ward to enjoying the most

important soccer tournament

this year!

Alimzhan Sepetov

The 2012 UEFA Euro-

pean Football Championship

is coming up,, and the event

is to be held in Poland and

Ukraine.

The tournament will

start in Warsaw on June 8

with a match between Po-

land and Greece and will

finish the final game in

Kiev, on July 1.

In this tournament 16

European national teams

will play to determine only

one champion! According to

soccer specialists the EURO

is more difficult to win than

the World Cup because the

quality of the teams in-

volved is much better. It will

not be easy for the current

reigning champion Spain to

win the trophy again. We

soccer fans are looking for-

Knott’s Berry Farm TODAY!!! Friday, June 8, 2012 Time: 12:30—9 pm Enjoy the fun rides and roller coasters at this exciting amusement park! Meet Kent, Natalie, and Rihao in the JEF courtyard and be ready for a day of thrills and adventure!

EURO 2012 IS COMING

I N S I D E

T H I S I S S U E :

Language

Labs

2

Announce-

ments

3

Hit the

Beaches

4

Griffith

Observatory

5

Good Spot on

campus

6

Holy City of

Mecca

7

Events

Calendar

8

N E X T W E E K ’ S AC T I V I T I E S

The Academy News J U N E 8 , 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 5 4 , I S S U E 4

Have you ever tried

skydiving? See p. 3

Some of the best

beaches in the U.S.

are here in Califor-

nia. Details on p. 4

Route 66 is a legen-

dary highway. Find

out more on p. 5

Looking for a way to

boost your energy.

See p. 6

Santa Monica Beach Friday, June 15, 2012 Time: 1:00-6 pm

Explore one of California’s most popular beaches, Santa Monica Beach! You can enjoy the beautiful weather or go for a day of shopping and dining on Third Street Promenade! Sign up for this activity in the JEF courtyard on Monday at noon!

Tuesday, June 12th

Time Location Description Facilitator

1-2pm GFS 111 Building English Skills Levels 1-3

Diana Hiciu

1-2pm GFS 113 Reading Power: Levels 1-3

Marilyn Gomez

1-2 pm GFS 216 Statement of Purpose

Jimenah Espinoza

1-2pm GFS 114 IELTS Test Preparation: Test Overview

All levels

James Hutzell

1-2pm GFS 218 New GRE Preparation— TUESDAY ONLY

Levels 3-6

Heather Robertson

1-2pm

JEF Courtyard Conversation Levels 1 & 2

Luis Ramirez

JEF Courtyard Conversation Levels 3 & 4

Natalie Reyes

JEF Courtyard Conversation Level 5, 6 & 7 Adam Prohoroff

Building English Skills: Levels 1-3—Do you want to

pronounce words better when you read aloud in class? Do you want to have beautiful handwrit-ing? Do you want to improve your spelling and basic gram-mar? This lab will focus on hand-writing, spelling, reading aloud and sentence grammar.

Speak English Fluently: Levels 1-3—Practice and per-

fect your English speaking skills! Reading Power: Levels 1-3—

Do you want to become a better, faster reader? Attend this lab to get tips and tricks on how to improve your reading skills.

IELTS Preparation: Test Over-

view—In this lab, you’ll have the opportunity to learn tips and tricks on how to ace the IELTS test. This week we’ll discuss the overview of the test.

New GRE Preparation—Find

out the best ways to succeed on the new GRE.

Statement of Purpose—In this

lab, you will have the opportunity to work on improving your writing skills, while writing a Personal Statement or Statement of Pur-pose to get into a university or community college.

Conversation Practice—

Practice speaking English by level with USC students. This is an interactive discussion in which you will participate in group dis-cussions about several interest-ing topics. This is your opportu-nity to practice speaking and to ask questions.

