Daily Trojan (2025)

12/02/2025

USC will likely see an acceptance rate of about 10% for the Class of 2029, according to preliminary statistics from the Office of Admission. Last year, the University accepted roughly 9.2% of applicants.

The University received about 83,000 applicants for the incoming Fall 2025 freshman class, just over half of which were on the early action track. That’s up 1,000 applicants last year.

USC accepted 3,500 students EA — yielding an 8.3% EA admit rate — and expects to take between 5,000 and 5,400 more from the regular decision and deferred EA pool.

Final data will become available in September.

Photo: / Daily Trojan file photo

12/02/2025

“March Madness is getting closer and closer on the calendar, and USC hopes to replicate and exceed the Elite 8 bar it set for itself last season,” writes Editor in Chief Stefano Fendrich. “But Thursday has one major test in store for the Trojans to see just how real these Championship aspirations could be: the No. 1 UCLA Bruins.”

“Ahead of arguably the biggest game of the season in terms of ramifications, it’s time to evaluate how No. 6 USC (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten) has looked on the road to March so far. So, just in time for midterms, let’s pull out the rubrics and see how women’s basketball is doing with their assignments.”

Read the full article at the link in bio.

Slide 1 photo: / Daily Trojan. Modified.
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Design: Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan

12/02/2025

March Cartoon of the Month submissions are open! Create a piece that captures the madness of March — whatever that means to you.

Any USC student can create and submit an original cartoon which will be featured in the Daily Trojan during the first week of March. The winner will also receive a $15 Dulce gift card.

Submit your work through the link in our bio by Feb. 24 at 11:59 p.m. to be considered. Cartoons must be a maximum of four panels long.

Graphic: .noland / Daily Trojan

09/02/2025

It wasn’t easy and it wasn’t pretty, but the No. 7 Trojans held strong and broke away from No. 8 Ohio State 84-63 in a defensive dogfight at Galen Center on Saturday night.

Star sophomore guard JuJu Watkins continued her cold shooting stretch, making just 5 of 21 field goal attempts, but graduate forward Kiki Iriafen came through to lead the Trojans (21-2, 11-1 Big Ten) to victory. The Buckeyes (20-3, 9-3) had no answers for Iriafen inside, and the 6-foot-3 transfer from Stanford had one of her best games of the season — putting up 24 points and 13 rebounds.

USC had 23 turnovers in the game — the team’s most since the first game of the season against Ole Miss — and had difficulty adapting to the Buckeyes’ full-court press to start the game. However, the Trojans feasted on the boards, winning the rebound battle 62-30 and totaling 18 second chance points.

The victory marks USC’s fifth ranked win of the season as the Trojans continue to work their way through a difficult conference schedule, which will next bring them a showdown with the No. 1 UCLA Bruins on Thursday.

Photo: / Daily Trojan

06/02/2025

Beong-Soo Kim will serve as interim president following Carol Folt’s retirement, the Board of Trustees announced in a community-wide message Wednesday afternoon. Kim has served as the senior vice president and general counsel for the University since July 2020.

Suzanne Nora Johnson, chair of the Board of Trustees, said in an interview with campus media that the process to decide the next president will likely take until at least June 2026, with some “flexibility.”

Johnson said Kim has an “impeccable character,” “greater integrity” than anyone she has met in higher education and “judgment [that is] second to none.”

“[Kim] believes in excellence. He wants to kind of take us to the next level. He never does anything halfway. He always does things 150%,” Johnson said. “We think this job requires all those things.”

Kim was also chosen as the interim president due to having expertise in University affairs as well as with the medical and athletics side of USC, Johnson said. Because Kim did not want to become a permanent president and an interim president is disqualified from the permanent selection process, Johnson said he made sense for the position.

During his time as general counsel, Kim has advised the University on how to handle the coronavirus pandemic and “legacy litigation” — including the Varsity Blues admissions scandal and the class-action, sexual assault lawsuit involving former USC gynecologist George Tyndall.

