Ground Zero Performance Cafe is set to close on May 11, and students have responded by creating a Change.org petition in hopes of saving the space.
The decision to demolish the facility came after the University Administration decided to remove Marks Hall and Trojan Residence Hall because they are no longer in use.
An official statement from the university states, “Trojan Event Services has several on-campus venues for students in addition to Ground Zero. Students will be able to use those other venues for events, including Tommy’s Place.
The cafe, located directly outside of South Residential College, is a performance space dedicated entirely to art, music and creativity. Ground Zero features live student performances and is often used for events sponsored by USC student organizations. It also operates as a full espresso and milkshake bar.
The space is most known for their free open mic night, hosted every Monday for USC students to attend and perform music, poetry, comedy and drag.
Karina Chavez-Saucedo, a former announcer at Ground Zero, said she was “shocked” when she heard about the venue’s closing.
“The people who go are regulars and they really like going in and they’ll become friends with each other, they talk about how it’s like a good place for them to express themselves,” Chavez-Saucedo said. “I think most people found out last Monday that Ground Zero was closing, I worked that Monday and everybody was really passionate, really sad.”
The Change.org petition was started by a passionate Ground Zero attendee, and it currently has 168 signatures and counting.
“Ground Zero is one of the few places that invite all singers, songwriters, and performers of USC no matter your experience,” the Change.org petition reads. “We’ve formed a community and a family here, please do not tear us down.”
In addition to the open mic night, the café was known for hosting “First Friday,” a talent showcase dedicated to student and local performers coming together to enjoy their shared love for art, music, comedy, acting and film.
“I feel like it provides this nice kind of smaller, intimate atmosphere for student artists of any type of art, … [to] be able to share our art without having to go far out on campus and be able to share it with the campus,” said Stuart Crespo, a junior majoring in jazz studies, whose musical trio group performed at Ground Zero in November.
Before the university decided to tear it down, Ground Zero Performance Cafe closed temporarily for renovations during the 2017-2018 school year. The next fall, it reopened but only for scheduled events. The cafe closed again during the spring of 2019.
Michael Naffier, a junior majoring in dance, said he appreciates Ground Zero for the supportive community it brings.
“It felt very accepting…like a lot of people coming together and wanting to see people express themselves,” he said.
Another student performer, Jaren Savage, an international relations major and performer at Ground Zero, hopes another casual campus music venue will emerge in the near future.
“That’s the thing about Ground Zero, the audience and the people there are always so easygoing and I always feel comfortable enough to share what I’m working on without judgment,” Savage said.
According to the university, “Demolition of Marks Hall and Trojan Residence Hall is scheduled to start in December 2022, and the structures will come down in summer 2023.”
“The buildings have not housed students since March 2020; any offices or retail operations in the locations have moved out or are in the process of moving out of their spaces,” they explained.
The cafe will continue to host its weekly, free Monday Night Open Mic event hosted by Trojan Event Services at its venue across from Fertitta Hall until the end of this semester, prior to its official closing date on May 11.