My top ten favorite events from the semester!
10. Beach bonfire with SCIA: This was one of the first events of the year, and I had a blast at Dockweiler Beach. I got to hang out with old friends, meet new friends, eat smores on smores on smores, and even got thrown in the ocean! It was fun. Sandy, but definitely fun.
9. Birthdays! There was an odd, three week period where a ton of my friends had birthdays separated by a few days. It was awesome; we made baked goods and surprised them at midnight, and then threw them birthday parties and went to birthday dinners.
8. Parents: My parents came down to visit me from NorCal one weekend. I loved showing them around SC, displaying my newfound responsibility in caring for my own apartment, and driving around LA. My friends and I took them to Urth Caffe (a Los Angeles landmark!), where they had never been, and they really enjoyed it.
7. Hiking: Of course, hiking made the list. Griffith, the Hollywood Sign, Runyon Canyon—all of them were so much fun. And I got to enjoy a wonderful meal at Urth or Joan’s on Third after every refreshing hike. I can’t stress how great it is to get off campus and explore what LA has to offer!
6. First Home Game: Although I guess I’m not a huge sports person, the strong feeling of a united community that football brings to USC is one of the main reasons why I love it here so much. So, of course, the first home football game of the season is one of the highlights of the semester. Win or lose, USC just rocks.
5. Thanksgiving dinner: I didn’t get to spend Thanksgiving at home this year, but I still had a great time on campus and I have a lot to be grateful for. Two friends and I went out to dinner that evening and I got to eat a great meal with wonderful company. I’ll definitely remember this Thanksgiving in the future!
4. Garba: This is a dance that is a part of the celebration of a nine-day long Indian festival, Navaratri. There are numerous huge events over the course of a few weeks where people get dressed up and together to dance (in a semi-organized way) to celebrate. It’s a beautiful occasion, a cool cultural phenomenon, and I’m so glad I got to participate!
3. Weekender: I thought it was awesome that USC had such a great takeover of Berkeley. I’ll admit; Berkeley is a fun city to be in, also! There was never a dull moment: the road trip with my friends, hanging out (and eating) in Berkeley with some old high school friends, and winning the game made for quite a weekend!
2. House visit: A few weeks into school, a bunch of friends caravanned to one of my roommate’s houses in Valencia for the weekend! We relaxed in the pool, had a little bonfire, watched movies, and just generally had a great bonding session.
1. Pasta Dinner: My roommates and I threw a dinner party for a bunch of our friends. It was definitely harder than I thought it would be to cook everything and then clean everything, but also worth it. It was one of the first times we had everyone together in the same room to share a meal, and it was incredibly fun. It helped me to realize the great community that surrounds us all at USC, and helped me appreciate everyone that I’ve met so far.
