About the Coliseum

The Coliseum is a rich part of both USC and Los Angeles history and tradition, and on February 1, the Coliseum Commission will meet to decicde the future of the stadium. USC has been a tenant for almost 90 years and the commission will be considering the University's master lease proposal. The master lease would enable USC to take on responsibility for necessary repair and renovation work that will move the faciltiy into the future.

 

Here's what ESPN reported about the negotiations, and below is the official word from Scott M. Mory, Esq. , Associate Senior Vice President and CEO, USC Alumni Association.

 

Dear Fellow Trojan: One of the most frequent questions I get when I am visiting with USC alumni and friends has to do with the status of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. As the Coliseum Commission is at a critical moment in deciding the future of this historical landmark we all treasure, I wanted to take this opportunity to bring you up to speed on where things stand. USC has been a tenant of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for close to 90 years. In recent years, the Coliseum Commission has been unable to fulfill its obligations under the current lease to make much-needed repairs to the aging facility. As such, USC is seeking to amend its lease. Under the proposed new lease agreement, USC would manage daily operations of the Coliseum, allow continued community access and make the necessary investments to repair and restore the historic stadium. This proposed modified lease is an opportunity to restore a historic gem that is part of the fabric of the city. USC is willing and able to take on the financial responsibility of improving the Coliseum for future generations of Angelenos and Californians. USC will remain a tenant, but with greater ability to make improvements for the benefit of all. USC has a proven track record of opening up its campus facilities to its surrounding neighbors, as well as the general public. Currently, the Coliseum only hosts a few public events a year. Under the proposed new lease, the number of public events would increase significantly. As a member of the Trojan Family, your support of the proposed amended lease for USC is crucial. Please take a moment to e-mail the Coliseum Commission and let them know that you support the amended lease. You can e-mail the Commission at comments@lacoliseum.com. A suggested message of support is: "I am a resident of California and proud alum of the University of Southern California. I am writing to express my support for a modified lease for USC that would allow the university to make the needed improvements to preserve the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the community and region for generations to come." Please be sure to indicate your name and the city you live in in your e-mail. The Commission is meeting on February 1 to consider the proposed amended lease, so please submit your comment before then. If you have any questions about USC and the Coliseum, please contact David Galaviz, executive director of Local Government Relations. On behalf of all my colleagues at USC and the USC Alumni Association, thank you for your support. Fight On! Scott M. Mory, Esq. Associate Senior Vice President and CEO, USC Alumni Association

Members Only!

Get 'em while you can ladies! Thanks to the creative talents of our Parlimentarian, Janine Coleman, TJA has a brand new, cute and comfy, v-neck t-shirt, created exclusively for members. Janine describes the process of bringing the shirts to life here.

"The inspiration for the creating the 'members only' t-shirts came from the Helenes. I've always liked the idea of having 'special' low-cost merchandize that only our members could wear, and so I brought it up with Randyn [Special Projects] and Ashley [TJA President], both of whom were on board. We then polled the general membership to make sure that the rest of TJA was interested- luckily, they were!

"The design phase started by searching the internet for women's shirts affiliated with USC, to get an idea of what was already out there. I designed about six differing logos for the general membership to vote on, all incorporating our group name, the Trojan Head and a heart, playing off of our "Trojan Sweetheart" theme that we've used in the past. 

 "The chosen design went back and forth between us and USC's trademarks, who were worried that it resembled a retired Victoria's Secret shirt design a little too much. The final logo was a compromise of sorts, but came out beautifully on our v-neck tees in dark grey. I'm very pleased with how they look!"

TJA member t-shrits  - "Love" em!

Upcoming Events

There's a lot going on for TJA members and USC Alumni in the next few weeks. Here's a look.

USC IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD-ORANGE COUNTY
January 24, 2012
Pacific Club
Get the latest on the state of the university and learn about the world of ultar-realistic digital animation from guest speaker Paul Debevec, associate director for graphics research at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies. Click here for details.

