Westmont News
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Undefeated Warriors Host Tom Byron Classic
December 16, 2019
Talk Examines Guiding Teen Faith, Career
December 13, 2019
Campus Safety Welcomes New Chief
December 11, 2019
'Everyman' Play Explores Death, Judgement
December 5, 2019
Cierra Denning, who starred in “Pride and Prejudice,” directs “Everyman” Volleyball Earns National Runner-Up Title
November 26, 2019
‘Pickle Tree’ Lighting Features Santa
November 26, 2019
The 18th annual Westmont Pickle Tree Lighting, a unique Christmas season tradition that attracts hundreds of alumni and community members, is Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 5 p.m. on Kerrwood Lawn. This event is free and open to the public.
Veterans Day: A Day to Give Extra Thank Yous
November 11, 2019
Maya Davis Maya Davis, a sophomore from Ontario, Calif., was always interested in joining the military, even when she enrolled at Westmont. So, when representatives of UC Santa Barbara’s ROTC Program were on campus, she knew the time was right.
Celebrating First-Gen College Students
November 7, 2019
Christmas Festival Tickets to Go on Sale
November 6, 2019
Westmont hosts its 15th annual Christmas Festival, retelling the Christmas story by weaving narration with music from the Westmont Orchestra, College Choir, Chamber Singers and Choral Union on Friday, Dec. 13, at 7 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 14, at 2 and 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Dec. 15, at 3 p.m., all at First Presbyterian Church, 21 E. Constance Ave. Tickets cost $15 each and go on sale Thursday, Nov.
Clubs Create Community Connections
November 5, 2019
This year, Westmont students can get involved on campus through more than 40 different clubs, which cultivate the willingness and ability of students to lead and learn in all areas of life.
Poetry Collection Wins National Contest
November 4, 2019
March 1, 2003
English Professor Paul Willis' 24-page chapbook, “The Deep and Secret Color of Ice,” was selected as the winner in an annual national competition sponsored by Small Poetry Press in Concord, Calif.
Chosen from 300 entries and 13 finalists, Willis will receive a $1,000 prize and 100 free copies of the chapbook, to be published March 1.
Emergency Response Statement
November 4, 2019
March 1, 2003
Westmont officials are aware of the devastating fires that are ravaging Southern California. So far, the conditions in Santa Barbara County have been such that there is no imminent danger of fires near the college. However, we are in frequent contact with local fire officials, and we would activate our preparedness plan if a fire threat approaches the campus.
Masterworks Concert to Feature ‘Requiem’
November 4, 2019
February 13, 2003
Mozart's “Requiem” and Vivaldi's sparkling “Magnificat” will highlight Westmont's Third Annual Masterworks Concert, 8 p.m. Feb. 7 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. in Santa Barbara. Admission, by donation, is $10 for general audience and $7 for students and seniors.
The concert will feature the College Choir, directed by Steve Hodson, and the college Chamber Singers, directed by Grey Brothers. Augmented by faculty and alumni, the College Choir will explore the intrigues of Mozart's “Requiem” with soloists and full orchestra.
Four Students Offered Full-Tuition Scholarships
November 4, 2019
Four exceptional high school seniors have been offered full-tuition scholarships to Westmont after they successfully competed against 26 others during the college’s recent Scholars Day.
The winners are Bryce McFerran of Encinitas in Orange County, Jennifer Murphy of Eagle River, Alaska, Neil Bezdek of Centennial, Colo., and Julie Lockwood of San Carlos in the San Francisco Bay Area. The scholarships are for all four years of study, which today would be valued at nearly $100,000.
‘The Mariner’ Explores Associations of Home
November 4, 2019
February 1, 2003
“The Mariner,” an original piece of visual theatre inspired by Homer’s great epic poem “The Odyssey” will be presented by the Westmont College Repertory Theatre 8 p.m. Feb. 21, 27 and 28 in Porter Theatre.
There will be matinee performances at 2 p.m. Feb. 22 and March 1. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general audience.Liberal Arts Institute
November 4, 2019
January 31, 2003
“Educating for Justice: Liberal Education and the Development of Just Members of Society,” is the focus of Westmont’s third annual Conversation on the Liberal Arts, Jan. 31 through Feb. 1.
