ORIENTATION ISSUE
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8.16.2023
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A Place To Live
Title IX Delay
Art as Advocacy
Best Bets
University Park residents navigate housing in a student-centered market.
Setbacks to Biden’s new Title IX regulations leave students vulnerable.
Explore the world through Keith Haring’s lens at the Broad.
What you should bet on for the 2023-24 Trojan football season. Art by Lyndzi Ramos
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‘A real stress test:’ USC experts talk Trump’s third indictment The trial has potential to fuel the former president’s 2024 run, professors said. By NAtHAN ELIAs Staff Writer
The United States Department of Justice levied four felony charges against former President Donald Trump Aug. 1 over his alleged efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election. This is the first time a former president has received such charges, setting the stage for precedent-setting legal arguments surrounding U.S. elections. The Daily Trojan spoke with USC law and politics experts about the indictment’s potential impacts on the 2024 election and the future of American democracy. “It’s going to be a real stress test of the system,” said Bob Shrum, director of USC’s Center for the Political Future, “to see whether or not the idea that nobody is above the law is actually true in this country, to see whether or not we can defend our democracy.” The 45-page indictment alleges that Trump led a conspiracy
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to obstruct Congress from counting and certifying votes Jan. 6, 2021, attempted to replace valid electors with false ones to cast votes in his favor and sustained the conspiracy with lies about the validity of the election process. In doing so, Trump and a collection of six co-conspirators disrupted a “bedrock function” of the U.S. government, the indictment read, resulting in four felony charges: conspiracy to defraud the U.S., conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, obstruction of an official proceeding and conspiracy against rights. Analysts expect Trump’s defense to argue he acted on the genuine belief that he won the election, staking their hopes on an appeal to his first amendment right to free speech, though Shrum called the argument a “red herring.” “Of course, you can contest an election,” Shrum said, “but you can’t form a conspiracy to send in fake electors to try to derail the process of certifying a presidential election.” The indictment is the third set of | see TRUMP, page A10 |
USC spent $1.7 million to lobby Congress. Where did it go? Immigration policy and Pell Grants are among the issues the University advocated for. By CHRIstINA CHKARBOuL AND sPARsH sHARMA Daily Trojan Staff
USC spent at least $260,000 last year lobbying the United States House of Representatives for research, financial aid, immigration policy and other issues. The University also spent more than $490,000 lobbying the California assembly over the last three years through firms it hires to advocate for itself and its interests.
tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan
The higher education lobbying industry has grown three times in size since the earliest records the Daily Trojan was able to find from 1998.
Immigration policy, water conservation and coronavirus research among issues USC lobbied for In the first quarter of 2022, USC spent $120,000 on lobbying, some of which went toward clearing immigration issues for a Ukrainian student at the Keck School of Medicine of USC. The student safely escaped Ukraine following the Russian invasion in February 2022, said Sam Garrison, the senior vice president of the University Relations office, and the University put an effort into helping her obtain a visa while she sought refuge in the United Kingdom. USC goes through a similar process for other students four to five times a year, he said. Universities often lobby for the issuance of student visas, Pedro Ribeiro said, senior vice president for communications at the Association of American Universities — an invitation-only alliance of 71 leading research universities in the U.S. and Canada — that includes USC. That increased with Russia’s war in Ukraine, he said. “When the war first started, there were a lot of students who were here on visas that could not return home,” Ribeiro said. “It would be unsafe for them to do so. So, AAU, along with many of our institutions, went to Congress and said, ‘You really have to help us here. These people should stay in the [U.S.]’” The University also advocated against certain Trump administration immigration policies impacting international students and staff, Garrison said, particularly the administration’s proposed elimination of Optional Practical Training — a program that allows students to stay and work in the U.S. for one or two years after they finish their studies. In 2021, the University reported lobbying expenditures for the House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the U.S. Capitol. At the time the select committee was established, it sought expertise in national security from the country’s top universities. Garrison said those funds arranged for Erroll Southers, the associate senior vice president of safety and risk assurance at USC, to speak with the committee staff about violent extremism. Garrison said 2020 and 2021 saw significant spikes in reported expenditures, primarily because the University actively requested funding for research efforts related to the coronavirus pandemic — such as the COVID-19 Pandemic Research Center within KSOM’s Department of Population and Public Health Sciences. USC also regularly lobbies for Department of Defense research and appropriations. Since joining USC in 2018, Garrison said the University hasn’t advocated | see LOBBYING, page A6 |
Daily Trojan WEDNEsDAY, AuGust 16, 2023 | STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA SINCE 1912 | VOL. 210, NO. 1
The future of legacy admissions at USC Class of 2027 first without pandemic-era restrictions
USC said it reviews legacy admits holistically, just like traditional applicants.
The University lifted its coronavirus vaccine requirement this past April.
By EVA HARtMAN News Assignments Editor
The admissions process within elite universities has come under strict scrutiny in recent years, following the 2019 Varsity Blues scandal and the Supreme Court decision this past June to overturn affirmative action, a measure that allows universities to consider race in admissions. Students for Fair Admissions, the group that brought cases against Harvard University and the University of North Carolina to the Supreme Court, made legacy admissions a cornerstone of its fight against affirmative action, arguing that the universities’ attachments to affirmative action were detrimental to other — particularly non-white — students. Justice Neil Gorsuch criticized legacy-preferential admissions in his concurrence, writing that “while race-neutral on their face,” policies of legacy preference “undoubtedly benefit white and wealthy applicants the most.” The U.S. Department of Education filed an investigation of Harvard, which has an overall admission rate of 3.2%, but an admit rate for donor-related applicants of 42% and legacy admit rate of 34%. The battle over the ethical implications of legacy preferences
A year in USC labor Employees organized in droves to advocate for better wages and conditions. By tOMOKI CHIEN AND CHRIstINA CHKARBOuL Daily Trojan Staff
Before Los Angeles’ “hot labor summer” came USC’s hot labor year. Since last spring, University workers have organized, union by union, in a reckoning of labor strength and action that’s mirrored movements across the city and country like the ongoing screenwriters and actors strike. USC is L.A.’s largest private employer, contracting some 30,000 faculty and staff who have felt the impacts of L.A.’s rising cost of living. The Consumer Price Index for the L.A. area, a measure of inflation and price changes, skyrocketed in early 2021 and peaked at a nearly 9% overthe-year increase last June. This June’s CPI stood at a 2.5% increase over the same month last year. Home prices and rents are inching up and out of reach for many working-class Angelenos, and wages haven’t kept up consistently. Service employees at USC made an average salary of $46,813 in 2022, according to the statistics site UnivStats. A twobedroom apartment in L.A. goes for a median rent of $2,525, according to real estate site Zillow. That’s 61% higher than the national average and a total of about $30,000 yearly. | see LABOR, page A5 |
INDEX
By FAItH sAN MARtIN Staff Writer
Gina Nguyen / Daily Trojan
Legacy applications at USC are earmarked for a second look, though they are assessed with the same criteria, according to an admissions report. in university admission decisions reached California earlier this month when State Assemblyman Phil Ting proposed eliminating access to state financial aid, or Cal Grants, for universities that offer preferential admission to the children of alumni or those with relationships to donors. At USC, that would mean losing more than $26 million in aid for nearly 3,000 low-income students. Per the 2023 Annual Report of the University of Southern California on Admissions Practices, each application is “tagged” with different labels
marking the qualities and achievements of the applicant. Legacy applications are labeled with a “special interest tag,” which “ensures a second look by a senior Admission staff member, but the applicant is assessed by the same evaluators based on the same criteria as the general pool,” according to the report. While not as stark as Harvard’s nearly 34% higher legacy admission rate, there was a small difference in the qualifications of legacy and non-legacy accepted applicants in 2021-2022. | see LEGACY, page A11 |
From weekly coronavirus testing to required medical masks, the classes of 2023 through 2026 went through the peak of the pandemic while tackling college academics. But the class of 2027 will experience something completely different. Trojan Check, an app through which students performed mandatory daily symptom checks, will be foreign to them, and they will only be required to wear masks at the University upon entering the Engemann Student Health Center when having symptoms. Essentially, their college experience will most likely be one where the coronavirus pandemic seems to have never happened. Nobert Otieno, an incoming freshman majoring in film and TV production, said the coronavirus pandemic threw a curveball at him in high school, altering the course of his four years thereby preventing him from continuing track and field and other extracurriculars that he was excited to join.
High-end housing in USC area booms, affordable rent grows scarce
| see 2027, page A4 |
Fraternity ’s lawyers call For suit dismissal The sexual assault case was filed against USC’s Mu Theta chapter in 2021.
Brand new “luxury” studentexclusive housing complexes are rising in University Park.
By MICHELLE RIVAs
By CHRIstINA CHKARBOuL
Staff Writer
Managing Editor
Ellis Act evictions prevalent in University Park Non-student residents aren’t just driven out by rents they can’t afford — many are uprooted when landlords decide to repurpose their buildings into student housing. Residents of University Park’s rent-stabilized units — of which there are currently 5,191, according to a spokesperson for the L.A. Housing Department
Attorneys representing the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity are asking that a 2021 sexual assault lawsuit be dismissed, claiming the plaintiff’s emotional distress was due to “pre-existing psychological disorders or alternative concurrent causes” rather than assault. While an official motion to dismiss the case has yet to be filed, attorneys for The Perfect Event, one of the cross- defendants being sued in the suit, filed a demurrer and a motion to strike the plaintiff’s claims July 24. A hearing for this motion is scheduled for Sept. 5 at the Los Angeles County Superior Court. A lawsuit filed in 2021 by a woman identified only as Jane Doe alleges she was sexually assaulted while intoxicated at a Sigma Alpha Mu party in 2020 by Peter Hwang, a former member of USC’s Mu Theta Chapter. The suit alleges that the assailant, Hwang, was sober during the attack, while Doe was intoxicated. The suit describes the night of the alleged assault, where Doe claims to have been forced into a gymnasium. There, she alleges that Hwang severely beat her, resulting in a black eye, abrasions, a urinary tract infection, and severe emotional distress. Doe also alleges Hwang traumatically took her
| see HOUSING, page A7 |
| see FRAT, page A7 |
This article is the first in the “A Place To Live” series, which will examine housing issues impacting students and local residents of University Park and Exposition Park. As new student housing and hotel developments continue to break ground in University Park, a trend of rising housing costs in the area threatens increased displacement. Student housing around USC has boomed over the past decade, and the construction of multiple new complexes geared toward student living — typically multibedroom apartments with shared bedrooms — is planned for the area in the near future. A Landmark Properties mixeduse development project will open on South Figueroa Street across from the Banc of California Stadium in Fall 2026. The 4.4-acre site, which Landmark President and CEO Wes Rogers called “luxury off-campus living,” will house more than 1,500 total beds, including 87 multifamily units designated for low-income individuals, and more than 20,000 square feet of commercial space. The complex’s construction would demolish eight
“I was a second semester freshman [when the pandemic started],” Otieno said. “I definitely would have been sticking with sports if the pandemic didn’t happen; I haven’t been able to get back [to track and field] since.” Now, Otieno has high hopes for the extracurriculars he couldn’t take in high school and for the networking opportunities USC has to offer. “I’m definitely planning on joining a lot of clubs and exploring all the options that I have within the school,” Otieno said. “I’m most excited for meeting a lot of new people in my degree program, especially working [with them].” Tristan Wilcher, also a member of the class of 2027, will be an arts, technology and the business of innovation major at the Iovine and Young Academy. Right when he started his own high school club — the music makerspace club — the pandemic hit, derailing his plans. “Some of the members met up and made a discord so we could still kinda connect, but it wasn’t the same as being in the same room,” Wilcher said. “[Being in-person] could have been great, but COVID kinda ruined it.” With restrictions now eased, Wilcher is looking for a second
Brittany shaw / Daily Trojan
USC’s history of gentrification around the University Park campus shows that when local residents can’t afford to live in the area anymore, they leave. rent-stabilized buildings, including 32 units in historic buildings. Another high-end new student housing development, Jasper LA, moved in its first residents in June. The complex — which offers a slew of amenities, including an onsite dog spa and an outdoor pizza oven — prices studio apartments starting at $2,050 per month, one-bedrooms at $2,450 and two-bedrooms at $3,450. Other off-campus complexes built in the last decade or so include Icon Plaza, the Hub, Element, Jefferson Flats and Victory on 30th. The median rent for a twobedroom apartment in University Park — zip code 90007 — is $2,592, according to real estate site Zillow. That’s just slightly above the citywide median of $2,525. The median income of University Park households stands at $47,209,
per the 2021 United States Census Bureau release. That’s about $3,900 of monthly income, meaning rent prices consume a considerable portion of the average resident’s earnings. USC’s history of gentrification around the University Park Campus has shown that when local residents can’t afford to live in the area anymore, they leave.
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chance at finding a community through his program. “I am most excited for just connecting with the people in my program … everything is [handson],” Wilcher said. “You’re right there learning with the technology, you’re designing things and learning along the way.” Though members of the class of 2027 said they are excited to see a school year without the coronavirus, some students in previous classes have reminisced on what their freshman year could have been. Chanel Williams, a rising junior majoring in non-governmental organizations and social change, recalls how the coronavirus pandemic made her senior year of high school and first year of college take a turn for the worst. Williams said she wasn’t able to attend her high school’s Grad Night and experienced a lack of engagement in the classroom throughout the pandemic, when remote learning became prevalent. Williams’ second semester at USC started asynchronously as a tidal wave of new coronavirus cases spread all across Los Angeles County in early 2022. This brought academic difficulties for Williams, especially in her statistics course. “It just wasn’t the same,” Williams said. “It was hard to interact with other classmates and professors because of Zoom. It was inconvenient, if anything, because everyone was expecting to go back and we didn’t.” The e-learning model was supposed to be temporary, but many classes did not resume inperson instruction, even after coronavirus cases started to
Nobert Otieno / Daily Trojan
USC will no longer require masks, respiratory tents will go down and most USC Health appointments will be in-person starting Fall 2023. drop. One of them was Williams’s statistics course. Although college is primarily academics-focused, participating in extracurriculars while following coronavirus protocols can be challenging. Williams said that a lot of her team members caught coronavirus, so they couldn’t practice or meet up with each other as often. “We have our retreats early in the spring semester and a lot of people couldn’t go to our retreats unless they were from L.A.,” she said. “Beforehand, a lot of people caught COVID and the retreat wasn’t what we were thinking it was going to be. All of our clubs and extracurriculars were all online.”
