Fee increase for campus-wide parking

USC Transportation Services emailed out notification June 20 of newly updated parking fees effective July 1, 2007. According to the email, the fees are used to fund parking activities including debt service for the new parking structures. The email also sites the growing demand for parking across campus.

USC ITS relocation and server downtime

In a recent email to USC students, Information Technology Services (ITS) announced extended downtime for several services as they move equipment to a new facility. The expected downtime is from 6 p.m., June 22, to 6 a.m., June 23. According to the email, services available through scf-fs.usc.edu will be unavailable. This includes:

- student home directories for all Solaris SCF accounts,
- student logins to user-lab Solaris systems,
- interactive logins to the student time-sharing hosts aludra.usc.edu
and nunki.usc.edu,
- student websites

This move is part of an larger ITS consolidation of both equipment and personnel to their new facilities at 3434 S. Grand Ave., just east of the Harbor Freeway. For more information on the consolidation read the USC Public Relations' story.

New Cross Walk Signals Installed

Recent installation of cross walk signals at the corner of McClintock and Jefferson. The new cross walk buttons now have audio feedback so when pressed the units at all four corners of the intersection beep to acknowledge the presence of pedestrians waiting to cross.

The installation of these new units is undoubtedly due to the large number of students who cross the very busy Jefferson Blvd. During the regular school year DPS officers have been stationed at the intersection in an attempt to mitigate safety issues.

Another tree falls

Another tree fell down early Sunday morning. This time it was one along the University corridor that runs from USC to The Row on 28th.The tree fell across half of the walkway near the Hebrew Union College. Approaching the tree it was clear from the smell that a good portion of the trunk was rotted and was the obvious cause of the tree's fall.

Summer construction (part 1)

The summer is time for USC to work on building improvements. There are currently a number of ones going on around campus.

This one is remodeling of a large part of OHE's fourth floor. The remodeling includes removal of the flooring, ceiling fixtures, and possibly walls.



On June 4 part of OHE was closed for asbestos abatement.

Bike racks to be removed from center of campus

Friday at 5:00 PM all of the bike racks in the center of campus will be removed to clear the walkways for commencement. Bike racks in front of the student union, bookstore, and all along Trousdale have had signs posted all week about the removal. Bikes that are not removed are subject to impound by DPS. The racks will be replaced the week following commencement.

"Primal Scream" hits campus

During finals weeks the residence halls have mandatory 24-hour quiet hours invoked, allowing people to study. From 10-10:30 PM before each finals day, the rule is broken as "Primal Scream" take over. This half hour allows students to make as much noise as they want and take a break from their studies. A traditional part is having the USC Trojan Marching Band play in front of Leavey Library, and each residence hall plans special programs. With the start of finals tomorrow, students on Tuesday can listen to the marching band at 10 then go eat a midnight breakfast at EVK, which stays open until 1 AM for students.

How fountains get ready for commencement

All around campus buildings and walkways are getting cleaned with high-pressured washers. For many fountains the annual cleanup involves painting of the water basins and scrubbing of tiles. The most recent fountain to get cleaned is the "Youth Triumphant" one in Alumni Park. This fountain is the centerpiece of the commencement proceedings and its white basin often is repainted before large events.

Bookstore opens book buyback

The USC bookstore opened its text book buyback service across from the main store on the USC campus Monday. Workers assess if the bookstore has any use for the books and then pay students for those which they can resell in the fall. Students always express dislike of the system as the buyback system gives them back only a fraction of what they paid for the books.

Baseball breaks losing streak

Saturday the USC men's baseball team broke their home losing streak by beating Washington State University, 9-5. The Trojans have not won a home game since defeating Arizona State on March 25. The win Saturday ties the three game series with WSU. The last game will be played Sunday at USC.

Seniors participate in traditional fountain run

On Thursday night, the seniors performed their traditional fountain run. As is the tradition, graduating seniors (often under the influence of alcohol) played in the fountains all around USC through out the night on Thursday. In addition to the seniors, a number of other students joined in the revelry.

