How Los Angeles’ first championship parade during the pandemic affected USC students

The Rams parade was certainly exciting for LA, but not as much for some USC students who had trouble getting on campus. The parade passed by UPC and the University Park neighborhood, which meant many classes moved online and left commuters scrambling to get to class.

*****

Thousands of people gathered to celebrate the first victory parade for an L.A. sports team since start of the pandemic. L.A. cheered in front of USC, but some students were upset by the restrictions to get on campus. This included freshman environmental studies major Lauren Burgess.

LAUREN BURGESS: I go to the first gate on Expo Street, the one near Marshall, and they’re like, “Nope, you have to go all the way down to Watt Way.” And so I go to the gate I just came out of, and they’re like, “No, sorry, we’re closed, go down to Watt Way.” So I go down to Watt Way - also closed. I have to walk all the way up around to Jefferson to get in.

Burgess had a frustrating morning, but junior psychology major Mallory Pickle is more worried about the rest of the day.

MALLORY PICKLE: It’s like, my afternoon classes, it’s like, I still don’t know if they’re on Zoom or in person, you know, but like my morning classes are on Zoom. So it’s definitely weird, like having to be on Zoom in the morning and then like possibly trying to get to campus in the afternoon.

USC freshman and economics major Adam Young attended the parade and is happy about the location.

ADAM YOUNG: It hasn’t really sunk in yet. And then having them come now to USC is kind of sick. I mean, I just came outside my dorm and I’m right here.

Despite the confusion, Pickle agrees that the parade is important.

PICKLE: I love this whole idea. I think it’s like such, you know, like a big win for the city.

L.A. resident Tommy Payne might not live on campus but he is still ecstatic for the victory parade. He would go anywhere to celebrate the win.

TOMMY PAYNE: I don’t care if it’s a parade in the Moon if it’s a parade. But till then... whose house? Rams house!

Payne is a Rams fan for life, or as he puts it...

PAYNE: Old and gray.

Blair More is happy for the Rams and sold Super Bowl champion T-shirts to those watching.

BLAIR MORE: We are at a parade. Everybody’s having a great time...

Which is absolutely true. Rams fans danced, yelled, and were full of energy. More explains how much this win means for L.A.

MORE: Lakers tried to do it, we got the Dodgers, but the Rams... they had a shot last year. But this was the year and I’m glad we did it up until the last second of the fourth quarter. We got this win. We earned it all the way to the last second.

Celebrating the win while in LA is essential to USC freshman and journalism major Katelyn Do.

KATELYN DO: A part of going to college out of state is learning about the city around you and the culture of the city around you.

Do is proud to be a student in L.A.

DO: I think it’s like fun to see L.A. come together and the fact that they won so many championships, like in recent years too. It’s really cool to see L.A. pride as a visitor.

As a long time L.A. resident and Rams season ticket holder, Darline Olguin also shined with city pride. She came with her whole family to enjoy the parade.

DARLINE OLGUIN: To see them accomplish what, you know, all the fans wanted them to accomplish was to come here to [...] bring the Super Bowl home to L.A. So it was everything.

The celebration meant a lot to her young children.

OLGUIN: They get excited, just as excited as we do, and they’re all in their Rams gear, and so it’s good to have us here as a family.

This is Olguin’s children and many fans’ first parade but some like Tommy Payne are already getting ready to see it again next season.

PAYNE: Whatever comes from now, from next year, whatever, then I hope for the best and we might get another championship next year.

Despite the closed streets and difficult access to enter campus, optimism followed the thousands who cheered down to the L.A. Memorial Coliseum. Many of these were USC students. Although they might prefer cardinal and gold, today they allowed blue and gold to cover the streets blocking campus.