A school on the verge of a paradigm shift
This year, perhaps more than others, USC is making moves not just to innovate but also to redefine its roles.
Depending on whom you ask, USC is any number of things: a football dynasty, a party school, a top-tier research institution. Outside the spotlight, detractors maintain that USC is a vain institution on a pedestal. They claim that perceived safety problems in South Los Angeles forever tarnish the image of USC. They claim USC is a school of die-hard fans who know nothing but football. They claim USC is a school for spoiled children.
But as members of the larger USC community, it’s imperative we recognize and celebrate the university’s tipping point.
The university has established itself as a rising power with a smorgasbord of academic programs and nonpareil perks. It boasts a spider web of connections we call the Trojan Family, myriad resources in one of America’s most vibrant cities and a sports program that not only fosters professional athletes but produces more Olympians and gold medalists than any other university in the United States.
When current university President C. L. Max Nikias took office two years ago, he spoke of the “Destined Reign of Troy.” The university is now poised to begin its reign as the “Ivy League” of the West Coast, bolstered by a student body both passionate and immensely diverse and accented by a football squad that has fearlessly bounced back from inappropriately harsh NCAA sanctions.
See USC’s growth for yourself: The cutting-edge buildings and classrooms springing up across campus, the athletic program working tirelessly for greater glory and a school bringing a college-town feel to historic South Los Angeles.
USC has grasped the opportunity to redefine itself as the best of the West — and this year will no doubt prove to be a definitive moment in the school’s storied legacy.
Staff editorials are determined by the editorial board. Its members include Elena Kadvany, Nicholas Slayton, Jennifer Schultz, Eddie Kim, Joey Kaufman and Sean Fitz-Gerald.
Well…. both Alex and Ray seem to be two guys with their feet firmly planted on the ground… It all sounds a little egotistical to me… “Ivy League of the West”…. “passionate and immensely diverse”… Who cares?? I graduated from high school and state college back in the 60’s … Made a living… raised a family… invested and saved and retired with several million dollars…All this huff and stuff about a paradigm shift comes off as somewhat arrogant… Go to school … get an education… go to a football game or two and give it your best shot…. a little humility goes a long ways..
additionally, this article literally didn’t say anything meaningful. The point made was that our football program bouncing back will parallel the institution’s education. While I love SC football, even that is premature hype.
Couldn’t agree more Alex, it is very frustrating.
Or for that matter, stop prematurely anointing ourselves. Ego stroking doesn’t lead to pride. Rather, it leads to ignorance.
Yet it is still impossible to find a TA, or for that matter, a Gen Ed that isn’t a complete joke here…. maybe we stop raising buildings and start focusing on the basics.