New Faces of 2021
Ambitious, thoughtful, quirky, worldly—and smarter than most of us were at that age—the third-largest entering class in Oxy history is ready for its closeup
An Occidental Truth
For students and faculty across multiple disciplines, climate change is real—and they’re exploring solutions through classroom study and field research
JoeRohde
Mr. Rohde's Wild Ride
Raconteur and adventurer Joe Rohde ’77 brings a world of influences and his liberal arts training to his work as a Disney Imagineer
Senior Comps
Extra Stresstrial
Senior comps can be time-consuming, mind-bending, and soul-crushing—but they inspire many Tigers to unimagined heights
Dohring Once, Dohring Twice
From Spring 2007: Junior diving phenoms Jon and Robert Dohring were "untouchable" all season, finishing 1-2 in the 1-and 3-meter events at the Division III nationals—and the sky's the limit...
Eleanor Helin
Guardians of the Galaxy
More than 75 years ago, Barbara (Wylie) Canright ’40 helped lift the Jet Propulsion Laboratory off the ground. Half a century later, Eleanor Helin ’54 discovered a staggering number of...
Life During Wartime
When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, Occidental was a small college struggling to survive in its new home. With a new president and a renewed sense of urgency, how did...
Sox and Bonds
Chris Varelas '85 has a passion for sports, a knack for structuring complex technology deals, a loyalty to his Oxy family—and the uncanny ability of being at the nexus of history
Coming to America
Decades before they joined the diplomacy and world affairs faculty at Oxy, Sophal Ear, Lan Chu, and Sanjeev Khagram immigrated to the United States as refugees. How have their journeys...
Good Vibrations
With a Hall of Fame clientele from the Beach Boys and Bee Gees to the Sex Pistols and Santana, John Branca '72 has taken the art of the deal to new heights—not bad for a kid from New York...
No Bull
Midway through his eighth year in office, President Veitch reflects on the accomplishments and controversies that have shaped his time at Oxy so far—and why he's bullish on the challenges...
Obama inauguration Occidental College
School of Barack
Prior to 2008, Occidental was best known in many circles as an academic "hidden gem" (and as a popular film location). But the nation's 44th president put Oxy on the map—just as the College...
Alumna Sara El-Amine
Yes She Can
Sara El-Amine '07 joined the Obama campaign at ground zero as a bilingual volunteer in Iowa. Having organized thousands of volunteers as a Washington insider, she's prepared to be a...