Westmont News

Commencement speaker Michael Shasberger, between stints of conducting the Westmont Orchestra, told the 2022 graduates they’d attain their greatest happiness when they discovered how to give away what they valued most. Coincidentally, President Gayle D. Beebe introduced Shasberger with news that the Michael Shasberger Student Scholarship Fund for Music.

This Mother’s Day, we celebrate Cynthia Toms, professor of global studies and kinesiology, whose personal experience helped solidify her deep desire to improve global development by keeping people healthy and giving them hope.

Each year, the Westmont community celebrates the many ways that God has gifted our students academically by announcing and honoring the Outstanding Graduate Awards in each department during the Academic Awards Convocation prior to Commencement. The following are the Outstanding Graduates of 2022.

The abundance of accomplished artists from the Tri-County area is on full display at the annual juried exhibition in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. Westmont alumnus and hyperrealist painter Robin Eley ’01 juried the show, “Uncanny,” which is available May 19-June 18. A free, public, opening reception for the exhibition is Thursday, May 19, from 4-6 p.m. at the museum.

Michael Shasberger, who retires as the inaugural Adams professor of music and worship, delivers the address at Commencement Saturday, May 7, at 9 a.m. on Westmont’s Thorrington Field. Westmont President Gayle D. Beebe presents Westmont Medals to Steven A. and Denice D. Fellows for their tireless service and dedicated leadership in improving the delivery of healthcare.

Graduating political science major and Westmont College Student Association (WSCA) President Hannah Grierson argued her way to the top of the Westmont Debate Tournament and earned $500 on April 23 in the Global Leadership Center. She argued against the topic of the United States implementing a universal basic income. Sophomore Eden Lawson, who recently won the David K. Winter Servant Leadership Award, came in second place, taking home $250.

James E. Taylor and Jennifer Moe Taylor, husband and wife, have teamed up to co-author a new book, “Soul Pilgrimage: Knowing God in Everyday Life” (Cascade Books). The volume takes readers on a sacred pilgrimage to deepen their relationship with God.

Two Westmont students won David K. Winter Servant Leadership Awards for showing vision, courage, humility, integrity and competence as leaders. Angela D’Amour, dean of student engagement, introduced the 22^nd annual awardees, Ebun Kalejaiye ’23 of Rancho Palos Verdes and Eden Lawson ’24 of Redlands, on April 1 in chapel.

A rising full moon will greet visitors to the Westmont Observatory at the free, monthly public viewing of the stars on Friday, April 15, beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting several hours. Face coverings will be required at the event.

Michael Shasberger, Westmont’s Adams professor for music and worship, shares stories of musical exploration and perseverance during a pandemic at a free public lecture, “Making Music in the Age of COVID: Challenges, Opportunities, Risks and Meaning,” on Wednesday, April 20, at 5:30 p.m. in the outdoor patio of Westmont’s newest downtown Santa Barbara building, 29 W. Anapamu.

Keynote speakers David Brooks, Erin Meyer, Gayle D. Beebe, Marcus “Goodie” Goodloe, Shaylyn Romney Garrett and Robert Putnam share insights on effective and purposeful leadership at the 2022 Lead Where You Stand Conference June 1-3 at Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. Tickets to the three-day event, which cost $499, may be purchased at westmont.edu/lead. Those who buy four seats, get one free. 

The Westmont Fringe Festival returns with a four-day, student-led celebration of the arts April 21- 24, beginning at 7 p.m. in and around Porter Theater. About 80 students are acting, designing, directing or writing plays and poetry for the performance extravaganza themed “Unfamiliar Waters.” A four-day, all-access general admission pass costs $20; $15 for seniors/students. A one-day pass is $10 with no student/senior discount. Tickets may be purchased at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

Fifteen graduating Westmont art majors make their presence felt in an exhibition April 7- May 7 at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A free, public opening reception for “Presence” is Thursday, April 7, from 4-6 p.m. at the museum.

The next time you drive to campus, you’ll discover beauti­ful new kiosks featuring sandstone, greenery and vine-covered trellises. Westmont has widened each entrance and designed the kiosks to better protect the campus.

The 61^st annual Westmont’s Spring Sing, a student-performed variety show and competition between residence halls, was back and in person at the Santa Barbara Bowl April 1. It is the longest running tradition on campus and involves more students than any other college event.

The Center for First-generation Student Success has welcomed Westmont and 52 other new institutions into First-gen Forward, a program that recognizes colleges and universities committed to helping first-generation students thrive.

