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). 

An Oxy baseball player takes batting practice on January 27, 2022.
As variant surge subsides, Oxy springs forward with in-person activities
The Occidental campus in January 2022.
A yearlong strategic planning process is under way to create an actionable, accountable roadmap for the College
OSAC student demonstration, November 12, 2021
Following listening sessions and a student demonstration in November, President Elam expands the College’s efforts to prevent sexual misconduct and support survivors
President Elam
Through the lens of the strategic planning process, President Elam finds that Oxy’s sense of community remains very much alive
Navigating Well-Being, student mental health, Occidental College
Balancing the demands of life and college can feel like a high-wire act—and the pandemic has made that even more difficult. How is Oxy addressing students’ mental health needs?
Lauren Chin '25
From movers and shakers to risk takers (and a cheese maker), meet some of the new faces of the Class of 2025
Eight members of the Oxy’s Class of 2005
In our Fall 2001 issue, Occidental magazine introduced eight first-year members of the Class of 2005 “to keep your eyes on over the next four years.” Where are they now?
President Elam, Class of 2025 Move-In Day
President Elam reflects on returning to campus and the benefits of an in-person education
Shea Grosz ’23 Occidental men’s water polo
A new college athletics commission report reaffirms Oxy’s commitment to success on and off the field
Rod Lafaurie, Occidental men's soccer
Oxy’s coaches are more than excited to return to in-person interactions with their players—to say nothing of getting back into competition
Charles Sykes, 2021 Jack Kemp '57 Distinguished Lecturer
From visiting speakers to postdoctoral fellows, Oxy brings a range of voices to the campus conversation
Eight members of the Oxy’s Class of 2005
How did they get here? The Class of 2005—the most selective in Oxy history—hit campus on the heels of a "hot" Newsweek story in August 2001
Oxy soccer players posing on field
Oxy soccer roars back into action—and the Tigers are in the hunt for goals and glory
Multicultural Summer Institute students at Occidental in July 2021
A variety of summer programs restore the in-person element to the Oxy experience—and students are happy to be back on campus
Occidental College Commencement, June 12, 2021
For the first time in 71 years, Occidental held two Commencement ceremonies in a single year, with separate, socially distanced, in-person events on Patterson Field taking place for the...

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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