USC AISIAN PACIFIC ALUMNI ASSOCIATION THEATER NIGHT
January 25, 2012
Pantages Theater
Join the APAA for "Wicked." Click here for tickets and details.

DOWNTOWN LA TROJANS BAR REVIEW: PERCH
February 2, 2012, 6 PM
Perch
Join the USC Alumni Club of Downtown Los Angeles for the kick-off of its new series of monthly bar socials. RSVP here.  

ALUMNI NIGHT AT USC THORNTON SYMPHONY
February 9, 2012, 6 PM
Bovard Auditorium
Admission includes reception and concert. Click here for tickets and details.

TROJAN SCUPPER
February 12, 2012, 6 PM
Alumni House
TJA will be co-hosting the event with the Young Alumni Council. Stay tuned for details! 

FEBRUARY TJA MEETING
February 13, 2012, 5 PM
Regular monthly meeting with early start time for scholarship application review


USC SINGLES CONNECTION
February 19, 2012
Ozumo-Santa Monica Place, 6:30 PM
Join fellow USC alumni for a professional singles-only mixer. More details are available here.

SFV WINE MIXER
February 22, 2012, 6 PM
Left Coast Wine Bar & Gallery
The USC Alumni Association of the San Fernando Valley is hosting an evening of wine and good times. Register here. 

USC WOMEN'S CONFERENCE
March 1, 2012, 8:00AM – 5:00PM
The third annual Women's Conference will include speakers and discussions to empower and inspire. Register here by February 24.


MARCH TJA MEETING
March 12, 2012, 6:30 PM
Regular monthly meeting 

USC ALUMNI DAY OF SCERVICE
March 24, 2012
TJA will be participating ... more details to come!

Scholarships 2012-2013 ... It's on!

At the end of the semester six ladies will receive undergraduate degrees from USC, thanks, in part, to the scholarships they received from Trojan Junior Auxiliary. Each young woman is extraordinary in her own way, and each is sure to carry on the values of both the Trojan Family and TJA.

Now it's time to look ahead, and the search has begun for the next group of stellar scholarship recipients. Once again, TJA will award outstanding Junior and Senior women from Southern California who exemplify the Trojan spirit and our motto of  Friendship Scholarship, Leadership.

Each year, TJA receives applications from a number of well-qualified applicants and the selection process is tough. All TJA members have the opportunity to take an active role in choosing the recipients and it's always a rewarding experience for all.

To apply for the scholarship, eligible candidates must complete the online application form. Applications for 2012-2013 must be submitted by February 1, 2012. Once applications have been reviewed, top contenders will be contacted for in-person interviews.

If you know any stellar Trojans who fit the bill, encourage them to apply today! Good luck to all the candidates!

Meet the TJA Scholarship Recipients 2011-2012

Each year TJA honors outstanding USC junior and senior women with scholarships. Here's a look at the ladies who have received this year's awards. 

Marissa Fuhrer 

Marissa is a senior, majoring in communication with a minor in management consulting. She is currently the director of the Annenberg Ambassadors, director of Client Contact in Marshall's Trojan Consulting Group, and a residential advisor. During her time as a student, Marissa has interned at NBC Universal in recruiting, Nordstrom as a sales management intern, and Slate Professional Resources as a recruiting/ business development intern. After graduation, she plans to pursue either recruiting or business development.

Minnie Jan
Minnie is a senior, double majoring in Neuroscience and Kinesiology. Originally from Orange County, Calif., she began as a pre-medicine student. However, her fascination in kinesiology led her to physical therapy. She is heavily involved in several service organizations on campus, including Interaxon, an educational outreach program geared toward instigating curiosity of the sciences in students in the Compton area, and Global Water Brigades, an organization that gives students hands-on experience planning, developing, and building sustainable irrigation systems in rural areas of Honduras and Ghana. "My experience at USC has been a great opportunity that has inspired me to give back to the community and use my talents, skills, and knowledge in the field of physical therapy to benefit those around me," she says.

