"Mother of Lions," by Robert Martinez
Living in a Wildlife Corridor
An immersive exhibit at Descanso Gardens underscores the diversity and proximity of Southern California wildlife—and the efforts under way to improve their mobility

Occidental magazine brings you campus news, in-depth features, and profiles of exceptional alumni. For the 2023-24 academic year, the magazine will publish two print and digital issues (Fall 2023 and Spring 2024) and two digital-only issues (Summer 2023 and Winter 2024). 

Actress, author, and voiceover artist Reba Buhr '10
Reba Buhr ’10’s Oxy experience was interrupted by the collapse of her mental health. Here’s how she worked through it
L.A. City Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez '96
As Monica Rodriguez ’96 begins a second term on the Los Angeles City Council, she’s using her voice to bring change to her lifelong home
Ella Rubin ’24, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, and Ava Wampold '24.
With all eyes on the 2022 midterm election, eight Oxy students canvassed, coordinated, and cold-called their way through the political process in six battleground states
President Elam talks to students at Moonlight Breakfast on the Quad in December 2022.
After a fall full of activity—including postseason tournaments, pancakes on the Quad, and in-person alumni gatherings—Oxy springs forward into 2023
Jim Conlin '74 at home in his garage in Rochester, N.Y., in an undated photo.
Jim Conlin '74 was not an ostentatious fellow—but his legacy gift to Occidental will improve the fortunes of generations of future students
Los Amigos pitcher Freddy Hernandez
For 26 seasons, Oxy’s Summer Staff Softball League has served up friendly competition (and the occasional cold beverage) for employees and alumni
Oxy Gaming eboard members.
With a dedicated space in the Academic Commons, a visionary team of student gamers, and a timely boost from an industry giant, esports levels up at Oxy
Twenty-five of the 53 personnel in Oxy’s Music Department.
One of the College’s oldest disciplines, music gets a makeover in response to the production boom of the 21st century—but if you want a classical education, you’ll find that as well
Professor and filmmaker Broderick Fox films artist Devan Shimoyama for his documentary, Manscaping.
Professor and filmmaker Broderick Fox explores the relationship between barbershops and masculinity in his new documentary, Manscaping
Members of the Occidental Class of 2026
Seven members of the Class of 2026—and a 23-year-old sophomore transfer—open up about their aspirations for their Oxy experience
Deputy Ambassador U. Alexis Johnson ’31, left, evacuates the U.S. Embassy in Saigon on March 31, 1965.
Occidental's ties to foreign relations run deep—not just in the U.S. government, but in Japan and South Africa as well
Michael Gonzales '96 with Guinean Transition President Mamady Doumbouya.
Michael Gonzales ’96 embraces his new role as U.S. ambassador to Zambia with intelligence and integrity
Board of Trustees Chair Lisa H. Link P'18
In her sixth year as an Oxy trustee, Lisa Hinchliffe Link P’18 steps up to become board chair—30 years after her father assumed the same role
Sally and Jack Samuelson smile for trustee Dave Berkus ’62's camera.
Perpetuating the architectural legacy of Myron Hunt’s master plan for campus, Jack Samuelson ’46 brought his own flair to more than two dozen projects at Oxy
Occidental's ARCCS (A Rain­water Collection and Cleaning System).
In response to California’s prolonged drought, the College reduces its water usage on campus

Features

Gay and Lesbian Association members in 1984.
Rainbow Connections
Nearly 40 years after its formation, Out@Oxy has a new name and a renewed mission—to support Occidental’s LGBTQIA+ student community and curate a queer history of the College
Meko Winbush '03, winning director of Project Greenlight
All Eyes on Meko
Winning Project Greenlight and making her first feature film has opened doors for Meko Winbush ’03. In return, she endured eight months in front of the camera
"Mother of Lions," by Robert Martinez
Living in a Wildlife Corridor
An immersive exhibit at Descanso Gardens underscores the diversity and proximity of Southern California wildlife—and the efforts under way to improve their mobility
Adam Schoenberg
Fanfare for a Mountain Lion
Associate Professor of Music Adam Schoenberg found inspiration from ‘L.A.’s coolest cat’—and his latest composition may have helped save his own life
Illumination Chief Marketing Officer Sam Bergen '04
Powering Up
Following the record-shattering box office launch of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Illumination Chief Marketing Officer Sam Bergen ’04 recounts his journey from Campus Road to Rainbow Road

First Word

From the Quad

Mixed Media

A performance of Fetch Clay, Make Man featuring four Black actors onstage
Power Dynamics
Exploring the unlikely friendship between two Black cultural icons—Muhammad Ali and Stepin Fetchit—professor and playwright Will Power’s Fetch Clay, Make Man packs a punch with L.A...
Richard Carlson '60, author of Mekong Medicine
Mixed Media
U.S. Army Medical Corps veteran Richard Carlson ’60 on his Vietnam memoir, Mekong Medicine, and more

Oxy Talk

Keegan McChesney '16 and David Wigglesworth '50 M'53
Dave and Me
Separated by 66 years but drawn together by an Oxy bumper sticker, David Wigglesworth ’50 M’53 and Keegan McChesney ’16 became fast friends a decade ago. Keegan remembers his oldest friend...
 Tye Hernandez ’23 (track and field), an economics/politics double major from Brea.
Senior Moments
Ten standout student-athletes from Occidental’s Class of 2023 discuss the challenges and rewards of sticking with their sport through the pandemic

Last Page

Occidental College Professor of Chemistry Frank Lambert
Lessons From Lambert
Fifty-seven years after an ill-fated grade placed his academic dreams in jeopardy, Dr. Elliott Oppenheim ’69 recalls the counsel of his mentor, Professor of Chemistry Frank Lambert
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