Like many college houses, the Sigma Alpha Epsilon (SAE) fraternity house can be a scary sight of reeking sports gear, blasting music and rowdy students. But next week it will become truly frightening, when every wall is covered with black tarps and the kitchen is transformed into an eerie labyrinth for the annual SAE haunted house. This year, the fraternity...

This school year, Occidental welcomed many new faculty members to campus, but two stand out from the rest for their particularly fascinating life stories. Born into immigrant families, Diplomacy and World Affairs (DWA) professor professor Sophal Ear and History professor Jane Hong both bring unique perspectives to the classroom and their students. Sophal EarProfessor Sophal Ear was born into the...

Dear Editor, In their Oct. 8 column “Fail: Freshmen Required to Create Sexual Assault Memes,” Taylor Majewski and Lucy Stewart express concern over one of Residential Education and Housing Services' (REHS) and Project SAFE’s recent prevention education programs. The activity, facilitated by Residential Advisors (RAs) at FYRE sessions, asked students to review Oxy-specific data from Think About It and present...

Wayne Sink '59 once donned a catcher's mitt for Occidental baseball. Now, he uses the tools from his workshop to lend a helping hand to the groundskeeping department at Anderson Field. The Occidental Hall of Famer has remained a significant presence around the program as an alumni, serving as a mentor to players and coaches and acting as liaison between...

The latest app to take the Occidental student body by storm has everybody yakkin'; Yik Yak, an anonymous online message board that showcases user-submitted posts in a real-time live stream, has taken campus by storm. The app curates “Yaks” by showing only posts written within a mile and a half radius of the user. For Occidental students, this distance encompasses...

Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) has dominated the news for months now. With the assistance of Western media distribution, ISIS has masterfully used graphic videos and pointed propaganda to encourage Western hysteria. On June 29, ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi established an Islamic caliphate across the Middle East. The group's aim is to create an Islamic state stretching...

On a late Friday night as I walked to the cooler, I came upon an unwanted sight. No, not an opossum. Nope, not a raccoon either. Instead, I saw a can of beer poorly hidden under some shrubbery, at least 10 brown napkins strewn about the side terrace, two used paper plates, a cellophane lump once wrapped around a cookie...

With a disastrous drought and constant debate over food justice, energy use and waste disposal, Occidental is abuzz with efforts toward sustainability. Thankfully, the administration and board of trustees have been making strides in a green direction. In the last year, the school hired a sustainability coordinator, reinstituted the sustainability committee and, most recently, created a $3.5 million “Green Revolving...

The issue of sexual assault on college campuses continues to spark nationwide debate, and one of its most relevant controversies is playing out in the world of college sports. Florida State University (FSU) quarterback Jameis Winston was accused of rape by a female student in December 2012. After nearly two years, the university has finally called him to a disciplinary...

With a love for the ocean, marine life and the beach, it is no surprise that Sam Akiyama (senior) found his athletic success in the pool as a star player and captain on the Occidental men's water polo team. In his last year on the team, Akiyama is making a name for himself, leading the Tigers with 32 goals in...