Sun’s out, guns out. At the University of Southern California, it feels more like sun’s out, smiles up.
This week, after months of gloomy skies and rain, Los Angeles experienced clear skies, a high UV and multiple days over 75 degrees. It appears sunny California is finally living up to its name.
Los Angeles experienced historic levels of rain over the past two water-filled years. According to the National Weather Service, downtown Los Angeles received 52.46 inches from 2022 to 2024. This is the second-highest amount in recorded history.
Bad weather is known to lead to bad moods, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
“Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a type of depression,” according to the Johns Hopkins Medicine website. “It is thought that shorter days and less daylight may trigger a chemical change in the brain leading to symptoms of depression.”
For students who chose USC for its sunshine and balmy weather, a winter full of atmospheric rivers was a bummer.
“There was definitely a lot more rain than I expected,” said sophomore business major Ahaana Naimpally, “because people always said that it wasn’t gonna rain here.”
Some students said it was hard to get out of bed and find the motivation to login to Blackboard.
“I get really sad when it’s cloudy. I don’t want to do anything. I don’t want to go to class,” said sophomore business major Kavita Sundaram. “I honestly don’t know how to exist when it’s raining.”
As the dark clouds gave way, USC students could be seen hanging out in the sun, playing spike ball and laying out on the newly renovated McCarthy Quad.
For sophomore business major Atticus Kim, the sunny skies were an invitation to flee his room with some friends.
“I love the quad. I think we picnic out here at least twice a week since it’s open,” he said. “I just love seeing people together, on the quad and in the sun. It’s really nice.”
Warmer weather also brought out a new sighting: hammocks.
Taking to the tree line across McCarthy Quad, students swayed to the sounds of the nearby farmers market from their elevated beds.
“I like to sit in my hammock, rot and maybe just read a book,” said Shawn Kim, a philosophy, politics and economics sophomore at USC.
“Now that the grass is grassing, because I feel like even last year it was destroyed, you can lay on McCarthy Quad,” said Sundaram. “I love just getting a hammock and vibing there.”
It’s a late start to spring, which officially started on March 1. With spring comes longer days, and just in time for finals. Those extra hours of sunlight seem to help students stay focused on getting in some final studying.
“It gets dark later, which I feel like will help me stay up later,” said sophomore business major Aodon Walsh. “It’ll definitely help me study better.”
Maybe. But sunny skies and warmer weather sometimes make the mind wander for others.
“I’m actually skipping class right now,” said Shawn Kim, lying in a hammock.