‘Trojan Family’ is not just a saying


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I thought it was stupid. I was standing on the steps of the Physical Education building, overlooking Cromwell field. It was my freshman orientation, and I was stuck there, surrounded by people I didn’t know, being forced to perform that outrageously obnoxious two-finger-V-thing as a 10-piece segment of the Trojan Marching Band blared Tribute to […]

Sterling situation raises questions


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When Daily Trojan Editorial Director Yasmeen Serhan pitched a story about President Barack Obama decrying the racist statements made by Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling earlier this week, I was reluctant to pick it up. Everyone and their mom (including mine) had an opinion about Donald Sterling’s racist comments at that point, so I […]

Change of plans paid off perfectly


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It wasn’t supposed to end like this. Four years ago, as I waited anxiously for my college decision letters to arrive, I envisioned how it would all play out — my dream school would accept me, the school whose posters and jerseys covered the walls of my bedroom, and I’d get to go to college […]

USC has produced exciting moments


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When I first applied to USC in the fall of 2009, I figured I was applying to a school that would continue its athletic dominance — specifically in football — across my four years in college. Pete Carroll was still the head football coach and a freshman phenom named Matt Barkley was showcasing the promise […]

Calhoun has a true love for the game


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His name is Eric Calhoun, and if you’ve ever been to a USC baseball game, you know who he is. He is always the loudest, most boisterous fan at Dedeaux Field — the first to start a “Let’s go Trojans!” chant when the team needs a rally, or to urge the opponent to “quit stalling, […]

USC to lead the pack with defense


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When you think of smash-mouth defenses in college football, it’s hard not to rattle off a list of SEC programs that come to mind. Alabama, Auburn, Florida, LSU — all of these names carry a distinct aura of having the type of physical ballhawks and devastating strength in the trenches that evoke a certain brand […]

Spring game was just for show


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On Saturday, as the start time for USC’s spring game grew closer, play had already begun in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where the Alabama offense sputtered in its first spring game under new offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin. Over 2,000 miles away from here, the Crimson Tide failed to score an offensive touchdown until midway through the third […]

Trojans will thrive in playoff system


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It’s no secret that brand names drive TV ratings in sports. The NFL, the NBA and college football are all the same in this regard: Big names sell tickets and draw attention. As legendary as Boise State’s victory over Oklahoma was in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl, it was also one of the lowest-rated games of […]

Wesley’s choice will haunt the Trojans


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USC basketball fans would like to forget this past season, when the Trojans only won two conference games. But first-year head coach Andy Enfield and fans got even more bad news on Wednesday when junior forward Byron Wesley, the team’s leading scorer from last season, announced that he would transfer and use his final year […]

Sarkisian made the right QB decision


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On Tuesday, as predicted by just about everyone, coach Steve Sarkisian named Cody Kessler as USC’s starting quarterback. This news comes as no surprise to anyone who has watched spring ball this year (or read my column last week). “He’s earned it and he deserves it,” Sarkisian said of Kessler. Indeed, last season’s starter was […]