Kya Mangrum, assistant professor of English, has won a $9,900 Graves Award in Humanities research grant. A 2021 Westmont Teacher of the Year, Mangrum is conducting research for a new book exploring how Americans remembered and wrote about slavery and the Civil War in the first five decades (1865-1915) following Emancipation and the end of the war.

Award-winning scholar and teacher Samuel L. Perry examines the type of white Christian nationalism displayed at the U.S. Capitol attack in a free, public lecture Monday, April 4, from 7-8:30 p.m. at Westmont’s Global Leadership Center.

After a 10-year process, the American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Professional Training voted in January 2022 to include Westmont College on the list of institutions approved by ACS. Effective immediately, the society will certify the degrees of Westmont graduates who complete the requirements of the college’s Professional Track for Chemistry.

The Westmont Observatory opens to the public Friday, March 18, beginning at 7 p.m. and lasting several hours. Face coverings will be required at the event. Due to the pandemic, this is the first time in two years the observatory has been open to the public.

The Westmont Music Department handed out tens of thousands of dollars in scholarships to musicians and singers as part of its annual guild competitions. Corrie Bascom, a violinist from Minnesota, won the 10th annual Instrumental Guild Competition Feb. 26 and Hailey Somphone, a soprano from Fullerton, won the Vocal Guild Competition on March 5. Each will receive up to $10,000 in annual music scholarships funds (up to $40,000 for four years) to study at Westmont.

Bestselling author Michael Lewis shared insight into his blockbuster books such as “Moneyball,” “The Undoing Project” and “The Fifth Risk,” at the 17th annual President’s Breakfast March 4 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort.

Religious believers who embrace accountability to God (or another transcendent guide for life) experience higher levels of three of the four variables of psychological well-being – mattering to others, dignity and meaning in their lives, though not happiness – according to a study from researchers with Baylor University, Westmont College and Hope College.

The Westmont Music Department holds its 10^th annual Instrumental Guild Competition with six finalists performing for college scholarships on Saturday, February 26, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel.

The Westmont College Festival Theatre and John Blondell, Westmont’s award-winning director and professor of theater arts, stage “The Miser, or the School for Lies,” Moliere’s funny, highly theatrical on-the-verge-of-the-absurd comedy Feb. 25-26, March 3-5 at 7:30 p.m., and March 5 at 2 p.m., all in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. Tickets are $10 for students and seniors, $15 for adults, and may be purchased online at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

Westmont’s 33^rd annual Mathematics Field Day, featuring seven Southern California high schools, is Saturday, Feb. 12 from 1-5:15 p.m. in Winter Hall. The awards banquet begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center. The event, co-directed by Westmont mathematics professors Anna Aboud and Russell Howell, features student teams from Cate, Dos Pueblos, La Cañada, Oaks Christian, Providence, San Marcos and Santa Barbara.

Westmont announces the appointment of Kimberly Battle-Walters Denu as the college’s new provost beginning August 1, 2022.

Westmont senior Lexy Gillette, a double major in physics and chemistry, will attend the University of Oxford in the fall after earning the prestigious John and Daria Barry Foundation Scholarship. The award, given to about 10 students a year from select institutions, covers tuition, fees and living expenses, also provides a stipend and research and travel allowances for at least two years. Lexy, who will pursue a doctorate in inorganic chemistry, is one of the first few recipients in the natural sciences.

The Westmont women’s polo team, fresh off a 15-1 victory over cross-town rival UC Santa Barbara, rides into United States Polo Association Regionals on Friday, February 25, in Los Osos. The Warriors will face Stanford, who they beat earlier this season, Cal Poly, UC Davis, USC, UCSB, Oregon State, Montana State and Idaho State.

Michael Lewis, bestselling author of blockbuster books such as “Moneyball” and “The Blind Side,” speaks with Westmont president Gayle D. Beebe at the 17th annual President’s Breakfast Friday, March 4, 2022, from 7 a.m.- 9 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Tickets cost $125 each and go on sale Friday, Feb. 4, at 9 a.m.

Westmont presents Aaron Copland’s great 20th century American opera “The Tender Land” January 28 and 30 at 7 p.m. at Center Stage Theatre in Paseo Nuevo. Purchase tickets, which cost $15 for general admission, $10 for seniors or military, at the Center Stage box office at centerstagetheater.org. Please visit the Center Stage website to view the latest COVID-19 requirements.

A national study examines the link between perceived relationship with God and mental health from a sample of more than 1,600 Americans. The research suggests that religious believers who relate to God in an uncertain or anxious manner are more likely to experience symptoms of psychological distress, including anxiety, paranoia, obsession and compulsion.