ALL students will sign up for Language Labs starting TODAY at NOON until Monday

afternoon at 1:00 PM. Don’t forget to sign up! Email Pam if you have any problems at

pyamamot@usc.edu

Thursday, June 14th

Time Location Description Facilitator

1-2 pm JEF 124 Engineering Info Session

Rebecca Meltzer Lyon & Jesse Miller Murphy

1-2pm JEF 203 Building English Skills

Levels 1-3

Diana Hiciu

1-2pm GFS 111 Speak English Fluently— THURSDAY ONLY

Levels 1-3

Nevena Fairclough

1-2pm GFS 113 Reading Power: Levels 1-3

Marilyn Gomez

1-2 pm GFS 216 Statement of Purpose

Jimenah Espinoza

1-2pm GFS 114 IELTS Test Preparation: Test Overview

All levels

James Hutzell

1-2pm

JEF Courtyard Conversation Levels 1 & 2

Luis Ramirez

JEF Courtyard Conversation Levels 3 & 4 Natalie Reyes

JEF Courtyard Conversation Level 5, 6 & 7 Adam Prohoroff

P A G E 3

Sky Diving

JAMES BAHKALI

Summer vacation is coming soon. Are you ready to enjoy the best view in Los Angeles? Have you ever tried sky diving before? if you haven't , I recommend you go and enjoy your time sky diving LA . When you sky dive, you have the best view in Los Angeles, and it's so exciting and awesome. There are some ways to get the ticket and different destinations to practice this sport. First of all, the USC ticket office is the best way to get a ticket and to get all the information you need. Ask them about the discount because you are a student at USC Language Academy . Second, read about sky diving

at this website , com.venturaskydivingcenter.www

and find out all information you want to get . Finally, ask some friends who

have gone sky diving before. I hope you enjoy this trip, and I hope you have a nice vacation.

Yellow Enrollment Status Update Forms due next Friday

You will receive yellow forms in your Reading/Writing class on Monday. If you are

planning to stay for summer B, please choose your electives and turn in your form

by next Friday, June 15, 2012

Viterbi School of Engineering Graduate Information Session

Want to apply to graduate programs within the Viterbi School of Engineering?

If so, sign up online to join Rebecca Meltzer Lyon and Jesse Miller Murphy on

Thursday, June 14, 2012 at 1pm in JEF 124. They’ll explain what you will need to

submit in order to apply to these great programs.

We want your pictures and videos from Summer A Session!

At the Closing Ceremony, we’ll get to watch a video about this session, and we would

like to add any pictures or videos you may have. Please email pictures and/or videos to

jessicrs@usc.edu or stop by JEF 200A by next Friday, June 15th!

When you sky-dive, an instructor will help you top open your parachute.

P A G E 4

Hit The Beach

This Summer

ByYara Hadi

California summers are the fin-

est summers. The weather is always

impeccable, and the beaches are

gorgeous. If you are in California

this summer, you should check out

one of these beaches, because Cali-

fornia has the best beaches. You

might have heard of Venice Beach

and Santa Monica Beach, but I’m

going to tell you about other

beaches around California, where

it’s tranquil and not crowded.

Coronado Beach is ranked #1 on

America’s Best Beaches 2012.

Coronado Beach is in San Diego,

which is a 2 hour- drive from Los

Angeles. Coronado is an island, so

you can take the bridge or ride the

ferry to get to the island. It may be

a long trip, but it is worth it. You

can enjoy the beach, ride bicycles,

or enjoy the small shops around the

area.

La Jolla is another beach located

in San Diego and it is only 15 min-

utes away from downtown San

Diego. La Jolla beach is very down

to earth and not packed, especially

during the weekdays. You can also

go seal watching, for there are

many seals living around this area.

The last beach is Laguna Beach.

Laguna Beach is located in Orange

County. Laguna Beach is one of the

prettiest beaches I’ve been to in

California.

It’s right at the edge of the

mountains with colorful flowers

surrounding the area. Laguna

Beach is very sophisticated and

exquisite. Also, there are many

Californian fish restaurants and

small boutiques around the area.

Check out one of these beaches

during the summer. Get some sun

and have fun. If you are not willing

to drive to San Diego, I recommend

going to Laguna Beach because it

is very peaceful and quiet.

