It was a quote from engineer Jiro Horikoshi that inspired Oscar-winning animator and head of Studio Ghibli Hayao Miyazaki to tell the aeronautical engineer's story in his final directorial achievement, "The Wind Rises." "All I wanted to do was to make something beautiful," Horikoshi, the designer responsible for fighter planes used by the Japanese in World War II, said. Horikoshi...

Only the beta of "Titanfall," not the full game, is available right now. The opinions expressed in this article are reflective of my time with the beta. However, disclaimer, even the unfinished product is revolutionary and its reaction is nothing short of stellar. Recently the “Titanfall" beta became available to Xbox One owners. Those lucky enough to receive their code...

With the flair and audacity of Beyoncé’s surprise album, last Friday’s performance of the Vagina Monologues took the classic show in original and personalized directions. New monologues grappled with abortion, masturbation, transsexual experiences and the fluidity of queerness, as well as street harassment. As with previous years, this year’s show generated a whirlwind of emotions, from screaming out loud laughing...

Students at Occidental College share certain common experiences as a product of attending the same school. One of those is move-in day. The college works hard with Residential Education and Housing Services (ResEd), O-Team and other student volunteers to see that the move-in process at the beginning of the academic year runs smoothly. But then ResEd fails to pay the...

They are the unsung heroes of KOXY radio: the playlist crafters, the mix masters, the tastemakers of Occidental. They are the KOXY DJs. Whether they started their show in pursuit of fun or fame, these gurus dictate much of the musical conversation on campus. Here are four interviews with a selection of DJs that aim to represent the quality and...

Lego, one of the most popular toys in the world, now has a movie with an equally ambiguous title, "The Lego Movie." Warner Brothers studios and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have created a star-studded animated movie made entirely of Lego pieces. The film captures the open-ended and exploratory nature of the toy while still providing a heartwarming story...

Four thousand six hundred and ten episodes later, James "Jay" Leno's stint as host of NBC's "The Tonight Show" is over. Feb. 6 marked the end of an era when Leno finally walked away from NBC. He went out on an incredible high note, having the best "Tonight Show" ratings in 22 years. His final episode included guests Billy Crystal,...

Despite the emotionally complex and often tortured roles depicted on screen, movie audiences often believe that the actors, by contrast, walk off the set to glamorous and joyful Hollywood lives. Consequently, when Philip Seymour Hoffman died on Sunday, Feb. 2, the news shocked viewers who were unaware of the actor's lifelong struggle with drug addiction. Hoffman is survived not only...

KOXY and ArtLab, Occidental's student-run radio station and art club, respectively, tend to put on events or produce artwork individually, a trend among most clubs and student organizations at Occidental. But on Friday, Jan. 31, a night when the rest of the campus was quiet, the two clubs took over Sycamore Glen to create music and murals as one cohesive...

The Occidental Jazz Ensemble rehearses in a circle – highly unusual for most large instrumental groups, who tend to group by section. Yet it works for this collection of students who laugh, gossip and joke at the beginning of practice. Many collaborate on new rhythms and riffs, some self-composed, with a shared musical intuition. The man who manages to bring...