight attendants are trained to handle hot drinks like coffee or tea in a crowded aisle on a Reference: moving aircraft, so allow them to pour the drink and hand it to Wikipedia you. 9、Don't Drink Too Much The atmosphere in an airliner

*Airsafe.com http:// airsafe.com/ten_tips.htm

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Life in L. A. Sports News

Dwight Howard Chooses Rockets over Lakers way to rope him in, including some celebrities, for example Jim Parsons, the leading actor in the hottest TV series Big Bang Theory, who made a video hoping to persuade Howard to join the Rockets. Houston is better with Howard, but still has a very long way to go before reaching the championship. And for Lakers, with one of its most valuable players’ departure and Kobe Bryant’s injury, the upcoming season is going to be tough. So Lakers’ fans, go to the Staples Center and show

By VALERIA WEI

After a week-long deliberation, on July 7, Dwight Howard, the most valued player on this year’s NBA free agents market, rejects his former employer Lakers’ higher offer and joins the Houston Rockets with a 4-year, 88 million dollar contract. Howard has mentioned many times in previous interviews that what he is looking for in the coming seasons is the chance to win and to have fun. In that case the Rockets is indeed the better place for him. In Los Angeles Howard never seemed truly comfortable during his season because he was having difficulties adjusting to D’Antonio’s tactics and was constantly outshined by Lakers’ leader and soul player Kobe Bryant. But in the Rockets, a team that is built around the center, Howard is going to be the biggest persona who gets all the attention and has his own franchise to lead. I randomly interviewed some students of the Language Academy about their opinions on this trade, and most of them are in favor of

Three Tips in Choosing English Names By PEINYANG SHI and SHANGYI CHENG

Most of the students in Language Academy come up with their English names, trying to make it easier for international friends to pronounce them. Peiyang Shi, a student from China, firstly used his initials “SPY” in Chinese Pinyin (phonetic transcription) as his English name. Soon he discovered that everyone remembered him quickly

Howard’s choice. Allen Tian says Howard with Jeremy Lin and allstar player Harden on the side is going to deliver great team collaboration; Mike Lu says Lakers’ triangle is not suitable for a traditional center like Howard, leaving the team actually gives himself a new start and gives Lakers an See Howard on p. 8

opportunity to bring in new blood to rebuild the team. But one thing is for sure: Houston’s executives and fans are thrilled to have Howard. Before Howard made his final decision, the Rockets fans were seeking every possible yet in an unexpected way. Now he longed for another name other than Stephan or Damon, which have been so widely used since the release of The Vampire Diaries. How can we come up with an ideal English name? There are three tips for you. First, try to find an English name with similar pronunciation to your name in your mother tongue. For example, Lianjie Li, a worldknown Chinese Kungfu star, calls himself Jet Li in English. Secondly, if your name possesses a certain meaning in your language, you could

them your support! STAPLES CENTER - Home to the Lakers and Clippers: 1111 S. Figueroa Street · Los Angeles, CA 90015 choose an appropriate English translation, which might make your name distinctive from others’. Finally, you can also refer to your constellation. In particular, a series of names are suitable for Leo boys, such as Robert, Carl, and Scott. Don’t worry if you still don’t find a good English name after reading the three tips. After all, whether your name gets attention or not, it is your character and temperament that truly impress other people.

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Summer B Journalism Elective Students Launch First Issue of The Academy News

USC Language Academy Rossier School of Education Phone: 213-740-0080 Fax: 213-740-0088 Web: www.usc.edu/langacad Check out The Academy News online at www.usc.edu/langacad.Go to “Student Information” and then click on “The Academy News.”

The Academy News is a weekly newsletter produced by students in the Journalism Elective of the USC Language Academy. All students in the Language Academy Program are encouraged to send news stories and photos to Sonja Lovelace at slovelac@usc.edu.

In, the first week of the journalism elective, students prepared their stories for this week’s newsletter. Many ideas were floated about what kinds of stories Language Academy students would be interested in. This week’s stories are the result of intense brainstorming and writing under deadline. The journalism class

elected the new editor for this term. Valeria Wei brings a background in journalism to the job. Assistant Editor Leo Wu also has extensive broadcast journalism experience. Look for a variety of stories in the weeks to come, and tell us what you would like to see in the newsletter for Summer Session B.

THE ACADEMY NEWS STAFF Editor: Valeria Wei Assistant Editor: Leo Wu Reporters: Faisal Almutairi, Zhiqi (Scarlett) Chen, Shangyi Cheng, Fitsum Fanta, Yuan Feng, Xi (Silvia) Feng, Ranran Li, Zijun (Mike) Lu, Peiyang Shi, Zhaka Shulenbayeva, Mingxu Sun, Lun (Allen) Tian, Jingyi Wang, Yumeng (Valeria) Wei, Daojun (Leo) Wu, Meiyi Yu, Weiwei (Vivian) Yu, Yerkanat Zaitov, Assyl Zhakupov, Yating (Evelyn) Zhao

Pics of the Week

Language Academy students enjoyed the music, food and fireworks on the Fourth of July at the Hollywood Bowl. See more pictures on Language Academy Facebook.