Opinion: Welcome back, greenhouse gases

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March 4, 2026

Last month, the federal government tossed 17 years of climate policy out the window. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) voluntarily gave up its power to regulate greenhouse gases, the chief cause of global warming. Dozens of regulations on everything from oil drilling to vehicle pollutants are now in danger of being repealed. The head of the EPA, Lee Zeldin, celebrated the move as the “single largest deregulatory action in the history of the United States.”

This is bad. The last ten years have been the ten hottest on record. Decades of research show that global warming is one of the most pressing threats to our nation’s health and general welfare. Even before our government abdicated its responsibility to protect its citizens from global warming, the scientific consensus was that more, not less, needed to be done.

To understand how big a step backwards this is, we need to understand how far we’ve come.

When my dad was a kid growing up in 1970s LA, there were days when the smog was so thick he could feel it in his lungs. In elementary school, there were frequent “smog alerts” when everyone had to stay inside for P.E. class. Striking photos from the ’70s and ’80s show LA’s skyscrapers barely peeking out above a dense blanket of toxic haze.

The smog problem was not limited to LA. The national danger posed by smog and pollution would force the government’s hand, and in 1970, Congress would amend the Clean Air Act to impose several strict pollution standards. It was a textbook case of effective government intervention, and the profound decrease in LA smog levels since has meant the city I grew up in looks a lot different than the city my dad knew as a kid.

While the original Clean Air Act strictly regulated dangerous hydrocarbon compounds that formed LA’s infamous smog blankets, the act did not cover greenhouse gases. Smog causes acute, direct health consequences — unlike greenhouse gases. Scientific experts at the time knew that greenhouse gases were behind the creeping rise in global temperatures, but lawmakers were hesitant to regulate. The legendary scientist Carl Sagan, testifying on greenhouse gases’ warming effect before Congress in 1985, warned government officials, “If you don’t worry about it now, it’s too late later on.”

22 years “later on,” our government finally took action. When I was barely four months old, the Supreme Court ruled that — just like the smog my dad knew as a kid — greenhouse gases were air pollutants, and that the EPA had the authority to regulate them. Two years after that decision, the EPA officially recognized that greenhouse gases posed a clear and present danger to public health.

Since its establishment in 2009, this official recognition, known as the “endangerment finding,” has served as a critical piece of our government’s efforts to fight global warming and the danger it poses to Americans. The finding allows the government to set emission standards that regulate the amount of greenhouse gases emitted by cars, planes, oil wells and power plants: disincentivizing the use of greenhouse gas-producing fossil fuels.

That is, until last month. The EPA repealed the endangerment finding — the foundation of all these efforts. Greenhouse gases, welcome back.

Global warming should not be a partisan issue. Backed by decades of research, the threat it poses ought to stand above politics. But, as with almost any issue that demands action from our government, it has been warped to serve political purposes.

A rather infamous example is a 2002 memo from Republican strategist Frank Luntz, which advised his clients to use the term “climate change” instead of “global warming,” as it would make the issue appear less pressing and therefore enable them to cast doubt on the dangers it posed more effectively. Similar strategy memos served as one of the many hallmarks of an anti-climate regulation political movement that would grow in power in the following decades, fueled by millions of dollars from the fossil fuel industry. Zeldin, the head of the EPA and the man behind the repeal of the endangerment finding, was appointed by President Donald Trump, who received nearly $100 million in campaign donations from fossil fuel interests. While many Americans don’t vote with global warming in mind, we are now led by a government unwilling to protect its citizens from it.

As citizens, we ought to place our faith in a government that will act to protect us from threats we cannot tackle alone. We need strong regulations on greenhouse gases to protect us from the dire consequences of global warming. It’s worth taking action, however small, to hold our government accountable on climate issues, whether that’s signing a ballot petition for local pollution limits or voting for lawmakers who prioritize our environment. I think about what my childhood might have looked like in an LA that never implemented smog regulations, with the issue left to fester for decades — yet global warming is far more sinister.

With Carl Sagan’s words in mind, we need to worry about this now.

Contact Julian Levy at jlevy@oxy.edu

DEB relinquishes funding request oversight after refusal to reverse boycott

By

Ava LaLonde

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March 4, 2026

Dean of Students Vivian Garay Santiago announced in a Feb. 13 email that “funding requests previously handled by Diversity and Equity Board (DEB) will now be reviewed by the ASOC Finance Committee.”

According to the statement, this decision was made after DEB decided not to reverse its previously announced boycott, inspired by the Palestinian-led Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement.

The email also states that the change was made “to reduce risk to the College and protect access to federal and other grant funding, and in accordance with the ASOC Operating Agreement.”

ASOC President Trisha Bhima said the college made the decision to have the ASOC Finance Committee review funding requests previously handled by DEB, and not ASOC.

Assistant Dean of Students and SLICE Director Marcus Rodriguez said the college came to this decision through consultation with the Office of General Counsel.

“All funding requests have always gone through the Finance Committee for initial review,” Rodriguez said via email.

DEB sent out a statement responding to the Dean of Students’ email and explaining the updates to their funding Feb. 20.