Although some of these changes were difficult to adapt to, they were necessary, said Tara Qureshi, a physician assistant at USC Student Health. Qureshi said each step in the University’s coronavirus response was incredibly important. “We adapted: We started the telemedicine to accommodate our students, we set up a tent for respiratory infections so that none of the staff or students could be infected. We abided by the L.A. Department of Public Health and followed the CDC guidelines,” Qureshi said. As for students, weekly testing, Qureshi believed, was the most effective step of all.
“When you were tested I felt that it was more concrete and we knew exactly if the patient was positive or negative,” she said. “Trojan Check was good, but I am not sure if students were answering them correctly.” Starting Fall 2023, most of what USC students thought as “normal” will no longer exist. The respiratory tents have gone down, the University will no longer require masks unless someone is experiencing coronavirus symptoms and only 20% of USC Health appointments will be through telemedicine. “Our goal is to go back to preCOVID era and see most of our students in-person,” Qureshi said.
When it comes to the classes before and today’s incoming students, there is a lot to consider different. “[There was] very less inperson attendance as opposed to a normal freshman year … I think that [the class of 2027] will not even understand what it was like for the kids that went through the pandemic,” Qureshi said. The transition to college will always be a huge milestone, but for the class of 2027, this experience is most special because it proves that the world can return to old practices, and that the University can achieve a sense of ‘normal’ from before the pandemic. “There is a possibility to have a normal life,” Qureshi said.
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That gap between what workers earn and what they’re paying for housing, food and gas has stirred frustration and desperation among Angelenos — who are now willing to take to the picket line or the union ballot box. The Daily Trojan asked President Carol Folt in a March interview what she thought USC’s historic year for labor organizing said about USC as an employer. The Daily Trojan also asked Folt whether she thought unions made the University a better place to work. Acknowledging the movements as part of a national shift, Folt said having mediators in labor talks is a “complication” at a university, but was optimistic that USC could make it work. “People get to make a choice. We support that,” Folt said. “But, in the end, we want to continue to make sure that we have as few middle people between us, our students and our faculty and our staff as possible.” The following is a chronological list of labor action and organizing at USC since last spring. Janitorial staff USC custodians and their supporters staged a protest against their employer Aramark’s alleged foot-dragging at the bargaining table in March 2022. Aramark proposed a 30 to 45cent yearly wage increase; many of its workers receive less than $17 per hour, one union member said, making the proposed raise a 2% to 3% increase. The janitors, represented by the Service Employees International Union, called on USC to pressure Aramark — which took over as their employer after the University laid off janitorial staff 26 years ago — to offer a fair wage increase.
One longtime custodial worker said that, before USC cut ties with the workers, employees received USC-specific benefits that they’d like to get back, including transportation passes, tickets to sports games and discounted or free tuition for their children. The workers, joined by more student supporters, marched at USC again a week after their initial protest and showed their willingness to strike if Aramark didn’t budge on wage increases. The workers averted a strike. Keck School of Medicine KSOM-employed housestaff in the L.A. General residency program unanimously voted to unionize in May 2022, gaining the representation of the Committee of Interns and Residents/Service Employees International Union. After the vote, residents, interns and fellows began negotiating their first contract, a process that lasted about nine months before successful ratification. Prior to the new contract, KSOM-employed residents worked the same rotating shifts in the same few hospitals within the residency program as L.A. County-employed residents, but earned an average of $10,000 less in pay and benefits. They fought in negotiations to level this disparity and achieved salaries comparable to their colleagues, along with a $10,000 annual housing allowance and six weeks of paid parental and family leave. The housestaff and union organizers held several demonstrations to put pressure on KSOM and inform incoming L.A. General residents of the pay gap between KSOM and L.A. County-employed residents. Alongside supporters, the housestaff demonstrated at
tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan
Shuttle workers marching in February 2023. The group of 32 workers joined SEIU Local 721, the largest public-sector union in Southern California. SEIU met with USC Aug. 2 for a bargaining session. KSOM’s Match Day in March and handed out fliers at KSOM’s commencement ceremony in May. Graduate student workers USC graduate student workers — some 3,400 teaching assistants, research assistants and assistant lecturers — culminated a yearlong effort to unionize in February. The union, formally known as the Graduate Student Workers Organizing Committee, joined workers at the likes of the University of California and Harvard University under the banner of the United Auto Workers. The newly minted union has since engaged in collective bargaining with the University, reaching a minor victory in establishing the right to an “independent and impartial arbitrator” should the University violate its contract with the union: for instance, if a teaching assistant is forced to work unpaid hours.
Those graduate student workers plan to rally in support of their cause Aug. 31 during their ongoing negotiations with the University. Shuttle drivers A coalition of the 32 shuttle workers who operate USC’s intercampus transit lines voted to unionize in March by a one-vote margin. The workers joined SEIU Local 721, the largest public-sector union in Southern California that also represents USC janitorial staff. Prior to their vote, USC shuttle workers were some of the last remaining nonunionized transit workers in L.A. An SEIU news release notes that its bargaining team met USC Aug. 2 for a first bargaining session, but a union spokesperson did not elaborate on the specifics of the meeting. “Negotiations are ongoing and shuttle drivers hope to reach a strong, fair agreement with the university,” an
SEIU spokesperson wrote in a statement to the Daily Trojan. Housing workers USC Housing employees voted to unionize under SEIU Local 721 in June. “There’s a growing unionization movement at USC, and we’re proud to be right in the middle of it,” wrote Angel Moreno, a general maintenance worker for USC Housing, in an SEIU press release announcing the passing of the union vote. The workers are negotiating their first contract with the University with hopes of attaining higher pay and benefits and better working conditions. According to an Aug. 10 SEIU press release, USC informed the workers they wouldn’t receive their annual wage increase until contract negotiations are complete. SEIU attorneys sent the University a letter Aug. 4 demanding it pay out the merit increases based on employee evaluations.
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LOBBYING | University’s
expenditures historically high
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for any kind of military research. Ribeiro said much of the money spent on the DoD goes toward “basic science” and health research. “I’m not trying to sell missiles and I’m not trying to sell airplanes,” Ribeiro said. “I’m not trying to get the DoD to spend more money on a bomber or a ship.” Despite drawing these distinctions, the AAU has, in the past, spoken out against federal spending cuts that would affect weapons contracts and basic research funding. Some of the University’s DoD expenditures went toward advocating for the Water Reuse Consortium, a partnership between USC, the University of Arizona, the University of Nevada and several other labs and institutions. The program, Garrison said, aims to protect the Western water supply amid Southern California’s decade-long drought. Another “key part” of the University’s advocacy, Garrison said, is its push to allocate more money to the Federal Pell Grant Program, which funds need-based grants to low-income undergraduate students. One in five students at USC are Pell Grant-eligible, he said. Other federal financial aid programs, like the work-study program, help eligible USC students pay for college. Garrison said the spending bill House Republicans recently proposed to eliminate work-study and other grant programs is an example of the issues the University lobbies against. University lobbyists not ‘conventional’ lobbyists, Ribeiro says Confidence in lobbyists is strained in the public sphere. In 2019, Pew Research Center found that around 53% of the public view the role of lobbyists and special interest groups as a serious problem in the U.S. Ribeiro said this notion of lobbying is prevalent, but he said he doesn’t think lobbyists acting on behalf of universities act as conventional lobbyists. “We don’t do any of the things that people traditionally think of as lobbying,” Ribeiro said. “I don’t write checks. I don’t have a [Political Action Committee] … We don’t have campaign events. We don’t endorse candidates.” The University hires lobbyists to work at the House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. and at the California State Assembly in Sacramento. USC hires representatives both directly, through University Relations, and indirectly, through private firms and organizations. Their roles, Ribeiro said, are to “educate and advocate.” University Relations advances research missions on federal level While the University Relations office acts “first and foremost” as an educational resource to USC faculty, researchers, staff and students, the office also has a federal arm of lobbyists. These lobbyists work to further the University’s “academic, medical and research missions with Congress and the [Biden] Administration.” “We also work very closely with our researchers across the University … and sometimes advocate for those really important projects that do benefit the region,” Garrison said. “We also do direct advocacy for public policies that support higher education. [We] focus on access and affordability [and] quality healthcare.” USC’s federal relations office has been in Washington “for decades,” Garrison said. Last November, the University appointed government “veteran” Laurie Saroff to lead the office. Since then, no lobbying
disclosures exist that outline USC’s direct spending on Capitol Hill lobbyists. The team also works in Sacramento to lobby the California assembly, described by Garrison as performing the “same” operations. Holland & Knight, AAU provide support and specialists by issue USC has also hired various private lobbyists to perform lobbying activities on the University’s behalf. Beginning in 2020, it hired Los Angeles-based lobbying firm Holland & Knight on a $10,000 per month contract. “We have to be able to tap into expertise on a wide range of issues,” Garrison said. “The most cost-effective way to do that is to be able to engage a firm that has broad internal expertise to supplement our staff expertise.” Other higher education clients have also hired Holland & Knight, including the California State University system and Case Western Reserve University. On its website, the company touts its expertise in handling unions, Title IX and sexual discrimination cases, as well as its ability to advise on government rule-making and lobbying for institutionspecific appropriations. “We’re in partnership with Holland and Knight because they have an immigration practice that has deep expertise in working with the State Department,” Garrison said. USC is also represented by the AAU. AAU members account for nearly 60% of federal funding for academic research. The association advocates for a number of issues concerning higher education, including Pell Grants and defense research funding, and is known for its robust lobbying presence on Capitol Hill. Comparing USC’s expenditures to other universities USC’s activities on Capitol Hill place it within the top 20% of the biggest university spenders that lobbied Congress in 2022. The education sector spent a total of $93 million on lobbying last year. This inf lux in USC’s spending might be explained by a period in 2008 to 2009 in which for-profit institutions tried to enlarge their profiles on Capitol Hill and dramatically increased lobbying expenditures. USC’s expenditures almost doubled — from $472,000 in 2007 to $880,000 in 2008. Analysts at the time argued whether the spending surge indicated a more transparent industry, or if universities were simply trying to garner a greater share of federal financial aid. 2008 had ushered in fresh rules and limits by which governments could disburse aid to universities’ students, with universities like USC receiving far more in aid than they did before this time. Critics argued that higher education institutions opted to use these federal funds for lobbying campaigns to garner more taxpayer dollars. Then, in 2011, federal lawmakers “stopped handing out earmarks to their favorite projects” and “much … changed in how higher education lobbies,” according to a 2020 Inside Higher Ed article. As other large institutions — such as the University of California system — began ramping up their existing operations, USC seemingly joined the trend of smaller and mid-sized universities doing the opposite. The University’s expenditures dropped from a high of $940,000 in 2009 to $320,000 in 2017. The coronavirus pandemic saw the most recent series of aforementioned increases in lobbying expenditures.
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— are often evicted because their homes are demolished or altered to accommodate students, said Glafira Lopez, a community organizer at Strategic Actions for a Just Economy. The Ellis Act, a California state law allowing landlords to evict tenants in rent-controlled units if the building or complex is going “out of business,” is commonly used as a loophole by landlords hoping to do away with their tenants paying lower, stabilized rent in favor of higher-paying student tenants, Lopez said. “That’s what we’ve seen: the loss of a lot of affordable housing that’s specifically going to communities that have been there for a long time — for 15, 20 years,” Lopez said. According to the Staff Recommendation to City Planning Commission the L.A. Department of City Planning published in late 2022, there were an average of 35 Ellis Act evictions per 10,000 housing units around USC between 2018 and 2020. Citywide, that average stood at nine evictions per 10,000 units. Students the ‘preferred tenant’ for private landlords as USC-built housing runs scarce Complexes built for student housing make their target renters known: Banners and signage indicating complexes are meant for USC students exclude non-students and local residents from available housing around UPC, Lopez said. Landlords, she said, cater to students, who are often willing to pay more for smaller spaces. “[Landlords] are not going to get the highest amount of rent as possible with families that have been there for a long time, especially if the family has been paying a rent-controlled amount,” Lopez said, making students the “preferred tenant.” University Park has turned into a goldmine for developers because of the shortage of housing institutionally provided by USC, a spokesperson for L.A. City Planning wrote in an emailed statement to the Daily Trojan. Enrollment at the University grew more than 33% in the last decade, from 37,000 students to 49,500 in 2022, they wrote, but student accommodations haven’t kept up. This has resulted in the continued development of nonUSC-built student housing within a growing radius of campus. Lopez estimated the University would need to create 5,000 additional beds to accommodate the current number of enrolled students. With the recent demolition of several student dormitories, including Marks Hall, Trojan Hall and Fluor Tower, the need for more on-campus housing is mounting. Building new dorms, though, might mean taking up more space off-campus; the construction of USC Village in 2017 raised concerns about displacement and gentrification in USC-adjacent areas. Development and market trends difficult to curb, city officials find Legislation has, in the past, been enacted with the specific goal of protecting rent-stabilized housing around USC and ensuring affordable housing remains available. The establishment of the North University Park-Exposition Park-West Adams Neighborhood Stabilization Overlay District in 2008 set out to “address a concentration of campus-serving housing in the vicinity.” The ordinance that implemented the district required property owners to seek a conditional use permit before reconfiguring single-family homes to studentoriented, multi-bedroom homes. In 2020, Councilmember Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents the Eighth Council District, argued the ordinance had been unsuccessful in protecting affordable housing, citing a continued “overconcentration of student housing near the University Park/ Expo Park community.”
