2001 – 2010: An on-campus ’SCodyssey


Matteo Marjoram | Daily Trojan

Matteo Marjoram | Daily Trojan

Since it was founded in 1880 with 53 students and 10 teachers, USC has expanded far beyond even the wildest dreams of its founders. In its seminal year, the university only managed to give diplomas to three people at the first graduation — how could they have known that someday, a USC alum would walk on the moon? Or that two other alumni would become rich writing stories about people that live in space? It would have blown their minds.

And in the last decade, USC has shown itself to be richer than ever in history, achievements, notable alumni and academic contributions. And also in money.

As the decade comes to an end, it’s time to look back at the last 10 years of USC and see not only how our university has changed, but how it has changed the world around us. And possibly how journalistic standards have changed. There is a lot of Wikipedia information here.

2001

After successfully surviving the disastrous Y2K bug and being named “College of the Year 2000” by Time Magazine for extensive community service programs, USC launched into the new millennium with a bang.

Having worked to be seen as a highly selective institution since 1997, when the university first admitted fewer than half of the applicants, USC was rewarded by the Newsweek/Kaplan guides by being named as one of America’s nine “hottest schools.” This epithet probably didn’t do much to dispel the image of USC as a school attended chiefly by Malibu Beach Barbie.

The Association of American Colleges and Universities also named USC as one of 16 “leadership institutions,” which was great for attracting motivated high school applicants with leadership skills, but which made for awkward involvement fairs with too many organization leaders and no followers.

2001 also marked the first year of the reign of Pete Carroll, whose legendary record as coach of the football team would catapult him to stardom. His celebrity status would make it easy for even the most athletically ignorant Trojans to mention his name and sound as though they paid attention to football.

2002

USC set a new record in higher education by raising $2.85 billion over the course of the nine-year “Building on Excellence” campaign. 2002 graduates hoped that this meant they would be solicited for money less often than usual, but ultimately found this to not be the case.

It is estimated that it was around this time that the Pertusati Bookstore truly understood the value of the USC brand name, and began emblazoning school symbols on even the most obscure pieces of merchandise, including bikinis, bras and women’s panties. The only reason the store has not come out with a line of USC brand condoms is because another company has already taken that idea.

2003

Nothing much interesting happened in 2003, but it was generally a better year than 1987, in which the only notable event was the opening of the Carl’s Jr. restaurant on campus. This gave USC the dubious designation of being the first institute of higher education to own and operate a fast food franchise.

2004

USC hosted 2004 democratic presidential candidates for a debate sponsored by CNN and the Los Angeles Times and moderated by Larry King. Sens. John Kerry and John Edwards, Rev. Al Sharpton and Rep. Dennis Kucinich debated broad issues such as civil rights, health care and which candidate would best be able to defeat incumbent President George W. Bush (as it turned out, not Kerry).

In a straw poll conducted in the days leading up to the debate, 50 percent of participating students voted for Kucinich, making it the most successful election of his career.

Although 500 tickets were set aside for students to watch the debate in Bovard Auditorium, students nonetheless complained that the distribution of the tickets was unfair and about 40 students staged a demonstration outside the auditorium in protest. The outrage, however, paled in comparison to that demonstrated by students three years later who felt they had been deprived of football seats.

That summer, USC sent 35 athletes to the 2004 Athens Olympics, who collectively won 17 medals, including eight golds. Speculation that USC could have sent even more athletes if the university started a varsity table tennis team is supported by the fact that USC students tend to excel at a variety of sports involving ping pong tables.

2005

More than 100,000 people participated in the university’s 125th anniversary. More than 75 anniversary events took place throughout the year, culminating in a three-day festival in October that was attended by the governor of New York, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and world-renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman. A 6-foot tall cake and a free picnic lunch were served to all participants, causing students accustomed to eating in campus dining halls to demand that USC birthday celebrations occur twice weekly.

2005 also marked the release of Star Wars: Episode Three — Revenge of the Sith. The last of the Star Wars prequels written, directed and produced by USC alum George Lucas was generally well received, and agreed to be not as bad as Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. Lucas would make up for the stiff dialogue and clichéd romantic scenes in 2006 by giving USC $180 million. Fair enough.

2006

An economic impact analysis by an international consulting firm reported that USC is responsible for $4 billion annually in economic activity in Los Angeles County alone. About 30 percent of that economic activity comes from the purchase of heinously expensive textbooks that are read about 19 percent of the time. You’re welcome, Los Angeles!

In the December issue of PC Magazine ­— the “Top 20 Wired Colleges” issue — the periodical ranked USC as the eighth most connected, plugged-in and high-tech campus in the country, which is probably a result of the disproportionate number of Sidekicks owned by the various demi-celebrities enrolled on campus. Rumer Willis was among the freshman class in 2006, although she left after a semester to pursue acting in such prestigious films as The House Bunny.

USC also kicked off “Visions and Voices: The USC Arts and Humanities Initiative” in 2006, which was great for all students interested in arts and culture, although everyone who unwittingly signed up for the mailing list still receives a bewildering amount of e-mail.

2007

Infamous USC alumnus O.J. Simpson returned to national attention in 2007 when he took sports memorabilia from a hotel casino in Las Vegas at gunpoint. Several months later, he was sentenced to 33 years in prison. Although Simpson remains a regrettable stain on the reputation of USC alumni, the university is not alone in having taught undesirable graduates. Ted Kaczynski, a.k.a. the Unabomber, graduated from Harvard, assassin Aaron Burr graduated from Princeton and former president George W. Bush graduated from Yale.

2008

In 2008, after having completed three years of exuberantly choreographed and dynamically scored high school musicals, Zac Efron was accepted to USC. Much to the dismay of girls all over campus, Efron deferred his admission, presumably to pursue a more mellifluous path.

The number of sketchy places to buy food around USC decreased when the USC Commons was demolished to make room for the newer, more awesome Ronald Tutor Campus Center. Chano’s, Viztango and EVK remained easily accessible to students, though, as a testament to the eternal availability of mediocre and slightly questionable cuisine around the University Park Campus.

2009

The Chronicle of Higher Education recognized USC in its list of “Great Colleges to Work For in 2009,” although in the current economy, it’s a privilege to be working pretty much anywhere.

The Princeton Review ranked USC No. 9 among the country’s “dream colleges” as part of its 2009 “College Hopes and Worries” survey. We can accept this as confirmation that USC is awesome in every conceivable way to the minds of prospective students. It probably only becomes a “reality college” when the students get here, and realize that in addition to all the fountain running and tailgating and frisbee throwing, there is also homework. Lots and lots of homework. Still, it’s way better than being at the “nightmare college” across town.

2010 and beyond

What’s next for ’SC? A new line of luxury kitchen appliances in cardinal and gold available at the bookstore? A celebrity student that will actually stay for more than two semesters? Another free cake? (Please?)

Well, if nothing else, perhaps USC can become the first institute of higher education to operate two fast food franchises: Keep your fingers crossed for In-N-Out.

Laura Reeve is a senior majoring in public relations.