“Our funding guidelines were updated to reflect our values as a board which represents, defends, and uplifts marginalized students on this campus,” the statement said. “Senior leadership and General Counsel expressed concerns about the potential risk of losing federal funding on the grounds that our guidelines were discriminatory. DEB decided not to rescind its boycott statement […] as a result, all funding requests previously submitted to DEB will now be managed by the ASOC finance committee.”

Bhima said this change is uncharted territory for ASOC and the Finance Committee.

“I think it’s going to be particularly difficult to maintain the integrity of DEB’s mission in spending money from their budget without input from the entire Board,” Bhima said via email. “We don’t have any codified process for what this might look like, so there’s definitely a burden on the finance committee to figure out what that would look like.”

Nirmala Rusli, president of the Asian Pacific Islander Desi American Association (APIDAA), said APIDAA has already felt the effects of DEB no longer making funding decisions.

“We got rejected for half of our funding requests for Lunar New Year,” Rusli said. “We’ve submitted roughly a similar budget for the last five years, ever since we’ve had this event.”

According to Rusli, the club was told that ASOC’s general budget is lower this year, but APIDAA was not made aware of this until after they had submitted their requests. APIDAA had to use their club funds saved up from fundraisers over the past few years in order to cover the rest of the event expenses, leaving them without any backup funds left, Rusli said.

“When DEB’s funding got moved to the Finance Committee, and we got rejected from our funding, it seemed like those two things kind of line up,” Rusli said. “The group of students that are essentially moved into this power of advocating for students of color lost that ability, and very quickly, a club for people of color didn’t get the funding support that they usually get.”

Rusli said some of the ASOC funding approved for Lunar New Year was not distributed to the club until after the event was held, which has not happened in the past.

“We’ve reached out to our alumni network and other affinity clubs to start a conversation about increasing transparency that we think we all deserve,” Rusli said. “Given their situation, we’re not sure how DEB can help our club anymore.”

According to Bhima, DEB has always worked to ensure that equity and justice are not just values the colleges claims to hold, but principles that are actively practiced, along with protecting the voices of the students most impacted on campus.

“Apart from funding, one of DEB’s main functions is also to hold the college accountable to their Equity and Justice Mission, according to their bylaws,” Bhima said via email. “In the past and currently, this has looked like hosting listening sessions for students across campus, advocating for students who are not adequately supported by financial aid, providing support and hosting appreciation events for staff on campus (including Campus Dining workers, residential custodial staff) and providing recommendations to the College pertaining to diversity and equity.”

Rodriguez said individual and club funding will continue, without disruption, through the Finance Committee, and events like POC Formal will not be affected.

“The POC Formal is a special line item in the ASOC Budget,” Rodriguez said via email. “The Executive Committee allocates that funding annually when it passes the budget for the upcoming fiscal year.”

According to DEB’s Feb. 20 statement, DEB was “founded as a result of the 2015 AGC occupation organized by CODE (Coalition at Oxy for Diversity and Equity) and Oxy United for Black Liberation in response to anti-black racism and a need for better representation of marginalized groups on campus.” In the statement, DEB encouraged students to read their disorientation guide.

“As a Board, DEB strives to hold Occidental College administration accountable to its mission with integrity and transparency,” DEB’s statement said. “We are still committed to upholding this principle, and we are still committed to supporting our campus community by working on initiatives to uplift the larger Occidental community.”

Contact Ava LaLonde at lalonde@oxy.edu

Opinion: Bring your stuffed animals to class

By

Levi Lee

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March 4, 2026

You might be asking yourself, ‘Why am I reading an article about stuffed animals when the world is going crazy?’

I won’t begrudge you for asking that question, since by all accounts, there are many more serious things in the world than the desire to carry a stuffed animal around. Truth is, I led you on. This article isn’t really about stuffed animals; it’s more about fascism, or, more specifically, why it’s important to be whimsical when faced with it.

If you’ve been on any form of social media lately, you’ve seen interviews with anti-ICE protesters. As one protester in a pink inflatable shark suit said, “I think absurdism is the natural foil to fascism.” I agree with the shark’s opinion and present an example: bringing stuffed animals to class. Government policy and attitudes in America today don’t shy away from fascist values or techniques. In oration, narrative crafting and information control, signs point towards an increasingly fascist and authoritarian government. It is in the core of fascism to suppress individual interests and, in doing so, disrupt the daily lives of various marginalized groups and citizens. It is my opinion that, besides having empathy and compassion for everyone, we must maintain a sense of absurdity.

Most adults consider it odd that anyone past their teenage years would wish to carry around a stuffed animal any larger than a keychain. As a result, I’m sure lots of us have felt the need to outgrow such ‘childish’ comforts and impulses. I myself have felt this pressure. As a particularly socially anxious individual, I spend an inordinate amount of time per day thinking about what others may be thinking of me in the privacy of their minds. What a self-centered way of thinking. Moving through college, I’ve come to realize most people couldn’t care less about what you wear or what you bring to class unless it actively disrupts them. So why not bring a stuffed animal to class?