Alyson Keller
Alyson is a senior, pursuing a degree in communication with a double-minor in marketing and communication design. She serves as the president of her sorority, Delta Delta Delta, and has held an array of internships since coming to USC. She is currently employed as a sales assistant at Conde Nast Publications. "I come from a Trojan family and I am so grateful that scholarship organizations such as TJA have allowed me to continue my family's legacy," she says.

 

Sabha Salamah

Sabha is a senior and will be receiving a Bachelors of Science in Policy, Management, and Planning. She is also minoring in English and serves as an ambassador to the School of Policy, Planning, and Development. As a member of the Senior Advisory Board to the USC Office of Annual Giving, she helps raise funds for the senior gift and stresses the importance of giving back to the university. She also work in the USC Office of Admission as an intern. Upon graduation, Sabha hopes to pursue a career in policy and law that will enable her to serve communities which cannot help themselves in addressing civil rights matters. "It is because of my Trojan Junior Auxiliary Scholarship that I am able to aspire to all these things, and for that I am grateful to all the TJA ladies," she says.

Jackie Siegle

Jackie is a senior in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences studying psychology. She is active in various community service projects on campus including the Joint Educational Project, where she tutors children living in low-poverty areas in LA, and USC's Alternative Spring Break Program. While at USC, Jackie has held the positions of orientation advisor, resident advisor, and vice-president for the Psychology Honors Society. She recently returned from studying abroad in London.

Annie Wang

Annie is a senior, double majoring in neuroscience and biological sciences. At USC she has been actively involved in serving the Los Angeles community by providing blood glucose and blood pressure screenings to the underprivileged, teaching biology to disadvantaged high school students, and raising awareness of treatable eye diseases to at-risk groups. "I greatly enjoy conducting scientific research at USC," she says. Annie is also a part of various academic honor societies, including Alpha Lambda Delta (previously serving as Academic Chair), Alpha Epsilon Delta, and Phi Beta Kappa. Other activities she enjoys include playing taiko drums as a part of USC Kazan Taiko, playing violin, running, and cooking.

Fight on ladies!

January Meeting Recap

Last night was the first meeting of 2012 and it was a busy one! More than 30 ladies attended and dinner was sub sandwiches and chips. Benefit planning got underway and board members shared a number of exciting announcements.

Members who are interested in a professional photo session should contact TJA President Ashley and those ladies who want to help in a spring recruitment should speak with membership chair Michelle.

All told, the highlight of the evening was meeting three of the 2011-2012 TJA scholarship recipients. Check out the photo below and stay tuned for more details on these fabulous women!

Scholarship Chair 2010-2011 Dawn S., with scholarship recipients Sabha Salama,  Jackie Siegle, and Minnie Jan, and Scholarship Chair 2011-2012 Katie K. (left to right)

A Season of Celebrations

The cookies have been eaten and the presents opened. All told there was lots of holiday cheer to go around for TJA.

In November, several ladies gave Betty Crocker and Martha Stewart a challenge, at the first TJA cookie exchange. Hosted by new member Trisha Ashford and her parents it was a fun chance to sample a delicious assortment of cookies and traded recipe ideas. Cookies ranged from classic peanut butter to unusually delicious lentil cookies and even a pumpkin twist on classic chocolate chip. Everyone left with a plateful of treats to keep the sugar rush going long after the party ended!

In December, there was a record turnout for the annual holiday social. Even after wind knocked out power for several days, hostess Mary Jayne was determined to make the party a success. Fortunately the lights came back on just in time, and everyone enjoyed the potluck dinner and deserts.

Of course, no TJA holiday party is complete without the white elephant gift exchange. Popular items this year included a donut maker, Snuggie, popcorn set, and super cute cleaning/dish gloves.