On any given evening, Sam Landis takes her Black Russian terrier, Kylo, on a walk around Occidental’s campus. Landis said she and Kylo moved to the Eagle Rock neighborhood last March and quickly discovered how comforting and relaxing it was to walk on campus.
Landis, who works from home, said she enjoys the wide sidewalks and shaded areas on campus. Landis said walking on campus offers new sights after a long work day and helps Kylo get the jitters out of his system.
“He sees a lot of dogs walking and he likes sniffing everything,” Landis said. “We like to walk here a lot [because there’s] lots of grass, lots of trees, lots of shade, which is good for him and it’s warm.”
Landis and Kylo represent just one duo of walkers who enjoy their leisure time on campus. Liz Fohl said she has walked her Samoyed dog, Betts, on campus for five years after moving to Eagle Rock from the Midwest.
“I walk straight through, back into where the neighborhood starts up again and then I turn right back by a daycare near the president’s house,” Fohl said. “We do shorter walks around our house, during the day, but the evening is what we call the long walk and that’s when we kind of wander around the neighborhood.”
Fohl also said that she enjoys walking on campus because of the beautiful scenery, the sculpture in the fountain, the architecture and the people watching.
Fohl is not alone in appreciating Occidental for its natural landscape and architecture. Three other walkers, Barbara Barberry and the Hoverson sisters, also said that the scenery lures them back onto campus grounds.
“Honestly, I consider it meditation. It still feels like an integral part of LA but this whole campus feels like such a wonderful release from the hustle and bustle of LA,” Fohl said. “And my dog really loves the squirrels.”
Taylor Hoverson and Kelly Hoverson sisters who were strolling in front of the Tiger Cooler with their dog Lemon, said they feel connected to campus.
“We grew up on Campus Road and that was like our childhood home and then we would come [to campus]. Our parents would bring us here every day after school. This is basically our backyard,” Hoverson said.
The Hoverson sisters said they enjoy the architecture, the greenery and working out at the amphitheater.
“[Lemon is] a social butterfly, she likes all the people and all the grass,” Taylor Hoverson said.
Kelly Hoverson said another incentive for walking on campus is the safety it provides.
“I feel like I’m always pretty safe here. It definitely feels like a place where you can walk around with your kids,” Kelly Hoverson said.
At times, this emphasis on safety has meant that visitors’ access to campus was restricted, according to Fohl.
“There was a short period of time during COVID where access was restricted and we respected that. There was security and they checked in like, do you have a student card,” Fohl said.
Fohl said it was a bummer to not be able to walk on campus during the pandemic, but she understood and was happy once campus was open to the public again.
“Everyone is so kind, everyone seems very happy. There’s a beautiful diversity about it,” Fohl said.
Landis said she has lived in many different neighborhoods, but Eagle Rock has a community aspect that she hasn’t found anywhere else.
Barberry said that Occidental is one of two locations where she takes her Leonberger dog, Chiquitina, for walks. Barberry said one reason she and her husband keep coming back to campus is because of how easy it is to converse with other walkers.
“Campus is really pretty and the truth is that it is very relaxing,” Barberry said. “Campus is sacred.”
Contact Karen Echeverria at palacioseche@oxy.edu