Stuffed toys decrease cortisol levels and reduce stress in adults and children. For me, bringing a stuffed toy to class decreases my anxiety and increases my focus, and while I can’t claim the same for everyone, I do encourage it for one main reason. In class, my stuffed animals make my classmates (and sometimes the professor) smile. Bringing others joy and being just slightly left of normal allows us to acclimate ourselves to small acts of resistance to what is socially acceptable. We all have to realize that life can be unserious.

We seasonally engage in socially acceptable whimsy. Every year, around Halloween, it suddenly becomes acceptable to go to class in full cosplay or dress in outfits otherwise unacceptable throughout the year. Why shouldn’t you be allowed to go to class in cosplay when you like? Lots of people bedazzle bags and clothes with fun fandom pins and keychains. Why shouldn’t this translate to being happily bedazzled all the time?

Perhaps I am more of a pessimist than the average person, but I found it hard to keep feeling joy in the face of a seemingly grim future. When I spoke to my dad about this, all he said was, “You are the only person who can make yourself happy.” Obviously, this is not the best thing to hear in a moment of emotional vulnerability, but in hindsight, he was mostly right. So I had to ask myself, what can I do every day to keep being happy? How can I be aware of atrocities and the prospect of an oppressive future and still be whimsical?

I sometimes find it easier to be happy for others, to share another person’s joy. So I thought empathy ought to be a continuous act of caring for others and bringing joy day to day. Empathy and being ethical do not demand reciprocation; we find them in the small acts of our daily lives. These acts of kindness and absurdity are difficult to fit into a fascist narrative. It is the narrativization and normalization of the suffering of others that eased citizens into a fascist reality. We cannot allow ourselves to fall into the narrative of people in power. We can’t keep looking at the news and seeing policies and figureheads and allow that to dictate how we live. Yes, their actions impact us immensely, but every day we spend far more time with our neighbors, our friends and our family than we ever do with these policymakers. Why give them the legitimacy to occupy consistent and overwhelming space within your psyche? There is a tangible impact on our communities, so the key is to support everyone in it and not stop living.

In difficult times, it is important that, as a community, we embrace and seek out small moments of joy and whimsy daily. Why trample the little joys in our communities when we can celebrate that joy instead? While easier said than done, we should still aim to let go of the social stigmas and preconceptions that hold us back from living our lives to the fullest. Disregard those social standards and allow yourself to enjoy life at its most whimsical. Bring that stuffed animal to class, show off your fandom merch, customize your clothes and be happy. Sometimes it’s important to remember people can be silly and joyful.

Contact Levi Lee at leev@oxy.edu

Lessons learned: Being boys

By

James Miller

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March 4, 2026

Nathan Crawford reminded me to have fun when I was trying my hardest to grow up.

In other words, we were boys.

I met Nathan, who died Feb. 18 from cancer, in a First Year Seminar (FYS) about the Ottoman Empire. We should have met earlier, in the FYS we also shared our freshman fall. That class, “The Examined Life,” considered how to live well according to books like Patti Smith’s counterculture memoir “Just Kids” and Svetlana Alexievich’s portrait of the Soviet Union’s waning days, “Secondhand Time.” I sat near the head of our discussion table and talked to no end. Nathan sat farther down the table and spoke little, but with eloquence when he did. Funny enough, that class taught me how to live.

The spring of our freshman year, Nathan, another friend from our FYS named Henry Dorosin and I spent many afternoons talking in the Stewie common room. I don’t remember what we talked about, but it hardly mattered in the first place. Nathan was about the best small-talker I knew: ever polite, interested, casual. He had a dignified way of asking how you were doing that was both engaged and lighthearted. He filled ordinary spaces like the Stewie common room or the Cooler, where we met between classes, with a sweet poise.

Nathan and I got to know one another by talking about politics. We were both interested in the world but responded to its problems differently. Nathan was a rational person who believed that institutions could serve people if run well, while I was confused and gleefully pushed at his earnest beliefs. In our first year, mostly to get a rise out of him, I’d comment on the news of the day in ways I hoped were cunning. Nathan would eye-roll and exclaim at my hyperbole, and more often than not, we’d converse about what we would do if we ran things.

By sharing our ideas about how the world should be, Nathan and I showed each other how we wanted to live in the world we had. Nathan lived with grace. He responded with common sense to the political problems I overthought. I found comfort in his quiet convictions when I lacked the courage to believe them on my own.

Nathan and I knew each other at this point, but we became friends when we goofed off. True friends don’t just understand one another, they have fun together. And Nathan knew how to have fun.

I remember playing catch on Stewie Beach one afternoon during the final weeks of our freshman year, as spring turned to summer. We tossed lightly at first, but backed up slowly until we were hurling the ball as far as we could. I’d thrown out my shoulder by the end of the afternoon, but I still felt like a little kid, playing just to play.

I felt childlike in so many moments with Nathan, like that day on the field. Early in college, I spent too many nights working in the library or adventuring in LA, looking for the city and myself. Unlike me, Nathan was steady. His demeanor taught me to find meaning without searching for it. I think of his calm attitude in the face of social and academic stresses — to say nothing of his cancer later on — when I need to breathe.

