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Browse my articles here, each of which is tagged by me so you can sort by topic, publication, length and more. I haven't (yet) put every single one of my articles on this website, but you can always find my entire written collection - which updates automatically - on Muck Rack by clicking here. 

Annenberg Media •

Families left in the dark: UCSD, USC quietly sell donors’ bodies to Navy for Israeli military training

In 2021, Jeanette Volpin felt she had lost control of her life. At 101 years old, having recently lost the ability to read and drive, she told her relatives she wanted to leave the Earth on her own terms. After choosing medically assisted suicide, she donated her body to the University of Southern California’s Anatomical Gift Program. She made the decision following a career in medicine and a long...
Annenberg Media •

Here is every accessible water fountain on USC’s University Park Campus

Temperatures in Los Angeles on Tuesday and Wednesday hit uncharacteristic highs for the season — 90 and 92, respectively. The National Weather Service announced a “red flag warning” for LA and Oxnard due to the prevalence of hot, dry air — a combination that can aid the start and spread of wildfires.

As temperatures rise, students and faculty across campus are turning towards water fountains on campus to get ahead of dehydration risks in this heat.

On September 12, USC’s Chief Sustainability O...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Looking Up and Cutting Down: Mayor Bass speaks on the state of LA, unveils budget

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass praised her city as she delivered her State of the City address on April 21, providing a message of hope to Angelenos after months marred by the January wildfires. Her speech highlighted city improvements over the past 12 months and offered insight into the future of LA as it prepares to host several world events.Bass devoted a significant portion of her speech to the wildfires, discussing the loss of life and land in Los Angeles while praising recovery efforts by th...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Reeling from the Breakup: Concerns abound after supervisors cut ties with LAHSA

Several Los Angeles city officials and organizations are reacting to a vote by the LA County Board of Supervisors April 1 to cut ties with the Los Angeles Homelessness Services Authority. The unanimous vote is the latest event setback for LAHSA since a recent damning audit that revealed millions in mismanaged funds.

Now, the county will take $300 million from LAHSA to form a new county agency for homelessness and transfer 700 county employees to the new organization. LAHSA will send a few hundred employees to the new organization as well. The loss of nearly 40% of LAHSA’s funding deals a major financial blow to the organization.
Los Angeles Downtown News •

LA Implements Transit First Policy: Committee to explore prioritizing trains at traffic signals

The Los Angeles City Council’s Transportation Committee approved a series of report-backs on March 26 that will explore the feasibility of prioritizing above-ground Metro trains at traffic lights.Community members see this as possible relief from a longtime commuter headache.The motion, initially proposed by Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Bob Blumenfeld, Imelda Padilla and Paul Krekorian in October, directs the LA Department of Transportation to create guidelines, a draft plan and timeline, and a...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

A Look to the Future: DTLA Alliance unveils 2024 neighborhood statistics

The DTLA Alliance, a neighborhood business improvement district, has revealed the results of its latest yearly survey of Downtown residents and patrons.The survey’s scope included visitor numbers to Downtown, resident demographics, the number of storefronts and jobs in the area, as well as the opinions of visitors and residents who responded to a questionnaire. The findings, announced at an annual breakfast event held by the Alliance on March 18, indicate that the area continues to grow in resid...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Sidelining Progress: Advocates of LA’s unhoused consider bypassing authority

Angelenos are looking for a change in policies dealing with the unhoused. On March 5, the Los Angeles City Council’s Housing and Homelessness Committee voted to explore working directly with local service providers for homelessness intervention programs.

Their frustrations with the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority came just one day before a damning audit ordered by a federal judge revealed the authority’s widespread failure to document and track spending properly.
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Not on LA’s Dime: Committee explores barring use of city resources for immigration enforcement

Amid growing concerns about the presence of the Los Angeles Police Department at ICE raids, a committee of the Los Angeles City Council voted to approve a report that explores barring city resources from being used for immigration enforcement purposes.The Civil Rights, Equity, Immigration, Aging and Disability Committee voted 3-0, with two members absent, recently to further the internal investigation with an updated report in 30 days.During the March 7 meeting, Chris Espinosa from the office of...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Marking a First: Ysabel Jurado brings community together at inauguration

“Community” describes the atmosphere at Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s swearing-in ceremony on Feb. 1.Jurado’s supporters packed the Los Angeles Central Library’s Mark Taper Auditorium for the event, where she became the first Filipino to be sworn into office as a member of the LA City Council.Initially scheduled for Jan. 11, the wildfires delayed the event.Besides Jurado, the ceremony celebrated California, Los Angeles, Filipino culture and history, union history and queer culture. Speakers incl...
Daily Trojan •

New spots make their mark on Best of USC results

We are the only independent newspaper here at USC, run at every level by students. That means we aren’t tied down by any other interests but those of readers like you: the students, faculty, staff and South Central residents that together make up the USC community.
Independence is a double-edged sword: We have a unique lens into the University’s actions and policies, and can hold powerful figures accountable when others cannot. But that also means our budget is severely limited. We’re already sp...
Daily Trojan •

Student given ‘Professionalism Warning’ for sleeping at HSC

On Feb. 9, Alan Lee took a nap in a classroom on USC’s Health Sciences Campus. Exhausted from his long hours in classes, completing homework assignments and doing medical rotations as a second-year student in the Doctor of Physical Therapy program, Lee needed a few minutes to close his eyes. But instead of getting needed rest, he was given a “Professionalism Warning” by the school. 
A letter sent to Lee by Dr. Julie Tilson, associate chair of DPT education and director of the DPT program, said h...
Daily Trojan •

