#Official Trojan: Back-to-School Story Ideas from USC
USC Move-In Day is Wed., Aug 19
Contact: USC Media Relations at (213) 740-2215 or balasson@usc.edu
It’s back-to-school time at the University of Southern California, and we’d like to invite you to see firsthand what it’s like to be a student today.
Below are some of our Welcome Week events — from tips for first-generation college families to meeting USC’s first class of dancers.
Please RSVP for all events to USC Media Relations at (213) 740-2215 or balasson@usc.edu
Wednesday, August 19 – Move-In Day
College 101 for First-Generation Families
Did you know that 14 percent of USC freshmen are the first in their families to attend college? And USC ranks among the very top of elite private universities nationally for the percentage of low-income students it enrolls, as measured by Pell Grant eligibility.
A two-hour session for first-generation families on Move-in Day gives these students and their parents, who may not have traditional college knowledge, the chance to ask questions and set them up for success.
The Making of ‘Hollywood’s Band’
It’s not just the football players who are preparing: band camp for “Hollywood’s Band” will be underway all week. Spirit of Troy members put in intense 12-hour days (or longer) of practice and drills on the music, choreography and footwork to get ready for the halftime spotlight.
Come watch members of the band (named the “Best Band in College Football”) put in the hard work that makes The Spirit of Troy’s halftime shows so special.
Thursday, August 20 and Friday, August 21
Just Dance!
Meet the inaugural class of the USC Kaufman School of Dance (one student is pictured at right): 33 outstanding students who are at the top of their game as aspiring choreographers, hip hop dancers, ballerinas and contemporary dancers. The class of 15 men and 18 women include students from Canada, Mexico, Colombia and across the United States. Six are the first in their family to attend college and 10 come from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in higher education.
Take a Class
After all, that’s why we’re here. Join students in their first college classes as professors from a range of departments offer one-and-a-half-hour seminars during Welcome Week. Courses this year include:
- Classical Actor Training for Popular Media
- Ethics Through Contemporary Music
- Introduction to Nanotechnology
- Stem Cell Therapy: Hope or Hype?
Preparing Trojans for the Workplace, from Day One
As recruiting becomes more competitive, USC’s Career Center is talking to students earlier about planning for life after graduation. Starting this year, advisors will be speaking with Trojan freshmen about how to find job opportunities and build relationships on social media with the companies where they want to work.
“At USC, career conversations with students start in freshman year instead of their senior year,” said USC Career Center Director Lori Shreve Blake. “USC has integrated career planning into the role of academic advising in choosing majors, pursuing internships and tapping into premier resources offered by the USC Career Center.”
MORE: Activity on USC’s annual Move-In Day on Wednesday, Aug. 19 will start at 8 a.m. and centers at the cluster of residence halls on the campus’ east side — including New, North and Birnkrant residential colleges, Pardee Tower and Marks Tower. (See campus map at https://web-app.usc.edu/maps/#upc/)
On-campus parking for broadcast vehicles is on West 34th Street (enter at Entrance 4 on Jefferson Blvd. at Royal St.). Parking will be available for print reporters at USC entrances. (Entrance 3 on Figueroa St. at McCarthy Way is closest to the cluster of residential colleges). Show media credential for access.