Read the full article at the link in bio.

Photo: Gus Ruelas / USC

Design: / Daily Trojan

05/02/2025

Beong-Soo Kim will serve as interim president following Carol Folt’s retirement June 30, the Board of Trustees announced in a community-wide message Wednesday afternoon. Kim has served as the senior vice president and general counsel since July 2020.

The Board also announced the creation of a presidential search committee — made up of two board of trustee members as well as “a wide range of faculty, staff, student and alumni perspectives from across the Trojan Family” — to select the next permanent president, the press release read. As interim president, Kim is disqualified from the selection process.

05/02/2025

USC will implement a Student Commencement Speaker in place of the valedictorian speech this spring, according to a University statement Wednesday. The main stage 2025 commencement will take place at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on May 15.

The cumulative GPA requirement has been lowered to a 3.5 for the Student Commencement Speaker in order to award academic achievement but also be “holistic,” according to an email sent to a qualifying senior obtained by the Daily Trojan. Students with a cumulative grade point average of 3.98 or above were eligible to be valedictorian previously, which led to almost 100 applicants last year.

“Our goal is to open the process to outstanding graduating seniors with varied backgrounds, experiences and degree programs,” the University statement read.

In previous years, the Office of the Provost decided the valedictorian award after the Valedictorian and Salutatorian Selection Committee — made up of faculty members — gave a recommendation.

The announcement comes after last year’s valedictorian, Asna Tabassum, was barred from speaking at commencement with the University citing safety concerns. The University later canceled the “main stage” commencement ceremony. USC has had a valedictorian since Minnie C. Miltimore in 1884 during its inaugural graduation class.

In its statement, the University wrote the decision was made after a “comprehensive review” of commencement speakers at other universities. The University declined to say when the decision was made.

“Many of those institutions have moved away from traditional valedictorians — based solely on academic grades — to allow for a wider group of students to participate in the application process,” the University statement read. “We look forward to the selection of a Student Commencement Speaker who represents the spirit and experience of the graduating class.”

Photo: Aneel Yelamanchili (Daily Trojan file photo)

Design: / Daily Trojan

28/01/2025

The Victory Bell rings once again — but this time on its way back to Westwood. Men’s basketball fell at home in a thriller against the UCLA Bruins 82-76, coming within one point in the second half after trailing the entire game. The Trojans missed multiple vital free throws under pressure, but still showed signs of life on some plays on offense and defense.

The dramatic game marked yet another defeat for Head Coach Eric Musselman’s team, now 4-5 in the Big Ten. USC, who missed out on the NCAA Tournament last year, needs all the wins it can get, now 12-8 in all competitions.

Photo: / Daily Trojan

27/01/2025

The USG Debate will be held Feb. 11 from 8 to 9:30 p.m. in TCC 450 with Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan moderating. We would love to hear what you want the presidential and vice presidential candidates to discuss before voting takes place from Feb. 18 to 21.

Fill out the form using the link in our bio by Feb. 5 at 11:59 p.m. to suggest a topic or question for the debate. Annenberg Media and the Daily Trojan will review and compile responses reflecting the concerns of the student body.

Photo: Teo Gonzales / Daily Trojan. Modified.

Design: Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan

27/01/2025

“It’s creeping into crunch time,” writes Avani Lakkireddy, podcast editor of “Talkin’ Troy.” “With March rapidly approaching, men’s basketball Head Coach Eric Musselman has a lot to prove in the latter half of the regular season if the Trojans want to make their way to the Big Dance.”

“USC (12-7, 4-4 Big Ten) currently has a few standout performers thanks to Musselman’s penchant for the portal. So, all aboard the Muss Buss — let’s take roll.”

Read the full article at the link in bio.

Slide 1 photo: Wesley Chen / Daily Trojan. Modified.
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Slide 3 photo: Wesley Chen / Daily Trojan. Modified.
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Slide 8 photo: Wesley Chen / Daily Trojan. Modified.

