Rashan Gary's Mom Loves USC

Submitted by winterblue75 on

http://www.scout.com/college/football/recruiting/story/1633284-usc-game…

 

"Oh my gosh," said Jennifer Conley, Rashan's mother. "L.A. is absolutely beautiful."

 

Gary already made official visits to Mississippi, Auburn and Michigan, and he is contemplating a visit to either LSU, Alabama or Clemson. Ohio State is also trying to get involved with a Monday in-home visit.

"He could definitely go to USC," Conley said. "The visit was a game-changer."

 

"I learned that USC is a great school academically," Conley said. "They showed me their plan for success for Rashan, how they will implement his classes to his schedule, individualized tutoring. Most campuses that we have been to have the same thing, but I know Michigan and USC are two of the better academic colleges, where their degrees hold weight. "They encourage their football players to get internships. It's very comparable to what I felt at Michigan, but the weather was good."
MGoBoard

Fuck a Bucknut…

January 17th, 2016 at 10:50 AM ^

if its like michigan in terms of academics and all of that i think rashan cares more about being on one of the best football teams rather than being in warm weather on an average team

Joined: 01/14/2016

MGoPoints: 70

gopoohgo

January 17th, 2016 at 10:47 AM ^

If you live in West LA. Seriously USC is in a sketchy area. I can understand driving around Westwood, Brentwood, the Palisades, etc. and being wowed...but SC?

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 10660

FGB

January 17th, 2016 at 11:00 AM ^

It's actually not that sketchy anymore, it's more that it's just not exactly the California dream either.  It's in the middle of a bunch of auto dealerships and light industrial-type stuff.  It'd be like if you took a beautiful self-contained campus and dropped it out Jackson road. 

 

Joined: 09/24/2009

MGoPoints: 3191

catatomic

January 17th, 2016 at 11:37 AM ^

Roving packs is a bit of an exaggeration, they did rob people around USC... and then those three kids went to beach areas and robbed people down there too. It's not just a USC thing. The area was really rough, but like anything close to a downtown (which is booming after 50 years of neglect), the area is starting to gentrify quickly. If safety is a concern, there's a light rail train that goes straight through campus, that is two stops from downtown, which is full of brand new apartments complexes with awesome amenities and multi million dollar condos. While Gary family may not have that kind of money, many students families certainly do. If you're curious, check out the website UrbanizeLA. Add to that the fact that the second phase of that light rail will be opening in a few months and you will be able to get to the beach communities in less time that it takes to get to Central Campus from a bus on North Campus. Not a bad deal. "But you won't prepare yourself for January playoff games in Minnesota, Rashan!"

Joined: 01/14/2009

MGoPoints: 130

gopoohgo

January 17th, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^

I saw the light rail when I was in Santa Monica a few weeks ago.  Like you bring up, however, the rental prices in the better parts outside of downtown are pretty much unaffordable for the majority of Americans, let alone a college student.

 

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 10660

catatomic

January 17th, 2016 at 12:20 PM ^

First of all, downtown is where most of the action is going, it IS one if the better parts of LA now. There's a mix of price affordability all around that area. If you're a tourist who wants to dip their toes in the ocean every day, sure, the beach is the place to be. But that can get boring after a while if you live here, at least it did for me. I'm digressing, but my point is this: the line people throw out about USC being surrounded by a shit hole is outdated info — or downright geographically incorrect (Beverly Hiils and Bel Air are closer than Watts or Compton). South LA is huge, and the areas around USC just got voted as the next big area for gentrification, those areas are getting way better every year, and soon it will be irrelevant where USC is located. It will actually become another selling point. It will never be surrounded by the area UCLA is, but neither is UM, and frankly, downtown LA is way effing cooler than Westwood Village ever will be.

Joined: 01/14/2009

MGoPoints: 130

gopoohgo

January 17th, 2016 at 12:48 PM ^

I'm guessing it maybe due to my age (40), but I fit in much better in Brentwood, Beverly, West Hollywood @ Melrose rather than the hipper/edgier parts (Hollywood Hills, Downtown).  Kind of over living in "hip" parts of town.  To me, it sounds like crowded, noisy, and overpriced.

Yes, now get off my lawn.

