WELCOME
TO THE RESIDENTS OF
BIRNKRANT RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE
FOUR PILLARS OF THE RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE EXPERIENCE • Life of the Mind • Life of the Body • Life of Service • Sense of Belonging
CARDINAL & GOLD EVENTS
Cardinal & Gold events take place every Thursday and Friday night and are free to all residential students. There are activities and outings for every interest — from feature film screenings in McCarthy Quad to evening hikes in Griffith Park to concerts at LA Live. Be on the lookout for the weekly schedule of events in the Fall!
WELCOME!
We are incredibly excited to welcome you onto campus as an official member of the Trojan Family! We hope you are looking forward to your transition and excited about meeting and living among 259 of your fellow peers. We know you’ll love the vibrant, prideful and scholarly living-learning community Birnkrant residents have fostered over the years. Through offering you diverse programming opportunities, faculty and staff support, and “Seven Floors of Open Doors,” we’re confident that you’ll feel at home in no time! HISTORY AND CULTURE
Constructed in 1963, Birnkrant has been a part of USC over the last several decades. Created in honor of Cecele & Michael G. Birnkrant, the eight-story tower originally provided housing for 308 women. Over the many years of Birnkrant’s existence on the University Park campus, co-ed floors were created, and in 2011, the community began functioning as a first-year Honors community until the honors community transitioned to McCarthy in 2017. Commonly referred to as “Seven Floors of Open Doors,” the Birnkrant community is strong, as friendships and relationships are created that often span the course of the students’ time at USC. In 1994, Birnkrant began operating as a Residential College, with a full-time, live-in residential faculty residing in the building and working to bridge the experiences inside and outside the classroom.
TO THE RESIDENTS OF
BIRNKRANT RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE
MEET THE FACULTY & STAFF OF BIRNKRANT Faculty in Residence serve as your mentors, advisers, and advocates. They facilitate and lead the academic focus, in partnership with the Residential Education staff, for your living-learning community. Residential Education staff work to support your holistic development and success at USC. They directly supervise your resident assistants, develop community through programming, resolve conflict through mediation, and serve as resources for residents.
ASHLEY UYESHIRO SIMON FACULTY IN RESIDENCE
ANGEL MAXWELL RESIDENTIAL COLLEGE COORDINATOR
Uyeshiro Simon is an assistant professor of clinical occupational therapy in the Mrs. T.H. Chan Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy. She works at the USC Occupational Therapy Faculty Practice, where she helps people make lifestyle changes to their daily habits and routines in order to manage and promote health. She treats patients and teaches students in the Lifestyle RedesignŽ OT approach that was invented here at USC, and did her undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral studies at USC. She enjoys programming events that support any form of personal growth and exploration, health and wellness, or just plain fun.
Maxwell is originally from the Inland Empire in Southern California where he received his BA in entrepreneurial management and minor in psychology at California State University, San Bernardino. He had also received his MEd in higher education leadership at Valdosta State University located in Valdosta, Georgia, while maintaining a graduate assistantship as a residence hall director. Maxwell has worked closely with diversity and inclusion initiatives as well as on-and off-campus programming that emphasizes both personal and professional development through community involvement and networking for both firstyear and upperclassmen students. On his downtime, he enjoys going to museums, hikes, working out, attending concerts and sporting events, video games and going to the beach.
MORE ABOUT LIFE IN BIRNKRANT FACULTY IN RESIDENCE DINNERS
Birnkrant residents are invited to dinners in EVK hosted by our Faculty in Residence Ashley Uyeshiro Simon, aka “Dr. U”. Special guests from across campus join our residents to discuss different topics based on their areas of expertise. Students can engage in intellectual conversation with faculty while establishing connections with each other and some of their favorite professors during these dinners. BUILDING GOVERNMENT: HUMANS V. ZOMBIES
During this weeklong event, residents can compete in an epic game of tag where the goal for humans is to avoid the zombie apocalypse and remain human for the duration of a game, and for zombies, to infect as many humans as possible. At the end of the week, prizes will be rewarded to the last human(s) standing and the zombie to infect the most humans. This game serves as a great community builder and opportunity to get to meet other residents in the community.
FACULTY IN RESIDENCE: BIRNKRANT GIVES BACK
Residents can join our Faculty in Residence Ashley Uyeshiro Simon to make blankets to distribute to the local women’s shelter. Residents have the opportunity to connect with faculty and peers while making blankets for an admirable cause. WOMEN’S MARCH
Residents come together to handmake signs and march among their peers to show support for the annual Women’s March that takes place in the Downtown Los Angeles area. Students develop interpersonal relationships with their Los Angeles community as well as with their peers.
ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW
During the month of October, residents have the opportunity to gain a better understanding of film history within the Queer genre. Students attend a lecture from one of our campus faculty outlining queer film history with a special focus on American films and “The Rocky Horror Picture Show,” after which residents attend a midnight showing of the film with their peers. B.B.B. BIRNKRANT COMMUNITY COUNCIL BURGER BONANZA
Birnkrant residents have the opportunity to participate in a community focused event filled with In-N-Out Burgers and board games.
GET INVOLVED! RESIDENTIAL HOUSING ASSOCIATION (RHA)
Founded in 1988, Residential Housing Association (RHA) serves all students who live in USC Housing by providing them with ways to enhance and contribute to their residential experience at the University of Southern California. One of the largest organizations on campus, RHA strives to build community, empower residents, and create opportunities for academic success and leadership development. RHA acts as a resource by coordinating and promoting all phases of student development and self-government, while representing the residential community on both regional and national levels. Check out the RHA welcome back event during Welcome Week! COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Do you want to gain valuable leadership experience while making lasting friendships, planning events, and serving as a resource to your fellow residents? Consider joining Community Council! Community Councils are responsible for a wide variety of fun, social, and engaging programs throughout the academic year for their individual communities. Student leaders are elected or appointed into their Community Council by their peers. Community Council members represent their residents at Residential Housing Association (RHA) meetings and gain valuable leadership experience!
CAMPUS RESOURCES OFFICE FOR RESIDENTIAL EDUCATION
STU 200 213-740-2080
CAMPUS ACTIVITIES
SKS 410 213-740-5693
HOUSING
OFFICE OF RELIGIOUS LIFE
620 McCarthy Way 213-740-8488
URC 106 213-740-6110
USC STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES
ASIAN PACIFIC AMERICAN STUDENT SERVICES
Engemann Student Health Center 1031 W. 34th St. 213-740-9355
STU 410 213-740-4999
CENTER FOR BLACK CULTURAL AND STUDENT AFFAIRS
STU 415 213-740-8257 EL CENTRO CHICANO
STU 402 213-740-1480 LGBT RESOURCE CENTER
STU 202B 213-740-7619
Download RESX! the USC residential experience app to discover events,
win prizes, and compete for the Res College Cup Trophy!
GET SOCIAL WITH RESED! #USCResEd
@usc_res_ed
@USCResidentialEducation
@ResEdUSC