I was naked, standing in the middle of the Quad, surrounded by hundreds of my peers and brutally aware of my own vulnerability. All of my clothes were on. I was even wearing boots. But my phone, my consummate security blanket, was turned off and far away on my bedside table. Within the lifetime of the typical Occidental student, cell...

A catchy loop echoes across the Search to Involve Pilipino Americans (SIPA) community center. Sudden breaks, additional tones and original mixes supplement the production as listeners begin to nod their heads to the beat. Audience members looked on in awe at DJs who have honed their craft – locally famous producers who are some of the best in the area....

Facebook announced on March 25 that they are acquiring Oculus Virtual Reality Inc. in the second quarter of the fiscal year. The partnership between a platform and social media source could change our technological world. Oculus' headset has won over the gaming community. Their latest iteration, the "Crystal Cove," tracks the movement of the user's head, allowing him or her...

Just three blocks from Occidental, wedged next to Yellow Liquor on the corner of Eagle Rock Boulevard and Ridgeview Avenue, is Max City BBQ, the newest Eagle Rock gastronomic venture. The corner café is hardly a dive; it boasts a bar lined with Ranunculus flower bouquets and over-sized glass jars filled with lemonade and iced tea. Part of the rear...

The Occidental community is no stranger to large-scale political statements and interactive art projects, and the life-size replica of a Predator MQ-1B drone in front of Thorne Hall embodies both. Organized through OxyArts – an initiative created to raise the visibility of the arts as part of the Occidental community – this sculpture was created by Los Angeles-based artist-collective Finishing...

After haphazardly stumbling across an old issue of the Fang in Special Collections, four seniors set out to resuscitate Occidental's once-robust but long-defunct literary magazine last spring. Unlike Feast, the college's chief arts and literary review, the Fang strives to be an alternative, satirical publication of subversive and provocative humor and content. "I was on the Feast literary committee for...

Every year the Game Developers' Conference (GDC) gets more exciting, and this year was no exception. Last week in San Francisco, GDC revealed new titles and more impressive technology than has ever been done before at previous GDC years. Gearbox's "Borderlands 2" hand-held edition for the PS Vita had a promising demo for play at GDC. Fans of the series...

Last semester, the Bell-Young kitchen enabled a friendship between Diplomacy and World Affairs (DWA) major Nick Theyerl (junior) and the Bell-Young cleaning staff. The unlikely cohorts exchanged stories over routine potluck breakfasts.“They always brought pan dulce on Fridays, and I would make coffee,” Theyerl said in an email. Apart from Braun and Berkus Halls, all on-campus residence halls provide a...

With the lights dimmed, three silhouettes appeared in front of an ominous blue background. Suddenly the lights came to life, the dancers were revealed and Beyonce's "Crazy in Love" reverberated throughout Thorne Hall, kicking off Dance Production (Dance Pro) 2014. The 66th anniversary of Occidental's entirely student run, choreographed and produced dance show, began with this powerful number "Yoncé" choreographed...

Last Friday, April Garrett looked at her daughter, Arielle Laub (senior), and said to her, “It’s okay if you need to take a year off after graduation.” Laub, an English and Comparative Literary Studies major, responded by choking on her iced tea and hyperventilating. This may be a dramatized version of the lunch I recently had with my mom, but...