Inside USC's quirkiest minor
Tomo Chien
November 25, 2025
Good morning. It’s Tuesday, and these are the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
The newsletter will be off until Monday for the Thanksgiving holiday.
1.
USC’s quirkiest academic offering might be its little-known comedy minor. Most students don’t actually want to be comedians — they’re aspiring doctors and engineers. Many say they’ve found unexpected value in the program. “This class has taught me a lot [about] self-confidence and how I portray myself,” said junior Joshua Ou.
2.
Columbia University, which is facing a drop in federal funding and international enrollment like USC, could expand its undergraduate headcount by up to 20% in an effort to generate more revenue. If approved, the expansion would mark a novel approach to managing Trump-era financial headwinds in higher education.
3.
Some students say USC is taking too long to approve their club applications. Several described procedural hurdles holding up their paperwork, leaving them unable to host meetings or activities even this far into the semester.
4.
It’s no secret that most college students get their news from social media. That doesn’t make the anecdotes any less depressing. In a new report, students described getting their news almost exclusively from a talking fish on Instagram. “Stuff like this makes it hard to think we're anything but doomed,” one reader commented on the story.
5.
Are you dreading the dinner table conversation this Thursday? Do you have a racist uncle or insufferable in-law? You’re in luck, because America has a new Thanksgiving tradition: the “cousin walk,” a.k.a. getting stoned before dinner. So gather your allies, light that doob, and have a grand Thanksgiving break.