Design: Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan

16/01/2025

“In our last edition of the Fall 2024 semester, the managing team demanded more financial autonomy for the student editors of the paper. In the following weeks, representatives from USC Student Life and Student Publications proceeded to tell us that due to an estimated budget deficit of $80,000, our print days were being cut from five days a week to three and the entirety of the money we pay our staffers as well as our senior editors — our masthead — would be cut for the Spring 2025 semester,” writes Editor in Chief Stefano Fendrich.

“We continued to have meetings up until the very end of the break with the decision makers of our fate. Still, it seemed like the University was merely listening instead of actively trying to help us remedy our situation.”

“But this isn’t the first time the University has screwed us over, and it definitely won’t be the last.”

“We will continue to push back against the University about our financial situation — for transparency about the way our money is being used, for a seat at the table regarding DT budget decisions and for more freedom to fundraise money for our paper.”

“Adversity fosters creativity, and we’re taking that to heart this semester. In the short term, we can still do so many amazing things. We may only be printing three days a week now, but we’ll still produce as much, if not more, content than we usually do in a semester.”

“If there’s one thing I can promise for this semester and semesters onward, it’s that no matter what, we will continue to fight for the survival of the Daily Trojan.”

Read the full article at the link in bio.

Design: Nathan Elias, Antonio Wu / Daily Trojan

Photo: / Daily Trojan

15/01/2025

Join the Daily Trojan’s staff in the newsroom at room 402 of Wilson Student Union for an open house Tuesday from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. See how the paper’s daily production operates and learn more about DT from its student editors before staff applications close Jan. 24!

Design: / Daily Trojan

Photo: / Daily Trojan

13/01/2025

The spring semester began in person on Monday, with those affected by multiple active fires around Los Angeles County given flexibility on attending classes.

Air quality at University Park Campus and Health Sciences Campus was “good” at the time of posting according to the University’s Environmental Health & Safety website. But the National Weather Service warns that conditions could worsen because of wind.

In unhealthy air quality, the California Air Resources Board recommends staying indoors with doors and windows closed to stay safe. While outside, the Board recommends wearing a N95 or KN95 mask and avoiding strenuous activity.

Several USC organizations are gathering and distributing resources for the University community and beyond. On Tuesday, USC Helenes are offering free N95 masks at Ford Salvatori Hall and Taper Hall from 9 a.m. to noon.

USC Song Leaders, SDA’s Sparks Center for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, USC Panhellenic, and USC Women and Youth Supporting Each Other are among the campus organizations collecting donations throughout the week to distribute to community members.

For up-to-date information from USC on wildfires and safety, check usc.edu/emergency. Community members can send the University questions on the fires or safety by phone at 213-740-6291 or by email at [email protected].

Design: Ashley Adji, Nathan Elias / Daily Trojan

Photo: / Daily Trojan

10/01/2025

The Spring 2025 semester will begin Jan. 13 with in-person classes as planned, despite the active fires in Los Angeles, the Office of the President wrote in a University-wide email Thursday night.

University Park Campus is south of the multiple active fires. The air quality at UPC was “unhealthy for sensitive groups,” while the air quality was “unhealthy” at Health Science Campus at the time of publication, according to the University’s Environmental Health & Safety website.

Panhellenic recruitment activities are now fully online while all other activities — including events for the Spring 2025 Orientation — have been moved indoors, the statement read.

Faculty have been instructed to “provide maximum flexibility” for students who may have difficulties attending in-person classes, the Office wrote.

The University has also established a Wildfire and Air Quality hotline at 213-740-6291. Questions can also be emailed to [email protected].

This is a developing story.

Photo: / Daily Trojan

08/01/2025

USC has canceled Spring 2025 Convocation amid the ongoing fires in Los Angeles, the Office of the President wrote in a University-wide email Wednesday. The statement read that an event to “celebrate our new students” will be held at a later date.

Spring Panhellenic activities have also been paused for today.

