Upperclassmen share wisdom with incoming class
By MELINDA RENTERIA
The afternoon sun gleamed brightly on the gold and cardinal flowers as the crisp breeze rustled through its leaves. The typical USC hustle and bustle environment contrasted that of its summertime counterpart.
The tranquil ambiance of the campus was offset by the formulation of nerves and anxiousness and excitement that began forming within the incoming freshmen as they prepared to take on the next chapter of their lives: college.
College life and experiences are personal and differ greatly from person to person. Yet many people can agree that it’s quite different from high school and it takes some time to adjust.
Despite the desolation of the campus, one area that always seems to maintain its lively atmosphere is the USC Village, where locals go to get a quick bite to eat, alumni meet with former friends and peers and current students who decide to spend their summer on campus hangout.
Sitting at a table under a cardinal umbrella at the Village, was USC alumni, Celina Gelrgeeadis. She’d graduated with an accounting major, and remembered feeling the curiosity of what was waiting for her in the near future.
“I was pretty excited about dorming on campus,” Gelrgeeadis said.
The alumni offered advice for those who will be first years and brand new to the Trojan family: “Try to take classes in as many schools as possible, especially if undecided because it helps [you] gain perspective,” she said.
A few hundred feet away from Gelrgeeadis, sat Steffany Saunders, a junior at USC, on one of the couches in the center of the Village. Her head was barely visible behind the book she was quietly reading. She’s an international student, and had some difficulty identifying her grade level in “American terms.”
“Sorry, I’m from Canada so they don’t use the same names: freshmen, sophomores… what’s the junior?” she said with genuine confusion.
Saunders said she’d participated in a summer program similar to Annenberg Youth Academy (AYA), only it was residential, therefore being away from her family wasn’t as hard for her as it might be for an individual without that experience.
The self-identifying introvert said she found it easy to make friends given that USC was a “very welcoming environment.”
“[Freshman] should take advantage of the many opportunities as they can because later on everyone starts to find their niche and everything, so it is really good to get involved in everything in the beginning,” Saunders said.
The wind picked up once more, making the fountain in the center of the Village sound more intense as the water droplets struggled to find their way back to the ground, simply contributing to the serene environment.
The sound of movement and liveliness was drowned out by stillness and the sound of leaves rustling across the brick floor as the distance from the Village increased and the Wallis Annenberg Hall decreased.
Both Gelrgeeadis and Saunders offered some insight as to what to expect as new Trojans prepare to take on their first opponent at USC: moving in.