At the start of our sophomore year, Nathan was the fundraising chair of the men’s Frisbee team, and we decided to raise money for the team by selling popsicles. Nathan worked at a popsicle shop in his hometown of Seattle, Washington in the summers, so I thought he made popsicles. With his recipes and my gusto, we would open a small business on campus by the time our treats froze. As we shopped for ingredients at Target, I devised a profit model and convinced myself, and maybe Nathan, that we could each make a couple hundred bucks — for the Frisbee team, of course. The popsicle molds were our only fixed cost, so we’d be rich in no time.

To my surprise, Nathan didn’t know how to make popsicles. By the end of the day, we’d made a mess of watermelon pulp, simple syrup, lemonade and coconut milk on the linoleum floor in his dorm — and a few concoctions in Dixie cups with popsicle sticks. When we came back a few days later, my coconut milk freeze tasted bland and most of the lemon-watermelon fusions I thought Nathan mastered were sour beyond belief. With that said, Nathan’s family lemonade recipe — equal parts lemon juice and simple syrup — came out pretty well frozen, at least when we got the ratio down, which was harder than you might think. In the end, Nathan and I weren’t destined to be dorm room entrepreneurs, but we had a ball pretending. I think the Frisbee team settled for Otter Pops.

Nathan cared about my ideas even when they were half-baked or half-frozen, yet he showed me that I didn’t need most of them to care about others and myself. I’ll remember his laugh, his grin and his voicemail from middle school which he never changed. It was good to be boys.

Contact James Miller at jmiller4@oxy.edu

Opinion: U.S. intervention is a test, we’re failing it

By

Emma Williams

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March 4, 2026

In his State of the Union address, Donald Trump said “The first duty of the American government is to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.” While I was disgusted by Trump’s offensive language used to refer to other humans, this language is coded. It helps us understand how the U.S. views and interacts with other countries. It is a means to achieve political and economic gain.

Feb. 22 the Mexican army killed El Mencho, the leader of the Cartel Jalisco New Generation (CJNG) drug cartel. The U.S. classified the CJNG as an international terrorist organization in February 2025. President Trump supported killing El Mencho and had encouraged the Mexican government to allow the U.S. to intervene.

In the aftermath of this killing, violence erupted throughout Mexico over territorial disputes and frustration in retaliation. Cartel members set buses, cars and gas stations on fire across Mexico. I learned about this violence not from a news organization, but from a phone call from my mom, who was visiting Mexico with some friends. She informed me that she was afraid but safe. She said she would allow some people who evacuated a nearby building to use the bathroom and give them food and water. But a friend of hers shot that idea down, saying their group should focus on themselves. While this war on drugs has been going on in Mexico since 2006, it has never really seemed to affect me until now.

The U.S. and these cartels have a direct connection. The U.S. allows for the flow of weapons bought for cartel members into Mexico, and cartels funnel drugs into the U.S. This connection makes the U.S. look responsible for these cartels. Still, economic or military intervention in Mexico will lead to more harm within Mexico, as shown throughout U.S. history.

The U.S. has rarely intervened in another country out of the goodness of its heart. It has almost always done so for economic and political gain. The U.S. often views itself as superior, exemplified by the concept of manifest destiny, the idea that God has chosen the U.S. to expand because the U.S. is the greatest country. This sort of attitude would justify Western expansion and the Mexican-American War, and it led to the implementation of the Monroe Doctrine and, later, the Roosevelt Corollary. Ultimately, these actions solidified the United States as an imperial power over Latin America. Trump’s rhetoric continues this tradition, pushing the belief that America knows best for other countries and is willing to protect American citizens, no matter the cost.

As my mom’s friend pointed out, what about us? In the U.S., social injustice is on the rise, we face an increased cost of living and freedom of speech is at risk. Americans are focused on ourselves. Who cares if the U.S. intervenes in Mexico? Perhaps it will decrease the number of drugs in the U.S., but the U.S. intervening will lead to more violence and harm other countries. Who is to say Trump’s government won’t incite violence in the U.S.?

The thing about U.S. intervention is that it is a test to see when Americans stop caring. Once you stop caring about citizens in other countries, then what about the citizens in your own country? Trump is going after immigrants with ICE, claiming that over 3 million illegal immigrants have left the country. As of Jan. 28, at least eight people have died in altercations or in custody with ICE. This tragedy is just the start, and I don’t expect the deportation or death of immigrants and U.S. citizens to decrease.

As an American, I have watched how, throughout history, the U.S. government has implemented invasions that have led to only further harm for the citizens in those countries. Other examples of interventions include those in Venezuela and Iran. The U.S.’s only solution is to use violence to go into a country, or if they give economic aid, they expect that country to be indebted to them. The war on drugs in Mexico has lasted almost 20 years, and with that, there hasn’t been any real change to stop cartels or end poverty in Mexico. U.S. intervention will not fix this issue. The U.S. only has its own interests at heart and will create more harm for the citizens of Mexico. For all of us, the U.S. should sit this one out.