Even if you do not have a car,

you can always take the train to San

Diego. You won’t have the full

California experience if you don’t

visit one of the beaches. So grab

your friends, and hit the beach.

Laguna Beach

Los Angeles

Laguna Beach

Coronado Beach

Far right:

Laguna Beach in

Orange Country

right on the PCH;

Left: Coronado

Beach is further

south in San

Diego.

P A G E 5 Postcards The Main Street of America

BY ELSIE CHEN

Route 66, also known as

“The Main Street of Amer-

ica” or “The Mother Road”,

is a highway almost across

the whole United States.

What made Route 66 so spe-

cial?

First, the history of Route

66 made it so important that

it is not only a highway, which con-

tains many historical memories, but

also considered the heart of American

culture. It was established in 1926

and finished in 1927 because lots of

people started to have their own cars

and needed well-organized roads. For

this reason, Cyrus Avery, who was

known as the “Father of Route 66”,

promoted and created Route 66.

Tracing back to the glory era of

the gold rush, Route 66 reconnected

and reconstructed those paths which

originally were established for those

immigrants who sought opportunities

on the West Coast.

At first, U.S. Highway 66 Associa-

tion advertised Route 66 as “The

Main Street of America,” and it is

called “The Mother Road” in the

novel “The Grapes of Wrath.” The

name “Route 66” first appeared in the

movie “The Grapes of Wrath”, and

the U.S. Highway 66 Association of-

ficially gave this road the name after

20 years.

Route 66 experienced a decline

and a revival which have made it

more distinctive and full of stories.

The Interstate Highway System ap-

peared and replaced the function of

Route 66, a history you can find in the

animation “Cars”.

Fortunately, Route 66 was selected

as one of the National Scenic Byways

and transferred its role to a tourist

destination. Therefore, those cities

and towns along the road started to

promote their tourism industry.

For instance, Route 66 is close to

many National Parks like Grand Can-

yon and Sedona Red Rock. You can

find the sign of Route 66 in famous

cities, such as Chicago, Springfield,

Oklahoma City, Pasadena and Santa

Monica. Imagine driving across the

states and enjoying the scenery along

the way. What an exciting trip!

Route 66 facts:

Route 66 starts in Chicago and ends

in Santa Monica

Route 66 crosses 8 states and 3 time

zones

Route 66 is 2448 miles (3940 km)

long

Hsin I Chen (Jessy)

Griffith

Observatory

What first pops up into

your mind when you think of Los

Angeles? Disneyland? Hollywood?

Beverly Hills? Or Universal Studio?

Well, there is a place in Los Ange-

les where you can enjoy the sun-

shine, the view of the city, and

learn a great deal about the uni-

verse. That is Griffith Observatory,

where recreation means education.

Griffith Observatory is lo-

cated on the mountain in north-

west part of Los Angeles. There are

statues of famous astronomers on

the grass outside of the observa-

tory. As you walk toward the gate,

you see a large sundial. The sun-

dial functions as a clock; it was

used in ancient times before clocks

were invented.

Once you move into the

building, you could find videos and

motion pictures with information

about planets, sun, star, and moon.

You learn about how the sun and

the earth were formed, as well as

how seasons change from time to

time. After learning about science,

you may go up to the second and

the third floors, where you can take

a good look at the view of Los An-

geles. In addition to these features,

there are chances to observe rare

stellar events through telescopes.

Griffith Observatory is a place

worth visiting besides having fun at

fancy shopping malls and popular

tourists spots, especially if you like

science. Admission to the observa-

tory building and grounds is free.

Go ahead and spend a weekend

over there; I’m sure you will like it!

P A G E 6

Jonathan Liu

Eating breakfast is

the most important

and happiest way to

start a wonderful day.

The fact is that you

have to recharge your

battery.

Research studies

indicate that people

who eat breakfast

perform more effec-

tively and efficiently

in school or in their work.

If you always skip your

breakfast just because of

classes or to lose weight,

please enjoy breakfast on

the weekends. Today I

would like to recommend

Jacks n Joe, a yummy

breakfast and lunch res-

taurant near our campus.

