Westmont News

Westmont’s Education Department honored its eight elementary and three secondary student teachers, who all earned California Preliminary Credentials, at the Celebration of Teaching event April 26 on campus. Interestingly, the three secondary teachers previously earned bachelor’s degrees in music at Westmont.

Westmont honored a number of employees for their outstanding contributions at the May 9 Faculty and Staff Appreciation Brunch, an annual ceremony that recognizes individual work anniversaries and accomplishments. President Gayle D. Beebe and members of the college’s executive team selected the recipients from a peer-nominated pool. An endowment set up by the late Bruce and Adaline Bare funds the awards; he was a longtime college trustee. Westmont Human Resources hosted the brunch.

Mitchell Thomas, professor of theater arts, won a coveted Indy Award for Directing for his role in staging “Godspell.” The May 20 event was the first time the Santa Barbra Independent has hosted the awards since the pandemic.

Thomas was most recently awarded an Indy for directing “Pride and Prejudice” in 2019.

The jazz band Helios also won an Indy for its live performance in “The Capulet Black-and-White Ball,” John Blondell’s version of “Romeo and Juliet.” Helios is lead by saxophonist Simon Blondell, the son of John. 

Westmont was well represented at an annual scholarship awards celebration on May 20 at the UC Santa Barbara Multicultural Center. Seven future Westmont students were honored with $5,000 scholarships through the Program for Effective Access to College (PEAC). Six of the students plan on taking advantage of Westmont’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) fast-track program, earning two degrees in four-and-a-half years, while one will major in computer science.

Two recent Westmont graduates, who served with UC Santa Barbara’s ROTC Program while students, have been commissioned as second lieutenants in the U.S. Army. Jacob Bailey ’24 of Whitefish, Montana, and Jared Noh ’24 of Glendale will continue their service in the Army after the summer.

A large crowd gathered inside and out for the opening of the annual juried exhibition of local artists, “[TBH]...To Be Honest,” at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. Los Angles gallery owner Walter Maciel juried the exhibition of 45 works, selecting the winners for top cash prizes May 16. The Tri-County Juried Exhibition is open through June 15.

Three Westmont alumni, Kenna Brase ’22 of Foothill Ranch, Simeon Michelson ’24 of Nashville, Tennessee, and Elizabeth Potter ’22 of Cheney, Washington, have won prestigious Fulbright Scholarships to teach English outside the United States. Brase will serve in Turkey, Michelson in Azerbaijan and Potter in Thailand.

Westmont has assembled an inspirational group of renowned speakers for its 10th annual LEAD Where You Stand Conference June 5-6 at the college's Global Leadership Center in Santa Barbara.

(Above: Student Awardees Eden Lawson, Alex Armstrong, Zach Hauw, Logan Thompson, Anneline Breytenbach and Katherine Knapp)

The gray skies and light drizzle were no match for the warm hearts and sunny disposition of the 320 members of Westmont’s class of 2024 and their loved ones. The ceremony, replete with prayer and songs of thanksgiving, offered a stark contrast to other college graduations across the country that have been canceled or marred by violent protests over the Israel-Hamas war.

College presidents are highly visible and vulnerable, serving on the frontlines to respond to events both on and off campus, inspiring faculty, staff, students and other constituencies, and upholding the ideals of the academy. Some do it well, and some don’t. The presidency of an institution of higher education has been deemed by some as the toughest job in our nation because they continually face stress-inducing events, which may become life-altering, transforming crucibles.

(Above: Nina Warner's painting "Shot House, Kharkiv, 2022")

The exceptional talent of local artists will be on full display at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art for its annual Tri-County Juried Exhibition May 16-June 15. An opening reception for “[TBH]...To Be Honest,” featuring this year’s juror Walter Maciel, a Los Angeles gallerist, is May 16 from 4-6 p.m. Maciel will announce his award winners at 5:15 p.m.

Each year before Commencement, Westmont’s annual Academic Awards Celebration reminds us of the joy of accomplishment and the opportunity we have to excel and fulfil the full range of gifts and abilities God has given us.

In the ancient world as now, excellence speaks to those who have persevered, who faced adversity, and who have risen above every challenge to cultivate the gifts God has given them,” said President Gayle D. Beebe. “It is also an opportunity to honor those who work so hard and so well.”

Eighteen new nurses are heading to serve on the frontlines at a hospital near you! Westmont graduated 18 nurses May 2 from its 16-month Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. 12 of the 18 graduates are staying to work in the Central Coast. The Westmont Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing Program, which began in January 2022 operates in partnership with Cottage Health and Sansum Clinics in Santa Barbara, has already graduated nearly 40 nurses.