Contact Emma Williams at ewilliams4@oxy.edu

College responds to immigration enforcement concerns

By

Naisha John

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March 4, 2026

President Tom Stritikus released an email statement detailing new security measures in response to concerns about immigration enforcement Feb. 13. According to the email, the AGC Administrative Center, Hameetman Science Center, Swan Hall and Hinchliffe Hall were transitioned to card access only beginning Feb. 17. Stritikus said these buildings, which were previously card access accessible outside of business hours, were chosen as they are already equipped with card readers.

According to Stritikus, these changes are intended to designate more private spaces on Occidental’s open campus, offering additional secure locations for shelter in the case of an emergency, from immigration enforcement presence to an active shooter.

“People felt that the dorms provided security, but that there was nothing then on the lower campus that provided that kind of security,” Stritikus said. “There are now multiple private spaces on lower campus that people could go to.”

According to Stritikus, although Occidental is a private institution, the university is subject to both federal and state laws because it receives federal funding. Stritikus said this includes California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s guidance on education rights of immigrant students to protect immigrant students. Stritikus said, for example, that Campus Safety will not ask students about their immigration status, nor will the college share student information unless legally compelled.

“The students can’t learn if they feel fearful,” Stritikus said. “Faculty and staff can’t do their best job if they’re feeling fearful, so we need to work to make sure that every student can walk on this campus feeling as comfortable as they possibly can.”

Perrine Mann, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, said the college is committed to protecting student privacy and ensuring the campus is a safe learning environment.

“The College has clear protocols in place to ensure that any request for campus access or information meets established legal standards,” Mann said via email. “We do not share student information without proper legal authorization, consistent with applicable privacy laws. Maintaining student privacy and an environment conducive to learning is paramount.”

According to Occidental’s Information on Potential Immigration Issues webpage, immigration enforcement should not be given access to private spaces on campus unless they have a judicial warrant. The webpage directs students to immediately notify Campus Safety of immigration enforcement presence and to refer agents to the appropriate Designated Campus Official for Immigration Rights and Actions, such as Dean of Students Vivian Santiago, without obstructing their duties.

Jackie Hu (senior), a member of the Occidental Rapid Response Network, said that while the new private spaces are a good starting point, the school could be doing more to ensure students’ safety.

“All it takes is a student to open the door for them, right?” Hu said.

According to the webpage, Occidental will send out notifications if immigration enforcement presence is confirmed on campus. These messages will be sent over email or other methods to share the time, date, and location of immigration enforcement activity, along with additional resources. Stritikus said the timely notifications will include information about how students should interact with agents.

“We have a process,” Stritikus said. “Our whole goal here is to make sure that we’re following due process to protect students, which is vital.”

According to Stritikus, the college has been taking measures to ensure that members of the Occidental community knows their rights.

“From the beginning, from early on in the Trump administration, we led with the Know Your Rights workshop,” Stritikus said. “We push that information out to campus, and we’ve done extensive training with staff to make sure that they’re prepared in case this happens.”

Occidental’s Human Resources department also sent out an email explaining CA Senate Bill 294, the Workplace Know Your Rights Act, Feb. 28. According to the email, California law offers employees the right to designate an emergency contact who will be notified if they are arrested or detained while working. The email said this is an option in addition to a standard medical emergency contact and will apply to immigration enforcement situations.

According to Mann, the college will continue ensuring students and staff are protected on campus.

“Occidental College is committed to ensuring that our community can live, work, and learn in a safe and inclusive environment,” Mann said via email. “We will continue to be guided by our institutional values as we work to support our community and advocate for the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff.”

Contact Naisha John at njohn@oxy.edu

Small business association lights up York Boulevard

By

Abigail Montopoli

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March 4, 2026

On York Boulevard, 40 shops formed the York Small Business Association to strengthen their positions as store owners in LA, member PJ Roden said.

Roden owns the market Sip Snack and interior design shop Matters of Space, which are next to each other on the corner of York Boulevard and Avenue 50.

“We, as business owners, are trying to keep York local, vibrant and exciting for people wanting to come here and make a difference with their shopping dollars,” Roden said.

Marcy Guevara-Prete is the owner of The Plus Bus, a boutique that specializes in plus-sized clothing. The Plus Bus has recently closed its doors on York Boulevard, but reopened as a mobile shop. According to Guevara-Prete, the York Small Business Association has held events such as Halloween trick-or-treating and bingo for patrons.

“The York small business community has been a mighty force on the Eastside for many years,” Guevara-Prete said. “In the last year, we have been really consistent about getting together and partnering and making sure that York stays small. We have this little coalition that meets once a month of all the small business owners, and it’s been amazing to see what we can do as a group. We have some big goals and big dreams.”

According to Guevara-Prete, her role with the York Small Business Association involves communicating with owners about initiatives and plans for the street. The coalition is committed to creating a small-town experience for the Highland Park neighborhood, she said.

“We have to work really hard to keep [Highland Park small], because as our rents increase, we’re going to have an insurgence of big businesses that want to take these spots,” Guevara-Prete said. “Frankly, they’re going to be the only ones that can afford it if the landlords don’t understand the legacy of Highland Park and the small businesses they are helping by creating affordable rent.”

