College freshman Peter Oesterle, 18, opens the door of
his new dorm while his mother, Helen, carries containers.
( View slideshow.)
Credit: P. J. Johnson
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With Fall, Their Journey Begins
USC College welcomes 1,150 freshmen to campus with a message to
explore different majors, pursue a variety of interests and develop
multiple skills
By Pamela J. Johnson
August 2005
Helen Oesterle’s son, Peter, hadn’t yet attended his first class at USC
College, but the bumper-sticker on her tan hatchback already declared:
“I’m a Trojan’s Mom.”
Days before the fall semester began, the pair hovered behind the
car parked at 18-year-old Peter Oesterle’s new home, the Harris
Residence Hall. Moving vans lined streets on the University Park
campus, as Peter and others took the first step in their educational
journey: unpacking.
In all, USC College expects 1,150 freshmen this fall, about 42 percent
of the university's freshmen population of 2,750, said Robin Romans, assistant
dean of College admissions and honors. The total number of College
undergraduates this semester, which begins Monday,
Aug. 22, is about 6,000.
Helen Oesterle had driven the hatchback packed with her son’s
belongings more than 1,100 miles from their Seattle home. She and
Peter, who had caught a 5 a.m. flight from Seattle, were exhausted as
they lugged the heavy boxes and plastic containers to the dorm.
“I’m going to put all your shoes in the closet, is that OK honey?”
Helen Oesterle asked inside the cluttered dorm, bending to unpack a
box. The two had made several trips from the car to the dorm, but the
hatchback was far from empty.
“Moooommm,” Peter admonished his mother, who is director of religious
education at St. James Cathedral Parish in Seattle. “Let’s keep moving.”
Similar scenes were carried out Thursday. At dormitories throughout
campus, many fathers and mothers endured the heat to help their
offspring and first-year students settle in. At USC, Peter Oesterle
will be far from his family, but three of his best buddies from Seattle
will be living a few doors down.
Twins Stan and Barry Rosellini, 18, Brandon Hall, 19, and Peter are
recent graduates of Seattle Preparatory High School. None of these
College freshmen has yet to declare a major. They are part of the USC
Learning Community Program aimed at helping freshmen and others
home in on the subjects they want to study.
On Friday, they learned their major might be more of a moving
target. And that’s a good thing. During USC College’s Welcome Day
Picnic, Dean Joseph Aoun encouraged the few hundred students gathered
to keep their minds and hearts open to a variety of disciplines.
Aoun said we are living during an era of, “a true knowledge explosion.”
Fields — from technology to medicine — are evolving at an
incredible pace. He encouraged students to learn an array of skills to
keep up with a rapidly developing society.
“You are not going to leave this university with a diploma for only one
career,’’ Aoun told students sitting around tables under a cloudless
sky at Founder’s Park. “Your diploma will reflect numerous
possibilities. You will leave here able to face multiple careers.”
The average student changes majors two or three times before
graduation, Aoun said. He emphasized the importance of learning a wide
variety of subjects. This is why the College offers about 130 majors
and minors, he said.
“During the first few years, you’re trying to understand the dynamics
of different fields,” Aoun said. “I encourage you to hone your
critical-thinking skills, hone your analytical-thinking skills. Hone
your ability to write and express yourself well.”
He praised the freshmen in the audience. In 2005, more than 16,500
students applied for 1,200 slots. The average SAT score for the USC
College class of 2008 was 1,351.
“Our goal in the first few years is to give you a taste of a variety of
skills,” he told the crowd. “Our goal is to get you ready for life.”
Later, Joe Ungco, a College junior, said Aoun’s speech hit the mark.
The College ambassador said that each time he took a course, he changed
his mind about his career. He said taking a myriad of courses
is making him a well-rounded person.
Ungco, who speaks French, Latin and Tagalog, has decided to major in
linguistics. He thinks he may become a language analyst or interpreter.
But he changed his major 11 times before coming to that conclusion.
“For now,” he said.
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