Yearbook starts distribution

The 2007 El Rodeo yearbook, entitled "Color Me 'SC," is now being distributed. The tent at the corner of STU facing Tommy Trojan has free books for students with an activity sticker or for $50 cash or check. The 400 page book is the largest book in recent memory, and for the first time is in all color. Students can pick up their yearbooks anytime from 9-4 on weekdays until commencement.

Campus buzzes with activity

Usually during the final weeks of a semester the campus is very quiet on the weekends. Not this time. The annual Springfest with a dozen bands, carnival games, and booths is going on all afternoon on McCarthy Quad. FMS is out in force cleaning buildings, planting flowers, and getting ready for commencement. There are also several hundred elementary and middle school students on campus attending what appears to be workshops in various locations around campus.

UNICEF Concert Rocks Into the Night

USC's UNICEF benefit was held on Thursday night. The concert featured a number of artists who performed long into the night on McCarthy Quad. Due to cool weather the crowds were fairly small. Residents of several dorms around the quad expressed dislike of having the concert going on so late with final papers and projects underway.

Flexcar comes to campus

Flexcar, an hourly car rental system or "car sharing" system has added USC as one of their new locations for their cars. Students who pay a membership fee can "rent" the car for only an hourly charge.

The new parking spots are in right in front of several dorms and near the bookstore.

FMS Busy as Commencement Approaches

As commencement approaches, facilities management services (FMS) staff are busy replanting flowers all over the campus. The most common are cardinal and gold pansies of which hundreds are planted in Trousdale planters we well as in Alumni park.
Buildings are also getting pressure washed. Starting around 6 PM each night FMS workers haul out pressure washers and clean steps and sides of buildings.

Saturday's Swim With Mike a Success

The 27th annual Swim With Mike was held on Saturday April 14 at McDonald's Swim Stadium. The annual swim-a-thon raises money for the USC Physically Challenged Athletes Scholarship Fund. This year the group was able to raise almost 1 million dollars. Student groups that swam the most laps included the USC song girls and spirit leaders.

Besides the swim-a-thon, specatators got to watch water shows by the USC Dive Club and a Riverside synchronized swim team.

Gusty winds batter USC

Thursday's gusty winds battered students and staff as they ventured outside. The winds blew leaves off branches, and branches off trees.

Around the new Lucas building winds produced hazardous conditions for pedestrians as sand and construction debris took flight. In Associates Park a number of large branches fell across walkways.

Baby pigeons hatch at EVK

At EVK this week new members of the USC family hatched. These recent additions to the family are not entirely welcome as recent font-page coverage in the Daily Trojan expressed some students fears after squirrels and pigeons are getting more assertive.

The nests, which are located in the nettles designed to keep birds from nesting under the EVK overhangs are located on both sides of the building.

New/North Evacuated After Fire Alarm

At 11:42 PM on Wednesday the fire alarms in New/North activated.

The building were evacuated. LAFD arrived approximately 5 minutes later and cleared the building soon after. For the next hour DPS went room to room looking for people who had not evacuated. It is unclear if the students who failed to leave would be cited.

Leavey Tiles Dangerous

On Wednesday afternoon the usually loose tiles in the front of Leavey Library became expecially lose, causing students to trip.

The most dangerous tiles are located right in front of the main doors. Front door monitors put up signs warning students of the lose tiles.

Construction continues and trucks increase

As construction continues on the new cinematic arts building the number of trucks taking away dirt from the construction site has increased in the past week.

Now trucks wait along Jefferson, then enter campus via gate 5 and then to the construction site. From there they continue down 34 and leave campus. Where they cross pedestrian areas a series of flaggers stop pedestrians allowing the trucks to cross.

Humming birds return

With the coming of spring around the USC campus come colorful blooms. With those blooms comes the hum and buzz of the USC humming bird population.

The constant squabble of the humming birds can be heard throughout the day especially around PSD and the cinema complex.

Power outage

Saturday night around 7:30 the power for most of USC went out and stayed out for about 20 minutes. The outage set off fire alarms and forced the evacuation of several buildings. LAFD was on scene and cleared buildings once the power was restored.