Diane Foster is the owner of Meadow, a new co-working space on York Boulevard. Foster said owners lead various initiatives to support one another, including working to improve safety measures and hosting events.

“There’s no one that really started it or is leading it, but we are all just kind of pitching in when we can, how we can,” Foster said. “I love being a business owner on York Boulevard.”

The interior of Sip Snack on York Boulevard in Los Angeles, CA. March 1, 2026. Abigail Montopoli/The Occidental

According to Roden, the business owners have started a fundraising effort to install string lights for two blocks along York’s main business corridor. Roden said the business owners hope the lights will create a wider presence for York Boulevard while creating a safer atmosphere at night, as many shops close early, despite bars, such as T he Goldfish , staying open well past dark.

“The idea seems simple, and then it’s kind of a bigger thing than what we thought,” Roden said. “But, we’ve gotten support from our local City Councilwoman Isabel Jurado and CD-14. They have been super supportive to small businesses – they actually come to our local business meetings.”

According to Foster, Meadow helped create an unincorporated non-profit organization amongst owners so that the association could open a bank account to hold funds for the project.

“The idea is that [the lights are] beautifying the street, encouraging people to come and shop,” Foster said. “Ultimately, it’s just a way for all the small businesses to come together and support each other.”

According to Roden, as the world of online shopping grows, owning a small business in LA becomes more difficult due to rent increases and a high cost of doing business.

“Oftentimes, running a retail business is a labor of love,” Roden said. “We are trying to spread a message that it’s really important what decisions people make about their purchasing, and that it’s the difference between having a street that’s full of chains — soulless, corporate chains — or empty storefronts.”

Contact Abigail Montopoli at montopoli@oxy.edu

Sunrise Oxy pushes climate advocacy to ERNC

By

Zumyna Kabir

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March 4, 2026

After tabling at community events and meeting with council members, students from Sunrise Oxy presented to the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council (ERNC) Feb. 3, supporting the Polluter Pays Climate Superfund Act. Following the presentation, the council voted unanimously to send a letter of support for the bill, according to LA Documenters.

Sunrise Oxy is Occidental’s chapter of the National Sunrise Movement, a youth-led climate justice organization founded in 2017. According to Sunrise Oxy member Catalina McFarland (sophomore), Sunrise Oxy members first began discussing the bill with Eagle Rock residents at the neighborhood council’s annual native plant giveaway in November, McFarland said.

“The Sunrise Movement is calling for a radical transformation of our political, economic and societal systems, mainly to bring about a Green New Deal that would transition our economy and our society to carbon neutrality [as well as] divest from our reliance on fossil fuels,” McFarland said.

Sunrise having a meeting at the ICC in Los Angeles, CA. Feb. 26, 2026. Marty Valdez/The Occidental

According to McFarland, the Polluter Pays Climate Superfund Act would have required major fossil fuel companies to fund climate disaster recovery and environmental remediation efforts. After community members encouraged them to pursue a formal resolution, students connected with the council’s sustainability committee and began the process of getting on the agenda, McFarland said.

Evan Lieber (senior) is a Politics major and a member of the ERNC. Lieber said he helped connect Sunrise Oxy with the appropriate committees when students presented first to the sustainability committee, then to the executive committee, and finally to the full council. Lieber said supporting the legislation felt necessary given the scale of the climate crisis.

“The environment is such a huge issue that we are going to have to deal with, especially as young people,” Lieber said. “This is not going away, and inaction is only going to make the problem worse.”

According to McFarland, the experience of working with local government through Sunrise Oxy was empowering and preparing for the presentation felt familiar.

Eagle Rock City Hall in Eagle Rock, CA. Feb. 27, 2026. Marty Valdez/The Occidental

“I realized that I can just go and talk to my local neighborhood council and start to work with them,” McFarland said. “It was honestly kind of like doing a school presentation. I just wanted to present the information in a straightforward and as relevant way as possible.”

Luci Johnston (senior), who was presenting at the meeting, said the process sharpened their ability to communicate complex policy to a wide audience.

“I think I’ve learned more about how to articulate myself in a room with potentially conflicting opinions,” Johnston said. “And sometimes people were confused or needed more information, and we had to be able to say it in a way that was understandable to a wide array of audiences.”

Denys Hemen, the chair of the sustainability committee, said Sunrise Oxy stood out in its preparation.

“They had their statement prepared, they answered questions very well,” Hemen said. “We agree with the basis of the bill.”

Hemen said neighborhood councils depend on residents and local advocates to bring issues to light.

“We want you to come to the meetings, [and] we want to hear from you, so it’s not just us talking,” Hemen said.

Sunrise art work at the ICC in Los Angeles, CA. Feb. 26, 2026. Marty Valdez/The Occidental

According to Sunrise Oxy members at a Feb. 25 club meeting, the unanimous vote was meaningful, but success extended beyond the outcome. McFarland said the partnership between the club and ERNC was a measure of progress.

“Being able to be in collaboration and communication about these issues that are so important to us as students, as community members, I think that is the first measure of success,” McFarland said.