L.A. City Planning noticed developers began going around the NSO’s guidelines, configuring units with extremely large bedrooms or very limited shared living spaces to maximize the number of bedrooms. If these units have less than five habitable rooms, they aren’t subject to the conditional use requirement. “The NSO ordinance in itself has not been effective at keeping up with development and market trends that relate to the concentration of campus-serving housing,” the spokesperson wrote. At the time, Harris-Dawson called for the publication of a report with recommendations to address the lack of rent-stabilized units in the district. He also called to expand the overlay district farther west to Western Avenue. The district retains the same parameters it had in 2008. Instead, L.A. City Planning’s report back to Harris-Dawson resulted in the amendment of the South Los Angeles Community Plan Implementation Overlay introduced in 2010 to help better address design and affordability issues. One change to the CPIO involved requiring any project replacing a CPIO Protected Unit — typically a rent-controlled or otherwise affordable unit — to have the same number of bedrooms and bathrooms as the project before it, and that it be as affordable as the project it replaces. The L.A. City Council adopted the amendment earlier this year.
| continued from page A3 |
virginity despite her desire to refrain from sex until marriage. The case has not gone to trial and is still in the early stages of court proceedings. Attorney Hillary Johns filed a judicial notice request on behalf of Doe on July 31. Doe’s attorney has not filed any motions to dismiss the case and will continue to fight the case. Due to privacy concerns, her attorney was unable to discuss the details of the case with the Daily Trojan. Lawyers for the defendant did not respond to the Daily Trojan’s request for comment. Doe is suing on the basis of negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Implicated in the suit are the USC Mu Theta Chapter and property management companies, including Sam National Properties LLC, Sam USC Housing LLC, Sam Property Management LLC, and Jero Enterprises Inc. — which conducts business as Brad Management. The plaintiff is seeking at least $5 million. The accusation against Hwang prompted the University to hire investigators to assess the case. The University’s Title IX investigator found Hwang violated the University’s sexual violence and sexual assault harassment policy and its student code of conduct. The suit states USC dismissed Hwang in July 2020.
Brittany shaw / Daily Trojan
Sigma Alpha Mu attorneys claim the plaintiff’s emotional distress was due to “pre-existing psychological disorders.” The suit also alleges that, while a police investigation was still pending, Mu Theta Chapter fraternity members directly contacted Doe and attempted to dissuade her from pressing charges for fear that a lawsuit might shut down the fraternity and its parties. This case is just one of the series of major controversies USC has faced in recent years over claims of inappropriate conduct by fraternity members. A string of reports of druggings and sexual assault at Sigma Nu and other fraternities in October 2021 prompted protests on Greek Row. Last year, the University addressed growing concerns over sexual assault and
misconduct allegations at fraternities by implementing strict regulations on fraternity parties. Ten of the 14 fraternities at USC subsequently disaffiliated and several protests ensued, including one outside of the Sigma Nu fraternity house back in 2021. Doe has not spoken publicly about the matter. In an interview with “Good Morning America” last August, Doe’s mother — who concealed her identity to protect her family’s privacy — said her daughter is still deeply affected by the incidents and is currently in counseling to cope with the trauma. Court hearings for the case will resume in September.
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3 BEDROOM APARTMENTS. 1 block from campus. Stove, refrig, A/C, parking, washer/dryer included. (323) 422-1650. (8-16)
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Remote entry, student apartment for 2. Available now!! $2,000/mo. 2 bdrm/1 bath, full kitchen. 3 blocks from USC. 803 sq. ft. Off-street parking. Lots of storage. (323) 620-0812 (8-16)
4 Bdrm + Loft / 3 Bath • $4,995/month 3640 Westwood Blvd. 3670 Midvale Avenue
STUDENTS, GRAD STUDENTS, FACULTY. 1 and 2 Bdrm Apts. Quiet, Clean. 2701 Menlo Avenue. (323) 292-1398. (8-16)
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Furnished, wood floors. Remodeled. Walking distance to USC / within the USC Safety Patrol area. Free tram to campus. 2816 Ellendale Pl. (29th St./Ellendale Pl.) (310) 574-2247 (8-25)
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WALK TO CAMPUS! 2 BEDROOM / 1 BATHROOM APARTMENTS FROM $2,600 / MONTH 2660 MAGNOLIA AVE. – BEST LOCATION FOR OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING Between Hoover & Vermont and South of Adams; Inside USC Patrol Zone: Hardwood Floors; Air Conditioning; Extra-Large Bedrooms can be shared; Newer Plumbing & Electric; Modern Kitchens; Laundry Room; Parking Available. NOW TOURING – CALL OR TEXT (818) 889-2066 (8-25)
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130 S. SOTO ST.
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Rooms in quiet shared houses. Short walk to USC. A/C, shared kitchen, microwave, cable, internet, TV, washer/dryer, free utilities. 1188 W. 28th St. • 1475 W. 28th St. Summer $600+/mo. • Fall $1,000+/mo. Call (213) 713-7440 (8-24)
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2 blocks from USC. Shared full kitchen. 1 room with private bath. All others shared bath. Gated parking option available. Call for pricing. (323) 766-1156 (8-16)
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5 Bdrm/2 Bath. Opposite Metro for easy commute to USC. $4,250/mo. Washer/dryer in unit. Please contact Tittoo at (818) 416-2178 (8-25)
NEW LUXURY APARTMENT Offering Private Rooms + Private Bathrooms All Utilities Included. Call, Text or E-mail To Receive Pictures & Additional Info Tony (213) 706-1144 • tony@venicci.com 2651 S. Hobart Blvd.
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DANCO HOUSING Now Renting 2023-2024 School Year
Large, neat and clean unit. Reasonable rents. 2 blocks North of USC. Garfield Ecung (323) 243-3505
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Units starting at $1,795/mo. Close proximity to campus and transit routes. Contact leasing today: (323) 646-4500
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All units located just a few blocks from campus. We have bachelor, single, 1 bdrm, 2 bdrm, 3 bdrm and 4 bdrm units available. Starting as low as $975/month. If interested, call: (310) 842-8234; e-mail: Dancohousing@aol.com or visit us at: www.Dancohousing.com
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Brand new luxury apartments ~ 2 miles from USC campus and located near major transit routes. Units starting at $1,910/month. Ask about one month free for USC students. Contact leasing today: (213) 618-9843 Mention MRED for special USC discount
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Artist designed apt. upstairs of Craftsman house available for rent Aug.1. Fully furnished…3 Bedrooms / 2 Bathrooms, with all Kitchen Items/Appliances included. All Utilities, Free Wi-Fi, Free Washer / Dryer included in Rent. Convenient location just off Beverly Blvd. and N. Union Avenue. L.A. $4,200 Month to Month Rent. Please call/text or email for an appt. to show property. Philip Horowitz (323) 273-9653; Philiphla@yahoo.com. 116 N. Union Ave., L.A. 90026.
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Doctoral student or couple. 1 bdrm + den apartment. Crenshaw/Jefferson area. 2 blocks to Expo train. Partially furnished, on street parking. $1,500/month. Call (323) 599-0119 (8-16)
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1454 N. SOTO ST. 3 Bdrm/1 Bath. Near Keck School of Medicine of USC. $3,750/mo. Washer/dryer in unit. Please contact Tittoo at (818) 416-2178
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VACATION RENTALS RELAX IN THIS ALL NEW 3 BEDROOM/3 BATH. Two masters, kids room (3 beds) and a sofa couch outside. Sleeps 7-9. Pool, Jacuzzi, BBQ, island, game room, pergola, fire pit. Near Joshua Tree National Park. Free extended hours for USC employees with registration fee. Visit: www.deserthomyparadise.com. Call owner: Art (818) 800-8068. (9-19)
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9 Weight 13 Conjecture’s lack 14 Reddit Q&A session 15 Jacqueline du Pré’s instrument 16 Scottish cattle breed 17 Hollywood’s Ricardo or Paolo [2nd of 7] 19 Go here and there 21 Spiky fruits with a noxious odor 22 Sch. in Troy, N.Y. 24 Place for garage sale receipts 26 French for “You are beautiful!” [3rd of 7] 28 Requests kibble, say 32 End result
Live Stream Podcast Twitch – “57 Deck”
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Crossword
6 *shrug*
33 Rocky Mountain National Park sight 35 About 10%-15% of Muslims, globally 36 Flutter, as eyelashes 37 “Yippee for us!” [4th of 7] 40 English suffix equivalent to Spanish’s -ando and -iendo 41 Word in a traditional New Year’s Eve song 43 Bother and bother 44 People for whom two states are named 46 Goal of a bedtime story reading 48 Digital confrontations? [5th of 7] 50 ___ Bedingfield, pop star with the hits “Unwritten” and “Pocketful of Sunshine”
ANSWER PUZZLE ANSWERTO TOPREVIOUS TODAY’S PUZZLE
S U N N I M E H H E F T A M A C E L L O P R O O F M O N T A L B A N A N G U S R O A M D U R I A N S R P I C A S H B O X T U E S B E L L E M E O W S E L K S H I A U P S H O T W E D I D I T I N G B A T N A G D A K O T A A U L D T H U M B W A R S S L E E P N A T A S H A A N Y A D M I R E D O N I N F R I A R T U C K C Z A R S M I A E A R N S R A L L Y P A Y S A T A N O W L S
B A S T E E R A S W E E D Y E L L I D L Y E S T E S S T R A P P E D F O R T I M E O C T T H E B Y R D S O M A R O U T O F S H A P E P A L E S B U T W A K E S A C E R A T B L T S V A R I E T Y L A C K I N G D O C L I L O N U S A T S D O N H O A L L O K Y E U N M I S S I N G O U T W I N S T A R G A T E S H O R T A F E W P E O P L E R O T I F A T A L P U R E E G O T S T O W S F E D S
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE name?” name 56 Self-
6 Actress MacDowell 7 J.Crew competitor 8 Fellowship recipient at a research lab, perhaps 9 Pros at redirecting the narrative 10 0, for 180 degrees 11 Word with run or drive 13 Scarlett’s first love in “Gone With the Wind” 14 Part of a vampire costume 17 Drawn-out character
Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. 21 Korbut of gymnastics 24 Oscar-winning Blanchett 25 Texter’s “Bye for now” 28 “Back in my day …” 29 Pod set 30 Name before Dick 31 A woodwind 32 Program interrupter, perhaps
33 Leave thunderstruck 34 Boor 36 New York Comic Con and Treklanta, for two 37 Key of Rossini’s “William Tell” Overture: Abbr. 40 Diluted rum 41 Rouse to action 44 Seems suspect 45 Hit without swinging
47 University of Georgia athletes 48 Mideast leaders 49 Texas A&M athlete 50 Basic principle 51 River deposit 52 Track 53 There may be a catch to this 55 Like many a fussbudget 58 Unpretentious home
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The Norton is a beautiful Leimert Park home with one bathroom and three bedrooms; one of which offers the optional utility as a sunroom, or office (natural light). New appliances include a washer/dryer tower, dishwasher and refrigerator. Other amenities include a cable ready facility, fenced in yard, fireplace and off street parking. The property is near the Baldwin Hills Shopping Center, and Whole Foods. The Metro Station, Chase Bank, Walgreens, Denny’s and Big Five are right around the corner. The covered patio provides a perfect view of the orchard in the backyard. Please call at (530) 430-3625 or e-mail mauninfo@gmail.com
(213) 740-2707 elrodeo@usc.edu
Trojan Midas 2424 S. Figueroa St. | 213-749-3488
1 About 85%-90% of Muslims, globally [1st of 7]
3710 S. Norton Avenue, LA, CA 90018
Please bring your USCard with you. If you haven’t pre-ordered a copy, limited quantities will be available for purchase. $100 cash, check, credit card (VISA, MasterCard, Discover)
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with recently activated real estate website. www.WEHOhomes.LA Activity involves doing daily searches with key words, including searches through off-shore SEs (Asia, Europe, etc). Pay based on time and daily impression count. (424) 309-4535, lee.bowling@cbrealty.com Malibu CaRE#02114825 (8-16)
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52 This, that or whichever 53 Looked up to 56 “Come ___!” 58 One of Robin Hood’s Merry Men [6th of 7] 60 Government program heads, informally 64 Come from behind 65 Heaven knows where, for short 66 Brings home 67 Symbols of wisdom 68 Suffer the consequences 69 One with horns [7th of 7]
(8-16)
Edited by Will Shortz
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DOWN 64 65 66 1 Place to unplug 2 Archaeologist’s 67 68 69 find 3 Holiday quaff 4 Give sustenance PUZZLE BY BROOKE HUSIC AND BRIAN THOMAS 5 In that case 23 Mortar’s partner 38 Load of 51 Lunar New Year 6 Warm-blooded in food prep and information all at 53 Natural hairstyle sort chemistry once 7 Punk subculture 39 What Ctrl+T might 54 Tie 25 Some December open lawn decorations 8 Like some drills 55 Structure and vacuums historically found 42 “Nope,” “I’m 26 Oom-pah-pah by a river innocent” and boomers 9 Scary roller “Huh-uh” coaster twists 57 Frosts 27 Stick for a 45 Subject of 15-Across player 10 Actor Idris 59 Surveillance org. the 2008 29 Buckeye 11 Cousin of a tres documentary “The 61 Word with fine or leches cake folk 30 Like a snow globe Black Candle” 12 Oodles scene 62 Modern vaccine 47 Deflect, as an base 15 Ricochet 31 Major ordeals insult or a sword 18 Setting for a 34 “Big Little Lies” 49 “Er … I suppose 63 Application info, “Rubber Duckie” actress Nicole that works” often singalong 20 Winning blackjack Online subscriptions: Today’s puzzle and more than 7,000 past combo puzzles, nytimes.com/crosswords ($39.95 a year). 22 “Queen of Drag” Read about and comment on each puzzle: nytimes.com/wordplay. with 12 Emmys
PUZZLE BY HANH HUYNH
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CAREER GUIDE Advertising Supplement
In conjunction with USC Career Center Fall Career Fair, Sept. 14, 2023
Published Sept. 13, 2023 Advertising deadline Sept. 8
(213) 740-2707 ads@dailytrojan.com
NEWS
tRuMP | Indictment has
restored justice, experts say
| continued from page A2 |
charges Trump has faced thus far, joining an indictment in March related to false business statements Trump allegedly made to cover up hush money paid to two women he had affairs with beginning in 2015. Other charges made then related to retaining classified documents and obstructing their retrieval in early 2023, which will continue to attract attention to the campaign. “The most worrisome aspect of the indictments is the media coverage that it generates for Trump,” said Fred Cook, director of the USC Center of Public Relations at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism. The media coverage of the indictments might unwittingly bolster Trump’s campaign, Cook said. “In my opinion, the media helped get Trump elected the first time. They gave him an enormous airtime space in their publications because people enjoyed reading about him,” Cook said. “It’s so surprising to me that the media is doing the same thing again.” On the campaign trail, Trump continues to claim the ongoing criminal investigations are acts of politically motivated persecution — an argument that has proved effective in garnering support. Trump is still the clear Republican frontrunner, leading his nearest competitor — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis — by 37 percentage points, a poll by The New York Times found. The deluge of charges against him, though, has the potential to turn voters away, Shrum said. Trump currently faces 78 felony charges, with a fourth indictment related to alleged 2020 election interference in Georgia on the horizon. The growing number of disillusioned voters is not Trump’s primary concern, said Dora Kingsley Vertenten, a teaching professor of public administration and an expert in social media use in participatory democracies.