Students presented their findings from research projects that spanned topics from running on slanted surfaces, the effects of music on heart rate, subliminal advertising, and racial identity in study-abroad programs at the Spring Student Research Symposium on April 18 in the Winter Hall Atrium.

The Westmont Orchestra and the Westmont College Choir join forces May 5-11 for the college’s first combined tour. Traveling from Los Angeles to Northern California, about 120 students will perform scenes from “Elijah” by Felix Mendelssohn as well as other pieces.

Two Westmont juniors, Rachael Todd of Nipomo and Levi Wicks of Huntington Beach, won David K. Winter Servant Leadership Awards for showing selflessness and humility as effective leaders. Angela D’Amour, dean of student engagement, introduced the 24th annual awardees on April 10 in Westmont chapel.

Less than two weeks after everyone’s attention was focused on the solar eclipse, the Westmont Observatory focuses on lunar craters and a red giant Friday, April 19, beginning after sunset at 7:30 p.m. and lasting several hours. The observatory, home to the powerful Keck Telescope, opens to the public every third Friday of the month in conjunction with knowledgeable volunteers from the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit. 

About 324 graduates will participate in Commencement on Saturday, May 4, at 9:30 a.m. on Thorrington Field with 147 graduating with honors. About 50 Golden Warriors, who graduated in 1974, will march in the procession to celebrate their 50th reunion. Eleven nursing graduates will participate in the ceremony, two days after their pinning ceremony on Thursday, May 2, at 4 p.m. in Montecito Covenant Church. Commencement, which is closed to the general public, will be livestreamed at westmont.edu/commencement.

The annual Spring Student Research Symposium features the work of more than 40 student researchers on 23 different posters Thursday, April 18, from 3:30–5:00 p.m.  in the Winter Hall Atrium.

Westmont’s 63^rd annual Spring Sing at the Santa Barbara Bowl was filled with singing, dancing, acting and hilarity. Students from each residence hall produced musical skits using the phrase “Out of Order” and competed for prizes and bragging rights.

Spring Sing is the college’s longest running tradition and involves more students than any other college event.

Over a 60-hour period before finals, the Weller Organ in Deane Chapel, controlled by professor Steve Hodson, will be playing “ORGAN2/ASLSP (As Slow As Possible)” by John Cage (1912-1992). This 1987 work, explores how slowly a piece of music might unfold. Westmont’s performance will begin at 8 a.m. on April 26 (with a rest) and end at 8 p.m. on April 28.

Nearly 20 Westmont political science students joined professor Katherine Bryant to serve on the National Model United Nations from March 24-28 in New York. The students, who represented the delegations from Solomon Islands and Thailand, discussed pressing global issues and stepped into the shoes of diplomats, using the art of negotiation to learn how to make a difference in the world.

The results are in and the awards handed out at the second annual Montecito Student Film Festival on March 23 at Westmont’s Porter Theatre. About 150 people attended the festival throughout the day to watch 41 films, pared down from the more than 500 that were submitted.

Six aspiring Westmont art graduates will exhibit their capstone projects at “Between Moments” from April 4-May 4 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A free, public opening reception will celebrate the graduating senior art majors on Thursday, April 4, from 4-6 p.m.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded Westmont College $500,000 to provide students with education, training and industry readiness for the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI). The funds will expand the scope of the Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab) to include AI, adding state-of-the-art hardware and software infrastructure to facilitate students’ hands-on learning and experimentation.

Malcolm Foley, special adviser to the president for equity and campus engagement at Baylor University, argues that race and racism are fundamentally not issues of pride but of greed in a lecture Wednesday, April 3, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center.

The talk, “Child of Mammon or Child of God?: The Anti-Greed Gospel,” is free and open to the public. The sociology and anthropology department, history department, Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Provost’s Office sponsor the lecture.

The music department has formed a partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, which will hold a private sale of musical instruments at Westmont March 14-16, featuring starter-to professional-level instruments at a discounted price. Go to the website rockleyfamilyfoundation.org/Westmont to make an appointment. 

The second annual Montecito Student Film Festival has exploded in popularity and gone global. Student filmmakers from 65 countries have submitted more than 500 films for the free event. Attendees can watch films throughout the day, Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. in Westmont’s Porter Theatre.

Jupiter and the Great Orion Nebula, M42, will be part of this month’s free stargazing event Friday, March 15, beginning about 6 p.m. and lasting several hours at the Westmont Observatory. Along with Westmont’s powerful Keck Telescope, members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Society bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

This spring, several of Westmont’s athletic facilities have seen dramatic upgrades to accompany the Warriors’ move to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II in hopes of attracting exceptional student-athletes who will thrive with a rigorous Christian liberal arts education. The Westmont community and supporters have stepped up to provide vital resources for the challenge.