Jasmine Smith-Hughes (sophomore) said working with local government reflects Sunrise Oxy’s broader approach to climate justice, which connects campus action to community needs.

“Climate crisis is already here, and we’re seeing how it’s affecting communities outside of our own,” Smith-Hughes said. “And I think as an institution and as students within an institution, we have a unique positionality.”

McFarland said she hopes their engagement helps bridge the gap between students, who are often in Eagle Rock for four years, and long-term residents.

Zoe Bush (senior) said sustained relationships are essential for the club’s future.

“I hope that creating connections with off-campus and on-campus groups promotes the longevity of Sunrise Oxy,” Bush said.

Although the Polluter Pays Climate Superfund Act did not pass in 2025, Lieber said the effort does not end there, and that students hope to see similar legislation move forward in 2026. Lieber said the Eagle Rock Neighborhood Council’s letter of support contributes to broader statewide pressure for future action.

“Hopefully, we can be one small step in the right direction,” Lieber said.

McFarland said she hopes more students recognize their own agency.

“I hope people understand that this is a possibility and a responsibility that all of us have, whether it’s around climate or other issues, to advocate for ourselves and for the people that we love and to push for the change that we want to see.”

Contact Zumyna Kabir at kabir@oxy.edu

Nico Aviña’s wearable protest art

By

Martina Long

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March 4, 2026

Nico Aviña, artist and resident of Boyle Heights, was featured in the LA Local Jan. 26 for his silk-screened soccer jerseys. Aviña’s jerseys combine religious and Indigenous symbols with slogans that directly challenge immigration enforcement, racism and xenophobia.

Aviña said he has played soccer since he was 5 years old, collecting jerseys from different eras, teams and idols. Aviña said jerseys have since become a canvas for him to take a stance on immigration and challenge the commercialization of the sport.

“I wanted to do a mashup of cultural elements that represented the community, myself and the passion that I have for soccer in one garment,” Aviña said.

According to Aviña, the project started as a piece he made for himself, which quickly gained attention after he posted it online and people began to resonate with the message and imagery he had woven together. With the recent ICE raids that have been affecting LA, Aviña said his jerseys have become wearable statements within the community while also reaching an international audience.

“I’m getting people that are coming in from outside of the United States, and they make sure that they stop by because they’ve seen the jerseys,” Aviña said.

Merchandise and art on display at Espacio 1939 in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, CA. Feb. 26, 2026. Jane Hutton/The Occidental

According to Aviña, customers wear the jerseys at protests, events and in everyday life as a way to express solidarity and resistance. Aviña said he feels artists cannot always predict how a piece will resonate, but the role of an artist is to uplift the voice and sentiment of a community.

Jocelyn Becerra, a Boyle Heights makeup artist who owns one of Aviña’s shirts, said she feels wearing the jersey helps her find a sense of belonging.

“There’s a lot of pain and hurt with what’s going on, not being accepted because of the color of your skin,” Becerra said. “It’s a way for me to express the way I feel without having to say anything.”

Becerra said as a Latina who is vocal about supporting and uplifting her community, the jersey’s messaging immediately resonated with her identity and lived experience.

Jocelyn Becerra outside Café de Leche in Los Angeles, CA. Feb. 25, 2026. Jane Hutton/The Occidental

“When I saw it, I felt like I need one — I want one,” Becerra said. “It’s a form of protest for me. For you.”

According to Aviña, the jerseys are inseparable from the space where they are created and sold. Aviña said he is a co-founder of Espacio1839, a Boyle Heights storefront that functions as both a retail shop and a community arts hub. Aviña said he has been operating out of the space for the past two years.

“We feel that the fundamental theory of an organizer is to facilitate space,” Aviña said. “This space belongs to the community.”

Espacio 1839 in Boyle Heights in Los Angeles, CA. Feb. 26, 2026. Jane Hutton/The Occidental

According to Aviña, in recent months Espacio1839’s mission has expanded beyond art shows and poetry readings, hosting pop-ups to support families affected by ICE raids.

According to Krystal Ramirez, cofounder of Trenzas Amigas, a Feb. 1 collaboration with Aviña raised more than $5,000 for families impacted by ICE. Trenzas Amigas is a braiding initiative inspired by the Adelitas of the Mexican Revolution, women who wore their braids as symbols of identity and resilience during wartime.

According to Ramirez, she first connected with Aviña after purchasing several of his jerseys. Ramirez said the partnership felt natural — both the jerseys and her braiding work are accessible forms of protest.

“Fashion is political,” Ramirez said. “They’re both showing empowerment, resistance. If you take them out to a public space, people are going to know what it signifies — it has culture and history behind it.”

Becerra said she attends various Espacio1893 events and sees the jerseys and collaborations, such as with Trenzas Amigas, as part of something larger.

“I think it’s beautiful,” Becerra said. “I feel it’s like a unity. A community is uniting. We’re standing strong […] supporting one another.”

Beyond the jerseys, Espacio1839 continues to host community-centered events, including its upcoming 10th annual “Eres Poderosa” art exhibit organized by Aviña’s wife Myra Vasquez, featuring female artists, poets, DJs and local vendors — another reflection of the space’s commitment to uplifting and unifying community voices.

