President John Brooks Slaughter in 1988
The Journey of John Brooks Slaughter
Occidental's 11th president arrived on campus in 1988 amid national fanfare and great expectations—and in the 11 years to follow, John Brooks Slaughter brought out the best in Oxy

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). 

Summer13_Rugby
"Our hard work and camaraderie have paid off. It's been a long time coming."
Summer13_Solar
Up, Up, and Array! Oxy plugs into the solar power movement—and turns out the lights on its 125th-anniversary year—on a Founders Day brimming with energy
A Father's Namesake and Oxy Legacy
Summer13_MingChoLee
Record-makers, record-breakers, award-winners, and Tor
Summer13_Carnival
As a Department of Education investigation commences, Oxy reinforces its efforts to address sexual misconduct
Summer13_Commencement
Members of Oxy's biggest graduating class—"America's most conspicuous minority," in the words of speaker Andrew Delbanco—commence the next stage of their lives
HGTV designer wannabes take on the SAE and Alpha houses; a documentary details the grueling and mysterious Master Sommelier Diploma Examination; and Annette Bening headlines a list of coming...
Herschel Cobb '65's memoir of his legendary grandfather, Ty Cobb, reveals a side that few people ever saw—loving nurturer
Readers weigh in on sexual misconduct and Oxy's endowment
Catherine An
Catherine An '02 never set out to join her parents and sisters as a restaurateur, but the chance to create her own niche proved as irresistible as Mama's garlic noodles
Entrepreneurs Richard Highsmith '10 and Noah Applebome '10 charge into the burgeoning solar backpack market with affordable, portable power. Can BirkSun elbow its way to the mountaintop?
Summer13_Andrea
Art director Andrea C. Uva '02 tackles tiny canvases in designing book jackets for e-readability
Oxy's signature buildings bear the stamp of architect Myron Hunt—but it took a landscape architect from the East to make the campus complete
Technically, he got a medal, not the world's most recognized trophy. Still, Raffy Cortina '13 made Oxy history by winning top honors at the Student Academy Awards with his short Bottled Up
Spring12_Shenanigans
In 1987, residents of Newcomb Hall pulled what some consider to be the greatest Oxy prank ever. Rob Cunningham '88 spills all

Features

Lori Howard ’81 of Pinch Me Provence
A Pinch of Provence
Lori Howard ’81 kept a place in her heart for France following her study abroad experience at Oxy. Now she’s curating custom holiday experiences for a growing clientele in the French...
Minnesota Court of Appeals Judge Keala Ede
Longboard of the Law
As the first Native Hawaiian judge in Minnesota history, Keala Ede ’00 brings a commitment to justice to his courtroom—and a taste of surf culture to the shores of Lake Superior
Members of the Occidental Class of 2027
New Faces of 2027
Occidental’s 140th-anniversary class is among its most diverse—and they have a lot to say about everything from activism and athletics to culture and chocolates
Roland Griffiths '68
The Other Side of Roland Griffiths
The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine professor, who died in October, was lauded for his ‘mind-blowing’ studies of psychedelics. But Barry Sears ’68 remembers his ‘wicked sense of humor’

First Word

From the Quad

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
Adam Kinzinger, 2023 Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer at Occidental College
Making the Case for Democracy
Jack Kemp ’57 Distinguished Lecturer and former Congressman Adam Kinzinger has a message for students: “You will be the generation that changes everything”

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...

Oxy Talk

Professor of History Emeritus Wellington Chan
One for the History Books
An estate commitment from Gary Kaplan ’71 honors Professor Emeritus Wellington Chan—whom he helped bring to Occidental more than 50 years ago
Assistant professors Sohaib Khan (religious studies), Season Blake (philosophy), Jamie Amemiya (psychology), and Zachary Silver (psychology).
Thinking Globally
Occidental’s largest-ever cohort of new tenure-track faculty brings a world of ideas to the classroom

Last Page

Dean of Students Emerita Brig Knauer
Flowers for Brig Knauer
Over 25 years of leadership in Occidental’s Office of Student Affairs, Brigida Knauer (1935-2023) shepherded residential life into the modern era
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