Despite the challenging year 2020 has presented, the community support for The Oxy Campaign For Good was inspiring. In fall 2019 and early 2020, the Oxy community gathered in several cities as well as on-campus, to celebrate the past, present and future of the College. Thank you to the hundreds who have gathered and supported the College in order to build a strong foundation for Oxy—For Good.
The Oxy Campaign For Good in New York
Students, alumni, faculty and friends of the William and Elizabeth Kahane United Nations Program gathered in New York City on October 22, 2019 to honor the program as well as to celebrate the public launch of The Oxy Campaign For Good. Guests had the opportunity to tour the U.N. which included the Security Council Chambers, the Delegates Artifacts Exhibits and the General Assembly Hall. They later joined together for a reception with fellow New York alumnus Steve Coll ’80 who is a two-time Pulitzer Prize winner, former managing editor of the Washington Post, staff writer for The New Yorker, and dean and Henry R. Luce Professor of Journalism of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. Steve discussed his award-winning investigative journalism of the U.S. involvement in the Middle East, and how his Oxy education supported him throughout his career.
Guests also learned from current and former Kahane U.N. Program students about their experiences in the long-standing program. Then-President Jonathan Veitch and Campaign co-chair William M. Kahane ‘70 then discussed The Oxy Campaign For Good and how support and involvement is critical to the future of Oxy.
The Oxy Campaign For Good in Boston
The Occidental College Alumni Association and host Adam Portnoy '93 celebrated the The Oxy Campaign For Good in Boston on October 28, 2019. Alumni and students from the Boston area gathered to hear the latest on the Campaign from Portnoy, as well as Board of Governors member Evita Chavez '15 and then-President Jonathan Veitch. Guests then heard from foreign policy experts and distinguished alumni Barry Posen '74 and Steven E. Miller '74, who shared their insights concerning international security and how Oxy prepared them for their extraordinary careers.
Celebration of Access and Opportunity Reception
On Tuesday, February 25, 2020, alumni, students and faculty gathered for one of the last on-campus events, the annual Celebration of Access and Opportunity reception. This event is held each year to thank the hundreds of donors who generously support student scholarships, the top priority of the Campaign. Guests gathered in Booth Courtyard and heard from Trustees Greta J. Mandell '72 P'92 and Timothy Allison-Hatch '71 and Dean Wendy Sternberg about how their gifts make Oxy possible for so many.
Obama Scholars Program Speaker Series
The Obama Scholars Program at Occidental was launched in 2017 to honor President Obama '83 and empower the next generation of leaders in active pursuit of the public good. Each year, thanks to the generosity of hundreds of Oxy donors and friends, scholars and fellows join the Oxy community to pursue their academic aspirations to prepare them to make meaningful change in the world. Additionally, the Obama Scholars Program Speaker Series seeks to bring leaders and change agents to campus to discuss their work in relation to the Obama administration’s work and the mission of the program.
On February 27, 2020, Oxy hosted the third event in the Obama Scholars Program Speaker Series: “Repealing ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell': Lessons Learned and Where We Are Today.” The impressive panel was led by Obama Scholars Advisory Council member Joe Solmonese, CEO of the 2020 Democratic National Convention Committee and former president of the Human Rights Campaign (HRC), which played a key role in lobbying for the repeal. Students, faculty and staff heard from this pioneering group of veterans and advocates for LGBTQ+ rights who worked tirelessly to successfully overturn “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” legislation in 2010.
The Oxy Campaign For Good in Malibu
On Sunday, March 1, the Oxy community in Southern California gathered at the beautiful Malibu home of Charlie and Carrie Chen P’20 to experience the many facets of Oxy’s growing music department and to celebrate The Oxy Campaign For Good. Alumni and parents had the opportunity to meet the award-winning music faculty, including Ramona Gonzalez '09, who is a Los Angeles based musician and multimedia artist (performs as Nite Jewel) and is the Johnston-Fix Professor of the Practice in Songwriting at Oxy. Guests then had an inside-look at the expertly-designed audiophile room of Dr. Chen. The evening culminated with a moving performance by an Oxy student quintet led by Desiree La Vertu, Director of Choral and Vocal Activities and Chris Kim, Director of Instrumental Activities.