Representatives from 30 colleges and universities will attend the sessions,
Limited seating is available for faculty and staff in the plenary sessions.
Leading Scholars on World Christianity Come to Westmont
November 4, 2019
January 29, 2003
Yale University Professor Lamin Sanneh is one of two esteemed scholars scheduled to speak at Westmont this academic year in the college’s World Christianity Lecture Series, a new series sponsored by the college’s history and religious studies departments, among others.
Sanneh, the D. Willis James professor of Missions and World Christianity at Yale Divinity School, with a concurrent appointment as professor of history at Yale College, will appear at several events Oct. 3 and 4.
$1.2 Million Given to Westmont, Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
November 4, 2019
January 28, 2003
Westmont and the Santa Barbara Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse have received the first installment of a nearly $1.2 million bequest from the estate of Virginia Perle, which will be split evenly between the recipients.
A public lecture by the artists will be 3 p.m. Jan. 30, followed by the opening reception from 4-6 p.m., both in the Art Center. The show runs through March 7.
Precious in His Sight: A Ronciliation Service
November 4, 2019
January 27, 2003
“Precious in His Sight,” a service of healing and racial reconciliation open to the greater Santa Barbara community, will be 7 p.m. Jan. 27 at Page Hall on the upper Westmont campus.
Sponsored by the Inter-Faith Ministers’ Alliance in partnership with Westmont, the service is the second in a series of three intended to promote relationships of healing and reconciliation, and draw attention to the fact that all people are God’s people, no matter their ethnicity or race.
Reynolds to Feature Native American Exhibit
November 4, 2019
“Photographs and Artifacts: A Southwestern Chronicle,” featuring works by Raymond Reid and Henry and Mary Weaver, opens Jan. 27 in Reynolds Gallery.
A public lecture by the artists will be 3 p.m. Jan. 30, followed by the opening reception from 4-6 p.m., both in the Art Center. The show runs through March 7.
The exhibit includes images of Native American life and the environment in which Native Americans live. The objects and artifacts range from traditional baskets and blankets to rarer beaded pouches and carved pipe bowls.
Missionaries and Multiculturism
November 4, 2019
January 20, 2003
Andrew Walls, the second scholar participating in Westmont’s World Christianity and Global Encounters of the 21st Century lecture series, will discuss “Conversion and Proselytism in a Multifaith, Multiethnic World” 7 p.m. Jan. 29 at First Presbyterian Church in Santa Barbara. The event is free and open to the public.
Scholars Cecil Mel Robeck, professor of church history and ecumenics at Fuller Theological Seminary, and Anthea Butler, assistant professor of theology at Loyola Marymount University, will respond.
L.A. Cathedral Tapestry Designer to Speak at Westmont
November 4, 2019
January 15, 2003
John Nava, the painter who designed the tapestries in the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles, will discuss the cathedral tapestries 7:30 p.m. Jan. 15 in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. The event is free and open to the public.
For the cathedral, Nava created 25 tapestry panels that depict 135 men, women and children of faith, ranging in age from 9 months to 90 years. Towering an average of 10 feet each, together they form a “Communion of Saints.”
Pianist Rotman to Perform at Westmont
November 4, 2019
January 11, 2003
Award-winning pianist Sam Rotman, who earned two degrees from Juilliard, will present a free recital at 8 p.m. Jan. 13 in Porter Theatre on the Westmont campus.
While at Juilliard, he received nine awards in the form of grants, scholarships, and prizes. Subsequently, he has been among the winners in five piano competitions, both in the United States and Europe, including that of Laureate Winner in the 4th International Beethoven Competition in Vienna, Austria.
Stauffer Trust Awards Westmont $400,000 for Chemistry Equipment
November 4, 2019
January 1, 2003
The John Stauffer Charitable Trust, based in Pasadena, has awarded Westmont $400,000 to purchase much-needed chemistry equipment that will enhance students’ ability to do first-rate research.
Westmont, a liberal arts college similar to Pomona and Claremont-McKenna, has a long tradition of fostering undergraduate research in the sciences, a feature that ensures acceptance for many of our graduates into the best graduate schools in the country.
