FaSCinating Clubs
FaSCinating Clubs
With over 47,000 students at USC, it may seem hard to find your home on campus. But, with hundreds upon hundreds of clubs and organizations, there are so many ways to build community. With service organizations, cultural clubs, intramural sports, professional organizations, and so much more, you can truly find your home away from home and passions beyond the classroom. Below are just a few of USC’s most “faSCinating” clubs that can help students get involved, explore their passions and have some fun along the way!
840 West USC
Music is the universal language for this club! 840 West is a student-formed and operated record label out of the University of Southern California, with the mission of supporting USC artists in recording, marketing, licensing and distributing their music to the world. The club is open to all majors and, since it is a student run label, there is greater flexibility and financial support from USC. Students can then focus more on the music, creativity, and community, instead of focusing on financials and outside influences. Check out the club’s Instagram and follow its bio to listen to its most current singles.
Haute Magazine
Fashion, design, photography, writing and creativity—all in one! Haute Magazine is the University of Southern California's student-run art, fashion and culture publication. It is comprised of a team of students who are writers, designers, photographers and fundraising extraordinaires that collaborate to make something truly groundbreaking. The magazine features the work of current students, USC alumni, artists in the surrounding Los Angeles area and noteworthy national and international creators. The online publication has over 480,000 views to date and the numbers are truly growing every day. The magazine is awe inspiring and helps draw the most creative minds at USC to the forefront. Check out the most recent issue on its website.
Troy Camp
Troy Camp is one of USC's oldest and largest student-run philanthropies. USC students engage in educational, extracurricular and leadership programs to foster personal growth and instill the value of learning with local youth spanning from 3rd-12th grade. Troy Camp members help tutor and mentor, host a weeklong summer camp, and hold monthly events for returning mentees around LA. Troy Camp is a fun way to get connected with the local LA community and inspire the youth of South LA. If you want to have some fun, do some good, form long lasting friendships and become a mentor, Troy Camp may be for you! Find out more on the group’s website and check out its Instagram to see what fun events are upcoming.
Break On 2
Have you ever wanted to learn how to salsa, but didn’t know where to start? Break On 2 has got you covered! Break On 2 is USC’s Latin Fusion dance team with both a performance team and a club annex for individuals who want to start from step one. Not only will students learn how to dance salsa for performances, but they will also learn how to dance socially. One of the team’s staple events is its monthly Salsa Night, hosted on the first Friday of every month. Salsa Nights start off with salsa and bachata lessons, followed by lots of social dancing. No experience necessary! You can catch all of the fun on the group’s Instagram.
Peaks and Professors
One of SC’s most popular organizations, Peaks and Professors, brings students, professors and the great outdoors together. Established in 2013, the organization’s focus is to create a space for students to engage and have conversations with professors while also asking them to “Think Outside” (get it?) and ensure trips are economically friendly for all students to join. Held weekly, students can participate in a variety of trips that can range from short one-day hikes to several-day packing trips. Although the majority of the trips are located in SoCal, some are farther, including out-of-state. Some previous trips have included Mishe Mokwa to Tri-Peaks and Sandstone Peak with Professor Michael Thom (Public Policy), Wattles Garden Park Loop with Jesus Fuentes (Dance), and more. Want to learn more? Check out the club’s website, which includes a difficulty rating scale, and its Instagram.
Cardinal Divas of SC
Cardinal Divas of SC is USC’s first and only Majorette Team, celebrating culture and diversity through dance! Making its debut at a home football game in September 2022, team president and founding member, Princess Isis Lang, wanted to create a space to uplift and celebrate USC’s Black female students through dance. Majorette Teams originated in the ‘60s at HBCUs (Historically Black Colleges and Universities), and team members of the Cardinal Divas ensure their movements remain true to the majorette tradition. For information on performances and ways to get involved, follow the Divas on Instagram or TikTok, and check out the group’s GoFundMe page to help support!
USC Hillel
USC Hillel is a safe, welcoming and inclusive community for all Jewish students of a variety of Jewish backgrounds. Located adjacent to USC’s campus and the USC Village, Hillel offers a space to hang out with friends, get some schoolwork done and attend a variety of events. Some of the most popular events include FreshFest, Friday night Shabbat dinners and High Holy day services and meals. Students can join small group activities or take on leadership roles to help organize events! For more information, check out USC Hillel’s website, Instagram, or Facebook.
USC Star Wars Club
In a galaxy far, far away…or rather, a club meeting right here on campus, this club is for all USC Star Wars fans. Fun fact: George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, attended USC and graduated in 1967. So, this club celebrates all things Star Wars right where it all began! Club events include watch parties, discussions, hands-on activities to learn how the movies were made, game nights, USC Star Wars merch, and much more! This club also hosts Q&A sessions with some very special guests, including Daniel Logan, who played Boba Fett, and Maurice Bastian, who has worked in special effects and feature animation for 20+ years. Meetings are held on Mondays at 8 PM in TCC 350. For more information about club meetings and special events, follow the USC Star Wars Club Instagram!
From Troy Camp to Break On 2 to USC Hillel, the possibilities truly are endless. These are just a quick snapshot of what USC has to offer its students. Feel free to dig deeper and take a look at our campus activities website for more recognized-student-organizations. Lastly, if none of these faSCinating organizations are your jam, you can always build your own community by starting your own club!
Written by:
Jennifer Donis Gonzalez – Assistant Director, USC Office of Admission
Audrey Burba – Assistant Director, USC Office of Admission
Jennifer Price – Assistant Director, USC Office of Admission