 

Joined: 09/12/2011

MGoPoints: 10660

catatomic

January 17th, 2016 at 1:05 PM ^

None of those options are wrong. All great areas, and to each his own. I was mostly looking at this through the eyes of the kids coming to school here. I just moved my Ad Agency downtown and all the "kids" in the office are really fired up because the area is hot, has transit, is centrally located etc. I don't think the "USC is in the ghetto" line holds as much weight as it used to.

Joined: 01/14/2009

MGoPoints: 130

BlueMk1690

January 17th, 2016 at 7:55 PM ^

in gentrifying areas of L.A. (or New York for that matter). Hipsters are easy victims, they have expensive stuff and don't exactly act streetwise (because they generally think 'crime' is just an invention of Republican racists). I bet half those kids don't even call the cops when their iPad or whatever is stolen because they figure it's pointless and/or think it's their own fault for having more material wealth than the downtrodden poor and that theft is just a path of achieving social justice.

An area that is identified as 'hot' by hipsters is generally still dangerous enough because what drives gentrification? Affordable rents and locations close to things they like or need to go to (colleges, clubs, bars, galleries, eccentric entertainment). Why are the rents still affordable in spite of the location being pretty solid? Because it's a dump full of hoodrats. For the first decade or so of a gentrifying circle the hoodrats will live side by side with the hipsters. It's like that even in Echo Park where plenty of hipsters live but there's still gangs there too.

A gentrified area is really only safe when the hipsters say it's gone commercial and boring and 30 something upper-middle class couples think it's fine to live there with their kids.

 

Joined: 02/04/2011

MGoPoints: 13033

Z_Wolverista

January 19th, 2016 at 11:29 PM ^

... mostly.

'cept you get the characterizations a bit wrong  (slanderous!).

It's not that it's a path to social justice. It pisses us off, but it's... understandable, given the full context of things (like displacement / gentrification / police protection for newcomers & surveillance / targeting of those being pushed out).

To paraphrase your point: A gentrified area is really only safe -- for upper-middle class people, that is -- when it's fully gentrified.

 

Joined: 01/19/2014

MGoPoints: 2673

TIMMMAAY

January 17th, 2016 at 2:47 PM ^

I really, really hate when people who have no frickin clue make definitive statements about things like this. Like, you literally have no idea, you are merely expressing an opinion as if it is just a given fact. Lots of people here (and elsewhere, obvs) have done that repeatedly over the years about lots of things (Harbaugh comes to mind), and are again and again proven wrong. You would think people would step back the next time and say "wait, maybe I shouldn't make blanket statements about things that I'm only guessing on"... but no. 

Joined: 09/08/2008

MGoPoints: 56336

Z_Wolverista

January 19th, 2016 at 11:37 PM ^

...doesn't feel like it [don't want to say it, cuz yes, there's still a tiny chance] --

and like most folks on this board are in sad, delusional denial.

I mean, it's his moms.

The coaching staff being the only hopeful counterweight (since it seems the academic angle is a draw).

I'll hang onto this silver sliver of hope, but... very reminicent of Hand. sure seems like he's gone...

I do hope I'm wrong.

Joined: 01/19/2014

MGoPoints: 2673

coldnjl

January 17th, 2016 at 10:50 AM ^

We have previous teammates on our team. We may be leading for others. We have Chris Partridge. We may get his good friend Dwumfour and currently have enrolled another friend in Walker. We are leading for some of his younger teammates. We have been on top for ever and USC with an also ran for a head coach may be our only competition. Did you guys honestly think other schools wouldn't pull out the stops? But we have pulled out more and our in alot better position than they are. Relax

Joined: 12/31/2009

MGoPoints: 13948

Mr. Yost

January 17th, 2016 at 10:51 AM ^

You all should join me in avoiding all things with this recruitment until signing day. Just keep your hopes high and your heart rate/blood pressure normal.

It's not worth it.

Joined: 07/25/2011

MGoPoints: -9898225

The Truth Hurts

January 17th, 2016 at 12:50 PM ^

Yes, please stop. It's only a couple of weeks left. We do not need a Gary report every other day. Every time some of you guys post I get offended by things you say, so I know the mother probably do too. So take the veteran poster advice and stop commenting on the recruitment if you can't stay positive.

Joined: 03/30/2011

MGoPoints: 3598