“It’s important to remember that there are two audiences,” Vertenten said. “His social media currently is aimed at making sure the donations continue to flow and is not concerned with persuading voters who might choose to elect him come next year.” Between March 30 and April 5, the Trump campaign raked in at least $11 million dollars, a POLITICO analysis found, though the fundraising spike after the second indictment was muted compared to the first. A first hearing for the indictment is set for Aug. 28. In keeping with federal law, none of the indictments proceedings will be televised, though some, including House Democrats, argue cameras would promote transparency and trust in the justice system. Cook believes broadcasting the hearing would amount to nothing more than a “spectacle.” “[Trump] would probably prefer to be on camera and have the trial be out in the open, but I think there’s a lot of downside to doing something like that,” Cook said. For now, the “stress test” on American democracy will proceed unseen, though the indictment’s impact is already clear, Vertenten said. “We are past the point where the indictment has been brought, and in fact [it] will live forever … whether the MAGA folks like it or not,” Vertenten said. “Winning the trial is not nearly as important as having brought the indictment so that the people who are responsible for their actions and the consequences of those actions, including the insurrection, are brought to justice.”
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GRAD SCHOOL GUIDE Advertising Supplement
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Former President Donald Trump continues to claim the ongoing criminal investigations are acts of politically motivated persecution.
NEWS
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LEGACY | The future of USC legacy admissions remains unknown | continued from page A1 |
“The middle 50% of first-year alumni/donor-related admits had unweighted high school GPAs between 3.83 – 4.00,” the report read. “The middle 50% of the overall admitted firstyear pool also had unweighted high school GPAs between 3.87 – 4.00.” A myriad of factors could explain the difference — including legacy status — or that legacy students are more likely to be able to afford private high school tuition, expensive extracurricular activities and standardized testing prep. USC Undergraduate Admission ranks class rigor, test scores, application essays and GPA with equal importance. Clare Jordan, a senior studying business administration, comes from a long line of Trojans: Her mother, father, grandmother, aunt, two sisters and two cousins are all current students or alumni. Though she said she felt reassured that her grades and extracurriculars were more than enough to afford her a spot on USC’s campus, she faced criticism from her high school peers over her legacy status. “I wish that when I was applying, [the admissions office] wouldn’t have known that my family went here,” she said. Jordan said, however, that her connections inside USC offered a major advantage once she was a student. Beyond already having an oncampus network, her sister helped her navigate applying for academic accommodations and web registration, and her cousin helped her find her first apartment. First-generation student Lauren Burgess, a junior studying data science and environmental studies, said she never harbored resentment against legacies for their advantages, but felt that USC could have done
“I’ve definitely had comments made at USC from students saying that affirmative action is the reason why I am here,” she said. Despite coming from the “ideal” Trojan Family, Jordan said she doesn’t see legacy admissions as necessary — or even helpful. “Not everyone’s parents had the ability to go to college,” she said. “It’s not because they weren’t smart enough or because they didn’t work hard enough … [it’s because there was] a lot of discrimination, a lot of systemic racism and
more to ease her transition into college and professional life. “I’m definitely lost in certain aspects and feel like I’m behind the curve,” she said, “both in school and my professional life. I was hoping USC would help out more, but I had to do it all myself, like figuring out how to survive and progress in my career.” Beyond navigating the logistics of college, Burgess, who is Hispanic, also faced criticism from fellow students because of her perceived advantages in the admissions process.
Emma silverstein / Daily Trojan file photo
Donations and campus community ties are perceived as reasons universities hesititate to remove legacy admission practices.
oppression of various minorities. So I don’t think that giving preferential treatment to legacies is fair … it’s just sort of perpetuating a lack of diversity in the system.” Naseem Nowroozi, a junior studying political science and the daughter of two Trojans, felt similarly to Jordan. “I understand the privilege that I have in that flag [on my] application,” she said. “It’s just difficult to compare students who have had all of these privileges lined up for them from when they were born — the community that you grew up in, the schools that you go to, the access to different higher levels of education. There’s so many different resources that are only available in certain areas and certain communities that only legacy students have.” Beyond donations, many also perceive community ties as a hesitation universities have against removing legacy status as an admission factor: At USC, that’s the idea of a generational “Trojan Family.” However, students suggest that a simple perception change could navigate this issue. For Burgess, not having parents in the Trojan Family didn’t stop her from bonding with her loved ones over the university experience. “My parents are very supportive and very active in the whole Trojan community,” she said. “They’re here for football season, they have season passes. So I feel like they’re part of the Trojan Family: They’re always here on campus and love USC.” Though she was raised at Trojan Tailgates, Jordan agreed with Burgess’s sentiment. “[Removing legacy preference] would reaffirm that the only people who deserve to be here would be here,” she said. “And that doesn’t
change the fact that everyone’s family’s gonna want to come to a tailgate, now it just means that their son who goofed off in high school doesn’t get a free pass to go here just because he’s their son. He has to work hard and get here the same way.” In a statement to the Daily Trojan regarding legacy admissions, the University said that it is “deeply committed” to the diversity of its student body. For the 2022-23 academic year, 22% of students were first-generation, 22% were eligible for Pell Grants, 28% were from underrepresented groups and 74% were students of color. “All admitted students meet our high academic standards through a contextualized holistic review that values each student’s lived experience, considers how they will contribute to the vibrancy of our campus, thrive in our community, benefit from a USC education and fulfill the commitments of our unifying values,” the University wrote. “We continuously evolve our recruitment, admission and financial aid programs to ensure the diversity of our student body continues as the law in this area develops.” The future of legacy preferential admissions at USC is unknown, but for the time being, students hope that the admissions process will evolve to become as equitable as possible. “This is a crossroads for most universities across the country in the wake of the affirmative action decision by the Supreme Court,” Jordan said. “I think they have an opportunity to move forward but also an opportunity to move backward. I’m just hoping that USC chooses a positive direction, but we’ve definitely seen USC stumble before, so we’ll see what happens.”
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OpiniOn
B3
B3
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USC Queer Guide
Present and Future
The In-Between
Ms. Dacity’s insider guide to sunny SoCal for queer newcomers.
Editor-in-chief Jenna Peterson details DT’s exciting aspirations.
Former opinion editor Helen Nguyen explores her transition to grad school. Art by Lyndzi Ramos
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P A G E B 3 | W E D N E s DAY, Au G u s t 1 6 , 2 02 3 | WWW.DAILYTROJAN.COM/O P I N I O N
etter frOm the A gay’s guide to Grindr and goings-on at USC LeditOr : a new
space, a new era
Learn how to skip the canon traumas and find your place on campus and in SoCal.
The Daily Trojan’s move opens the door for other important developments.
By Ms. DACItY Staff Writer
By JENNA PEtERsON
There’s nothing like the shared trauma that every LGBTQIA+ Trojan has experienced — like realizing that your bi-coded campus crush is actually just a heterosexual who copied their style from TikTok, or passing by a familiar person on Trousdale Parkway wondering if you recognized them from class or Grindr. But you don’t have to raw-dog the beginning of this school year. No, let us elder gays will clue you in on how to navigate the most chaotic two weeks of your life.
Editor-in-Chief
New starts, new names No one here knows you … yet. This is your best chance to decide who you’re going to be in college (no pressure). If you feel like your given name just isn’t giving what you need, then you can give the school your chosen name. Though the University’s legal documents will continue to have your legal name, there are numerous ways to add your chosen name and pronouns to Universityrelated information. You can change your own username on your email address, and myUSC profile on ExperienceUSC. You can also request for gender identity accommodations through the Office for Equity, Equal Opportunity, and Title IX for changes to your NetID or get a new USC ID card.
Since I started writing for the Daily Trojan nearly three years ago, no two semesters have been even remotely alike. In fact, I could say the same for my entire USC experience, as could many other rising seniors. Ever since that fateful day in March 2020 when it felt as if the world stopped, mere months before my high school graduation, I’ve taught myself to forego any expectation that pops into my subconscious — you just never know what could happen. So when I saw my first article I wrote for DT on the front page of an “online print edition” in January 2021, I had no choice but to be ecstatic. I was grateful to be publishing my writing at all. Even though the world was falling apart, I still had writing as an outlet. At least one thing was normal. But it wasn’t possible to grasp what my DT experience could truly look like until I stepped into the newsroom for the first time. The first in-person semester was quiet and masked, but somewhere in my gut I knew it would grow into something more. And it did. Next thing I knew, I took the leap and applied to be a news editor. That second semester was a little less quiet, but still masked — and even started virtually because of the omicron variant. I’d sit in my little bedroom in Cardinal Gardens, longing to return to the newsroom that I was starting to call home. When we could finally work in person again, I tested positive for coronavirus and had to quarantine for another week. It was one of the most unconventional introductions to DT ’s masthead that I could have asked for. But eventually things started to return to ‘normal,’ and the newsroom grew busier over time as I rose through the ranks and joined the managing team last semester. By then, it felt like the bustling atmosphere I can only imagine it was before the coronavirus pandemic. That was, until the universe threw yet another curveball: We have to leave the newsroom we’ve spent so much time nurturing. It’s only to the other side of the Student Union’s fourth floor, but it might as well be miles away. When I decided to run for editor-in-chief, I knew the move would be quite the hurdle, but it only fueled my fire. I worked for countless hours after long production nights to perfect my platform,
Ms. Dacity / Daily Trojan
We shouldn’t have to live with dysphoria — isn’t heteronormativity already awful enough? LGBTQ+ Student Center Located on the fourth floor of the Student Union Building, this space has a queer library, a study room and chill people who you can kiki with! Ever mentioned a childhood trauma, only to be met with a resounding “me too!”? Either way, come check out one of their weekly affinity groups. There’s even a few intersectional ones like Queer & Trans Asian Pacific Islanders where you can find your chosen family.
There are also quite a few annual events organized by USC’s Queer and Ally Student Assembly that you should input into your Google Calendar. The Second Chance Prom helps queer students do-over their high school experiences, and the Drag Show is one of the biggest collegiate shows in the country. (Who knows, you may even see Mother Dacity there.) If that wasn’t enough to convince you, there’s also free food … and condoms. The center has been at USC for a very long time, and the resources they have are abundant. So stop by. I promise it’ll be worth it.
Grindr By now, you’ve probably heard of the “Freshman 15.” However, for us gays, this number doesn’t necessarily mean exploring the extremely expensive — yet incredibly restricted — meal plans, but those first 15 minutes you spend on Grindr. Setting up your profile will be one of the defining moments of your queer journey. In this time, you’ll have to concretely decide what “tribe” you belong to, which faceless picture perfectly encapsulates your energy and which of the secret photos you’ll | see GUIDE, page B4 |
Biden’s Title IX delay endangers students Crucial changes to the landmark law have been pushed back to October. By KAtE MCQuARRIE Opinion Editor
This article contains mentions of sexual violence and suicide. After three long years of waiting, President Biden’s updates to Title IX have been pushed back again. With a “final action” date set for May 2023, the updated regulations were expected to be released by the end of May and implemented this school year, allowing colleges and universities the summer to update their Title IX offices and procedures. Yet on May 26, the Department of Education released a blog post announcing the delay of these regulations until October 2023, citing the overwhelming number of public comments on the proposed rule in July 2022 as a main reason for the delay.
| see EDITOR, page B6 |
Lyndzi Ramos / Daily Trojan
| see TITLE IX, page B7 |
Daily Trojan VOLUME 210, NUMBER 1
JENNA PEtERsON Editor-in-Chief
KAtE MCQuARRIE Opinion Editor
QuINCY BOWIE JR. Senior Video Editor
CHRIstINA CHKARBOuL Managing Editor
AuBRIE COLE Arts & Entertainment Editor
ZAINA DABBOus Social Editor
JONAtHAN PARK Digital Managing Editor
ALIA YEE NOLL Arts & Entertainment Editor
VIsHWAs GONDEsI Social Editor
KIMBERLY AGuIRRE Associate Managing Editor
stEFANO FENDRICH Sports Editor
CJ HADDAD Associate Managing Editor
JOsHuA sACHER Sports Editor
ANJALI PAtEL Associate Managing Editor
REO Chief Copy Editor
BIANCA ARZÁN-MONtAÑEZ News Editor
tOMOKI CHIEN Photo Editor
CLAIRE QIu News Editor
LYNDZI RAMOs Art & Design Director
EVA HARtMAN News Assignments Editor
JAsON PHAM Features & Magazine Editor
ALEXA AVILA MONtAÑO Opinion Editor
GRACE INGRAM Podcast Editor
sANYA VERMA Online Editor BRIANNA tANG Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Director RAZAN AsMAR Data Editor
Published daily except Saturday, Sunday, examination weeks and university holidays by the University of Southern California in Student Union 402, MC 0895, Los Angeles, California 90089-0895. Mail subscriptions are $250 per year. Typeset by the Office of Student Publications at USC. Printed by Gardena Valley News in Gardena, California. EDITORIAL MATTER · Editorial opinions expressed in the Daily Trojan are those of the respective writers, and do not necessarily reflect those of the University of Southern California, its faculty or student body. Inquires concerning the editorial contents of the Daily Trojan should be made to the editor in Student Union 420; email editor@dailytrojan.com; newsroom phone (213) 821-0161. Any inquiries not resolved through this means may be placed before the Student Media Board by contacting the Office of Student Publications in Student Union 402, (213) 740-2707.