Trojan Huddle

At the Coliseum on Saturday the 2008 USC football team held an open scrimmage. The game, which included simulated crowd noise in addition to the 15,000 fans present, was an opportunity for both fans and the team to get ready for the next year of football at USC.

Highlights included great performances by Booty (QB), Denis (TB) and Patterson (WR).

New EDIC for Daily Trojan Elected

The elections for Daily Trojan editor in chief were held Wednesday. After listening to the speech from the only person running for the position, the staff elected Joanna Lin. Lin has been a member of the Daily Trojan for several years and is currently the managing editor for the Daily Trojan.

2007 Commencement Speaker- Ted Koppel

The 124th annual commencement will feature Ted Koppel as the main commencement speaker. The award-winning broadcast journalist will speak on May 11. For the full listing of activities on commencement day visit the USC commencement website.

Renovation takes place in BRI

The second floor of Bridge Hall (BRI) is under renovation.
This floor, which is primarly computer labs for the Marshall School of Business, is beign renovated for new computer labs and a computer lounge area. Even with construction, several computer labs are still open.

Take Back the Night

The annual event to promote awareness of and prevention of rape and other crimes against women took place on Thursday. The event which drew a large crowd at Tommy Trojan was this year entitled "Shatter the Silence."

This is Jeopardy

"America's Favorite Quiz Show" comes to USC's McCarthy Quad on April 2 to audition students for their College Championship. The first 1,000 students in line get to take the admissions test to see if they qualify to be on the show. On April 3 those who pass the test will get to try out for one of the on-camera talent.

"Gilmore Girls" Spends Second Day Shooing Around Campus

For the second day this week, the "Gilmore Girls" has been shooting scenes on campus. The graduation scene included many extras and took place in front of Bovard. Like many other shows, the USC campus is the perfect place for Hollywood to film. With its classic ivy-league look and proximity to production headquarters the campus is regularly "transformed" into Harvard, Brown, and other prestigious universities.

Felix dealership completes move

The former Felix dealership on the corner of 31st and Fig is now completely empty. The car dealership's offices moved in the fall of 2006 to new offices at the corner of Fig and Washington. The vacated offices were then used as the construction offices for Clark Construction during the building of the Galen Center. The lot was used as a car storage area until recently, when the lot was cleared.

Women of Troy keeps pefect record at home

The waterpolo match at McDonalds Swim Stadium today was the 35th straight win at home for the Women of Troy.The 15-8 win over Arizona State also saw senior Erika Figge made six of the Trojan's points becoming the USC No. 10 all-time leading scorer with 118 career goals.

Trojan Invitational showcases new world records

On Saturday the USC sponsored track and field meet yielded several world records including the best time in the world for the men's 4x400 this year.

Competitors from as far away as Michigan came to the meet which was help all day on USC's Cromwell track.

Full full coverage see USCTrojans.com article.

Lucas' R2D2 goes postal

On the corner of Shrine Place and Jefferson, a mailbox has been transformed.

The R2D2 inspired mailbox is part of the USPS' tribute to Star Wars on its 30th birthday.

Officially launching on March 28, visit http://www.uspsjedimaster.com/for details about the program.

Construction crews put flaggers on campus

As construction on the new cinematic arts building gets into full swing, large trucks are making their way across campus. The main street in use is W. 35th. Where the street crosses Trousdale a series of construction workers with signs stop pedestrians and bicyclists when large trucks come through. During peak times this can increase congestion in this area.

DPS busy during spring break

Students arriving back on campus were seeing a lot of pink when they walked past bike racks across campus. DPS put hundreds of notices of pink unregistered bikes and impound notices on bikes across campus. This second round of notices is significantly larger than previous postings both in number of bikes with the pink warnings, as well as locations were bikes were posted.

EVK reopens

After being closed for the majority of spring break, EVK reopened Thursday. With the new meal plan, students will come back with a surplus of meals available for the next week.

Spring break

The week of March 12 is the USC spring break. This week campus will be very quiet as many people leave for break. Updates to the blog during this week will be few and short.

