USC Hoops!

The USC basketball season  has begun. Here's a note from Pat Haden, Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair outlining some exciting updates for the 2011-2012 year. For more info and a schedule, also check out the following links.

Dear Trojan Fans,

I am excited to begin another great year of basketball for USC!  ...

Men’s coach Kevin O’Neill has his team vying for their 5th NCAA Tournament berth in 6th years, while Women’s coach Michael Cooper has his team ranked #23 heading into the season. It’s going to be an exciting year for hoops fans at Galen Center!

Just as you’ve seen with our improvements to football game day at the Coliseum, we’ve also been hard at work to improve your Galen Center experience as well. Here are just a few of the items you’ll notice at our basketball games this year:

1.       Reduced Ticket Prices and Fees

We have reduced ticket prices across the board for both our men’s and women’s basketball games. In addition, for men’s games we have added three pricing tiers for each game to allow you to have more selection and value when you choose to bring your family or friends to a game. We’ve also cut print-at-home fees in half and eliminated others all together. We want our basketball programs to be a terrific value for your entertainment dollar.

2.       Improved Concessions

Working in conjunction with our Galen Center concessionaire, we’ve pledged to improve food variety and quality while reducing the average wait time at each concession stand. You’ll see these improvements unveiled throughout the early season, culminating with a test of in-seat ordering by season’s end.

3.       Kennedy Founders' Room Improvements

For our support group members with access to the Kennedy Founders' Room, we’ve made significant changes this year. For the first time we’re serving both food and drinks in the bar area of the Founders' Room, as well as our traditional full buffet dinner option. We’ve also increased the size of the bar service areas to reduce lines and wait time. In addition, Head Coach Kevin O’Neill will be speaking in the Founders' Room one hour prior to tipoff at each men’s game to give a preview of what to expect in that night’s game.

4.       Pregame and Postgame Activities

Based on positive feedback from last season, we’re adding pregame FanFest as a regular event at all men’s games and select women’s games this year. In the Hall of Fame area on the lower level you will find a variety of fun activities including face painting by the Helenes, sign making, pictures with the Song Girls and Dance Force, pop-a-shot, arcade games, and novelty concessions.

After men’s games Coach Kevin O’Neill will go live on the ESPN 710 postgame radio show and we’ll broadcast the audio throughout the Galen Center.

5.       Student Attendance

We all know that nothing impacts the atmosphere at gameslike a loud and rambunctious student section.  This year we are doing more than ever to engage our students to get them to support all our Galen Center sports. We’re working closely with student groups to promote games, developed a loyalty points program, delivering free student section pizza at all games, planning more student giveaways, and more.

6.       Parking

To help ensure parking access to our games is easy for you, our staff has worked with University Parking and LA Department of Transportation to increase staffing and traffic control to minimize delays. We will have all entrances and exits open at the Galen Center garage, as well as traffic control officers in place for our larger crowds.

7.       Game Day App

Coming off the heels of our incredibly popular football Game Day App, we’re in the process of developing a similar app for Galen Center events. We anticipate this being ready in December and if you’ve downloaded the Football App no further download will be required as an app update will be available.

8.       Arena Improvements

You will notice cosmetic improvements throughout Galen Center. Similar to the new painting of the Coliseum tunnel, we’ve painted all four entry tunnels cardinal and gold and decorated each with logos and Trojan imagery. We’ve also painted or decorated significant portions of the grey concrete visible from your seats. Further improvements to the concourses are in the planning stages.

9.       Ticket Transfer and Turnback

Finally, with 17 home men’s basketball games this year it’s likely you won’t be able to attend every single game. For those nights when other commitments keep you from Galen Center, we have new free online services for you to email your tickets to a friend or even give them back to USC Basketball. 

It’s critical for our teams to have a home court advantage caused by a full crowd of Trojan fans. When you can’t make it to a game, please do all you can to find a fan to use your tickets. If you prefer, you can use our “Ticket Turnback” webpage to send the tickets back to us and we’ll find a local organization or other deserving fans to give your tickets to.

We hope that these improvements lead to a better game day experience for all our fans. We are working hard to make USC known as a perennial basketball power, and we can only do it with the support of great fans like you. I look forward to seeing you at Galen Center this season.

Fight On!

