Student amps up career


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Peter Lee Johnson, a sophomore majoring in popular music performance, is at the forefront of the rebellion that our generation heralds, but he once shared in the same uncertainty that most college applicants face amid the cautionary din of overzealous parents. From the age of 4 Johnson was immersed in classical music, a hobby that […]

Restored film takes a twist on fairy tale


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In 2009, the digitally restored print of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger’s classic, The Red Shoes, debuted at the Cannes Film Festival. This marked the final chapter in a seven-year restoration effort led by Martin Scorsese and longtime editor Thelma Schoonmaker. Last July, a copy of the print was released by Criterion on DVD and […]

City’s transition leads to a renewed sense of community


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While the dust is settling on USC’s latest overhauls — University Gateway apartments and the Commons-turned-Ronald Tutor Campus Center — Los Angeles is going through a long overdue remodel. Just as the stale square building in the center of campus has been replaced with a lofty community center flanked by an expansive plaza, neighborhoods across […]

Twitter gives USC students new avenue for information


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To Tweet or not to Tweet? That is the question. After signing up for Twitter, I found myself compelled to Tweet something as proof of my membership. With no followers, my first tweet in May 2009 read, “ah twitter confuses me,” and after a few more insignificant status updates that week, @Beccalett remained out of […]

Hungry? Try some Korean classics


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It’s that time of year again. You trudge into the new semester, lugging boxes of clothes, furniture, stationery and assorted Old Navy flip-flops into a bare room, excited or not to start unpacking and decorating your new home. Whether or not you call yourself a foodie, a more pressing matter is at hand — stocking […]

A series of tubes that won’t go away


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I got the title for my Internet-themed column from ex-Senator Ted Stevens’ comments on net neutrality. In 2006, Stevens mixed up the words “Internet” and “e-mail,” and then gave an incorrect account of how e-mail traffic works, saying that “[the Internet is] not a big truck — it’s a series of tubes.” It seemed at […]

Grub on! Explore USC’s best in chow


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We all love to rant about $8 Caesar salads or the “Italian food” at Everybody’s Kitchen, but between questionable prices and soggy pasta, USC has a few well-kept secrets, both on campus or within walking distance. The wise senior has probably discovered all of these, but has long since forgone a meal plan and might […]

Indie rock survives in oppressive Tehran


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The formation of underground music scenes is hardly a novel concept. In the United States, music countercultures have always flourished when political tensions peak and carbon copies of a particular sonic trend flood the airwaves. The rock subgenre of punk pierced the flower-child movement as early as 1967 with harder-edged groups like the Stooges and […]

Stranded in Europe at the mercy of ash


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It’s midnight on a Sunday as I write my very last column of the semester from a computer at a hostel in Prague. Only at this time of night can I avoid the dirty looks I’d normally get for commandeering the sole machine with Internet access. On a computer without Microsoft Office, Google Docs has […]

Stallone’s Expendables unites action film elites


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There was once a time when action films ruled cinema. But these were not the action films of today, which safely harbor a PG-13 rating. These films glorified their R rating and ushered in as much on-screen violence, sexuality and as many cheesy one-liners as possible. The 1980s showcased these over-the-top action films best. And […]