Westmont Joins Tuition Consortium
November 4, 2019
April 29, 2011
Westmont has joined nearly 300 other institutions in launching the nation’s first prepaid tuition plan for private colleges and universities: the Independent 529 Plan.
The plan is similar to state-sponsored “529” prepaid tuition plans, but is unique in that it can be used at independent institutions throughout the nation. The program allows families to pay today’s tuition for certificates that will be redeemable years from now at any of the member institutions.
Westmont to Hold 'Community Conversations'
November 4, 2019
November 20, 2002
Westmont has scheduled two community conversations about its Campus Master Plan Update followed by tours of the plan site from 9 to 11 a.m. Nov. 16 and Nov. 23.
The informative gatherings will be in Page Hall, on the upper campus. Those who would like to attend should follow the signs from the campus’ main entrance off La Paz Road. Optional tours of the plan site will follow.
In addition, the Montecito Association has offered to sponsor a moderated Community Forum after the first of the year.Photographs Capture the 'Art of Devotion'
November 4, 2019
November 11, 2002
Photographs by Brad Elliott of locations and objects used in worship will be featured in the Reynolds Gallery holiday exhibit, “The Art of Devotion” from Nov. 11 through Jan. 18, 2003.
Assistant Art Professor Lisa DeBoer will give a lecture in conjunction with the exhibition at 3 p.m. Nov. 15 in the gallery. An opening reception will follow the lecture. All the events are free and open to the public.
National Science Foundation Grant
November 4, 2019
November 1, 2002
The National Science Foundation has awarded a $96,000 grant to Westmont as part of a collaboration of 10 small colleges and universities to build a highly efficient large-area neutron detector, the Modular Neutron Array (MoNA). More than $700,000 has been awarded for the entire project.
"Antigone" Takes the Stage at Porter
November 4, 2019
October 11, 2002
Sophocles’ “Antigone,” the classic dramatic text of a young woman struggling against the law, will be told through music and dance in the Westmont Theatre department’s presentation 8 p.m. Oct. 24, 25 and 31 and Nov. and 2 in Porter Theatre.
There also will be a matinee performance at 2 p.m. Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. Admission is $5 for students and seniors and $10 for the general audience.
Renewal Grant Links Art and Worship
November 4, 2019
September 1, 2002
Local artist Rafael Parea de la Cabada will oversee “Revelation in Genesis,” a semester-long project involving Westmont students next fall. A $15,000 grant from the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship will fund the project.
Parea will oversee three groups of students who will create three works of art to be displayed on campus: one in Page residence hall, one for the space used for chapel and one on the Voskuyl Library lawn. The works are intended to express the Christ-centered character of living, learning and worshipping at Westmont.County Considers Westmont Master Plan
November 2, 2019
July 1, 2002
An updated campus master plan for Westmont College is under consideration by Santa Barbara County planning officials, who have determined that the plan will not cause significant environmental impacts that cannot be mitigated.
Response to 9-11 'Freedom' Series Comes to Reynolds Gallery
November 2, 2019
May 15, 2002
A series of works created in the aftermath of Sept. 11 and titled “Freedom”
by Art Professor John Carlander will be exhibited May 17 through July 27 at Westmont's Reynolds Gallery.Freedom may mean different things to different people, but after the attack on America on Sept. 11, 2001, we may cherish our ideas of freedom more than ever. For an artist to have the freedom to work is a great treasure, and I am thankful for that freedom.
Helena Hale to Perform 'Artemisia' at Westmont
November 2, 2019
May 8, 2002
The internationally acclaimed actress Helena Hale will perform her one-woman play, “Artemisia Gentileschi, Of Lies and Truth,” 7:30 p.m. May 10 in Porter Theatre on the Westmont campus. Admission is $10 for general audience and $7.50 for Reynolds Gallery members.
Three Generations to Celebrate Graduation; MacDougall to Receive Westmont Medal
November 2, 2019
May 2, 2002
Three generations will gather for Commencement at 10 a.m. May 4 on Carr Field to celebrate the latest recipient in the family of a Westmont degree.