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OPINION
Everything Winnie the Pooh can teach you about college How an eccentric crew of talking zoo animals can prepare you to leave home. By GIANNA CANtO Staff Writer
Talking about college comes with a lot of baggage. The excitement, expectations, pressures and fears build up to a point where if one more person asks you about it, you might just explode. Hopefully, discussing this transition within the framework of a corny, late-nineties children’s movie can help take off some of the edge. For those unfamiliar with the escapades of Winnie the Pooh, these stories follow Christopher Robin on his charming adventures with the inhabitants of the Hundred Acre Wood. A.A. Milne’s fabled tales have raised generations, inspired by his son’s memories of his favorite stuffed animals. Disney’s 1997 straight-to-VHS classic, “Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin,” follows Milne’s beloved characters as they journey out of the Hundred Acre Wood. The film begins as Christopher Robin bares his soul to the sleepy
yellow bear, and they sit among the branches of a familiar sycamore tree. “If ever there’s a tomorrow where we’re not together you must remember: You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think,” Christopher Robin says. “But the most important thing is, even if we are apart, I’ll always be with you.” Pooh awakes to find that Christopher Robin has gone missing and enlists the help of their closest friends Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit and Eeyore. The group turns to Owl for guidance, who decodes the illegible, honey-covered note left at Pooh’s door. Christopher Robin is in danger, “he has gone to S-C-HO-O-L … SKULL! ” As the rest boil over with worry, Owl can’t contain his excitement. “Oh, how I envy you!” he says. “Not everyone has the chance to face the unspeakable terrors of The Great Unknown!” By the end of a three-minute-long tune, Owl’s told them what to pack, where to go, what to be afraid of and kicked them out the door with nothing but a map to fend for themselves. Starting school is one of the scariest things you could do. Whether it’s
the first day of kindergarten or your first night in a dorm, it’s a venture into the unknown. Like Pooh, students are given the tools, told the path and issued all the warnings. As much as good intentions try to soften the blow, they don’t make the experience much easier to endure. Hearing things like, “You’ll have the time of your life!” or “Study hard and you’ll be fine!” doesn’t take away from how intimidating new beginnings can be. Nonetheless, much like our heroes, you set out on a journey, not looking for someone you’ve lost, but someone you want to become. You may not encounter Heffalumps, Woozles or Jagulars, but maybe you’re scared of harder classes, making new friends or finding your place. Like these characters, you may even be followed by your own inhibitions. Rabbit doesn’t feel smart enough to lead the group without a map, Piglet can’t seem to conquer his fear of heights and Tigger can’t find the strength to jump as high as he needs to. After falling down a gorge, getting raked through mud and | see WINNIE, page B6 |
Lyndzi Ramos / Daily Trojan
GuIDE | STI testing and HIV prevention resources are readily available on campus | continued from page B3 |
be downloading from your “My Eyes Only” folder. Now, some (most) of you know what it’s like to lie on a dating app. Age, height, hobbies — but I’m here to tell you that fibbing will take you from “turn-on” to “turndown.” If someone doesn’t like you for who you really are, they’re not worth it. Seriously. So lower those number of inches (of height, of course) and be honest. Bear, jock, twink, otter — all these words can be overwhelming, but remember that these groupings aren’t a role you have to fulfill. You don’t have to fit into the casting call of Troye Sivan’s “Rush” music video to find your community. Grindr is a wet and wild world, so don’t get stuck in it. And for heaven’s sake, please ask for a face picture first. How to bingo in WeHo You’ve finally made it. The dreamy “La La Land” (2016), the refuge that Chappell Roan sang about in her single “Pink Pony Club” — it’s all here. Though there’s much to do as a new Trojan within the Shryft zone, the time will come when you
venture over to the gayest lane in Los Angeles: West Hollywood. Before you go to this infamous “Sodomy and Gamorra,” take time to reflect on what exactly you’re comfortable with. There’s a lot fun and freaky philandering to be done here, so make sure you (and your new gay friends from the center) know how you like to have fun! A Ms. Dacity tip: Check out Eventbrite for fun 18+ events happening each week. That one Thursday night club with all its predatory old “tigers” isn’t the only option for a fun night. Birds, Bees and Big Bouncy Booties You may have the S-E-X talk with your parents, but chances are they skipped over the gay-ssentials. Here are my rainbow rules for rowdy and rambunctious romps: 1. Don the Trojan. This way, just like a Barbenheimer party, you can “come” in theme. While same-sex sex may not be the easiest way to get pregnant, there are a whole lot of STDs. Cover your stump before you hump! 2. Do your best to test! If it’s itchy, it’s usually a sign you should pay attention to. If you’re under the student
health insurance plan , it’ll cover your visit to the Engemann Student Health Center to take an STI test. When it comes to HIV, most insurance plans are required to cover HIV testing by the Affordable Care Act. There are also organizations, such as AIDS Healthcare Foundation - Los Angeles, that offer testing services at no cost to patients. Even if you don’t feel physical red flags, stay on the safe side. 3. Keep the conversation going. Talk with your partner(s)! Let them know what makes you feel good, and what doesn’t. It’s better to have GOOD sex than a lot of it. It’s also a great time to ask the STI question. 4. PrEP yourself. Meet pre-exposure prophylaxis! It’s a routine prescription medicine to take before you’re exposed to HIV to help reduce your chances of getting it, and the CDC actually recommends that ALL sexually active people be informed about PrEP for the prevention of HIV. There you have it. Now you have no excuses to sashay away into your flop era like Simu Liu circa 2021 — the straight hell hath no fury like a queer person scorned. Is there any more I have to say?
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As a new year approaches, I’m enjoying my time stuck in grad school limbo My STARS report may say I’m a grad student, but I still feel like I’m in undergrad. By HELEN NGuYEN Staff Writer
About a week after I walked the stage in May, I received an email from Dornsife welcoming me to the alumni life. The first paragraph read, “Congratulations to the class of 2023! You are among a record-breaking cohort, with 20,000 graduates conferred. With your well-rounded education from USC Dornsife, we know that you’ll continue to expand your intellectual horizons, broaden your perspectives, and thrive in this next stage of your life.” I immediately deleted the email. I might’ve graduated, but I sure didn’t feel like an alum — I most certainly didn’t feel like I was in the next stage of my life. The line between undergraduate and graduate studies blur when you pursue them at the same university. And, when all your friends are packing up to move into their new apartments and start their full-time jobs, their post-undergrad transition feels like they leveled up while you’re stuck on repeat. For the first two and a half years of undergrad, I was set on med school. But somewhere between terrible public health policies made during a pandemic and old Supreme Court justices declaring they know more about medicine than doctors do, I realized law might be a better fit than medicine. I decided that I’d rather try to remedy the broken policies than work compliantly within them. The thing is, while my Bachelor of Science in neuroscience might help me understand the inner workings of the brain, it won’t help me understand those of aging politicians and their outdated
image of society. So, here I am trying to get a master’s in the studies of law. My current impressions of graduate life are comparable to straddling a tightrope with accomplishment at the end and the risk of falling and hitting the concrete path of uncertainty at the bottom. Along with that sensational feeling comes the expectation of shedding my identity as an undergrad and stepping into the shoes of a professional-in-training. Within the span of a single summer, freshman year imposter syndrome mutated into grad studies imposter syndrome. A relentless internal voice accompanied it, suggesting that my decision to continue my academic journey is merely a result of the disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic — an attempt to make up for lost time. The thing is, the voice is right. I have no idea what I’m doing, but for some reason, I’ve found the collective cynicism that echoes in my mind to be both suffocating and comforting. What’s wrong with asking for more time? I don’t need to or want to level up just yet. It’s a longer route, but I suppose I just work well under pressure, thriving with spite, or maybe it’s an unconscious pattern of masochism — an article for another day. I was ready to leave my undergraduate self behind. I was ready to evolve and follow my peers down the path of the traditional “post-grad adulthood.” I was ready to leave USC behind and be grateful I didn’t have to deal with the University’s convoluting policies and scandals. I was ready to close this chapter in my life. Yet, here I am. In the same house, on the same campus and still writing for the Daily Trojan. While the idea of “closing a chapter” after graduation is a romantic notion and one I have desired for years, it’s unrealistic and overly
dramatic — giving me chest pains more than anything else. The vast majority of books may be filled with chapters, but not all are. Chapters give structure and readability to a novel and allow readers to follow the author’s narrative in a clear path. But isn’t life a bit more akin to a continuous narrative? Your story doesn’t need any distinguishable chapters unless you want it to have them. Life isn’t predetermined or scripted as novels often are. The stages in your life don’t always have a clear beginning and ending. If they do, good for you. If they don’t, come join me in limbo. There’s no guide, but we don’t need one. I continue to get judgemental comments from relatives about not having a well-paying job yet and questions from underclassmen about where I’m going now that I’ve graduated. I’m not going anywhere anytime soon. I’ll find a job … eventually. In a world obsessed with social structures and predefined trajectories, the pressure to have it figured out after graduation is soul-crushing. But, I’m tuning it out with “What Was I Made For?” by Billie Eilish on repeat and Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” on standby. “The real world is forever and irrevocably messed up,” but if Barbie’s figured it out, so can we.
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OPINION
A u G u s t 1 6 , 2 0 2 3 | W W W. D A I LY t R O J A N . C O M
WINNIE | Pooh’s Grand Adventure feels a lot like leaving home to start college | continued from page B4 |
being chased by the echoed roars of the Skullasaurus, the group is helpless. Disheartened, it seems they’ve reached the end of the road. You probably have your own Skullasaurus: this huge, trembleat-the-thought-of-it brute trailing behind you. It may be the weight of your future or the pressure to succeed. You could even reach a point, much like this bunch has, where you’ve lost hope. But this isn’t the end of the movie. With the Skullasaurus still haunting close behind, Pooh’s gang ventures into the Skull, forced to go their separate ways. Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and Rabbit find themselves on a cliff at the center of the mountain, one bear short. A gaping chasm divides them from the end of their journey, and though Rabbit had no maps to guide him, he devises a plan of action “for Pooh,” he says. Though Tigger isn’t sure he can accomplish a spring as large as Rabbit suggests, and Piglet can’t imagine opening his eyes from that height, they have to try.
Meanwhile, for the first time, Pooh is truly alone. He’s fallen into a dark cavern, and in his solitude, he recounts their adventure. He starts to remember Christopher Robin’s advice: “Even if we’re apart, I’ll always be with you.” The version of yourself that you hope to find by the end of college already exists inside of you. But you can’t get where you want to go without the bumps along the road. It’s important to remember, as Pooh did, that you’re never alone when you’re loved. You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think. At last, the friends are reunited. After finding Christopher Robin, they realize the Skullasaurus they feared was only Pooh’s hungry-forhoney tummy. Returning to their homes in the Hundred Acre Wood, Pooh and Christopher Robin are left climbing the branches of that same sycamore tree. Though talking animals and made-up monsters are bound to fiction, these experiences are real within every child’s imagination. A child’s world is defined by where
they choose to place meaning; These stuffed animals are alive because they mean that much to Christopher Robin. It’s easy to remember what this feels like because it hasn’t changed with age. You place meaning in new pursuits, and your once unreasonable fears have evolved into slightly more reasonable, but equally as conquerable anxieties. That’s why characters like Pooh and his friends are so important. They teach us that fear and doubt are part of the journey, not something to be avoided but addressed. They’re a testament to the fact that all the facets of your identity are stronger together than they are alone. You can’t get by on just your wits — you need your strength, your heart and even your nerves to get by. Through their voyage, as difficult as it is, Pooh and friends accomplish their goals and discover better versions of themselves. As Eeyore says, “[You] didn’t have to come clear out here to find it, [you] had it inside all along.”
EDItOR | Expansions planned in digital reach, DEI efforts and staff development
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Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.46) DT 8/16/23
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Jonathan Park / Daily Trojan
The Daily Trojan Magazine is just one aspect of a new horizon for DT, as the staff says goodbye to the old newsroom. Under editor-in-chief Jenna Peterson, the publication will be expanding its digital reach. | continued from page B3 |
staying in the newsroom until just before Shryft ended at 2 a.m. Because, after all, a change of scenery makes room for a fresh start — a new era. I’ve seen just how much work people have put into this publication: spending more time in the newsroom than in their own apartments, debating what may seem to an outsider like the most unimportant, minuscule word choice or comma placement. I believe this work should reach as many people as possible. That’s why one of our priorities this semester is expanding the digital section. Over the summer, we’ve changed our Instagram and website design to be more upto-date with the current online landscape, and we’re experimenting with more interactive content. With the help of digital managing editor Jonathan Park, we’ve changed the “audience engagement” section to the “social” section to further expand our reach. One editor, Vishwas Gondesi, will focus on Instagram posts, and the other, Zaina Dabbous, will focus on shortform video content through TikTok and Instagram Reels. Hopefully, these changes will ensure that more
people will have access to coverage to keep them up to date on the goingson of USC and the surrounding area. But that doesn’t mean any less attention will go toward print. We’re expanding on initiatives started last semester to make sure writers have more of a say in the editing process and to make the production process smoother for print section editors. We’re also organizing more workshops, trainings and guest speaker appearances so that our staff is fully equipped to produce high-quality work and can take what they learn with them post-grad. We’re also expanding the diversity, equity and inclusion section to include a DEI committee. Last semester, the Daily Trojan staff was 36% white, while the same is true for only 25% of the USC population. Also, USC reports that more than two-thirds of students qualify for need-based financial aid, while only 33% of last semester’s DT staff received such aid. No organization can successfully or accurately implement DEI strategies without a set of diverse perspectives behind them. The committee will help us reach out to cultural and other registered student organizations on campus in
an effort to diversify recruitment. Members will also scan our coverage and stylebook to make sure we are accurately representing the USC student body, and conduct surveys and interviews to make sure that our internal operations reflect this. While we can’t remedy these discrepancies in one semester, we hope that creating the committee will put us on the right track. We’re also welcoming the addition of our monthly Daily Trojan Magazine — the brainchild of Park and features editor Jason Pham — to showcase stories that are begging to be told in more than our typical 750 word limit. We’ve recruited a data editor, Razan Asmar, to encourage more investigative reporting and to improve data visualization in print and online. And through it all, I will ensure that our new newsroom is capable of holding this growth — that everyone who steps inside of it will feel welcome, encouraged and inspired. Although this semester is sure to be different from the rest, it’s nothing that we, as young adults growing up in this tumultuous world, aren’t used to. I’m confident that I and the rest of masthead will shape the next era of DT into exactly what it’s meant to be.
