Occidental College

Occidental College, located in Los Angeles, California, is a small, coeducational, liberal arts college. The school is often referred to as "Oxy" by those familiar with it.

Related Topics:
Los Angeles, California - Liberal arts college

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Occidental was founded in 1887 by a group of Presbyterians and became independent of the church in 1910. Although initially located in Boyle Heights, the College moved to Highland Park in 1898. The current campus, Oxy's third location, was occupied in 1914 after the Highland Park campus was outgrown. The Eagle Rock campus covers over 120 acres (0.5 km²), much of it undeveloped land on a hill known on campus as "Mt. Fiji."

Related Topics:
1887 - Presbyterians - 1910 - Boyle Heights - Highland Park - 1898 - 1914 - Eagle Rock

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41% of applicants for fall 2005 enrollment were admitted, the College's lowest admit rate. The student body is highly diverse. In 1999 the College was ranked 36th in the U.S. News and World Report rankings. In the 2006 rankings the College is tied for 41st with Centre College (Ky), Furman University (SC), and Skidmore College (NY).

Related Topics:
Centre College - Furman University - Skidmore College

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The College lends facilities to the local community, Eagle Rock, e.g. for elementary school and high school graduations.

Related Topics:
Eagle Rock - Elementary school

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Myron Hunt designed the original buildings in a Mediterranean style, with covered walkways and tile roofs. The three original buildings of the 1914 campus still stand today, although seismic concerns have limited them to classrooms and academic offices. Most of the rest of the buildings match the original style with a few exceptions. Indeed, the Arthur G. Coons Administration Building has been dubbed "the Chrysler Showroom" by campus wags--a reference to its boxy glass lobby. The most notable aberration, however, is Stearns Hall, which has been described as "Barbie meets Escher" for its angular, post-modern style and its shrunken scale (it is supposedly built at 90% of scale, an idea supported by the feeling of claustrophobia often encountered there).

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The College competes in SCIAC NCAA Division III sports as well as other non-conference sports such as Rugby. The school's teams are called the Tigers.

Related Topics:
SCIAC - NCAA

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The campus has been used for various television and movie shots. The entry fountain is seen as part of Vulcan in '. In Beverly Hills 90210, the campus was called "California University." It also appeared in the films Real Genius, "Don't be a Menace to Society (while Drinking your Juice in the Hood)" and Clueless.

Related Topics:
Beverly Hills 90210 - Real Genius - Clueless

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A long-time favorite student activity is "tunneling," or exploring the utility tunnels that link many of the older buildings in campus.

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