OXYFARE
Conversations, Connections, and Community Volume 42, Number 3 oxy.edu/magazine OCCIDENTAL COLLEGE
Harry J. Elam, Jr. President Wendy F. Sternberg Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College Charlie Cardillo Vice President for Institutional Advancement Vince Cuseo Vice President of Enrollment and Dean of Admission Rob Flot Vice President for Student Affairs and Dean of Students Amos Himmelstein Vice President & Chief Operating Officer Marty Sharkey Vice President for Communications and Institutional Initiatives Jim Tranquada Director of Communications editorial staff
Dick Anderson Editor Laura Paisley, Jasmine Teran Contributing Writers Marc Campos Contributing Photographer Gail (Schulman) Ginell ’79 Class Notes Editor SanSoucie Design Design DLS Group Printing OCCIDENTAL MAGAZINE
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Published quarterly by Occidental College Main number: 323-259-2500 To contact Occidental magazine By phone: 323-259-2679 By email: oxymag@oxy.edu By mail: Occidental College Office of Communications F-36 1600 Campus Road Los Angeles CA 90041-3314 Letters and class notes may be edited for length, content, and style. Occidental College online Homepage: oxy.edu Facebook: facebook.com/occidental Twitter: @occidental Instagram: instagram.com/occidentalcollege Cover photo by Kevin Burke Oxy Wear photos by Marc Campos
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Prior to starting my term July 1 as president of the Alumni Association Board of Governors, I envisioned accomplishing goals over the next two years. But as the pandemic wears on, some of those ideas don’t seem as relevant and other needs seem more pressing—like the need to come together as a community. As my predecessor as president, Brad Fauvre ’87, has frequently noted, the role of the Alumni Association is to be the voice of Oxy alumni from all generations. To better understand your perspectives and attitudes about Oxy, we conducted a comprehensive survey of our constituents last fall for the first time since 2012. The survey showed that alumni feel Oxy prepared them well for furthering graduate education, an appreciation for the public good, and for contributing to the community. In looking deeper at the results, one thing that struck me the most is how many alumni still feel connected to the College—and that they want more virtual programming that would allow them to connect because they can’t be physically present. (This survey was conducted before the current pandemic.) One consequence of social distancing is that this is the perfect time to try out some new ideas when it comes to virtual programming. Hundreds of alumni—
many of whom haven’t been back to campus in decades—have logged in from all over to watch a series of conversations with this year’s Alumni Seal honorees. Survey respondents also told us that they want to hear about all the great things that Oxy is doing and what our alumni have been up to. So where do we begin? More than ever, we need to come together as a community. We want to support our new president, Harry J. Elam, Jr., and we’re excited to learn more about his vision for Oxy. We want to see the College do well for our students and for society—but that’s going to require a tremendous amount of lift from everyone. How can you help Oxy? Get engaged. Tell a high school student how great Oxy is—and get them to apply. Participate in our programming—and if you want to do more, raise your hand. If there’s something you want to see, speak up. And please support the College— every gift counts. I hope to see you all back on campus when the time is right. But until then, I’ll catch you on the next Zoom call. Tuan Ngo ’07 President, Board of Governors
Alumni Attitude Survey Highlights by Generations While pride in Oxy is strong across generations, student experiences and opinions about the role of alumni can differ. 1973 and earlier History and tradition have a significant impact on their opinion of Oxy 1974-1980 Think Oxy did a great job in providing opportunities like athletics, Greek life, and student clubs 1981-1993 Believe it’s important for alumni to serve as ambassadors by promoting Oxy to others 1994-2000 A diverse and inclusive environment has a significant impact on their overall opinion of Oxy 2001-2008 Believe it’s important for alumni to mentor current students 2009-2014 More than half participated in a community service organization or activity while at Oxy 2015 and later Have a strong affiliation to a student organization or activity with which they were associated Survey results based on 1,854 respondents representing the classes of 1950 to 2019. Among all respondents, 44.8% percent identified as male, and 54.3% identified as female.
Oxy Pride Celebration, June 29 Like many events planned for Alumni Reunion Weekend, Oxy’s first Pride celebration pivoted from an in-person activity to a virtual format in June. Partnering with the Intercultural Community Center, the Alumni and Parent Engagement Department orchestrated the relaunch of the LGBTQIA+ affinity group, which aims to create space and a sense of community for queer, trans, and ally members of the Occidental network. Attendees included alumni spanning the classes of 1969 to 2019, faculty, staff, and a special appearance and introduction from President Harry J. Elam, Jr. prior to his July 1 start date. ICC Director Chris Arguedas shared an overview of queer life on campus and the range of resources available to students. Breakout group discussions were centered around topics ranging from the individual’s definition of Pride, their experience of queer life on campus and how it has evolved, and where there is room for continuous growth.
Prior to the informal happy hour, Maureen Royer, associate vice president of individual giving, and Alumni Association Board of Governors President Tuan Ngo ’07 shared words of appreciation for Oxy’s LGBTQIA+ community and relayed ways we hope our alumni community will reengage with the group. Alumni are encouraged to reach out to the ICC for opportunities to volunteer, provide philanthropic support, and connect with current queer and trans students. Want to get involved? Email Dana Brandsey ’02 (dbrandsey@oxy.edu), associate director of alumni and parent engagement, for a recording of this event and to receive notifications of future LGBTQIA+ events.
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