Jacks n Joe is famous

for its pancakes and cof-

fee. Omelettes are an-

other good choice. You

could create your favorite

dish.

Also, Jacks n Joe is not

only a great place to eat

breakfast but also a place

full of stories. The host of

Jacks n Joe is a couple.

Their daughter suddenly

passed away many years

ago when she was 12. Six

months before she died,

her parents gave her a

dog as a present. There-

fore, the only thing their

daughter left is a dog.

Because of the dog, they

had a new purpose and

wanted to pursue a new

life. When they were on

their road trip, they were

thinking about what they

wanted to do next. This is

how “Jacks and Joe”

made their dream come

true. Also, when you visit

the restaurant, you will

see a lot of dog photos

around the restaurant. In

Jacks n Joe, you could

talk about your dream and

what you want to do. The

place makes our day bet-

ter not only because of the

delicious food but also the

inspiring story.

Jacks n Joe,

Blog: http://

www.jacksnjoe.com/

Address

2498 S Figueroa St

Los Angeles, CA 90007

Phone

(213) 748-4565

Jessie Huang

Interesting corner

on USC campus

There are many interesting and

beautiful corners or places on the

USC campus. Recently, I found

some places that make me feel very

comfortable and peaceful. These

places are the E.F. Huntton Park

and Founders Park. I think these are

good choices for you to stay there

for a while if you can. Here are

three reasons why it is worth doing

this.

First, staying there for a while

can make your body refreshed. It is

necessary for you to have to cycle

or refresh your air system of the

inner body with nature, just exhal-

ing the unnecessary waste air and

inhaling fresh air. It will make your

brain aware and increase your ca-

pacity to learn.

Secondly, modern life brings

you a convenient life but also puts

many electronic devices in your

life. That situation gives your body

more and more positive electricity,

and more positive electricity will

give you an unbalanced magnetic

field. It is a good solution that you

can take your shoes off and stand

under the tree, and the natural ele-

ment around you will help you bal-

ance your magnetic field of inner

body.

Third, the trees and the squirrels

in the park will make you happy

and relaxed. If you can, just make

friends with them. Finally, you will

find the magic things happen, and

everything around you is well. By

shifting your mind and concentrat-

ing, you can get more space from

your mind and brain that will let

your body maintain in a good circle

of fluent energy. The fluent energy

will let your mind and physical

body be more active and help you

to deal with more and more things

in right way.

In conclusion, nature is the best

present from God to us people. Af-

ter visiting these places, you can be

blessed by nature. Natural places

will help you know your generous

mind; nature will make you joyful

and grateful. You know, it will be a

great way to cycle the blessings for

everything.

BOOST ENERGY AND READ ONE STORY

Founders Park is adjacent to the Annenberg

School of Communication.

Pancakes with fresh strawberries are

popular for breakfast.

BAmy Mingjie Yuan

On June 1, the Inter-national Children’s Day, we went to Citadel Outlets together to shop. Everyone was excited to buy new things. When the morning classes ended, I fled back to my dorm, ate a quick lunch, put on a pair of comfortable shoes, and then went back to the JEF Courtyard before 1:00 p.m. On the bus, my friends and classmates were talking about their shopping plans, and they were exchanging suggestions with each other.

After arriving at the outlet, everybody got a bag of coupons and started shopping. My

friends and I didn’t have a clear shopping target, so we just walked around shop by shop. H&M and GAP had big discounts of most clothing stores. The prices were really low compared with those in my home country. But it re-quired your patience to pick out what you wanted from plenty of disordered shelves.

Adidas, Nike and Converse just offered the basic designs instead of the fashionable ones. Coach, the local brand, was full of people because of its reasonable prices; however, we didn’t find the Poppy series that is espe-cially designed for young people. We could also see many other local brands and buy the lower priced

and casual clothes. Time was limited, so I just shopped in few stores.

When we got back to the bus, I saw people smil-ing and carrying bags with both hands. My friends

showed me what they had bought, beauty products, and even toys for children. I just wanted to say “Be careful! Don’t become a shopaholic!”