Houston, the media has a problem

It is Nov. 9, 2016, and I wake up for school at 7 a.m. after going to sleep just six hours earlier, an anxious mess. I checked my phone and confirmed: Donald Trump will be the 45th president of the United States. I am fearful for myself and so many others because I have heard what he says about anyone who isn’t like him: white, cishet, conservative and Christian. 
It is Nov. 9, 2024, and I am writing this article. It has been three days since I woke up to the same news: Donald Trump will be the...
Daily Trojan •

An Annenberg professor's newspaper will help local news

Kris Kelley wanted to go to law school. Instead, she’s fixing the local news crisis.
The adjunct journalism professor spent her undergraduate years at UC Berkeley majoring in English with what she thought was a passion for law, but a case of burnout pushed her in another direction. She tried marketing and advertising, but a move to Spain rerouted her yet again — this time, to assist NBC with coverage of the Barcelona Olympics.
“It was a lot of fun,” Kelley said. “I was basically hired for that s...
Daily Trojan •

Ysabel Jurado elected to represent CD-14

Tenants rights attorney Ysabel Jurado won the election to be the Los Angeles City Council Representative for District 14. The Highland Park native earned 55.8% of the vote, according to the L.A. County election results website, defeating incumbent Kevin de León, who held office since 2020. Jurado is the first Filipino to be elected to the L.A. City Council. She will also be the only openly queer member of the council during her term. 
Jurado is a lifelong resident of Highland Park who attended P...
Daily Trojan •

Eruta Nature: from clothing to cart to coffee popup

In the mornings and early afternoons, passersby may notice a back door at Rock & Reilly’s is propped open. Inside the hallmark of USC Village life, one will find the restaurant’s long tables, classic decorations … and a coffee cart. 
This is Eruta Nature, founded by student Justin Solomon, and it opened a pop-up collaboration with the bar Oct. 21.
Solomon, a senior majoring in business administration, originally wanted to start an eco-friendly clothing business. During a leave of absence from US...
Daily Trojan •

CD-14 candidate Ysabel Jurado could make history

Sixteen days before the Nov. 5 election, canvassers gathered at the Yosemite Recreation Center in Eagle Rock for a “Filamenomenon.” Speakers included Los Angeles City Controller Kenneth Mejia, Monterey Park Mayor Thomas Wong and the woman whom they hope will be the first Filipino elected to the L.A. City Council: Ysabel Jurado.
Jurado is a tenants’ rights attorney from Highland Park who supported herself financially through her education while raising her daughter, Stella, as a single mother. Sh...
The Argonaut •

Signs to Get Creative: Culver City Planning commission may ease sign restrictions

The Culver City Planning Commission appears poised to revise the city’s sign code to allow for more creative freedoms, but may keep restrictions on digital signage, after a recent study session. It featured a presentation by Laura Stetson of M.I.G.’s San Diego office. The session and presentation follow the commission’s recent approval of a new zoning code. The city council is expected to tackle this soon, said Darrell Menthe, planning commission vice chairman.Culver City’s sign code has not bee...
Daily Trojan •

Were those tables here yesterday?

On the morning of Sept. 24, Alumni Park was quiet — its gated facade imposed almost a veil of silence and inactivity onto the area, save for the few students who managed to cut through on their way to class, their dorm or a meal. On Sept. 26, the area joined campus in the flurry of Trojan Family Weekend activity, filled with dozens of tables and chairs, food stations, decorations and happy families. By Monday evening, it was silent again.
The apparent shapeshifting of the green could be attribut...
Daily Trojan •

A license plate a day keeps the homesickness away

I have ridden along Interstate 95 more times than I can count. Though I see it less these days, being away at college and all, I still remember the frequent trips up and down the northeast corridor — going to New York, New Jersey or both. What made those hours in the car, along a stretch of road lacking any surprises, all the more exciting?
License plates. 
When I was younger, my father introduced me to the “license plate game.” Many play it in their own ways, but his version involved seeing how...
Daily Trojan •

Students, administration reflect on Culture Survey results as new semester begins

As the new school year begins, students and USC administrators are reflecting on previous semesters — via the results of the Culture Survey released on July 10 — to look for areas of improvement. The survey was available for students to take between Jan. 22 and Feb. 16, and 24% of USC’s undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and staff shared their thoughts. A lot, however, has happened since. 
The Survey
The USC Culture Survey Report of Findings stated participants submitted 15,184 usable re...
Los Angeles Downtown News •

Looking Forward: Street vendors, community organizations talk future plans

Street vendors and community organizations in Los Angeles are looking excitedly to their future plans after two street vendors and three community organizations reached a settlement with the City of Los Angeles on July 19 to end an 18-month lawsuit. The city had agreed to eliminate any remaining restrictions on where street vendors can set up shop, as well as refunding any citations issued, the group announced at a press conference on Hollywood Boulevard. Several legal representatives and plaint...
West Valley View •

Child makes his Goodyear streets safer

At just 9 years old, William Miller has learned that advocating can go a long way. After speaking to the Goodyear City Council in January about street racing and unsafe intersections, the city installed a traffic light and crosswalk on Estrella Parkway earlier this month.William said he and his grandmother frequently encountered problems when crossing the parkway. When his grandmother was nearly hit by a car on her daily walks, William wanted to speak up. Over the next three weeks, he prepared t...
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