Kiev. A day after being appointed interim president, Oleksandr Turchynov declared on Sunday that the country would take steps toward European integration. Taking the "European choice" will be a victory for protesters who were originally incited by the former President Viktor Yanukovych's spurning an important deal with the European Union in favor of closer ties to Russia. Months of protests...

The Wilshire Grand Center, located in downtown Los Angeles, will be the tallest building on the west coast when it opens in 2017. Construction on the project began with a Feb. 16 record-breaking concrete pour. The Korean Air-owned skyscraper will be first and foremost a luxury hotel but will also contain restaurants, shops and "attractive nightlife offerings," according to the...

In a move unprecedented by any U. S. college or university, the Occidental board of trustees will refrain from investing Occidental’s endowment in companies that manufacture military-style assault rifles. Implemented last January, the decision came as a response to a faculty resolution urging the school to address the string of mass shootings at schools across the countryProfessor of Urban and...

A $1.5 million recent trustee donation will fund a renovation to the campus main entrance to commemorate the 100th year anniversary of Occidental's relocation to its current campus. The construction, scheduled to be completed this summer, will replace part of the driveway with green space. College planners hope the renovation of the entrance will be a highly visible start of...

A conversation with Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Los Angeles Times architecture critic Christopher Hawthorne took place last Thursday in Keck Theater. The conversation ranged from issues of the urban environment to the soul of the city, with a musical interlude taking place halfway through the presentation. “We are lucky to have a mayor who combines the improvisational skills...

Several faculty called for a new round of no confidence votes amid revelations that the administration ended 30-year Campus Safety veteran Lt. Joseph Cunje’s employment on Feb. 10.“I came to work today, and all I felt was incredible sadness,” Faculty President and mathematics professor Nalsey Tinberg said. “[Cunje] is one of the most beloved, dedicated, passionate, competent, student-centered people that...

Student drivers employed by the Bengal Bus will soon replace Campus Safety officers as the primary provider of free transportation to areas around campus. The policy shift enables Campus Safety officers currently dedicated to performing escorts to other tasks more relevant to crime deterrence. Representatives from the Bengal Bus free shuttle service, which is overseen by the Office of Student...

A spiral staircase may connect the Green Bean and a newly renovated Bengal Room by the time students return to Occidental for the Fall 2014 semester. The project would provide another multipurpose space for students and reduce crowding in the Green Bean. The Associated Students of Occidental College (ASOC) and Director of Student Life Tamara Rice are spearheading efforts but...

Indonesia. Mount Kelud on the island Java erupted on Feb. 13 at 10:50 p.m. local time, necessitating the evacuation of 200,000 people. Fierce tremors shook the island and the blast could be heard 80 miles away. There have only been four confirmed fatalities, which resulted from roof collapses. Kelud, a stratovolcano, last erupted in 2007, but it was a small...

Active Minds, a student group on campus, and the Student Wellness Advisory Council (SWAC), a student-administration committee, prepared a petition for President Jonathan Vietch to expand Emmons Wellness Center's mental health facilities. The petition is the first step in the groups' plan to increase student awareness of the services already offered by Emmons. Both Active Minds and SWAC are looking...