Westmont College has received $20,000 toward scholarships for four students studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) from Edison International, the public utility parent company of Southern California Edison. The company has awarded this grant to Westmont every year since 2013.

Santa Barbara artist Marie Schoeff explores a profound yet unpretentious relationship with nature and spirituality in a new exhibition at the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art from Jan. 13-March 26. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, there will not be an opening reception for “Marie Schoeff: Amplifying the Between." 

The Westmont Jazz Ensemble highlights the work of Chick Corea, who died earlier this year, in a concert Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 8 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public. As per the county requirement for all indoor events, masks will be required. Any outside guests will be asked to present either proof of vaccination or a negative test result from the past 72 hours. For more information, please call (805) 565-­6040.

Marianne D’Emidio-Caston, who served the local education community for more than three decades, received the Westmont Education Department’s 2021-22 Excellence in Education Award.

D’Emidio-Caston, who most recently directed student teaching at Antioch University Santa Barbara, spoke to Westmont education students, encouraging them to find a trusted long-term professional partner to “grow with and, more generally, to do teaching with.” 

The rubber meets the road for Westmont’s engineering students who, as part of their coursework, will race foot-long remote control cars on a short, oval racetrack in front of Kerrwood Hall on Monday, Dec. 6, from 11:30 a.m.- 12:30 p.m. The students have created the cars from kits with hundreds of parts for their Machine Design course with Dan Jensen, director of the engineering program.

The 17^th annual Westmont Christmas Festival appears for the first time at Santa Barbara’s famed Granada Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 5, at 3 p.m. Tickets, which cost $20 each, go on sale Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 5 p.m. at westmont.edu/festival.

The Westmont Festival Theatre offers uplifting songs of joy and love in “You Will Be Found: Hope Songs” Nov. 19-20 at 7:30 p.m. in Porter Theatre. “We all could use a little hope right now,” says Mitchell Thomas, director of the event. Tickets to the all-ages fundraiser, which cost $15 for general admission, $10 for students, may be purchased at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

Elizabeth Gardner, Westmont assistant professor of communication studies, examines a protest by children and adolescents in South America on Thursday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. in Westmont’s Global Leadership Center. The Paul C.

The second installment of NEXUS: Readings by Black and Indigenous Playwrights features “The Thanksgiving Play” by Larissa FastHorse with excerpts from Suzan Lori-Parks’ “365 Days/365 Plays” on Saturday, Nov. 6, at 7:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. The event, which will include a post-reading discussion, is free and open to the public. Guests will be required to show proof of vaccine or a recent negative COVID-19 test and wear a mask while indoors on campus.

Westmont’s annual Fall Choral Festival, featuring about 125 students from five California high school choirs, returns for a live performance Friday, Oct. 29, at 6 p.m. in Hahn Hall at the Music Academy of the West. The concert is free and open to the public. Due to Covid-19 we are asking all guests RSVP here in advance here. 

The Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art, which moved from the confines of the Reynold’s Gallery to its current home in the Adams Center for the Visual arts more than a decade ago, reveals the enormity of its holdings in “Academic, Barbizon, and Impressionist Artists: Highlights from the Permanent Collection” from Nov. 11- Dec. 18 in the museum. A free, public opening reception will be held Thursday, Nov. 11, from 4-6 p.m. at the museum.

It is difficult to imagine life without our personal devices. Today’s digital technologies are designed to captivate our attention and encroach on our boundaries, shaping how we relate to time and space, to ourselves and others, even to God.

The Westmont Festival Theatre returns for the first time since March 2020 to stage a new play, “Kitty Hawk or Kill Devil,” which explores what it means to live in proximity to greatness, October 22-23, 28- 29, 30 at 7:30 p.m., and Saturday, October 30 at 2 p.m., all in Westmont’s Porter Theatre. Tickets, which cost $15 general admission and $10 for students, are available online at westmont.edu/boxoffice. The play contains passionate language by Ohioans about Ohio.

The Westmont College Orchestra returns to the stage for live, in-person performances of the Fall Orchestra Concert on Friday, Oct. 22, at 7 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 24, at 3 p.m. in Hahn Hall at Music Academy of the West. Tickets, which cost $10 for general admission (students are free), may be purchased at westmont.edu/music or at the door. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040 or email music@westmont.edu.

The Westmont Latinx Student Union (LSU) club has been using social media and in-person meetings to bring attention to National Hispanic American Heritage Month, celebrating the cultures of various Hispanic and Latin countries.