A bovine smell

As commencement looms on the horizon USC Facilities Management is looking to spruce up campus.

The first phase of the process is filling in the holes in lawns and putting manure in flowerbeds. The smell of manure is predominant across campus, but especially around Associates Park.

Fountain overflows on University Ave.

The fountain at the corner of Jefferson and Hoover Monday evening was overflowing its basin and spilling across the very busy sidewalk.

Without another way to get to the street corner, many pedestrains had to traverse the flowing water to get to the crosswalk. The University Ave. corridor is a common pedestrian route to and from campus. University leads from the corner of Jefferson and Hoover to The Row.

EVK back room converted

At EVK the room behind the conveyor that delivers dishes to be cleaned, was converted from a carpeted room to tile on Friday. The room, which was once part of a larger eating area was converted a year ago into the current dish washing room. The room was still under construction as of Sunday night.

Women's Waterpolo takes down UCI

On Saturday the Women of Troy at home for the first time this season. The third ranked Trojans played the fifth ranked Irvine Anteaters. Throughout the first three quarters the game was close, but the Trojans poured on the effort and put the Anteaters away in the fourth with a final score of 12-8. The Trojans then went onto play an exhibition game against the women's US National team. The Trojans lost the second game of the day, possibly because of being worn out or because three of their best players were playing on the US National team. This was the US's last game before heading to Australia for competition.

Suspect arrested outside EVK

At 8:30 PM on Friday DPS officers were seen handcuffing an African-American male outside EVK. In overheard conversation, it appeared that the man was wanted on drug related charges. LAPD officers arrived around 9:15 and escorted the suspect to a squad car. Besides the two LAPD officers, and additional six DPS officers responded to the situation causing quite a few onlookers to gather inside EVK. The Daily Trojan was on site around 9:00 with a reporter and photographer.

Route D bus really a van

In place of a regular sized bus to run along USC's route D there is an eight person van that run the route which is active from 8:45 PM to 2:45 AM Monday-Sunday. Take a look at all of the TrojanTransportation routes here.

USC DPS break up Thursday parties

Recently the Department of Public Safety has been stepping up patrols on the Row and closing down parties that continue on past 10 PM on Thursdays. Around USC Thursdays are often considered to be the best day to go partying on the Row as many upperclassmen do not have Friday classes, and can work on homework during the weekend. A frequent Thursday party-goer said that "DPS has killed Thursday as party night."

Brokaw visits USC for talk

On Thursday evening Annenberg School for Communication welcomed guest speaker Tom Brokaw. In a candid conversation with Dean Cowan, Brokaw discussed national and international events, the state of the news business, and the journalism business ahead for young journalists.

Brokaw was a longtime correspondent for the NBC Nightly News.

The reception afterwards in the Annenberg Main Lobby was loud enough to be heard in classrooms throughout the building.

Lucas building construction continues

The first batch of building materials is now on the building site for the new Lucas building. Where parking lot P used to be is now all dirt and full of large machinery. Construction vehicles include cranes and dump trucks. The green fencing around part of the construction zone has been replaced by regular chain-link fences allowing a clear view of the construction.


A large road construction sign has been added in addition to the numerous smaller signs instructing pedestrians to use the sidewalk on the other side of the street (with little noticeable impact)

Most promising students explore USC

Starting last week, students who have been accepted to USC come to be a part of Explore USC. Many of these students participate in introduction to life on campus, campus tours, meeting with faculty, visiting classes, and scholarship interviews. Many of the current explorers are presidential and trustee scholarship applicants.

High Winds Batter Campus

Tuesday's weather forecast called for rain, but instead USC got clear skies and gusty winds. Winds at one point were enough to lift large umbrellas out of their moorings at Trojan Grounds.

Gate 1 to reopen

Gate 1 is set to reopen March 5 according to an email from TrojanTransportation sent out on Monday. Although the water problem was fixed, several construction projects will keep 37th Place from Watt Way west to McClintock closed to traffic until May 2007 (will reopen with the completion of Parkside2 housing complex).