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tItLE IX | ‘Red zone’ will have major impact | continued from page B3 |
“The Department received more than 240,000 public comments on the proposed rule — nearly twice as many comments as the Department received during its last rulemaking on Title IX. Carefully considering and reviewing these comments takes time, and is essential to ensuring the final rule is enduring,” the blog post said. But pushing back the release could not come at a worse time: the period between orientation and Thanksgiving break on college campuses is known as the “red zone.” It has earned this pejorative because it is the time period when students are most vulnerable to sexual assault, making it the most crucial time for students to have the protection of the law. Former President Trump’s changes to the regulations imposed unjust standards as minimum requirements for Title IX to investigate sexual assault. Additionally, new, strict standards for what qualifies as sexual harassment mean that many students cannot even find recourse for their experiences at all. Further, they stipulated that universities were no longer mandated to conduct investigations of off-campus assaults — a particularly significant obstacle for victims with the recent disaffiliation of many of USC’s fraternities. The Biden administration’s new rules were set to restore those protections once again, but it looks like it may be too little, too late for freshmen this fall. More than half of campus assaults happen in the first semester of school, with freshman females being the most at-risk population. Freshmen, many of whom are living on their own for the first time, are navigating
a new physical environment and, more importantly, a new social one. A study by the Association of American Universities showed that rates of assault declined from 16.1% for freshman women to 11.3% for seniors. A 5% change may not seem like much, but at USC that accounts for over 135 students, marking freshmen as a significantly more vulnerable population. With USC regularly ranked within the top party school lists in America, many new students look forward to the partying that is an integral part of USC’s culture. A return to campus inevitably means more social events, especially during football season — where tailgating is almost more important to students than the games themselves. But for new students, partying comes with an added risk. While older students might have a stronger network of friends they trust to watch out for each other at parties and more knowledge of USC’s support services, freshmen are often fending for themselves. The red zone is not just about an increase in parties and drinking around campus but also the isolation that makes new students more susceptible to being preyed on. When your most trusted confidante is a roommate you’ve really only known for a few weeks, it can be hard to see the difference between a potential predator and just another new friend. Pushing back the release and implementation of new Title IX regulations may not seem like a big deal — what’s another few months when we have been waiting for three years already? But these few months have the capability to irrevocably change people’s lives.
In addition to restoring and strengthening the pre-Trump protections of Title IX for victims of sexual assault, Biden’s updated regulations will expand the definition of discrimination “on the basis of sex” to include gender identity. With over 500 anti-trans bills proposed thus far in 2023, the political and social climate has never been worse for transgender people. Between these laws and a general rise in anti-trans sentiment and violence over the last few years, transgender and nonbinary students need to be included under the protections of Title IX now more than ever. A 2019 report from the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network found that 86.3% of LGBTQIA+ students were subjected to harassment or assault based on their identity and that 58.3% were sexually harassed. With the current Title IX rules limiting the definition of harassment and providing no protections based on gender identity, transgender students are increasingly at risk. Among specifically transgender and gender nonconforming students, the Association of American Universities found that 65.1% of those students reported experiencing harassment since beginning school. With sexual assault and harassment comes increased risks of depression, anxiety, PTSD and suicidal thoughts. For transgender students, many of whom already experience those higher levels of risk simply by being themselves in a world that refuses to accept them, the combination can literally be deadly. The Trevor Project’s 2023 U.S. National Survey on the Mental Health of LGBTQ Young People
Heidi Atlas / Daily Trojan file photo
Transgender students face an inreased risk of harassment without the promised expansion of Title IX to cover gender identity. reports that 56% of transgender men, 48% of transgender women and 48% of nonbinary people contemplated suicide this year. Rates of depression and anxiety were even higher, reaching up to 76% for some populations. And in the last year alone, 27% of transgender and nonbinary young people have been physically threatened or harmed. Unlike the transphobic community, the red zone does not discriminate, and transgender students will have to face this vulnerable time without adequate protections under Title IX. Every single one of these statistics represents an actual person whose life can and will be changed forever this fall, who needs the support of their universities behind them. It doesn’t matter how well the Department of Education addresses all the comments on its proposed
rulings if they don’t address the actual problem of protecting students until after it’s too late.
If you are in need of support or you or someone you know is in crisis, help is available: Contact the 24/7 phone line (213) 740-9355 for professional assistance from USC Counseling & Mental Health Services. If you are experiencing thoughts of suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988. USC Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention and Services is located at Engemann Student Health Center Suite 356. Call (213) 740-9355 and request to speak with an advocate or counselor. Services are confidential. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) is a free confidential hotline that is active 24/7. Call (800) 656-4673.
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Arts & EntErtAinmEnt
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Memory Lane
Comic Relief
Creativity at USC
Immerse yourself in L.A.’s classic 20th-century architecture.
Columnist Kimberly Aguirre shares how she finds comfort in TV.
An arts & entertainment guide to finding your place on campus. Art by Lyndzi Ramos
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Time travel to these historic LA homes Preparing Four breathtaking homes to visit for local history and design aficionados. By HALO LYMAN Staff Writer
As the school year rolls around the corner, USC students are left to ponder the age-old question: What should I get up to this weekend? Exploring Los Angeles can be a daunting task because of the overwhelming nature of public transportation and, more importantly, the difficulty of choosing what to do among the dozens of available options. If you find yourself relating to these stressors, fret no longer! Paying a visit to these properties will make for weekend plans that are thought-provoking, unique and offthe-beaten-path, especially if bingewatching Architectural Digest tours on YouTube is your kind of thing. Gamble House in Pasadena Gamble House, with its emphasis on nature-inspired design and utilitarian simplicity, is emblematic of the Arts & Crafts movement. Built as a winter getaway for the affluent Gamble family, it was designed in
1908 by Charles and Henry Greene; everything in the house was customdesigned by the Greene brothers, from the structure itself to the furniture and decorations, such as the rugs. With 17 different types of wood used in the house’s construction, stepping into the Gamble House feels like walking among nature with the building’s muted yet harmonious color palette and earthy, wooden scent that lingers in the air. Whether it be the stunning stained glass windows that accompany the house’s
Japanese-style decor, the intentionally dim lighting in the house that exudes nothing but hygge or the fact that “Back to the Future” (1985) was filmed here, there’s truly something for everyone to love about this charming home.
How to get there Take the E-Line Metro east from Jefferson/USC to Pico, then transfer to the A-Line Metro to travel east from Pico to Memorial Park. The walk from Memorial Park to Gamble House is approximately 20 minutes.
How to visit The Gamble House is open 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Thursday through Sunday and Tuesday. Tickets for docent-led tours can be purchased ahead of time on the house’s website. Student tickets cost $12.50 each.
Hollyhock House in East Hollywood Among the diversity of Southern California residences that range in style from craftsman to Spanish | see HOMES, page C7 |
for the year with ‘Only Murders’
Kimberly Aguirre COMIC RELIEF
S Halo Lyman / Daily trojan
The Gamble House is famous for its appearance in the film “Back to the Future” as Doc Brown’s home. The vast, yet cozy, American Craftsman property is located in Pasadena.
ummer has been fun. I got to see Taylor Swift! I got into my first car accident! My bucket list is complete. But now, summer is rounding out and somehow I find myself as a junior. Halfway done with my undergraduate career, I honestly still feel like a freshman. Currently, I’m packing up some sheets to move into my first big-girl off-campus apartment. I had to make an account with the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. My age doesn’t end in “-teen” anymore. This truly just is not who I am. But alas, life moves on, even when you are not ready. I still feel like I’m moving into Parkside Arts & Humanities Residential College, preparing to meet the seven randos I would be living with for the year. That was mostly fine. So, if you are a freshman with random roommates, don’t fret — that’s how I met some of my best friends. For the first few weeks in Los Angeles, I was too preoccupied with finding my class buildings and gaining the courage to ask for people’s Instagrams that I didn’t really have time to watch TV. When I went home for my first long weekend, and my mom and I were deciding what to watch before bed, the new Selena Gomez show intrigued us both. The first season of “Only Murders in the Building” premiered on Aug. 31, 2021. By the time we started watching, nine out of the 10 episodes had reached Hulu, and we watched them all in the span of 24 hours. I was hooked. The show all began with a meeting Mabel Mora (Gomez), Charles-Haden Savage (Steve Martin) and Oliver Putnam (Martin Short). Bonding over their love of a true crime podcast, the trio set out to start their own following a murder in their building. With jawdropping twists, silly one-liners and epic Gomez looks, what’s not to love? Short and Martin’s goof ball dynamic paired with Gomez’s dry humor is pure television magic. Unfortunately, thanks to what felt like a personal vendetta from the “Only Murders” staff, we had to wait until Thanksgiving break to finish the season. When season two came out last summer, that same vendetta was continued. The summer allowed us time to watch all but the season finale, again forcing me to go through the struggle of making new class friends before Mabel, Charles and Oliver could track down the killer. Now, with my move-in date drawing nearer, we can only watch the first three episodes until I’m back in Los Angeles. Based on the start of the season, I predict “Only Murders” is going to have another five-star season. The thing is, while watching these first episodes, I have my gnawing start-of-school anxiety looming over me. I think the truly scary thing about being a junior is that life is getting too real. It’s not that I’m | see AGUIRRE, page C6 |
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Haring exhibit upholds accessibility, joy “Art is for Everybody” at the Broad pays homage to Keith Haring’s art and legacy. By ALIA YEE NOLL Arts & Entertainment Editor
In 1980, a college student at the School of Visual Arts in New York City named Keith Haring began one of his first public art projects: daily chalk drawings on the unused advertising panels of the NYC subway system. While Haring would soon become a household name for his lively murals and commerciallyiconic figures like the radiant baby and barking dog, he also used his extensive platform to critique social issues of the 1980s. The Broad’s new exhibition, “Keith Haring: Art is for Everybody,” features 10 galleries spanning his life and prolific work, with art from 1978 to 1988. The in-depth, interactive exhibit gives museum-goers insight into how Haring commented on the AIDS epidemic, apartheid, nuclear warfare, wealth inequality and police brutality while maintaining his instantly recognizable linework and vibrant style. From the very beginning of his career, Haring prioritized public advocacy through symbolic art. “He really saw [the subway drawings] as a gift for the city. It was sort of an experimental project where he could develop his iconography,” said Sarah Loyer, the curator and exhibitions manager at the Broad Museum and the curator of “Art is for Everybody.” “He also saw them as ephemeral — someone could wipe their hand across it and smudge it and it could be gone. It was a way to create an imagery that was ambiguous and could cause people to stop and think, but also spread joy.” Loyer began planning the show in 2019, traveling to the Keith
Alia Yee Noll / Daily trojan
The Broad Museum replicated the atmosphere of Keith Haring’s first major exhibition in 1982, which he put on with artist LA II in SoHo. Haring Foundation in NYC to do research. Many of the direct quotes on the walls of the exhibit, as well as its title, come from Haring’s journals, which have been published by the Foundation, to “bring his voice into the show.”
“I titled the show after a quote from his journal that he wrote when he was 20 years old … He had just arrived in New York, and he was responding to an art world that was pretty insular and not reaching the masses,” Loyer said. “He wanted to make work that was
going to reach as many people as possible. Not only did he want that, he thought that was the responsibility of an artist. He really lived by that as a pillar of his practice.” Loyer leaned into the biographical nature of the exhibit, interspersing Haring’s
paintings with memorabilia such as Polaroid photos of him with friends and contemporaries, fliers he designed for the Chicago Voguers’ Ball benefit to support AIDS healthcare and a suit he painted for Madonna to wear at his | see HARING, page C4 |
A guide to arts & entertainment at USC There are many concerts, publications and showcases on campus for A&E lovers. By AuBRIE COLE Arts & Entertainment Editor
For all you freshmen preparing for your first year at USC, the hard part is over … right? You pushed through the daunting task of applying to schools and waited with bated breath for the decisions that would seal your fate. You were accepted into USC (congrats!) and decided to enroll. What could be more difficult than getting to USC? Unfortunately, the challenge is only beginning, as now you must face the most harrowing task of all: finding ways to engage on campus. It’s extremely easy to shut yourself in as a freshman — not knowing who to talk to, where to go or what to do in your free time. USC is home to countless clubs, and the sheer number of campus events can be incredibly daunting without guidance. If you’re interested in arts & entertainment, you’ve come to the right place to be on track for a lively, fruitful first semester. Campus is studded with events and clubs to engage with, highlighting different facets of A&E like music, dance, theater and writing.
Alia Yee Noll / Daily trojan
KXSC organizes various concerts during the school year, letting students get a taste of their peers’ music in an intimate setting. Local band Rain on Fridays performed at KXSC’s Welcome Back Show this past spring.
Let’s begin with the basics: There’s no shortage of live music on campus. Luckily, USC has quite a few concerts and festivals that take place throughout the year. The Welcome Back Concert is the fall semester’s biggest music event, taking place Aug. 19 at 6 p.m. Organized by the USC Concerts Committee, this year’s event features Pi’erre Bourne among other artists. Visions and Voices, a collective focusing on arts and humanities, will hold SPARK! Annual Kickoff and Arts Fest with live music, drag performances and a dance party on Aug. 17. If you’re looking for a more intimate event, KXSC, USC’s student-run radio station, holds many shows throughout the year featuring student musicians and club members. These events almost always have vendors and activities that make for a fun night out. If classical music is more your speed, attend the USC Thornton Symphony. The Symphony’s first show of the year takes place Sept. 8. Additionally, Thornton holds numerous other performances during the year featuring jazz and popular music. Be sure to visit the | see GUIDE, page C5 |
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HARINg | ‘A rt is for Everybody’ on display at the Broad Museum | continued from page C3 |
“Party of Life” celebration. Collaboration was key to Haring’s process, and he worked closely with artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, LA II, Bill T. Jones and Grace Jones. NYC’s nightclub scene also helped foster community for Haring, and one gallery plays music from Haring’s mixtape collection of DJ sets, which he recorded live at clubs like Paradise Garage and the Palladium. “Even though almost all of [his artwork] was made in the 1980s, it feels like it could have been painted yesterday,” Loyer said. “I wanted to have that same kind of feeling throughout the whole space, and I think the music helps make it feel alive.” Kymia Freeman, a junior majoring in public relations, said the exhibit gave her a deeper understanding of Haring’s social justice work. “Keith Haring, along with JeanMichel Basquiat, are two really interesting examples of artists whose work started in one place and after their deaths have taken on a whole new life,” Freeman said. “Honestly, for a long time before actually seeing Keith Haring’s work in person, a lot of my conception around the art that he made came from a very commercial point of view. There are so many pieces of Keith Haring memorabilia, like T-shirts and bags in the world that the art can kind of get lost.” Freeman particularly recalled one gallery that focused on Haring’s struggle with AIDS and his reaction to the epidemic and the lack of response and intervention from the government. “A lot of the works in that part of the gallery were pretty well known, but seeing them right in front of my
face was very emotional because I have done a decent amount of personal research into that period of American history and what role Keith Haring had in the advocacy around it,” Freeman said. “Seeing those works in person for the first time was really moving and just honestly represents a lot of what makes him such an incredible artist to me.” Charlotte Bartel, a sophomore majoring in cinema and media studies, enjoyed seeing how Haring included various aspects of the LGBTQIA+ experience in his artwork. “Near the end of the exhibit, he has these signs dedicated to being queer. My favorite one there is kind of simple, but it was one that he made when it was October, towards [National] Coming Out Day,” Bartel said. “A lot of the time when you have art [in museums] there’s not a lot of queer representation and expression.” Haring’s acute ability to balance activism with joy through accessible art has played a profound role in solidifying his iconic legacy. His murals brought awareness to systemic issues of the 1980s that were rooted in bigotry and inequality, yet Haring created and shared them in a way that was digestible and vibrant. “Anywhere he went, he would try to do a project that was in a public space, whether it was at a pool, or on the side of a building or in children’s hospitals, but really trying to find places where it was going to not only reach a lot of people, but also provide some sense of hope and optimism,” Loyer said. “Even though he’s addressing all these really difficult social and political realities, it’s always with a bright color palette and a dose of optimism. I think he really believed that art could change the world.”
