Features

O-team leaders “build that sense of family” for a new class

Occidental College welcomed a new class of first year students Aug. 17. Behind the scenes of orientation, student leaders and the Student Leadership, Involvement,...

A namesake illuminates California’s homelessness crisis

Meeting Jimbo Miller Two James Millers sat together on a curb outside of the Third Avenue Charitable Organization (TACO), a homeless services organization in downtown...

‘A big point of pride’: Occidental’s research community

Occidental students are conducting research across fields ranging from organic chemistry to canine cognition, often working closely with faculty mentors in labs, fieldwork and...

‘A sobering example’: Occidental’s 1920s KKK club reflects culture of Jim Crow era

Walking into the Ahmanson Reading room on the main floor of the Mary Norton Clapp Library, one of the first sights students come across...

Paying for it: Student debt can feel paralyzing, but it does not have to be

The Problem "I want to run away," Juliah Lee (senior) said. Lee wants to run away because she would rather do that than deal with the...

The young inheritors of the planet: how they grapple with climate change

Climate change, according to professor Mijin Cha in the Urban & Environmental Policy department, is one of the most urgent challenges the world currently...

As LA’s first Chief Design Officer, professor Christopher Hawthorne is the man behind the future of the city

After 14 years at the LA Times, Occidental professor Christopher Hawthorne accepted a position as the first chief design officer for the city of Los Angeles in 2018 to help build the future of the city.

Dispatch from Mexicali: Migration, religion and service along the southern border

The Border The line to walk into Mexico snakes through turnstiles and corridors, traversing through the innards of a burgeoning building with the words “United...

Home for the holidays: student traditions transform

With the end of the year approaching comes the beginning of the holiday season. For many students at Occidental, holiday traditions stem from childhood memories....

Campus fashion reflects LA’s love of glitz, glamour and beachwear, accessorized with economical and environmental choices

In high school, Emma Kovacs (senior) said she wore sweatpants every day, but upon entering Occidental her first year, she was excited to branch out and start dressing...

Occidental’s struggle of urban vs. wild, native vs. invasive creates a complex relationship with nature

Occidental College sits squarely within a thoroughly urban setting, yet it engages with the natural world in a variety of ways. Nestled between Mount Fiji...

“We have a million questions”: Faculty, students react to former athletic director Jaime Hoffman lawsuit

This story is part of an ongoing series. Former Athletic Director Jaime Hoffman filed a lawsuit against Occidental College and President Jonathan Veitch on 16 causes...