{"id":5201,"date":"2020-09-29T09:00:12","date_gmt":"2020-09-29T09:00:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.slamstox.com\/?p=5201"},"modified":"2020-10-08T13:20:45","modified_gmt":"2020-10-08T13:20:45","slug":"university-spotlight-university-of-southern-california-usc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.slamstox.com\/en\/in-the-spotlight-english\/university-spotlight-university-of-southern-california-usc\/","title":{"rendered":"University Spotlight: University of Southern California (USC)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This week, we are going to talk about a special American university, with a special Slamstox connection! We’re talking about one of the most prestigious universities in the US: University of Southern California (USC). Our very own Peter Lucassen won 4 NCAA D1 championships in a row, and earlier we talked about Lodewijk Weststrate<\/a>, who will start playing tennis for the Trojans this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this week’s spotlight we are highlighting our tennis player Laurens Verboven; the Flemish tennis talent from Overpelt. In his junior career he won Flemish and Belgian national titles and participated in the European championships. He also played for the Belgian national team during various summer and winter cups and he was part of team Belgium during the Junior Davis Cup! An impressive tennis career, but Laurens definitely did not stop there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His greatest adventure begins in the summer of 2015, when he leaves for Los Angeles. And he doesn’t go there for just a touristy walk on the walk of fame, but to join one of the most prestigious universities in America: the University of Southern California (USC). At USC, the Flemish tennis player transforms into a ‘Trojan’ and as a student-athlete he enjoys a lot of success. Laurens achieved his highest ranking in College Tennis during his senior year. He finishes 19th in the national singles rankings, and ends up with a 3rd (!) place in the doubles rankings with partner Jack Jaede.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amazing results for our Slamstox athlete, of which we are obviously very proud. But Laurens, what do you think of USC?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018What I like best about USC is being able to play tennis for one of the best tennis programs in the nation while getting a top degree from this prestigious university. The alumni network is amazing, and I am so lucky to be a part of the Trojan Family.\u2019<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laurens Verboven, Slamstox-athlete<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nice words! Want to know more about this place in LA? Keep reading!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The campus<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The campus, a special place to stay. USC is the largest and oldest private university in California! We hear you think, \u201cPrivate? Probably not many students will be studying there then\u201d. But you’re wrong: about 50,000 students form the ‘USC family’ there every year. American Private Universities are usually not affiliated with the American government, that’s why the term ‘private’ is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The location of the university certainly doesn’t make it any less attractive, because who can say that they go (or went) to school in the heart of Los Angeles? Laurens can! The school is special, the combination of the beautiful buildings and perfectly maintained gardens makes you feel as if you are walking on a film set. It is therefore not without reason that the campus has often been used for various Hollywood films, television series, commercials and music videos. The campus can even be seen in at least 180 film and television series! So don’t be surprised if you bump into Johnny Depp or Jennifer Aniston while rushing to your math class … <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A beautiful campus requires beautiful (sports) facilities. The Trojan tennis players are quite lucky, because USC has one of the finest tennis facilities in College Tennis. Slamstox-founder Pedro visited Laurens and USC in 2017 and 2018 and, as an ex-Seahawk, he was – under very high exception – allowed to train with them. For once… <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In addition to the tennis facilities, USC has so much more to offer. This includes the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. It’s one of the biggest stadiums in college football, hosting more than 78.000 fans! As a comparison: The Netherlands’ largest stadium (Johan Cruijff Arena) hosts around 55.000 fans. We all know the saying ‘If it ain’t Dutch, it ain’t much’, but let’s quit with that for now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum will host the Olympic Games in 2028!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In addition to impressive stadiums, USC also has a huge fitness center (of 30,000 feet), a large private cinema with Imax and 3D and for the ‘real’ students among us: they also have 23 libraries! Because yes, there must be enough space to study if all those 50,000 students have an important exam ahead…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

USC offers a lot more than just mentioned. So, are you eager to see more? We understand! And so do they… Check out their  virtual tour<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sports<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

You probably already felt it coming: the USC sports teams are pretty damn successful! Student-athletes at USC, the Trojans, are divided in 9 men’s and 12 women’s sports. The results of the teams are remarkable:<\/p>\n\n\n\n