Alia Yee Noll / Daily trojan
“Art is for Everybody” at the Broad focuses not only on Haring’s work but also includes interactive elements to give museum-goers an inside look into the iconic painter’s process.
Alia Yee Noll / Daily trojan
Haring grew up largely during the Cold War and often focused on the anxiety surrounding the nuclear arms race of the war in his work. In particular, he examined human mortality and spirituality at the time.
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guIDE | Learn how to express yourself artistically around campus | continued from page C3 |
Thornton website to see its schedule of events. If you are looking to get involved in an ensemble but aren’t a music student, the Student Symphony Orchestra accepts performers from any major. The SSO has concerts throughout the semester as well, so if you’re not interested in joining, attend one of their performances for a night of classical brilliance. Whether you enjoy acting or watching plays, there are certainly organizations to satiate your appetite for theater at USC. Those looking to get involved may be interested in organizations such as the Aeneid Theatre Company, Impulse Theatre Company and Modern Minority Theatre Company, who each put on their own studentproduced shows throughout the semester. The School of Dramatic Arts also produces a number of shows that primarily feature SDA students. A few shows to look forward to this fall semester are “The Last Days of Judas Iscariot,” “Pippin” and “Hit the Wall.” As of 2018, USC is also home to the West Coast’s largest college comedy festival: Sketchella. Founded by the sketch comedy organization Fourth Quarter AllStars, the festival brings together college comedy groups from across the country for two nights of innovative, raunchy fun. If you want to participate in Sketchella or comedy at USC in general, organizations like 4QAS, Spoiler Alert, The Suspenders and Commedus Interruptus will be right up your alley. Their student-produced shows never disappoint and certainly deserve students’ attention. There’s a myriad of dance groups at USC, so if dance is your passion, you’re in luck. Do not feel limited if the Kaufman school’s performances primarily showcase dance majors — many of the student dance companies accept students of any major and demonstrate immense talent and professionalism. If you like K-pop, join K-pop dance cover group Spade A Dance. For contemporary and jazz dancers, there’s Xpressions Dance Company. NSQK offers a number of workshops each semester alongside its performances. For those interested in a cultural dance club, there’s USC Traditional Chinese Dance and Grupo Folklórico de USC among others. If you’ve got two left feet, you can always attend one of these group’s performances or a Kaufman performance. The Kaufman event schedule is currently on its website. Those with a love for writing will be thrilled to know that there are several student publications on campus to join and read. Let’s get the obvious out of the way: The Daily Trojan has been publishing since 1912, featuring an impressive arts & entertainment print section and podcast… Applications are currently open. There are other phenomenal publications to check out as well. Descent Magazine highlights Asian, Pacific Islander and South Asian arts and literature. Haute Magazine explores art, fashion and culture with an editorial flair. SCene Magazine discusses campus culture and experience. If you’re more interested in an unorthodox approach to writing, The Sack of Troy is USC’s squirrelloving student parody paper. Though this guide only scratches the surface of what’s to discover in arts & entertainment at USC, you should now be equipped with the necessary knowledge of what to check out. The transition from high school to college is a challenging one, so be sure to engage with the things you enjoy. By doing so, you might find like-minded people and a solid community to navigate the next four years. Fight on!
Alia Yee Noll / Daily trojan
The Fourth Quarter All-Stars hosts Sketchella every spring, where students can find delight in sketch comedy from universities across the country.
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AguIRRE | Good TV makes growing up more bearable | continued from page C2 |
a wild child that needs to start caring about my grades and my future. No, I’ve always done that. I’ve worried about turning 26 and getting kicked off my parents’ health insurance at least once a day since I was 15 and first learned that was a thing. I’ve obsessively looked at articles about layoffs at 2:00 a.m. at least once a week since beginning college. I have an LSAT book sitting in my shopping cart. I’ve finished all my GE courses.! When applying to schools, I was just choosing majors at random, and USC happened to be my journalism school. Now, according to many of my friends, the Daily Trojan and I are inseparable in their minds. Life is moving so fast, and while it seems I am moving along with it just fine, I feel so lost and scared. In the second episode of “Only Murders,” Rudd’s Ben Glenroy had a few words for Mabel, that felt a little directed. “The people who figure their shit out right away are boring.
The late bloomers? People like us? We make the world go ‘round. You can afford to take your time, Mabel. What you cannot afford to do is waste it.” As people on Twitter — excuse me, X — have said this scene made them feel less alone. And based on the massive amount of quotes and replies, they certainly aren’t. While I’d like to pretend that Rudd’s little speech changed my life, I still have that insomniainducing gnawing at my heart that keeps me up at night, even through my cranial nerve exam ASMR. And I imagine that feeling isn’t going to go anytime soon, unfortunately. But maybe I’m fine with that. I may not necessarily get comfort from the RuddGomez interaction, but at least I get to watch some good TV.
Kimberly Aguirre is a junior writing about comedy. Her column, “Comic Relief,” runs every other Thursday. She is also an associate managing editor at the Daily Trojan.
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HOMEs | Explore these tucked-away architectural gems around LA | continued from page C2 |
completed construction for Aline Barnsdall’s home and the accompanying Barnsdall Gallery Theatre in 1921. The design of Hollyhock House flows as smoothly as the stream that runs through one of its gardens, and the open floor plan seamlessly transports visitors from room to room. Bedecked with Buddhist sculptures, a massive fireplace to read and lounge by and lush garden spaces surrounding the property, Hollyhock House is a centenarian force to be reckoned with. It would be remiss not to add that, in 2019, Hollyhock House became the first L.A. site to be recognized on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its unpretentious design that blends nature with the structure itself fosters a primitive comfort among visitors rather than intimidation by the house’s grandeur. From the entrance of the house, there are spectacular views of the rolling Hollywood Hills, and, if that wasn’t enough, the blush pink hollyhock flowers that flank the house on every other side can’t be forgotten, either. How to visit Hollyhock House is open 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Tickets for self-guided tours can be purchased ahead of time on the Hollyhock House website or inperson. Student tickets cost $3 each. How to get there Take the 2 bus toward Westwood/UCLA from Jefferson/ Hoover (right outside USC Village) to Sunset/Vermont. The walk from Sunset/Vermont to Hollyhock House is about nine minutes. Schindler House in West Hollywood Designed in 1921 by Austrian American architect Rudolph Schindler, Schindler House is recognized as one of the first homes of the modern architecture movement. Drawing upon the cohabiting nature of camping, Schindler was inspired by the bucolic campsites at Yosemite National Park to design Schindler House for himself and his wife. Built in an L-shape, Schindler House’s unorthodox design includes two private apartments for two couples to each have their own private spaces, while also having the freedom to collaborate and spend time together in the communal kitchen that joins the two apartments. Despite its location in lively West Hollywood, Schindler House sits on a refreshingly secluded street that almost makes one forget about the urban background in which it rests. Within Schindler House’s walls, the MAK Center for Art and Architecture, which currently owns the property, holds art exhibitions, tours and other quirky events yearround to satiate your curiosity for modern art and local architecture. How to visit Schindler House is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Tickets can be reserved in advance on the MAK Center website or purchased in-person. Student tickets cost $7 each. How to get there Take the 754 bus toward Vermont/Sunset from Vermont/ Jefferson to Vermont/Melrose. Then, take the 10 bus toward West Hollywood from Melrose/Vermont to Melrose/Harper. The walk from Melrose/Harper to Schindler House is about seven minutes. Greystone Mansion in Beverly Hills Tucked away in Beverly Hills’ array of timelessly elegant homes is Greystone Mansion, a Tudor Revival home designed in 1927 by Gordon Kaufmann. Commissioned by members of the famed Doheny family, Greystone Mansion is more than 46,000 square feet in size and boasts an impressive 18 acres of land. With
well-maintained grounds that feature regal Italian cypress trees, plenty of places to sit in the shade and accessible walking paths around the mansion’s exterior, this historic site is fit for a king. The estate, with its splendid gardens and space for a passeggiata, has been featured in many celebrated films and television shows over the years, including “Gilmore Girls” and “The Social Network” (2010). Given that Greystone Mansion’s verdant backdrop is a popular choice among filmmakers, it presents the perfect opportunity for Instagram photo ops as well. How to visit The grounds, which include the gardens and courtyards of Greystone Mansion, are open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is free and requires no reservation. Unfortunately, because of the coronavirus pandemic, guests are not allowed inside the mansion until further notice. How to get there Take the 2 bus toward Westwood/UCLA from Jefferson/ Hoover to Sunset/Alta. The walk from Sunset/Alta to Greystone Mansion is about 13 minutes.
Marissa Ding / Daily trojan
The Schindler House in West Hollywood acts as the headquarters for the MAK Center for Art and Architecture. The center hosts various contemporary and experimental art exhibits year round.
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Sports editor Joshua Sacher talks the sports gambling debate.
Women’s volleyball eyes another tournament win in its last Pac-12 dance.
The men’s water polo head coach discusses his goals for the season. Art by Lyndzi Ramos
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Best picks for USC football’s season Three predictions for the Trojans’ upcoming season that are bound to hit.
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that they are not involved in. Employees can purchase stock in their own company, so why can’t an athlete buy “stock” in their own team? At the very least, the punishment for athletes who sports gamble should be greatly reduced. What lesson is the NFL teaching kids if Kareem Hunt and Jameson Williams received similar game suspensions? That assaulting and kicking a woman is as acceptable as gambling on a different sport in a legal state while at the team facility? Additionally, many athletes are not even made aware of the exact gambling policy. “I don’t even know what the rule is, or when the rule changed or the fine print on what you can or can’t gamble on,” an NFL veteran said. There’s a lot that needs to be changed. Unfortunately, I’m not Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the National Football League so there is not much I can do about this. With the NFL season right around the corner, all I can do is sit and hope. Hope that Goodell makes some policy changes so that one of my favorite players doesn’t get suspended for the season for merely betting on themself or another game they are not involved in like millions of other Americans do every day.
By stEFANO FENDRICH Sports Editor
It’s finally back. After months of despair, longing and boredom, college football is making its return, and Trojan fans have good reason to be especially excited for the season that could very well be USC football’s best season in a decade and a half. A returning Heisman, a head coach with a career record of 6613, nine four-star transfers and the most five-star recruits from the class of 2023 in the Pac-12 to add to it; what more could you ask for? It will undoubtedly be a great season for USC, and I have a few things in particular that I am confident will happen. I am merely looking at these for fun, and this is by no means gambling or financial advice. But hey, if it hits, it hits. So, let’s get into my favorite picks for the Trojans’ upcoming season. Week 1, San Jose State @ USC – Over 63.5 What better place to start my predictions than at week one. The easy pick for a lot of people might be to take USC’s spread at -29.5, but I don’t think that’s the way to go. In all likelihood, it will win in a blowout, but with 87% of the public on the Trojans’ spread, I’m not touching it. The over is the much safer play, and who doesn’t love rooting for a high-scoring game? USC has the offensive firepower to carry this over itself singlehandedly. The Trojans averaged
tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan file photo
Junior quarterback Caleb Williams is back for another year after his record-breaking, Heisman-winning sophomore season. He is poised to help USC make another dominant run after falling short last year. the third-most points in all of college football last year, with 41.4 points per game. But what seals the deal is that USC hit on the over in
W
Joshua Sacher is a sophomore writing about the growing sports gambling phenomenon in his column “You Can Bet On It.” He is also a sports editor at the Daily Trojan .
78.6% of its games last season, the starters early, but that happened highest in all college football. The in last year’s opener, and the final only worry for this bet is that Head score was 66-14. Lock it in. Coach Lincoln Riley may pull the | see PICKS, page D5 |
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The big question of USC’s defense
tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan file photo
The Trojans had a dazzling offense last season, but their defense held them back. With new additions across the board, the defense can be the catalyst to push them over.
New defensive players may change the narrative for USC after last season’s struggles. By tHOMAs JOHNsON Football Beat Writer
The USC football team returns with a Heisman winner as quarterback. It is headed by offensive guru Lincoln Riley, a man with a 66-13 career record as a college coach.
The offense has two wide receivers named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list, which recognizes the “college football season’s outstanding FBS receiver,” and two offensive linemen named to the Outland Trophy watch list, similarly recognizing the best interior lineman in college football. Expectations for the Trojan offense are astronomical, which helped them slot in at No. 6 in the USA Today Preseason Coaches Poll. USC might be ranked even
higher except for one glaring question mark: the USC defense. This is the defense that finished 94th in FBS in scoring last season and lost the production of Tuli Tuipulotu, who recorded 13.5 sacks last season, and Mekhi Blackmon, who led USC with 12 pass breakups, to the NFL Draft. But the defense is just that: a question mark. It is hard to say what this year’s version of the defense will look like. Alex Grinch, now in his second year as the defensive
coordinator, more or less had to deal with the hand that was given to him by the Clay Helton coaching staff last season. But this year, USC brought in multiple transfers and freshmen who could significantly improve the largest barrier in the way of a Trojan CFP berth. The run defense, which gave up a whopping 159.8 rush yards per game last season, is expected to receive a big beef-up with the addition of two defensive line transfers from the SEC and a third from
the Big Ten. Sophomores Bear Alexander and Anthony Lucas are joined by redshirt senior Jack Sullivan as four-star transfers joining the defensive front. Alexander is — literally — the biggest addition of the group and already has a National Championship under his belt, winning one with Georgia this past season. In the championship game, the 300-pounder had a sack | see FOOTBALL, page D6 |
When professional athletes gamble, it’s a slippery slope Joshua Sacher YOU CAN BET ON IT
I
n 1919, famous White Sox outfielder ‘Shoeless’ Joe Jackson, along with seven of his teammates, saw his career come to an end after throwing the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds for $5,000. Due to this, he was denied access to the Baseball Hall of Fame despite being one of the best players of his generation. In 1998, Northwestern basketball stars Kenneth Dion Lee and Dewey Williams were indicted on charges of point shaving for accepting money in return for making sure the Wildcats didn’t cover the point spread.