The only active duty Air Force band west of the Rockies energized audiences at two free performances Feb. 27 at Westmont and Montecito Covenant Church.

Two Westmont voice instructors will join forces in a recital, "A Song Celebration," on Saturday, March 23, at 4 p.m. in Deane Chapel on Westmont’s lower campus. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.

Richard Haass, who worked at the White House, State Department and Pentagon under four different presidents, offered a civics lesson on global diplomacy while bringing clarity to international conflicts at the sold-out 19th annual Westmont President’s Breakfast March 1 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Despite the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war, contentious China-U.S. relations and the climate crisis, the veteran diplomat admitted that what keeps him up at night is domestic politics.

Adam Goodworth, a professor in the departments of engineering and kinesiology, and alumnus Maury Hayashida '95 examine balance and mobility and how they’re affected by aging in a talk Thursday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara.

The Westmont Music Department offers its orchestra concerto concert, featuring the winners of its concerto/aria competition, Nathan Carlin, Karla Munoz, Tasha Loh and Leah Nieman, on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. at the college’s Page Hall and on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy. Both performances are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit westmont.edu/music.

One of the best American beach volleyball players will speak in Westmont chapel on Friday, Feb. 16, at 10:30 a.m. in Murchison Gym. Alumnus Avery Drost ’07 led the Association of Volleyball Players (AVP) with 350 digs and was second with 551 kills last season. He coaches boys volleyball at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach while serving as a youth director at New City Church in El Segundo.

If the weather cooperates, and that has been a big if this winter, the Milky Way’s open clusters will be the focus of the monthly stargazing event on Friday, Feb. 16, beginning after 6 p.m. and lasting for several hours. The observatory, home of the powerful Keck Telescope, is open to the public every third Friday of the month and held in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) whose members bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

Westmont’s John Blondell, a longtime professor of theater arts, puts his own contemporary, site-specific spin on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as part of a mini-festival about the famous tragedy Thursday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 3, at 7 p.m. in and around the Community Arts Workshop (CAW), 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara.

(Updated Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.) After assessing the rain storm impacts on the campus and the community as a whole, Westmont will resume in-person work and classes tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6. Please continue to monitor your email for additional updates related to this weather event, and note that while Westmont will resume normal operations, additional rains are forecasted through Wednesday, so please plan accordingly and travel safely.

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Westmont’s 35^th annual Mathematics Field Day features students from nine regional high schools in a friendly competition Saturday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. in Winter Hall. Alphan Altinok, a senior data scientist at NASA Jet Propulsion Lab, will speak about “Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence” at the awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center. 

Jennifer Ito, Westmont assistant professor of physics, explores the history of the cosmological model in a free, public talk Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Simmons Center at the Global Leadership Center. The Paul C.

The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Research Center have chosen Michael Stewart Robb’s book, “The Kingdom Among Us: The Gospel According to Dallas Willard,” as the winner of the

Hopi Katsina dolls, carved and colorfully decorated wooden figures, are more than just beautiful works of art: They represent Katsinam spirits believed to bring blessings of good health, growth and fertility. A unique exhibition, celebrating the resurgence of a traditional carving method, features dozens of the Katsina (or “Kachina” to non-Hopi people) dolls and is open through May 4 in the lower level of the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.

A renovation of the first-floor recording studio and music lab in Westmont’s Music Building will provide state-of-the-art equipment for students thanks to a generous gift from longtime Santa Barbara resident and alumnus Rolland Jacks '55.

Wendy Eley Jackson draws on three decades of experience in film and television in her talk, “The Transformative Power of Storytelling” for a Westmont Downtown Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the Community Arts Workshop, 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

“I was surprised at the sheer size of the math world,” said first-year student Isaiah Conway, reflecting on his trip with fellow students and faculty to the world’s largest mathematics conference Jan. 3-6 in San Francisco. Ten students and three faculty members were among nearly 6,000 other mathematicians at annual Joint Mathematics Meetings (JMM), hosted by the American Mathematical Society.

A double feature operatic performance opens the curtains on the Westmont music department’s spring concert season with productions of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Telephone” and Douglas Moore’s “Gallantry” Jan. 19 and 21 at 7 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Purchase tickets, which cost $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors, online at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

Richard Haass, a veteran diplomat, respected scholar of international relations and president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks at the 19th annual Westmont President’s Breakfast on Friday, March 1, from 7-9 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. The event has sold out.