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). 

Summer14_Rosen
Butane hash oil is the latest home-cooking craze in the marijuana community. It's also the most explosive—and that keeps deputy district attorney Ashley Rosen '00 busy
Summer14_Buckles
Blake Nielsen '05 and Chris Smutny '05 stake a claim in the custom belt buckle business with an entrepreneurial spirit honed at Oxy
Summer14_Howell
When John Howell '71 needs to get away from it all, he disappears into the San Gabriel Mountains. Now his job is to preserve that environment for plants and wildlife as well
Gene Grigsby '66 left a successful career in urban planning to take a flyer on fixing an ailing National Health Foundation. With an innovative program that addresses healthcare costs for...
Spring14_Winter
Taking a page from his mentor, Professor Bob Winter, teacher Doug StanWiens '89 immerses his Boise High School students in the city's architectural history
Remembering two good friends of Oxy: John Gabbert '31 and Allen "Red" Gresham '53
An oral (and slightly revisionist) history of one of Oxy's most beloved programs
Spring14_MixedMedia
New offerings from Oxy authors—including a Royal Adventure for Sophia Grace & Rosie
Words worth repeating from the Oxy community
Facts and figures pertaining to all things Oxy
Spring14_Garcetti2
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti returns to his old teaching grounds; associate professor Broderick Fox examines Zen & the Art of Dying ; future Batman Ben Affleck '95 swoops into the Oxy...
Spring14_McMenamin_Neblett_Martinson
John McMenamin '40 introduced his biology students to the wonders of California's outdoors. Bill Neblett challenged his philosophy classes with questions of justice, fairness, and...
A Los Angeles Times story, and the ensuing media melee, underscore the complexities of Clery Act reporting
Problem-solver, resource, advocate, and expert listener, Ruth Jones coordinates Oxy's Title IX compliance efforts
A voice from the chorus remembers Omar Paxson '48, and a disenchanted Tiger laments the state of the endowment

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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