Kirsten White will receive her bachelor’s degree in English, while her parents, Steve and Sharon Gerlach White (‘76 and ‘78 graduates, respectively), watch with her grandparents, Harlan and Ruth Gerlach. The Gerlachs will be celebrating their Golden Warrior anniversary: They graduated from Westmont in 1952.
Westmont Honored for Fund-Raising
November 2, 2019
May 1, 2002
The Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has named Westmont as a winner of the 2002 Circle of Excellence in Educational Fund-Raising Award, which honors superior fund-raising programs across the country. The award comes as Westmont’s capital campaign, which raised more than $56 million, is coming to a close.
Incoming Class Strongest in College History
November 2, 2019
May 1, 2002
Ten National Merit Scholars are among Westmont’s incoming class this fall, representing – for the third year in a row – the strongest class academically in college history. First-year students will arrive on campus Aug. 21 for orientation, and classes begin Aug. 26.
The new National Merit Scholars will bring to 30 the number on campus. Additionally, 97 percent of all incoming students qualified for merit scholarships, meaning they were eligible to receive one of three Westmont scholarships based on academic excellence.
Westmont President's New Book: “An Incomplete Guide to Life...”
November 2, 2019
May 1, 2002
Westmont President Stan Gaede has a new book out: “An Incomplete Guide to the Rest of Your Life: On the Road to Meaning, Purpose & Happiness,” published by InterVarsity Press.
With warm stories and conversational style, Gaede addresses topics such as vocation, relationships, integrity and compassion to provide guidance in leading a life worth living and finding authentic happiness. He points his reader beyond temporary diversions to the God who offers true satisfaction and fulfillment.
David K. Winter Honors Servant Leaders
November 2, 2019
April 20, 2002
Twelve students received David K. Winter Character through Servant Leadership Awards during a special ceremony April 18, 2002.
There were more than 80 nominations for the award, which was previously only open to juniors. This year, first-year and sophomore students were also eligible. Faculty, staff and other students nominated candidates who have demonstrated Christ-like character through acts of servant leadership.
Jazz Band to Perform Spring Concert
November 2, 2019
April 14, 2002
The Westmont Jazz Band offers its annual spring concert 8 p.m. April 16 in Deane Chapel on Westmont’s lower campus. Admission is free and the concert is open to the public.
Three six-piece combo groups and a big band will perform songs from such jazz greats as Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis and John Coltrane.
Facing the Fear: A Look at Bioterrorism
November 2, 2019
April 2, 2002
Dr. Stephen W. Hosea, medical director of the infection control department at Cottage Hospital, will speak on “Facing the Fear: What You Need to Know About Bioterrorism” 7 p.m. April 4 at Victoria Hall, 33 W. Victoria St. in downtown Santa Barbara.
The lecture is part of Westmont Downtown, a series sponsored by the Westmont Foundation. The event is free and open to the public.
Hosea has spoken frequently on bioterrorism since the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York and subsequent anthrax threats.
Camp Returns as Assistant VP for Advancement
October 30, 2019
Music Fills the Montecito Air in November
October 29, 2019
Westmont student musicians and composers show off their talents at free concerts this month in Westmont’s Deane Chapel on lower campus. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.
Downtown Talk Examines #MeToo Moment
October 27, 2019
October 24, 2019
Meredith Whitnah, Westmont assistant professor of sociology, speaks about “Making Sense of the #MeToo Moment: An Institutional and Cultural Perspective” on Thursday, Nov. 7, at 5:30 p.m. in the Santa Barbara University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St. The Westmont Downtown Lecture is free and open to the public. No tickets are required; the limited seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis.
Music Fills the Montecito Air in November
October 24, 2019
Westmont Chamber Singers and director Grey Brothers Westmont student musicians and composers show off their talents at free concerts this month in Westmont’s Deane Chapel on lower campus. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.
Downtown Talk Examines #MeToo Moment
October 24, 2019
Exhibition Explores ‘Belly of the Whale’
October 23, 2019
Hundreds of Voices Join for Choral Fest
October 21, 2019
Chamber Orchestra Performs Fall Concert
October 17, 2019