Pat Haden
Charles Griffin Cale Director of Athletics' Chair

Homecoming 2011

Fight On! The USC Homecoming is Nov. 12 and TJA will be a part of the Pre-game tailgating festivities. Look for the TJA Merchandise Booth in the Gold Marketplace on Trousdale in front of the Pharmacy. and stop by to check out some super cute baby, toddler and pet items.

Here's a preview of what will be for sale and you can check out more great products on our Facebook page. All proceeds go toward Trojan Junior Auxiliary Scholarships for Junior and Senior students and money raised is matched by the University. For 2011-2012 TJA awarded 6 scholarships of $3000.

See you Saturday!

Decal, 5X6" Removable, reusable -$5

                                                             

 Garden Gnome - $35

white maternity T-Shirt w/ "Future Trojan On Board" logo

available in medium, large, and XL

$26

Metal pail w/ handle

USC Trojans logo (on front and back)

17 Qt size - $30 or 5 Qt size - $20

"This is how I roll." text

USC stroller w/ baby "fight on" symbol.

Available in red onesie with a white logo. or white with a red logo,

sizes 6 mos, 12 mos, and 18 mos.

$20 

"Future Trojan" text with USC Rocking Horse logo

ORGANIC heather grey Toddler Shirt

available in sizes 2T, 3T and 4T.

$20 

red bandana, yellow bone logo w/ "Trojan Pup" text

available in size Small and Large

$15 

                                           

Trojan Sweetheart Tank Top w/ cardinal & gold "Trojan Sweetheart" logo

available in size large and XL

Heather Grey T-Shirt with cardinal & gold "Trojan Sweetheart" logo

available in size large

$24 

Homecoming 2011 with George C. Tirebiter!

And for those Tirebiters in your life, TJA will be selling pet bandanas.  Come stop by our booth and pick one up for your little or big Trojan Pup!

red bandana, yellow bone logo w/ "Trojan Pup" text

available in size Small and Large
$15 + shipping

If you're interested in purchasing one ahead of the big day, please email our Products Chair Randyn at specialprojects@usctja.com.

And stay tuned for even more products showing up in TJA's blog!

USC's New Graphic Identity Launch

From the desk of President C.L. Max Nikias:

I am pleased to announce the official launch of USC’s new graphic identity, a system that provides a strong, consistent look for the university across a range of media and materials. This program includes a redesigned USC logo and monogram, as well as updated typefaces, and comes with the enthusiastic approval of the university’s Board of Trustees.

Our new look and design reflect many elements of our previous graphic identity, including the use of the university shield, taken directly from our historic seal. As a community, we endeavor to integrate this new system into all USC materials within one year.

This change signals USC’s continued evolution and ascent. As USC assumes its place among the world’s leading research universities, and as we launch our historic fundraising campaign and a new strategic vision for the university, we must strengthen and align our graphic identity to reflect the exceptional caliber of our students, faculty, academic units, and programs. It is vital that all schools and units fully embrace this change; as a community, we must present ourselves in a bold, clear, and consistent manner.

USC’s previous graphic identity—produced by Saul Bass of Bass Yager Associates in 1994— was extremely successful, having significantly increased awareness and recognition of USC throughout the world. However, given the dramatic proliferation of digital media with various internet, mobile, and electronic platforms, as well as the tremendous growth of named entities within the university, the time had come for us to reimagine our graphic identity system. To this end, USC partnered with the venerable design firm Pentagram, which has a solid track record with our peer institutions and a range of corporations, to produce a graphic identity system that works across a range of media, while ensuring that USC regains a cohesive look.

Throughout this process, University Communications consulted with groups across our campuses, including several schools and academic departments; Admissions and Planning; University Advancement; USC Purchasing; and USC Trademarks and Licensing. Additional information regarding the new graphic identity system, including a style guide and a list of contacts, is available at: http://identity.usc.edu/.

Today we turn a page in USC’s long and storied narrative, and begin a fresh chapter in our university’s celebrated history. In a very literal sense, we will write our story with new tools, ones that reflect our community’s collective ambition, optimism, and creativity. We all look forward to writing that story together, and to producing our shared story as a strongly unified community.

USC to add Sixth Trait of a Trojan

Dear Trojans,

Every member of the USC community is familiar with the five “Traits of a Trojan” that we hold dear:  Faithful, Scholarly, Skillful, Courageous, and Ambitious.  These are the characteristics that distinguish USC students, faculty, and staff and are core values that bring us together as a community. 