P A G E 7

Weekly Activity: Shopping in Citadel Outlets

;

Mohammed Ali Alkaldi

Mecca: Holy City

of Islam

I would like to introduce Mecca by

its geography and Muslim faith.

Mecca, or Makkah, has many

miracles and an interesting event that

has never taken place in other parts of

the world. Also it is the holiest city of

the Islamic world. The first place

created on the earth according to Is-

lam is in Mecca, which is called

Ka"ba. Ka"ba is the place at which

the heavenly bliss and power touches

the earth directly.

Ka’ba was built by prophet Abra-

ham and his son according to Muslim

tradition. Whoever believes in Islam

has to face Ka’ba five times a day

wherever they are. Located at 21' 25'

N and 39' 49'24 E in DAMS notation.

There has never

been any air-

plane that has

flown through

the Makkah air-

space.

It is required

of everyone who

is of the Muslim

faith to attend

the pilgrimage at

Makkah (Hajj)

at least once in

their lifetime if

they can afford

it. It is one of the five pillars of the

faith because it brings Muslim people

of different nationalities, races, and

cultures into one nation un-

der Almighty

Allah, the name of God in Islam.

The pilgrimage takes place every year

in the holy Masque called Musjid Al-

Haram in Islam which means Mecca

in English.

Makkah has the most famous wa-

ter well on the earth. The water called

Zamazam come from. Zamazam is

believed to have special properties,

for example, many people were

cured from many types of cancers

by drinking Zamazam . The well

has existed since prophet Ab-raham,

and it will continue forever.

The Ka’ba is the focus of the Muslim pilgrimage in Mecca.

USC Language

Academy

Rossier School of

Education

Phone: 213-740-0080

Fax: 213-740-0088

Web: www.usc.edu/

langacad

Yerbol Tazhibayev

Olympic Games

Coming Soon

It seems like

yesterday the

Olympic games

in Beijing had

just finished,

and we soon will be witnessing

the Olympic Games in London.

Historically the Olympic

games started at Olympia,

Greece, in 776 BC. It took place

periodically once every four-

years. From ancient times Olym-

pic Games were stopped for sev-

eral times, but fortunately it suc-

cessfully came to our days.

The first modern summer

Olympic games started on

March 24th, 1896 in Athens,

Greece, where an American col-

lege student won the first race.

The opening ceremony will be

held on Friday, July 27th and it

is expected to be spectacular

with amazing show programs.

Don’t miss the Athletes Parade

where you can see your favorite

athlete from your country. 10,000

best athletes from all over the

world will participate in this

Olympic.

As we know we have summer

and winter Olympic Games. This

summer Olympic Games include

26 types of sports. You can al-

ways find the sport you like. USA

has 511 competitors in 24 sports,

my country Kazkhstan has 92

competitors in 14 sports and is

expecting the golden medals in

boxing and weightlifting. Let’s

support sportsmen, they will be

competing for us.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

The Academy News is a weekly newsletter pro-duced by students in the Journalism Elective of the USC Language Academy. All students in the Lan-guage Academy Program are encouraged to send news stories and photos to Sonja Lovelace at slove-lac@usc.edu.

Check out The Academy News online at www.usc.edu/langacad.Go to “Student Informa-

tion” and then click on “The Academy News.”

P A G E 8 J U N E 8 , 2 0 1 2

Shalhoob Abdulaziz Abdulmohsen A Azziz 5/11

Shulenbayeva Zhanerke 5/11

Wu Sichen Nina 5/12

Alesayi Abdulaziz Riyad 5/15

Kamizono Nao 5/23

Fatani Ruba Hamed 5/24

Duisebay Yeszhan 5/30

Cho Gil 5/30

Fitzsimmons Katie 5/30

Alshehri Sultan Ahmed 5/31

An Sunho Sunny 6/3

Hu Guoyu 6/9

Gu Haohan 6/14

MORE BIRTHDAYS NEXT WEEK!