Some Traditions at USC
Introduction
Just as it is with almost any American University most of the traditions at USC are connected with the sports teams, who collectively operate as the USC Trojans. However, as a university dating back to 1880, USC is steeped in history and traditions in many other ways too. The fact that the university sports teams are known as the Trojans arises from the tradition of USC being renowned for its population of international students. As long ago as 1930, 10% of the student population was international students, the third highest proportion of international students in an American University. With anything up to 20% of the student population at USC now being from the ‘Greek’ community it is little wonder that the USC tradition of associating with the term ‘Trojan’ is as strong as ever. The Trojan principles of Faithfulness, Scholarship, Skill, Courage and Ambition are also the principles of USC students. There’s a tradition at USC to at least once visit The Trojan Shrine (aka Tommy Trojan) - a bronze figure said to inspire those very qualities.
Two sporting traditions at USC
Any college sports team has to have a mascot and tradition at USC is that a white horse called Traveler fulfills that function. It wasn’t always so, as up to 1960 USC used to have a dog that would chase autos around the campus. Today the majestic Traveler with a mount dressed as a Trojan warrior gallops and parades around the ground before the start of Trojan’s home games. If you live on campus at USC and are off to watch a football game at the Coliseum, it’s a tradition at USC to take a backward kick at any of the flag poles on Exposition Boulevard - purely to bring our team good luck of course, not just for any malevolent or vandalistic reason.
Sporting tune traditions at USC
Whilst ‘The Trojans’ is the collective name for USC sporting clubs, if anyone speaks of ‘the Trojans’ they’re invariably referring to the football team. Any college football team has its ‘official’ song and tradition at USC is that ‘Fight on’ is that tune. The tune was composed in 1922 by a USC Dental student - Milo Sweet, who co-wrote the words with Glen Grant. Even speaking as a USC student - they wouldn’t have won any literary award, being even worse than the USC traditional Alma Mater - All Hail - believed to have been written in 1922 by Al Wesson! Other tunes used at Trojans games are; Conquest, Tribute to Troy, Alright now, Another one bites the dust and The Emperors theme from Star Wars. I’m not sure whether it’s a contractual thing or the university doesn’t want to pay Fleetwood Mac any royalties but, for some reason, ‘Tusk’ doesn’t feature as one of the regular ‘Spirit of Troy’ Trojan marching band tunes. It does have a great rasping beat and sound that can be used to lift a crowd at least, but is not used - despite the USC ‘Spirit of Troy’ Trojan Marching band actually playing on the original 1979 ‘platinum’ album! Matches against UCLA Bruins are, of course, our Derby games - making UCLA our sworn enemies! There’s a tradition in the lead up to Derby matches for each other’s colors to be liberally applied on the other universities campus. To prevent ‘Tommy Trojan’ being daubed with UCLA colors, since 1989, a tradition at USC has come about whereby ‘Tommy Trojan’ is covered in duck-tape to protect it.
Non-Sporting traditions at USC
Returning to the ‘Greek’ community at USC, they have a long tradition of fund raising. With over 2500 members the USC Greek Community has more than 20 fraternities and 10 sororities that annually raise in excess of $150,000 for a variety of philanthropic causes. Possibly now slightly on the wane, a tradition at USC has been for the student political bodies to be Republican in their leanings, rather than Democrat as on may other US campuses. The USC tradition of Republicanism was probably most marked during the 1960s and 70s when even figures such as, the, governor Regan could freely visit the campus with minimum security. Several of Richard Nixon’s staff were recruited from USC, later to become known as the ‘USC Mafia’, before being enveloped in the Watergate Scandal and ultimately, having the tradition at USC for conservative politics, even arising in ‘All the President’s men’. Since 1912 there’s been a campus newspaper called the daily Trojan, making it one of the most enduring of traditions at USC.