Signal Light Toubles

For several hours this morning the traffic signals at the northeast corner (Jefferson and Fig) of campus were out. The LADP had to put a traffic officer to control the flow of traffic through this busy intersection. At 1:11 PM the traffic light was reactivated, and traffic returned to its normal flow.

Mardi Gras comes to USC

After last night's long lines to get into a Mardi Gras themed dinner at EVK, today New/North continues the celebration tonight with a series of events for residents. Complete with masks, beads, and of course purple and gold shirts, RAs have been spreading the word about the event.

Song Girls show increasing tummy

Usually the famous USC Song Girls show just a hint of tummy but at the beginning of last night's basketball game vs. Stanford, there was significantly more than normal.
Then after halftime the amount of skin showing in their mid-regions returned to the normal hint.

Men's basketball defeats Stanford

The Trojans defeated Stanford at the Galen Center last night 69-65. Leading most of the game was the key for the men's basketball team. After a rough second half, the Trojans sealed the game with several key blocks.

Both teams fell from the AP rankings in the past weeks.

The Galen Center was alive with activity as the two teams battled it out.

The Trojans next take on Cal at the Galen Center on Saturday.

Students without a home

Not unusual for this time of year, students are upset about the housing for next year. The biggest change is with USC's commitment of all freshmen and sophomores getting on-campus housing, many of the juniors and seniors are finding themselves without university housing. As of 10 A.M there were only 8 rooms available in all of university housing. With the assignment process winding down, many students are hoping that space opens up.

Galen Center gets final touches

In one of the final steps of construction, the Galen Center today is getting a coat of fog sealant (cement sealant) on it's exterior walls. Workers are currently working on the south side of the building, but equipment is also on the east side of the building, possibly for future use.

Trojan Vision Off Air

Due to a series of power interruptions, USC's student run television station, Trojan Vision, is unable to broadcast content. The station, located in the Robert Zemeckis Center, was hit last week with a series of power surges that took out backup power supplies. Until equipment can be properly restarted, viewers have to watch a test pattern.

Women of Troy Say Goodbye

The women's basketball team celebrated its final home game of the season and said goodbye to six graduating seniors.Seniors were escorted onto the court by family members and loved ones.

The celebration was capped off by a 66-42 win over Arizona.

Gate 1 Closed

Gate 1 off of Exposition is currently closed after a water main rupture. The LADWP is currently working to fix the problem, but until repairs are completed visitors are directed to enter through gate 6.

Vote On!

Polling places and online polls are now open for the undergraduate student government. Visit their website for candidate profiles.

Women of Troy take down Bruins

On Saturday in the Galen Center the Women of Troy battled back from trailing most of the game to pull ahead in the final minutes for a 62-55 win against the Bruins. This marks the fifth straight time that the Trojans have defeated the Bruins.

After the game Shay Murphy got on the announcer's microphone and encouraged the sellout crowd to return for the senior's final game on February 17 versus Arizona.

Women's Basketball vs. UCLA Sold Out

For the first time in the women's basketball history, tickets for the next basketball game are sold out. The game is Saturday in the new Galen Center and neither team are currently ranked.

Can't "Cat"ch me!

For the past month people walking along the walkway in front of PSX and eating in EVK have heard the meowing of a stray kitten. Several attempts to capture the little critter have proven in vain. After a week without a sighting, locals were afraid the kitten had met with an untimely ending. Yesterday the kitten returned to again meow at passersby.

Candidates get the word out

From Trousdale, to EVK, to Facebook, candidates for student government positions are campaigning all over campus. The latest are supporters for Avila and Brown who handed out information about the two President/VP candidates at the gates of EVK on Monday.

Another hot day in Southern Cal.

Temperatures on Monday broke the 90 degree mark.

As the sun set on 'SC it left this amazing sunset.

Construction continues on Cinematic Arts Building

During the weekend fences were put up around the future site of the new Lucas building.

The new fences block the bike path going east on 35th street and most of the walkway between the post-production facilities and parking lot P.

Men's Tennis upsets Cal

Today the No. 43 USC men's tennis team pulled another upset of No. 18 Cal.

