Blogging Social Difference in L.A.: Week 8- USC

            This past Sunday I made by first trip to the campus of the University of Southern California (USC). Though I usually avoid that part of town I was going there because my cousin was appearing in an operatic presentation of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. The downtown area where USC is located is not a very safe part of Los Angeles and the recent murders of two students and the shooting incidents nearby didn’t help ease my discomfort. But my cousin assured me that since the performance was during the day I would be safe from any harm.

            This being the day after UCLA had beaten USC at football I have to admit to a certain smugness as I drove onto the campus.  As you might expect, there being no classes on a Sunday afternoon, the campus was very quiet with some students casually strolling to various building.  Approaching the campus I could see that the area was not built around student needs, so most of the support structure for student life is actually housed inside the perimeters of the campus. This is a marked contrast with UCLA where the village of Westwood is essentially an extension of the campus, providing the students a variety of social venues.

            The USC campus is actually quite pretty filled with architecturally beautiful brick buildings. The one thing that will make all UCLA students jealous is that their campus is all on flat completely hill-less land; because of this many students ride bikes on campus.  Thankfully I was able to find parking on campus and didn’t have to walk to the theatre. I looked nervously around me as I was nearing the campus and noticed quickly came to the realization that I would not feel very safe walking the surrounding streets.  Here the sidewalks and alleys seemed to be filled with the homeless and the ‘menacing’ looking.  I would conclude that the average student here would not feel comfortable walking around to local stores and restaurants.

            In class we discussed this idea of a “Carceral Archipelago” where certain parts of an area seem to be separated from other parts even if there are no actual walls or gates. This can be seen with the USC campus as it relates to the surrounding city. Although USC is situated in downtown Los Angeles, in the midst of a low-income community, the campus itself is very clean and high tech. Being a private school, USC has a fairly healthy tuition income stream and a very supportive and affluent alumni.  So while the majority of downtown is dirty and has a “ghetto” feel the school itself has very modern architecture and a prestigious look.  In fact the only deterrent for students wishing to study at USC seems to be its location. It is for this reason that the school has created a bubble around itself limiting the need for students to leave the campus. USC has come to block itself off from its own area as a way of protecting and differentiating itself from the stereotypes that exist about downtown.