At USC, you won’t encounter inches of snow beneath your feet or subzero temperatures, but temperatures do drop during the winter months when LA is visited by days of rain and wind. During these winter months, students can find numerous events and activities both at USC and in the surrounding area where they can experience the festive spirit and California’s version of winter.
As winter approaches and the fall semester ends, Trojans connect this time of festive celebration with community engagement. One way that students engage with the community is through their work with student organizations. In the fall semester, members of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) assemble STEM kits to present as gifts to young girls in the community as part of the Introduce a Girl to Engineering Campaign. The campaign aims to educate girls on scientific topics through the STEM kits and to inspire them to pursue careers in STEM.
Students can also explore Downtown Los Angeles to experience LA’s version of winter. Open during the months of November to January, the ice skating rink in Pershing Square is the perfect place to visit. Last year, I took an Uber to Pershing Square with my roommate after our chemistry final in the morning. At the outdoor rink, we found a mix of both Los Angeles and winter. Typical to LA, the Square was illuminated as the sun was shining, but we could still feel the chill of the ice on the rink. Skating in the daylight, it was gorgeous to circle around under the towering skyscrapers of the financial district. For those looking for a warm drink or food after a few rounds of skating, a cute little shop by the rink sells hot cocoa and snacks.
A final tip to surviving winters in LA is to bring an umbrella! It can surprisingly rain in the fall, so having an umbrella on-hand can ensure that you don’t miss out on protection from the rain when umbrellas quickly sell out at Target and the USC Bookstore.
