The USC Helenes set up tables inside Taper Hall and Salvatori Hall to distribute free N95 masks to students from 9 a.m. to noon Monday and Tuesday. The Air Quality Index at University Park Campus has been as high as “unhealthy” in the last week due to multiple active wildfires in Los Angeles, according to the University’s Environmental Health & Safety website. 

In a University-wide email, USC provided an N95 request form. Alara Berkmen, the Helenes’ director of community outreach and a junior majoring in biomedical engineering, said while she appreciated the form, it was easy for University emails to get lost amid the high volume of back-to-school communication. Berkmen said the goal of the Helenes’ mask distribution project was to make masks accessible and noticeable for students going to class.

“I’m glad [USC has] been sharing on-campus opportunities by other organizations, but I wish there was a little more initiative from the administration to be here and be boots on ground, rather than kind of flooding emails,” Berkmen said. “When I was a freshman, the emails alone were a lot. Now there’s a wildfire, and people are losing everything, and it’s just a lot going on.”

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Between classes, students, staff and faculty stopped by the Helenes’ table to pick up masks and ask about the group’s distribution efforts. Berkmen said the response from students had been “really nice,” including an offer from the Graduate Student Government to sponsor up to $2,500 worth of masks.

Berkmen said the wildfires in L.A. reminded her of the August 2023 wildfires that devastated Maui, where she grew up. Berkmen said those memories inspired her to use her position with the Helenes to help community members stay safe.

“During the Maui fires, the most difficult part was really not having a platform … it was so paralyzing. This time around, I wanted to act faster,” Berkmen said. “With USC announcing, pretty definitively, that they were starting on Monday last week, I thought one of the most important things right now is to protect people around me.”

Priscila Villegas, a general member of the Helenes and a junior majoring in applied and computational mathematics as well as data science, said she wanted to help distribute masks to support the USC community during a time of change and fluctuation. 

“It’s really important to serve our community, especially in this time of need,” Villegas said. “Especially with masks, those can be a really limited resource. So having [masks] to give out to the student body is really important.”

Halle Hunt, a junior majoring in cognitive science as well as philosophy, said because the Helenes are a spirit and service organization at USC, it was important for the club to support the USC and South Central community by helping them stay safe as the air quality fluctuated.    

“We’ve been known as the official hosts of the University for over 100 years, so it’s really important that we continue to lead our community and provide them with support in whatever way possible,” Hunt said. “This is just another way that we try to serve our community.” 

Berkmen said one of the biggest things the Helenes look for in members is a longstanding commitment to community service, and that the Helenes were “so supportive” of the mask distribution project, with members volunteering for every available slot.

“I’m really proud of our organization. We’ve all really showed up and showed out,” Berkmen said. “I just want to emphasize how much service means to us and how much I want to build up our personal identity on campus and our presence.”