Westmont Magazine The Best of 1996
Faculty Come Home to Las Barrancas
After seven long years of seeking permits, Westmont finally finished the first 20 homes in the faculty housing project. Professors and their families moved in, and the college dedicated “Las Barrancas” in September, recognizing the roles of trustee David Eldred and his wife, Bette, and the Friends of Westmont.
First in 1996
Westmont’s first provost, Stan Gaede ’69 (previously provost at Gordon College in Massachu-setts), assumed his duties in 1996. He oversees both academic and student life programs.
Former students returned to the classroom in November for the first ever Alumni College. Professors Dave Lawrence and Ron Enroth taught mini-classes, and Provost Stan Gaede spoke.
Board Business
Five new trustees joined the board in 1996: Renee Curtis, Dean Hirsch ’69, Mark Rhode ’81, Stephen Stong ’75, and Mark Zoradi ’76. Three members also became trustees emeriti: Bruce Bare, Peter Geddes, and Roy Johnston. Decisions reached last year included adopting “Great Is Thy Faithfulness” as the college’s official hymn and allowing students to sponsor dances on campus.
Sports Success
Four Warrior teams qualified for the nationals: men’s tennis (ninth place), track and field, women’s soccer, and women’s cross country (third place, the best finish in both Westmont’s and GSAC’s history).
Honor Roll
At Commencement in 1996, Ramón Vidauri, a Mexican physician who assists students participating in the Potter’s Clay ministry in Ensenada, received The Westmont Medal, and Dean Hirsch ’69, president of World Vision International, accepted an honorary doctorate in “international humanitarianism” for his work with the global relief agency.
The Westmont College Warrior Hall of Fame inducted six new members in 1996: Coach Russ Carr (soccer), John Crew ’54 (basketball), Louie Cuevas ’88 (soccer), Jean-Louis Ravelomanantsoa ’73 (track), and Cheryl Rogers ’84 (tennis).
Three Westmont students (Steve Busch, Joslynn Misaki, and Paul Browne) were selected to perform with the Intercollegiate Band, an honor band representing 28 college band programs in the western and northwestern states.
Dwight Anderson, director of the freshman year, finished as one of 10 semi-finalists for the honor Outstanding Freshman Advocate.
Ashley Fickle ’97 was the youngest tennis player ever to make the NAIA’s first team All-America after reaching the men’s doubles finals with Riva da Silva.
Theodore “Tad” Finkler ’98 received a 1996 National Engineers Week scholarship award.
Senior Nathan Franklin ’96 delivered a paper at an undergraduate research conference and published an article in a scholarly journal.
Ray Paloutzian, professor of psychology, published a second edition of his book, “Invitation to the Psychology of Religion.”
Michael Sommermann, professor of physics, received a John Templeton Foundation award to develop a course in science and religion.
A poem by Paul Willis, associate professor of English, “Meeting Like This,” appeared in the 1996 edition of “The Best American Poetry.”
Father Raymond E. Brown, a distinguished Catholic scholar, and Alvin Plantinga, a preeminent Christian philosopher, both spoke on campus in 1996, as did Congressman J.C. Watts, Jr., from Oklahoma and the Honorable Major General Sitiveni Rabuka, prime minister of the Republic of Fiji.