Gun incident has students on edge
Tomo Chien
April 25, 2025
Good morning. It’s Friday, and reminder: You may have trouble getting into the Village this evening. Onto the five USC, Los Angeles, and California stories you need to know for today.
1.
Residents of the Parkside IRC dorms are miffed that USC never alerted them when a freshman allegedly pulled a gun on another student in the building. “Why are you trying to hide it?” said freshman Megan Ngo, who said residents have been left in the dark. “I kind of don’t trust the school right now.”
2.
It turns out the beer guy might leave a lasting legacy. Mason Yonover — the student government candidate who ran a prank platform and was later barred because he dropped too many F-bombs — apparently convinced USG to overhaul its appeals process after blasting what he had characterized as a lack of checks and balances.
3.
A year after the onset of USC’s pro-Palestinian encampment, some campus Jewish leaders say the school has made strides in tamping down on antisemitism — in part because it has simply barred protesters from entering campus. Dave Cohn, director of USC Hillel, suggested that campus gates haven’t come at the expense of free speech. Others disagreed.
4.
A star USC basketball recruit is in a medically induced coma after crashing a Tesla Cybertruck in Reseda. Police later said that Alijah Arenas, 18, was in stable condition in the hospital. He’s the No. 13-ranked recruit in his class.
5.
The Festival of Books is set to take over campus this weekend. The free event kicks off tomorrow at 10 a.m. with a performance from USC’s marching band and will also feature sets from several student musicians. See the full schedule here, and the list of authors and celebrities here.