Both of these consequences were justifiable. In both cases, the athletes gambled or helped others gamble against their own team which completely goes against the integrity of their sport. However, what’s the policy for those athletes that gamble on their own team, or games that they are not involved with at all? What are their consequences? Surely, not as severe right? Wrong. They face a similar fate as Jackson, Lee and Williams. One of the most famous and controversial instances of all time surrounds MLB all-time hit leader Pete Rose. Rose, who was a 17time All-Star and 3-time World Champion, had his Hall of Fame dreams come crashing down after he was banned from Major League Baseball for life in 1989 for gambling on his own team several
times during the 1987 season. Pete Rose should be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Plain and simple. Not only because he is one of the greatest to ever play the game, but also because players shouldn’t be penalized for betting on themselves and their own team. The athlete gambling debate has recently come to the forefront as ten NFL players, including star wide receiver Calvin Ridley, have been suspended for gambling in the past two years. Ridley was gambling on his own team just like Rose and as a result, received a whole season suspension. This does not make sense to me. In 2010, after breaking the NFL’s personal conduct policy and being accused of sexual assault by two women, former star Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger only received a four-game suspension.
In 2020, Cleveland Browns running back Kareem Hunt only served an eight-game suspension after a video surfaced of him kicking and assaulting a woman. Both these athletes faced much softer punishments than Ridley despite committing worse offenses. Even more outrageous, Lions receiver Jameson Williams received a sixgame suspension solely for placing a bet at the Lions team facility. The bet placed wasn’t even on the NFL. According to the Gambling Policy for NFL Personnel 2022, “All NFL Personnel are prohibited from placing, soliciting or facilitating any bet, whether directly or through a third party, on any NFL game, practice or other event (e.g., Draft or Combine). This includes betting on game outcome, statistics, score, performance of any individual participant, ‘futures’, or any other
kind of ‘proposition bet’ in any way related to the NFL. The policy also states that “NFL Personnel shall not engage in any form of Gambling in any club or League facility or venue (e.g., practice facility, stadium, team hotel, Draft or other League or club event); on any League or club charter or other transport.” Based on this policy, Ridley and Williams deserved to be suspended. They clearly broke the rules stated. However, there is an immense need for a policy change. Sports gambling is legal in 37 states and that number is increasing rapidly each year. If athletes aren’t doing anything suspicious and trying to rig or throw games, I don’t see the problem of them betting on themselves or other games | see SACHER, page D2 |
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Women’s volleyball hunts for a curtain call The Trojans open their season Aug. 25 and begin conference play Sept. 20. By DRAKE LEE Women’s Volleyball Beat Writer
In its final season in the Pac-12, USC women’s volleyball looks to add to its successful 2022 campaign. The Trojans went 22-11 last year and won their first NCAA tournament game since 2019. Here’s what to look out for and expect from the team this season. The Trojans will lean on graduate outside hitter Skylar Fields to lead the offense. A first team All-American last season, Fields had the second most kills in the country with 598. Graduate middle blocker Kalyah Williams will also return for one final season. Last year, the former Washington State Cougar blocked a team-leading 100 attacks and had the fourth most kills on the team. Head Coach Brad Keller has recruited four incoming freshmen and three transfers for the upcoming season. Graduate transfer libero Ellie Snook will share playing time with sophomore libero Gala Trubint. At Portland State, Snook was a threetime Big Sky Libero of the Year, and during her senior season, she broke the school record in career digs. Meanwhile, Trubint’s 416 digs last season were a team-leading mark. Two other newcomers, freshman setter Allie Hazelwood and graduate setter Emily Fitzner, will combine with sophomore setter Adonia Faumuina and junior setter Mia Tuaniga to form a crowded setter position. After recording 58 service
aces and 1,308 assists last year, Tuaniga is primed to be the main setter for the Trojans. Keller may also receive offensive support from incoming freshman outside hitter London Wijay. The two-time CIF Player of the Year decided to forgo her final year of high school to join USC. USC will navigate through a conference in disarray. UC Berkeley, Arizona, Arizona State, Oregon State, UCLA and Washington all changed their head coaches during the offseason. However, the Trojans will still have to contend with Stanford, Oregon and Washington State, all of whom finished ahead of USC in the Pac-12 standings. With three 2022 AVCA AllAmericans on their squad, the Cardinal have a strong chance to repeat as conference champions. Led by fifth-year opposite hitter Kendall Kipp, Stanford had the highest hitting percentage and the lowest opponent hitting percentage in the Pac-12. The Oregon Ducks return with outside hitter Mimi Colyer, who was AVCA National Freshman of the Year last season. Meanwhile, redshirt senior setter Hannah Pukis will orchestrate the Ducks’ offense after becoming the third setter in Oregon history to receive All-America honors. Finally, fifth-year middle blocker Magda Jehlárová is close to breaking several school records at Washington State this season. The three-time All-American can become the school leader in blocks, sets played and matches played, depending on how well she performs. USC will open its season Aug. 25 against Houston on the road. Later, the Trojans will battle against future
tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan file photo
Sophomore libero Gala Trubint will be a key piece for USC in its last Pac-12 campaign after leading the team with 416 digs just a season ago. Trubint and the rest of the Trojans will look to get wins in the NCAA tournament. Big Ten opponents when they play Illinois and Purdue in mid-September. Conference play won’t begin until Sept. 20 when they take on UCLA.
The Trojans will play 14 games against teams that made the NCAA tournament last year. USC was 1-7 against ranked opponents
last season. The Trojans will have to improve that if they have any hopes of getting back to the NCAA tournament.
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tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan file photo
USC’s over win total is set at 9.5, so it should easily be able to hit that mark considering the vast improvements it’s made on both offensive and defensive units.
PICKs | continued from page D2 |
USC season win total – Over 9.5 This one isn’t as easy to take as the last one. Ten wins in one season is a lot for most teams. The Trojans did it last year by getting to 11 wins, but they haven’t reached 10 wins in back-to-back seasons since 2016 and 2017. FanDuel is also offering this play at -170: not very favorable juice. But let’s not overthink this. Looking at the Trojans’ schedule game by game, 10 wins is very doable. In their first six games — San Jose State, Nevada, Stanford, Arizona State, Colorado and Arizona — the Trojans are significantly better than the opposing teams. Its remaining games are Notre Dame, Utah, Cal, Washington, Oregon and UCLA. Cal should be a convincing win, and UCLA lost a lot of key offensive talent from last year. That puts the Trojans at eight wins. Meaning it would just need to go 2-2 against those remaining four teams for this to hit. The Trojans have only improved their roster from last season and are looking for revenge going into this one. Ten wins is more than feasible for how talented of a football team they are. Caleb Williams season passing TDs – Over 33.5 I thought about this one for a very long time. Although junior quarterback Caleb Williams finished with 42 total touchdowns last year, getting 34 is no easy feat. He would need to average just under three touchdowns per game to get to this total. It feels unprecedented for any player to have this dominant of a season two years in a row. And then I remembered this man is the definition of unprecedented. In his first season at USC, he broke the single-season record for passing touchdowns, yards and total offense. You could say I’m just blindly picking overs, and you may very well be right. But I trust in Williams, and that’s all that matters. Will he win a back-to-back Heisman? That, I don’t know. What I do know is he will have another amazing year. Williams is unlike any college quarterback I’ve ever seen, so if I trust anyone to be able to do this, it’s him. There are definitely a few more futures to take for USC’s football season, but these are the ones I’m most confident in. College football is back, and USC is primed to continue where it left off. At the end of the season, we’ll see just how smart (or dumb) these picks turned out to be, but right now, I’m confident I’ll go a clean 3-0.
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tomoki Chien / Daily Trojan file photo
Running back Austin Jones brandishes the iconic Trojan sword. USC looks to fine-tune its defense as it heads into the new season.
FOOtBALL | Defense has improved in the offseason | continued from page D3 |
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with an additional tackle for loss and is one of only three defensive linemen on the USC roster listed over 300 pounds. He transferred to USC on April 23, meaning he missed Spring Camp. This gives Lucas, who transferred on Jan. 11, and Sullivan, who transferred on Jan. 8, a slight leg-up when it comes to playing time since they participated in spring practices and got experience in Grinch’s system. Sullivan, Lucas and Alexander can all be difference makers on the defensive line, filling the void of Tuipulotu — the only Trojan with more than six sacks last season. The Trojans also brought in reinforcements for the linebacker corps to back up the new transfers on the defensive front. Mason Cobb, a senior transfer from Oklahoma State, has already made waves in his short time at USC. He and junior quarterback Caleb Williams were invited to attend Pac-12 Football Media Day and represent the Trojans. Cobb recorded 96 tackles for the Cowboys last season and was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team. The Trojan defense had tackling issues last season, missing 24 tackles in the Pac-12 Championship alone, according to Pro Football Focus. Cobb, whose 96 tackles last season would have led USC by a wide margin, will certainly help with that problem as he mans the middle of the defense. Junior inside linebacker Eric Gentry will also share the brunt of the tackling duties, recording 71 of his own last season despite missing time with an ankle injury and only playing in 11 of USC’s 14 games. He never seemed to truly come back from the injury, averaging 7.43 tackles per game in seven games before the injury and only 4.75 per game after coming back. With a fully healthy Gentry and the newly added Cobb in the middle of the Trojan defense, the linebacker corps is projected to be a much deeper and talented unit this season. Highly-ranked
freshman inside linebacker Tackett Curtis should also become a factor on the defense once he gets his feet under him, further bolstering a unit that sorely needed reinforcements. That just leaves the secondary. Since the Trojan offense is such a prolific unit, ranking third in FBS with 41.4 PPG last season, it forces opposing offenses into primarily passing situations since they have to keep up with USC’s scoring. As such, it inf lated USC’s passing defense stats in a bad way. In 2022, the Trojans ranked 112th out of 131 programs in passing yards allowed per game. The secondary has to step up if the Trojans want a chance to win the Pac-12 and make the CFP. USC has to play quarterbacks like Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. and Notre Dame’s Sam Hartman, a tall task if the secondary is not up to par. Sophomore cornerback Domani Jackson is the Trojans’ largest X factor in the secondary. Jackson was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school but saw limited action last season, appearing in seven games and recording two tackles and one pass breakup. While USC has not put out an official depth chart yet, he could end up being one of the two starting corners for the Trojans and one of the most important players overall. No matter how much talent this defense has, it is up to Grinch and the rest of the defensive coaching staff to utilize their players well. While Riley and Williams will likely give the Trojans a top-10 scoring offense, something Riley has had every year he’s been a head coach, the defense needs to step up and make stops if USC wants to play for a National Championship. With how much the Trojan offense scores, the defense does not have to be amazing, but it has to be better than the 94th-best scoring defense in the country. The defense has all the tools to do just that; it just has to put all of the pieces together and answer the questions everyone is asking.
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‘It’s an art:’ Pintaric talks season goals The Daily Trojan sat down with the head coach for the men’s water polo team. By DANA HAMMERstROM Men’s Water Polo Beat Writer
The last two seasons have ended the exact same way for USC men’s water polo — a 13-12 loss to UC Berkeley in the NCAA finals. But the Trojans have evolved quite a bit between this season and the last. For the first time in program history, there will be separate coaches for the men’s and women’s water polo teams. Head Coach Marko Pintaric will take over the men’s team, with Casey Moon taking over the women’s. Eleven players left the team after last season, and that turnover will be felt especially by new faces getting more opportunity to get their feet wet. With the season less than a month away, we had a chance to ask Pintaric a few questions about the upcoming season.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity. Daily Trojan: How does this season feel different from past seasons you’ve coached? Anything that you’re continuing to do the same? Anything you’re changing?
Drake Lee / Daily Trojan file photo
Marko Pintaric looks to add to his success in his previous role as head coach for both the men’s and women’s water polo teams.
Marko Pintaric: We consider ourselves really a high-performance team. With that being said, we keep the same standard for the way we train, the volume we train, [and] the quality of work. Every team, every season, it’s different. Considering that we lost 11 players from last year’s roster, we kind of
have a new-old team. A lot of players that really [had to] pay dues are stepping into [a new] role to play for us. The attitude of the players on the team is really great. It’s a pleasure to coach, and I’m really looking forward to this season. DT: Can you talk a little bit about the process of phasing out of the women’s team and then having [Head] Coach Casey Moon take the reins? MP: Phasing out of the women’s team, it was kind of heartbreaking for me just because I really care about all of my athletes. We had great success in winning one national championship and playing two finals, and the bonds that I created with our female players I will never forget. But I’m just stepping into a different role where Coach [Moon] now oversees that side of the program, and he’s growing into that position with more responsibility. Technically, I’m not allowed to coach these young ladies, but I’ll be here for them because our job is not only to raise water players, but to [be] a place to raise people. DT: Looking ahead to the season schedule, the home opener is against Cal, a team you’re very familiar with, with very close losses. What’s the game plan for you to prevent that from happening again? MP: Look, Cal is a team that didn’t lose that many players; they’re a veteran team. So it’s going to be a very hard matchup. This year’s schedule [in general] is harder and more demanding, but we like that; we’re all
competitors. To open a season hosting Cal in our own pool, in front of our own crowd, is just going to be great. I can’t wait for that. That’s why you sign up to play for USC or to coach for USC. So we are getting ready for it, you know, based on the last season. Like I said, we’re kind of a newer team, but we know the makeup of their team. We’re getting ready for them, and we’re looking forward to playing them. DT: How would you say you’re preparing to be able to outlast the whole season and then make it all the way to the NCAA tournament? MP: We will play harder games, but I think we will rotate more players in that picture to keep people fresh, and we’ll really finetune [everything] to play these high-level games. To make it to the NCAA finals and to make it to the tournament is an art. And the fact that this team has been playing in the NCAA tournament [in each of] the last 19 years, it really speaks the volume. We’re still working with the same intensity, same expectations. When you have a dedicated team like that, you really approach the schedule with a lot of periodization. You’re trying to play the players that are fresh in important matches and organize the team in such a way to put pressure on your opponent. We’ll try to do the exact same thing that we’ve been doing all these years and do our best to make the tournaments and make USC proud. But it’s going to be a very hard task, as it’s always been, but we’re looking forward to it.
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