Cougars and “cougars”: Alumni, students unite for Trojan Family Weekend 

The sounds of the Trojan Marching Band resonated throughout Alumni Park Thursday,  signifying the beginning of Trojan Family Weekend 2022. The four-day-long event gave families the opportunity to attend over 200 varying lectures, workshops and tours, a Trojan Family Weekend Tailgate, an “A Flock of Seagulls” concert and more. 

The annual celebration gives families the inside scoop into life at USC — however, some family members may already be acquainted with the life of a Trojan. For USC alumni, Trojan Family Weekend offers a chance to relive the past while comparing their experiences with their children’s. 

“[USC has] changed a lot,” said alumna Leah Solter, who graduated from the College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 1998. “But the basic feeling of campus is the same.”

Leah’s daughter, Jordyn Solter, decided to follow in her family’s footsteps and attend the same school as her mother, which became known as the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences in 2011. 

“I was very excited [to hear Jordyn got accepted], and I think [she] would say I definitely tried to nudge her in the direction [of USC],” Leah said. 

Jordyn, a freshman majoring in psychology, believes that Trojan Family Weekend couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“[Trojan Family Weekend] comes at a perfect time because I think it’s a time [when] a lot of people may start feeling homesick or missing their parents or siblings,” Jordyn said. 

Students weren’t the only ones delighted to see their families, though — Leah noted the excitement she had at visiting her daughter at her alma mater. 

“I’m looking forward to [being] on campus, [being] at a game and [being] a part of the whole community again,” Leah said. 

Before kicking off the game against the Washington State Cougars, USC hosted a Trojan Family Tailgate within Alumni Park, which boasted an assortment of photo booths, games, activities, food and drinks. 

Alongside the Trojan Family Tailgate, numerous other specifically catered tailgates existed for families to attend. The Glorya Kaufman School of Dance, the USC Caruso Catholic Center and the Thornton School of Music’s Music Industry Department each held their own events, offering families a place to connect with the people their children may have met through their new student communities at USC.

For the Solter family, attending various tailgates before the football game allowed Leah and Jordyn to bond over shared experiences and make memories together.

“I know when my mom went here, she really enjoyed the tailgates,” Jordyn said. “I’m excited to experience those with her, as I think they’ve changed a lot from when she was here.” 

Each Trojan lives a unique life at USC — while some choose to emphasize the gameday lifestyle, some dedicate their time more strictly to their studies. Alumna Marie Clemente graduated from the Dworak-Peck School of Social Work in 1996 and looked forward to getting a new perspective of campus at the Family Weekend tailgates — one from the eyes of an observer rather than a doer. 

“I really didn’t have the chance to know the culture of the school that well [when I attended USC], it was mostly professional,” Clemente said. 

Clemente noted the connections she was able to make through her time at USC, a school often acknowledged for their strong and broad alumni network. According to College Consensus, USC has “one of the best alumni networks in the nation.” Leah Solter recounts getting frequent messages from the USC Alumni Association over the years.

“I feel like in the last 24 years, since I graduated, [USC has kept] in constant communication,” Leah said. “[The Alumni Association reaches] out, they send a lot of information [and] they always want to include the alumni.” 

The Alumni Association has over 35,500 followers on Facebook, and is used to spread information regarding current USC and alumni events.

Both Jordyn and Leah Solter agreed that even before Jordyn had even applied to USC, the support from alumni was significant. 

“I feel like all the alumni want to help all the current students or future students, just because the [USC community] is so great,” Leah said. 

Leah acknowledges one of the reasons behind their family’s three generations of attendance at USC — including during Trojan Family Weekend — was the deep commitment of the alumni. 

“I think the alumni always want to be a part of everything that’s going on with USC,” Leah said.