This year, we propose the adoption of a sixth trait into our Trojan lexicon:  Considerate.  While we aren’t suggesting that we carve this word into the base of the Tommy Trojan statue, let’s etch it in our minds as we teach and learn from one another, as we connect with Trojans and friends across the globe, and as we traverse our campuses. 

To reflect this, on behalf of the collective university leadership, we announce the launch of a new We are Considerate.  We are USC. campaign this fall.  This campaign will encompass various initiatives over the course of the next few years, but our initial foray will focus on safety and consideration of one another as we navigate our University Park Campus, particularly on bikes and skateboards.

As you know, USC has experienced a remarkable transformation into a residential university within the last decade, which has resulted in an enormous increase in the number of Trojans who bike, skateboard, and use other wheeled transportation on our campus pathways.

We have engaged in a multi-year discussion regarding how to preserve a safer and user-friendly setting for everyone, including pedestrians, riders, and drivers.  This process has included the creation of several university committees, work with campus engineers to address short and intermediate-term fixes, and the commission of traffic and transportation experts to define and assess various long-term options.  We have made significant changes to our policies for cars, trucks, and carts on campus, which has resulted in notable improvements related to safety and access, especially in the center of campus.  To culminate our work this year, we have hired consultants who are well-versed in developing broad-based university solutions—working with faculty, staff, and students—to guide our efforts in creating a comprehensive plan that addresses pedestrians and riders.  

In the meantime, effective this month, the university will adopt the following guidelines, which will be posted throughout campus.

• Share the Pathways and Yield to Pedestrians. On all walkways throughout the university, bikers should use the right side and foot traffic should use the left side.
• Walk your Bikes. In heavily-trafficked areas and crosswalks, dismount and walk your bike. This includes Trousdale Parkway, Childs Way, and near the Lyon Recreation Center.
• Encourage Safety. Model safe and courteous bike/rider behavior and remind offenders that Trojans are considerate.
• Park It. Bikes should be parked in designated parking racks. Parking your bike in front of a building entrance/exit or a handicap ramp will result in impounding.
• Watch the Road. When riding your bike, focus on riding. Distractions such as cell phones, headphones, or riding “hands-free” increase accidents.

We know that consideration of other riders and pedestrians is essential to our safety and to ensuring the safety of those around us.  But, as Trojans, we know it’s also the right thing to do.  We welcome your feedback in this effort.  Send us an email with your questions, thoughts, and suggestions:  bikesafe@usc.edu.

Join us in launching our We are Considerate.  We are USC. campaign at a campus-wide rally in front of Tommy Trojan next month:  November 7, 2011, at 12 p.m.  We will unveil our sixth “Trait of a Trojan,” give away t-shirts, and celebrate our Trojan spirit.  We hope to see you there!

Fight on!

Homecoming 2011

Here's more details on the festivities ...

Homecoming 2011

November 12, 2011
8:30AM-12:30PM

USC Trojans vs. Washington Huskies
Los Angeles Coliseum
Kickoff: 12:30 p.m.

About 100,000 alumni are expected to attend and official information is available from the USC Alumni Association here.

Are you on Twitter? Follow USC Alumni Assoc. and participate in the Homecoming Challenge. You could win some cool prizes, including a weekend stay at the Westin Bonaventure and a free course from USC Marshall Executive Education.

Here's more info on the challenge and other giveaway opportunities.

Stay tuned for more info on TJAs Homecoming plans!

Alumni Leadership Conference Recap (part two)

To figure out what we're talking about, go to Part One.


As promised, this is the post detailing the breakout sessions featured at the 2011 Alumni Leadership Conference.  TJA Members decided to split up and each attend a different session so that everything would be covered adequately.

Parliamentarian Janine attended the session entitled "Personalizing Communications in the Internet Era", which featured four panelists: 

• Dr. Mitchell Lew (President-Elect, USC Alumni Association and Past President, USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association)
• Suzzanna Martinez (VP of Communications, USC Alumni Club of Colorado)
• Meribeth Farmer (Regional Board Chair, USC Alumni Clubs of the Bay Area, Past President, USC Alumni Club of the East Bay)
• Cheryl Collier (Senior Director, Alumni Communications and Marketing of the USC Alumni Association)

The panelists talked mainly about utilizing techniques such as e-newsletters, website enhancement and signature events to increase awareness of their clubs, which then translated into higher membership and attendance.

