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). 

Remembering coach and professor emeritus Grant Dunlap '46, alumni volunteer Andy Beattie Jr. '75, and chemistry professor emeritus and wine enthusiast Ralph Amey.
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In a world of blogs, tweets, alerts, and clickbait, is there still room for news? Five Oxy journalists working in old and new media are optimistic. Here's why.
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As government officials train their attention on sexual assault at colleges, Oxy bolsters its policies, procedures, and personnel
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With an infusion of olive trees, drought-resistant plants, and grass, the main entrance to Occidental gets a beauty of a makeover
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Oxy welcomes its largest-ever international class for its 128th year. Also: 18 fast facts about the Class of 2018
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Nine new and familiar faces step into the classroom in tenure-track positions as the College cultivates the next generation of great minds
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As the Board of Trustees extends Jonathan Veitch's contract through the end of the decade, the president hopes to build on the College's momentum
One alumnus expresses shock and dismay over the trustees' decision to keep Veitch, and Bob McMillen '53's Olympics moment prompts old memories and new questions.
Back in the Saddle
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Pasadena's Gold Bug gallery is crawling with curiosities—from jewel-encrusted insects to stuffed critters who died naturally. After seven strange, successful years, Theodora Coleman '08...
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Ippolita Rostagno '86 studied in Italy to be a sculptor. As an English literature major at Oxy, she aspired to be a choreographer. She ultimately found her calling designing luxury jewelry...
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Handicapper Bob Ike '85 has made a career out of picking the ponies. Now he wants to change the game as an owner and online cashier
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In 1969, 42 Oxy students were suspended after protesting military recruiting on campus at the height of the Vietnam War. Nearly half of them never graduated. Forty-five years later, have old...
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Cassidy Bednark '98 turned a turntable passion into a bankable profession with a mix of persistence, prowess, and more mixtapes than you can shake your booty at. After a decade with the...
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Joanna (Hall) Gleason '72 is Oxy's most-celebrated actress, disappearing into every role while wowing critics and audiences alike. This fall, as she ignites the screen in The Skeleton Twins...

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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