Aviña said he will continue pushing the movement forward as long as injustice persists.

“We’re always going to be on the side of the people and the side of the community,” Aviña said. “Until we see the injustice stop — and it doesn’t seem like that’s going to happen — we’re going to continue doing the work. We’re going to continue printing T-shirts, we’re going to continue printing jerseys.”

As LA prepares to host matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Aviña said he hopes his jerseys will continue to serve as tools for expression, echoing the message emphasized by Becerra and Ramirez.

“I honestly hope that people are able to use them to express themselves,” Aviña said. “They have sayings on them, and it allows us to speak without actually being out there and speaking. You’re just wearing it, and they speak for themselves.”

Contact Martina Long at mlong2@oxy.edu

Three CA-34 contenders share campaign priorities

By

Quinn Sumerlin

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March 4, 2026

Six candidates have declared for the June 2 primary election in California’s 34th Congressional District, including incumbent Jimmy Gomez. Gomez, a Democrat endorsed by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, seeks re-election for the sixth time. The top two candidates, regardless of party, will progress to the Nov. 3 general election.

Angela Gonzales-Torres

Angela Gonzales-Torres, a candidate in the race, is endorsed by Justice Democrats, a prominent progressive political action committee. Gonzales-Torres said over email she is running for Congress because she does not believe status quo politics are good enough for CA-34.

“Our community is hungry for change and real representation,” Gonzales-Torres said.

Gonzales-Torres said her father was deported when she was fifteen, leaving her family to struggle with housing insecurity. Because of this experience, Gonzales-Torres said she understands the struggling families in the district.

“My life’s work has been rooted in building a future where the next generation has more of a fighting chance than I feel I did when I inherited this broken two-party system we are wrestling with today,” Gonzales-Torres said.

Gonzales-Torres said she views CA-34 as the heart of LA.

“I was born and raised in East Los Angeles,” Gonzales-Torres said. “Unlike nearly anyone else in this race, I didn’t move to this district to become a politician and certainly not one nearly fully funded by corporate super PACs like the incumbent.”

According to Gonzales-Torres, her focus is getting corporate money out of politics.

“We deserve community-informed decisions that puts people and the planet before profit,” Gonzales-Torres said.

Gonzales-Torres said she supports Medicare for All, a Green New Deal, small business protections and ending U.S. weapons funding for wars abroad.

“Our tax dollars should be building housing, healthcare, and opportunity here at home,” Gonzales-Torres said.

Gonzales-Torres said she hopes to bring leadership rooted in moral clarity to the race for CA-34’s congressional seat.

“My connection to CA-34 isn’t political, it’s personal,” Gonzales-Torres said. “It tells me this: it’s time for change, it’s time for courage, and it’s up to us.”

Rob Lucero

Rob Lucero, also a candidate in the race, said he is running to become a leader in the Democratic Party.

“I’m very concerned with the state of the country, and I’m concerned with the state of Congress and the Democratic Party,” Lucero said.

Lucero previously ran for Senate as a Republican, according to his website. Lucero said he nevertheless identifies as a lifelong Democrat.

“The short time that I was in the Republican Party, it was to try to get the dying Republican Party to join me, not the other way around,” Lucero said.

If Lucero wins, he will be the first member of Congress to represent CA-34 after growing up in the district, he said.

“I used to walk to the Oxy campus every day to go to school,” Lucero said. “[My family has] been here five generations.”

According to Lucero, his campaign addresses infrastructure problems, homelessness and fire danger.

“In our history as a nation, we wait too long to deal with these [issues] until there’s a real crisis like the Depression or World War II,” Lucero said. “A lot of our infrastructure […] goes back to that era.”

Lucero said community banking is another top priority for his campaign.

“There should be about 10 more local banks that are in just Eagle Rock and Highland Park alone,” Lucero said. “The important thing about this is these are the banks that can actually look a community member in the face and say ‘Putting aside your credit rating, we know you’re right here down the street, we want you to have a business [and] support.’”

Loren Colin

Loren Colin, an independent in the running for CA-34, said he is a progressive option for voters.

“I have been a lifelong independent going back to 1996, because starting with Bill Clinton, I have watched the Democratic Party move away from the party of FDR,” Colin said.

Colin said he grew up spending time with his grandmother in CA-34, going to Dodgers games and getting french dip at Phillipe The Original.

“I have lived, worked, eaten and partied in this district for 30 years,” Colin said. “We have the best people in Los Angeles in our district, and the best food and the best event spaces.”

According to Colin, his campaign prioritizes four issues: taxing the wealthy, healthcare for all, creating more homes and abolishing ICE.

“Walking around [CA-34,] the number of people who don’t have health care […] is frightening,” Colin said. “We need something that is truly universal, and I can make that happen.”

Colin said his policies are Jeffersonian.

“We get the government we deserve,” Colin said. “I want to help convince Americans that we can actually create the government that best serves us.”

Contact Quinn Sumerlin at sumerlin@oxy.edu

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