Category Archives: Outlook

Adult Responsibilities, L.A. Life, New Experience, Outlook, Sight Seeing, USC

Southern Hospitality

By Kalan Leaks

[3 minute read]

As I write this, I am realizing that this semester will be my final one as an undergraduate attending the University of Southern California. It’s been quite a journey from being a bright-eyed and bushy-tailed freshman to being a nonplussed engineer with bags under his eyes. Living in Los Angeles has taught me so much about the world as well as myself. Its many charms have won me over despite some of its flaws. However, as the time until graduation slips ever closer, my mind wanders towards my first home in the Southern part of the United States.

I was born in Blytheville, Arkansas, at 11:37 pm on October 28th.  Blytheville is on the northeastern side of Arkansas, so if you wanted to take a quick vacation, Tennessee and Missouri are only minutes away. Arkansas itself has a few interesting, noteworthy quirks. The state gem is a diamond due to the fact that Arkansas is the only state that produces diamonds, and it produces more rice than any other state. Also, for some reason, our state beverage is milk.

Photo by Christian Mack on Unsplash

Blytheville only has a population of around 15,000 people-that’s smaller than USC’s current undergraduate population and almost 3 times smaller than USC’s total student population! If that astonishes you, then you would be surprised to know that the neighboring town of Dell, Arkansas, has a population of only 250 people. Blytheville is a town that takes pride in agriculture and small town charm. You only have to drive a few minutes outside of town before riding along cotton or wheat fields at your side just waiting to be harvested. A benefit of living in a small town is that you get to know everyone in your community. It reminds me of an old television show that would air late at night called Cheers. The theme song would say, “…where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.” To me, that’s Blytheville.

However, the downside to living in a small town is, ironically, that everyone in the community knows you and your family. If you happen to get into trouble at school, your family will probably hear the story from five different people by the time you get home. So, you have plenty of incentive to be on your best behavior.

Continue reading Southern Hospitality →
activism, L.A. Life, Outlook, USC

Learning About Homelessness in LA

 By Jason Her

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

As a social work student living in Los Angeles, I often wondered about the homeless crisis shown on the news and the actions being taken to assist this population. This made me question many things about the situation, and I wondered how it had gotten this bad. Coincidentally, this led me to an internship working with the homeless population, an opportunity that was unexpected, but that allowed me to gain a better understanding of the crisis we are facing. 

Photo by Sean Benesh on Unsplash

Although there are many reasons why one may experience homelessness, contributing factors are state and federal policies. An example is the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act in 1967 which led the state government to deinstitutionalize mentally ill patients. California was one of the first states to do so. Some may argue this was a good thing, but as a result, victimization, homelessness, and increased rates of incarceration occurred. This was followed by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (OBRA, which President Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1987). It decreased federal funding to the states and gave patients the choice to seek treatment outside of a mental institution, have the option to seek treatments at clinics at the state level, and have the freedom to administer their own medication. An ethical move in the eyes of the federal government, but as we know, the mentally ill are amongst the most vulnerable populations in society because most cannot make sound decisions. As a consequence of these policies, mental illness has become prevalent in the homeless population, making it a difficult problem to tackle.

Aside from these policies, another factor that has contributed to the homeless crisis in Los Angeles is the destruction of single-room occupancy hotels in Skid Row. These single-room occupancies were the most affordable housing mostly used by transient, immigrant men who worked to build railroads around the mid-19th century. In the 20th century, men from the rest of the United States who headed west for employment would often end up on Skid Row, where they could find housing, food, or shelter of some kind. Over the years, it would house the city’s working poor, unemployed, disabled, and otherwise marginalized residents. But between 1950 and 2000, 15,000 residential hotel apartments that were once single-room-occupancy were destroyed, forcing thousands of people onto the city’s shelters and sidewalks.

Photo by Christian Gabele on Unsplash
Continue reading Learning About Homelessness in LA →
Adult Responsibilities, Advice, Identity, lifestyle, Outlook, seasonal, student life

Rediscover Your Future Prospects

By Iric Hong

Edited by Natalie Grace Sipula

[3 minute read]

With the outcome of the COVID-19 pandemic still relatively unknown, it has become harder and harder to predict what the future will hold. With that in mind, it is equally difficult to plan ahead, whether your plans are for schooling, job prospects, or even something as personal as one’s own health concerns. Especially with the current status quo of American politics, it is very difficult to formulate a game plan to tackle future obstacles. While the future has in the past been a lit street with diverging paths, this same future is now a foggy street with low visibility and there is no one to rely on but yourself and your ingenuity. How can you take advantage of the resources around you to light your path?

Some things that I have found that are of great value during this time did not seem like an option for me during less stressful times. But now that most outside activities are prohibited, the only thing people can do is utilize the online resources we have at our disposal. The first thing that I found very helpful in relighting my future path was Linkedin Learning. Previously known as Lynda, this has been a resource that was available to anyone who seeks it; the only issue was the amount of time we had on our hands. Now things are different, and we do have the time to manually relight the path to our desired future. 

Photo by Mimi Thian on Unsplash

Linkedin Learning is available through your USC account and comes with a myriad of courses that ranges from business skills to creative design, and even more technical computer skills. So whether you had your eyes set on one specific goal or you had no tangible goal yet, there are many concepts that can be explored on Linkedin Learning. As a matter of fact, the resources on the platform could very easily help you narrow down your desired path. I, for example, had the opportunity to explore various types of computer programs that I would have not had the opportunity to explore from just my core courses alone. Therefore, not only can you find new resources to explore personal interests, but this tool can also help give you some direction and skills to follow your desired career path.

Continue reading Rediscover Your Future Prospects →