USC Media and Public Relations

The Chronicle of Higher Education ran a Q&A with Judith “Jack” Halberstam of the USC Dornsife College, author of “Gaga Feminism: Sex, Gender and the End of Normal.” Halberstam discussed the contradictory nature of singer Lady Gaga’s appeal as a feminist and cultural icon. “This lack of resolution or moral outcome feels right for contemporary feminism, as does Lady Gaga herself as a contradictory figure who offers much as a symbol of contemporary feminism,” Halberstam said. “It is this figuration that interests me much more that Lady Gaga’s own politics, which can veer toward a gender essentialism that is problematic for feminism and for queer politics.”

Daily Journal featured the Orientation Service Project, a program run by Malissa Barnwell-Scott, director of the USC Gould School’s Office of Public Service. For the past five years, the program has organized a service project to expose incoming students to the legal challenges facing community residents. This year, the program joined with the Inner City Law Center to give students hands-on experience helping the disadvantaged; students provided information on eviction assistance, free health care and other topics. “We try to educate them about relevant issues in the city and why they are so needed,” Barnwell-Scott said.

The Huffington Post ran a column by USC Dean of Religious Life Varun Soni about the first U.S. congressional member to be sworn in on the “Bhagavad Gita.” “Despite the fact that most commentators of the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ interpret the text through a theological lens, there is profound political wisdom in the ‘Bhagavad Gita,’ best illustrated by Mahatma Gandhi’s interpretation of the text,” Soni wrote.

Education Week highlighted “Mission: Admission,” a Facebook-based game designed to prepare high school students for college applications. Students guide avatars through the admissions process, learning key guidelines and strategies and building confidence. “The websites out there tend to be text-heavy, and users are often passive. ... Students think they are being productive researching, and they are actually becoming more confused about taking the appropriate steps,” said Zoe Corwin of the USC Rossier School, one of the game’s creators.

The Orange County Register featured the USC Casden Industrial and Office Forecast, which predicts that in Orange County rents will rise and vacancies will drop over the next two years. “The office market may have changed forever,” said Richard Green of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate. “People are figuring out ways to use less office space.”

PBS News’ “MediaShift” ran an op-ed by Andrew Lih of the USC Annenberg School about data security for journalists. Lih recommended several tools that could help reporters, including the TOR network, encryption and secure channels. “Journalists operating in risky theaters or striving to be vigilant about their data have to learn a lot about this increasingly complex ecosystem,” Lih wrote.

Truthdig ran a column by Richard Reeves of the USC Annenberg School about a project he assigned his students, in which they predicted what election coverage would look like in 2062. One unfortunate byproduct of technology is that companies similar to today’s Google and Facebook will guide the public’s attention, Reeves wrote. “Instead of green-eyeshaded editors deciding what we should know, digital chips and our past history will do our thinking for us,” he added.

The Washington Post, in an Associated Press story, quoted Dan Schnur of the USC Dornsife College about Sen. Jim DeMint stepping down.

Los Angeles Times quoted Alexander Capron of the USC Gould School about a legal case involving the First Amendment and pharmaceuticals.

Daily Journal quoted USC Gould School Dean Robert Rasmussen about trends in law school enrollment.

Bloomberg News quoted Edward Kleinbard of the USC Gould School about the fiscal cliff.

KPCC-FM interviewed Steven McCarthy of the USC Rossier School about arts integration in public schools.

KPCC-FM interviewed David Cruz of the USC Gould School about California judges’ rulings on gay conversion therapy. Daily Journal also quoted Cruz.

Daily Journal quoted David Cruz of the USC Gould School about a legal case involving gay jurors’ rights.

KQED-FM quoted Heidi Rummel of the USC Gould School about an inmate who was initially denied parole.

ScienceDaily covered research by Heather Volk of the Keck School of USC finding a link between autism and air pollution.