Highly stressed was the person-to-person aspect of the clubs- meeting and thanking each and every person that attended an event, phone calls and personal emails.  This face-to-face contact was also mentioned as important to gain sponsorship from companies.  Beth Garrett also touched on this during her presentation at the beginning of the conference.

Finally, a string of links were handed out to enhance our online resources:

http://alumni.usc.edu - Fight On!line, the USC online community

http://alumni.usc.edu/groups/us - US Regional Clubs

http://alumni.usc.edu/graphicresources - online repository of template, samples and logos

http://alumnigroups.usc.edu/harris - online Harris training materials

http://alumni.usc.edu/news/newsletters.html - enhanced USConnection

And from our President, Ashley, the following:

I attended the "Sustaining Success" workshop led by Rick Culley.  It was an interesting, engaging session that I really enjoyed!  Mr. Culley provides consulting services in Leadership Development, Strategic Planning and Executive Coaching, and shared some of his collective expertise with the audience.

His number one tip for sustaining success, was to be strategic, and have a big picture view of your organization.  This should include a vision, mission and goals, as vision is what inspires people.  He also emphasized some qualities of effective leaders, which includes having integrity, first and foremost. A leader is someone who has followers, and once you are a leader, you must also focus on developing the people who work with and for you.

We concluded the session with some great networking tips called the "three cards".  The three cards are comprised of the Greeting, Business and Playing cards.  When in a networking situation, you should lead with your Greeting card (who you are), follow with the Business card (what you do) and then the Playing card (why you are there, what you have to offer).  The audience practiced these tips, and it really worked!

Overall it was a very engaging and informative discussion led by a dynamic USC alumnus.

Trojan League Happenings

Two events from Trojan Leagues:

Bosko's Band Barbeque

before the UCLA game 

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

Located at the Coliseum Opposite Tunnel 2 in the fenced area (Gates open at 2pm / kickoff at 7pm)

Great food, including "Top Secret Trojan Tri Tip" a la Johnston / Casa Herrera / Norton

Farmer John's Official Hot Dog of LA - bacon wrapped or naked

Bartner's Brats, Barbara's Baked Beans and Kiffin's Koleslaw

Chicken and vegan requests are available!

Includes...a FULL OPEN BAR serving Bottomless Booze!

A Special Appearance by the Trojan Marching Band and the Song Girls for a 15-minute Concert to get us in the mood for the Game!

Minimum donation is $40 per person (Children under 10 are $10 and under 5 are free)

For information:  Directors Rex and Sandy Johnston at (562) 628-9948 and rexsr@aa1services.com

and

Trojan League Associates of San Diego County Annual Day Trip to

Bowers Museum in Santa Ana

"Terra Cotta Warriors"

Tuesday, January 24th, 2012

8:15 am - board bus at La Costa Park N Ride

4:40 pm - approximate return to San Diego

Cost Per Person: $85.00

Includes transportation by luxurious bus, elegant lunch and guided tour of the museum.

Reservation must be received by November 30th, 2011

Send check made out to TLASDC to:

Kathy Strumm

P.O. Box 244

Rancho Santa Fe, CA 92067

November Events

There's lots going on for USC alumni this month. Here's a closer look.


November 2 - Ronald Tutor Campus Center Ballroom, University Park Campus
A WOUNDED WARRIOR'S EXPERIENCE AND PHYSICAL REHABILITATION
Join members of the community and USC veterans for a colloquium featuring Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. 1st Class (SFC) Leroy Petry and his physician, Dr. James Ficke.

November 3 – Bovard Auditorium, University Park Campus
LINES Ballet
The Bay Area's celebrated contemporary dance company presents two signature works, Rasa and Refraction.

November 6 – San Antonio Winery, Los Angeles
THE BUSINESS OF WINE IN CALIFORNIA
Enjoy a tour, tasting and panel discussion with Trojans who grow, make and market world-class wines.

November 2 – 23 - Online
WEBINAR: CREATING SUCCESS IN THE INTERNATIONAL MARKETPLACE
Learn about doing business globally and update your best practices through this USC Marshall Executive Education online seminar.

November 17 – Student Union, University Park Campus
LEVERAGING YOUR SKILLS AS A CONSULTANT
Learn how to create a steady stream of entrepreneurial income and establish your brand as an independent consultant.