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Sustainability activities at Occidental College.
Changing the Climate
Emboldened by a proactive student body, Oxy doubles down on its commitment to a more sustainable campus

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2024-25 academic year, the magazine will publish two print and digital issues (Fall 2024 and Spring 2025) and two digital-only issues (Summer 2024 and Winter 2025).

Oxy military veterans
Half a century after their time in Vietnam, a dozen alumni share their war stories—the camaraderie, the challenges, and how their Oxy education readied them for combat
Capt. Jon M. Speer '54
A tribute to 14 "Occidental sons" who perished during Vietnam
Building on the College’s proximity to three distinctive ecosystems, its commitment to cutting-edge genomics research, and its emphasis on experiential learning, Oxy embraces an...
Professor Dale Wright’s journey to Buddhist enlightenment began when he was a teenager—and he’s spent the last four decades inspiring students to expand their thinking
As their golden anniversary fast approaches, members of the Class of 1968 refllect on four years that changed the world and shaped their Oxy experience
John Stephens
Favorite Oxy memories from the Class of '68
Five student playwrights—and dozens of alumni professionals—bring the party to Keck Theater for the platinum anniversary of Oxy’s New Play Festival
20 Tiny Plays by 20 Big Alums close out the New Play Festival
From sarcastic teens to dinosaur-fighting warriors, voice actor Ashly Burch ’12 brings video game heroines to life
A new species of scorpion named after Occidental College, a new role for adjunct professor Christopher Hawthorne, and a new study by assistant professor Bhavna Shamasunder
New books and music from Oxy alumni and faculty
Three Oxy women set out to change children’s mindsets about science—and scientists—by bringing the laboratory experience to elementary schools
Led by Mayor Eric Garcetti and Professor Sanjeev Khagram, L.A. and Oxy team up for a global initiative to accelerate Sustainable Development Goals
Four-time Grammy winner Esperanza Spalding sparkled in the classroom and on stage, coaching student singers to be storytellers and showing them how it’s done
SASA’s annual festival of colors celebrates the arrival of spring

Features

Campaign Semester participants Cady Carr '27 and Rachel Obbard '27
Ground Game
For Campaign Semester students in battleground Pennsylvania and 13 other states, the road map to Election Day entails knocking on every door
Actor Loren Lester ’83 in Times Square
Broadway Baby
In the third act of a career that spans stage, screen, and television, actor Loren Lester ’83 realizes a lifelong dream of performing on the Great White Way
The Occidental Gospel Choir in 1975.
Precious Memories
Founded by students in 1971, the Occidental Gospel Choir made music for a quarter-century—and a reunion of former members celebrates its nearly forgotten legacy
Sam Rubin '82 and Stacie Roshon '08
The Morning Showman
Sam Rubin ’82 became a fixture of the entertainment journalism landscape over his 33 years with KTLA—and his unexpected death in May resonated well beyond Hollywood's red carpets
Hats Off to Patt!
Patt Morrison ’74 shares a curated collection of books with Special Collections—and 50 years of words and wisdom in conversation with Larry Mantle

First Word

From the Quad

Tylor Lee '26 interned with Healthcare in Action, which provides healthcare and social services to unhoused people.
Summer in the City
A 10-week summer internship program pairs 28 Oxy students with 20 community partners to contribute to the work of advancing social justice in Los Angeles
Occidental’s women's basketball team after winning the 2024 SCIAC Post­season Tournament championship.
Bringing the Heat
Playing through injuries, fatigue, and in front of opposing crowds, Oxy’s ‘relentless’ women’s hoops team wins its way into the NCAA tourney
Coach Rod Lafaurie and members of the 2023 men's soccer team
Kicking and Dreaming
From its first SCIAC championship to a berth in the Sweet 16, Oxy men’s soccer soared to new heights this season. But Coach Rod Lafaurie and his players are hungry for more

Mixed Media

Author Susan Coll '81, photographed at Politics & Prose in Washington, D.C.
Mixed Media
Susan Coll ’81’s latest comic novel, Professor Amy Lyford’s examination of the art and life of Dorothea Tanning, and more

Oxy Talk

Suke Takayuki Kubota in an undated photo.
Oxy’s Samurai Grandmaster
Soke Takayuki Kubota (1934-2024) became a martial arts legend, developing his own karate style and amassing a worldwide following. And for more than 40 years, he taught his methods to the...
Spectators view the OCLAA oral history gallery in the Academic Commons in February 2024.
Voices of OCLAA
Realizing a long-standing goal of Occidental’s Latino Alumni Association, two dozen alumni share their stories with students for an oral history project

Last Page

Journalist Max Chun '19 in the offices of Lookout Santa Cruz.
Local Heroes
When disaster struck his native Santa Cruz last year, reporter Max Chun ’19 and a small team of journalists sprang into action for their community—and pocketed a Pulitzer Prize for their work
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