This win is the fifth straight win with the last victory being over Pac-10 foe Stanford (ranked No. 19) Friday. The Trojans swept the Bears 7-0.

Men's basketball fells Oregon

For the fifth time this season the men's basketball team defeated a ranked opponent. The Trojans led for most of the first half, but the Ducks gained ground in the second half. The 71-68 victory over the ninth ranked ducks Ducks was at home in the Galen Center. The next game is at UCLA against the 5th ranked Bruins.

Elections are back

Election season at USC is back in full swing. As always, the flyers announcing candidates are spread throughout the Trousdale region of campus. Learn more about the elections in the Daily Trojan.

World Press Photo Leaves USC

Today was the last day of the World Press Photo at USC. The photos have been on display in Annenberg since the start of the semester.

Next the World Press Photo will be displayed in the Netherlands.

Hot property

The USC Department of Public Safety (DPS) posted signs in several areas around residence halls where bike theft has been frequently documented.

Signs warn students of leaving bikes unlocked or not locked to bike racks. Posted areas include Parkside, EVK and Marks Tower.

Now you see it, now you don't

First it was there, now the facilities management building is gone. As part of the construction of the the new USC School for the Cinematic Art's new building funded by the creator of Star Wars, the FMS building was demolished.

The next stage of building involves putting up fences to contain the construction debris.

Ed Woods are in

For the past eleven years USC has had its 24 hour student-run film contest, Ed Wood. This year the theme was "my eyes are killing me". Besides incorporating the theme students must use a mirror as a prop and be done in 24 hours. See the USC calendar for screening times.


Before the start of the contest, hundreds of students lined up in their filming groups to sign in and put their signatures on the Ed Wood posters.

Men's Basketball defeats ASU

Men's basketball took on Arizona State University at the Galen Center Saturday, winning 58-49.

Coming off a win against No. 11 Arizona, the team now looks ahead to a road trip to the San Francisco Bay Area to take on Stanford and Cal.

Two Losses for Men's Volleyball

Friday the men's volleyball team lost in four sets to San Diego State.

This is the second game in the Galen Center for the men's team.

Something fishy?

Recent menu at Everybody's Kitchen (more commonly know as EVK) in the past week had some unusual foods, namely seafood.

Seafood out for grabs at this a la cart establishment include shrimp, lobster and crab ravioli and oysters on the half shell.

Students discussing the recent addition of fresh seafood at the cafeteria often sound skeptical about induldging in the seafood, often surprised at the unusual presence of seafood alongside college favories such as pizza and soft serve ice cream.

Bringing down the 'Cats

Oh yeaaa! Headline in tomorrow's Los Angeles Times Sports section should read something along these lines: "USC Claws Past No. 11 Arizona, 80-73".

This game was especially impressive because of the amazing crowd participation. The student section was amazing! Moments after end of the game students finally got to rush the court in the new Galen Center for the first time.

Fight On!

From forth the fatal loins

After a very wet 2006 spring, one of the long-time members of the USC community fell. Yes, it was one of the great trees in Alumni Park. During the 2006 winter break four new trees were planted. These new additions will eventually take the place of the trees that have fallen in past years in the Alumni Park region. On behalf of everyone who walks through the park daily: Welcome to the the Trojan Family!

Reselling books

As with every semester, I start off by attempting to resell my books to the bookstore. This time I got a whopping $28! I went back into the bookstore and found that I could repurchase the same books as used for over $150. Something seems a little wrong with that. I guess that is how the USC bookstore is the most profitable college bookstore in the US. To make matters worse, the customer service man outside who purchased my books was the snobby/unapologetic type. A wholly unwelcome experience overall. I can hardly wait until next semester.

Topic?

After some contemplation I think that I will write about the little things that I find happening on the USC campus and such. I tend to be around campus 24/7, so I should have plenty of opportunities to put write a bit about the stuff I run into. Hey, if I really get into it I might put some photos!

First day at blogging

Yep, now I can officially say that I have a blog. Now the question is what to write about.