The statement also read that University Park Campus remains “largely unimpacted and open” and administration anticipates the University to be fully open Monday for the start of the Spring 2025 semester.

The air quality index at UPC is “unhealthy” according to the University’s Environmental Health & Safety website at the time of publication. The University will continue posting updates on its Emergency page, usc.edu/emergency.

This is a developing story.

Photo: / Daily Trojan

29/12/2024

Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. All characters and events are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual events or persons, living or dead, is almost entirely coincidental.

It is 2052, and Jeremiah Cleveland has a confession.

“Cracked, blackened earth now takes the place of Los Angeles, a memory carried by a quivering breeze. I fear I may be responsible for this tragedy,” Cleveland writes.

“On the horizon was a thick black blanket — its edge dividing the sky. A line of cars poured in our direction from underneath it. We soon crossed the edge into the darkness. We strained our eyes to find the sun, which Virginia, my daughter, tentatively pointed out as a great red orb looming over us. Just under it, we could see the source of the smoke: A great ribbon of flame on the horizon, swatting at the minuscule helicopters that sought to tame it. Perhaps these were the famed fires of California.”

“Based on my qualifications, the methods of acquisition for which I was never elucidated, I was best suited to be the chief architect of fire safety for the people of Los Angeles. Even at the time, I thought that it was a bit odd that such a large city would only now be employing such an evidently integral position given the severity of the issue at hand, but I took it in stride after I was lured by the benefits — free housing, insurance.”

“‘It was this or starvation,’ I mustered. It wasn’t so bad. On some days, the sky even shone blue.”

Read Daniel Pons’ “LA 2052” at the link in bio.

Slide 1 art: Daniel Pons / Daily Trojan
Slide 2 art: / Daily Trojan
Slide 3 art: n244_w1150 / Flikr. Modified.
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Slide 6 art: Alexa Esqueda / Daily Trojan. Modified.

Design: Daniel Pons / Daily Trojan

29/12/2024

Join a legacy! Staff applications are open until Jan. 24 for students of all majors and levels of experience. Apply at dailytrojan.com/apply or through the link in bio.

Check out dailytrojan.com/positions for more information about the available positions, and email us at [email protected] if you have any questions or concerns.

Photo: Jordan Renville / Daily Trojan file photo

Graphic: / Daily Trojan

29/12/2024

In a city where the house always wins, the Trojans beat the odds Friday night. Just two short miles from the infamous Las Vegas Strip, USC football pulled off a breathtaking 35-31 comeback win against the Texas A&M Aggies at Allegiant Stadium.

USC (7-6, 4-5 Big Ten) earned its spot in the contest with an unimpressive 6-6 regular season record in its inaugural Big Ten campaign. However, Head Coach Lincoln Riley was determined to see his team finish the year on a high note. Despite entering the locker room tied 7-7 at the half, spirits remained high on the Trojan sideline. However, that confidence wavered in the third quarter when the Aggies roared out to a 24-7 lead after three unanswered scores.

Just as the USC section got quiet, the Trojans fought back with three unanswered scores of their own: 2 touchdown receptions by sophomore wide receiver Ja’Kobi Lane and a touchdown run by freshman running back Bryan Jackson to give USC a 28-24 lead.

In response, the Aggies (8-5, 5-2 SEC) charged down the field late in the fourth quarter and scored with a run from freshman quarterback Marcel Reed to retake the lead at 31-28. This left the Trojans with 1:49 on the clock and a fleeting hope of tying the game.

But redshirt sophomore quarterback Jayden Maiava wanted more than just a tie. He marched the offense down the field with precise passes unseen in the first half, finding Lane and sophomore receiver Makai Lemon for big gains to set up the Trojans in the red zone with seconds to spare. Maiava found redshirt senior wide receiver Kyle Ford on a slant route for the game-winning touchdown with 8 seconds remaining on the clock as the stadium erupted. Game, set, match.

See all photos at the link in bio.

Photos: .photo / Daily Trojan

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