Westmont News

“Drawn to the Light: Poems on Rembrandt’s Religious Paintings,” English Professor Marilyn Chandler McEntyre’s second volume of poetry on the works of the great masters, was published this week by Eerdmans.
The event, featuring poets from around the West, will also include readings from Westmont, UCSB and Santa Barbara City College students.

A special evening of readings by Chicano and Chicana poets, “El Espíritu de la Raza/The Spirit of the People: Chicano/a Poetry,” will be 7 p.m. Nov. 11 in Hieronymus Lounge.

The event, featuring poets from around the West, will also include readings from Westmont, UCSB and Santa Barbara City College students.

Philosophy Professor Jim Taylor was recently elected to the executive committee of the Society of Christian Philosophers.

The committee of four people represents the entire society and reports to the society's president, Robert Audi of the University of Nebraska. Annual meetings of the committee take place at the Central Division meeting of the American Philosophical Association each spring.

Chemistry Professor Stanley Edward Anderson has been selected for a National Research Council Senior Research Associateship award, which has allowed him to conduct studies at the University of California Santa Barbara during a sabbatical.

Working with UCSB Chemistry Professor Michael T. Bowers, Anderson is analyzing molecular structures using ion chromatography/mass spectrometry techniques perfected by the Bowers Group.

“Of Sky and Land,” paintings of the New England landscape by Denise Adams, will be on exhibit Oct. 23 through Nov. 2 in Reynolds Gallery. The opening reception will be 4-6 p.m. Oct. 25 in the Westmont Art Center and is free and open to the public.

“The paintings of Denise Adams express a freshness and painterly quality that enhances and magnifies the beauty of nature,” Reynolds Gallery Director Tony Askew said. “There is a poetic strength and simple beauty in content and subject.

Assistant Professor of Philosophy David Vander Laan will speak on “Divine Conservation and Persistence through Time” 7 p.m. Oct. 21 in Hieronymus Lounge in Kerrwood Hall.

Physics Professor Michael Sommerman and Philosophy Professor Jim Taylor will respond.

Vander Laan will explore various views about how God sustains the existence of human persons through time. The issue has important implications for how God will preserve our existence from this life to the afterlife. The lecture is the Paul C. Wilt Phi Kappa Phi presentation for the fall semester.

“The Bourgeois Gentleman,” Moliere’s hilarious comedy that paints a portrait of Monsieur Jourdain, whose obsessive desire to associate with the gentry takes over all reason and moderation, comes to Porter Theatre in November.

In the play, Monsieur Jourdain spends an outrageous amount of money on fashionable clothes, lessons in dance, fencing, music, language and philosophy, and gifts for a countess in order to try and buy himself high social position, but is only deceiving himself.

“A Fall Festival of Choral Music” will be presented by the Westmont choirs 8 p.m. Oct. 24 at San Roque Catholic Church in Santa Barbara.

The festival will feature the Westmont College Choir, directed by Steven R. Hodson, and Vox Lumina Women’s Chorale, directed by Laura Brinton, singing Benjamin Britten’s cantata for choir and soloists: “Rejoice in the Lamb.”

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.

The production examines Antigone’s struggle and explores the three types of laws that humans face: laws from religious texts, civil codes and the unwritten law in people’s hearts.

Chemistry professor Nivaldo Tro is the author of a new textbook, “Introductory Chemistry,” published by the nation’s top chemistry textbook publisher, Prentice Hall.

Tro has worked with Prentice Hall for the last two and a half years on the project, which also has a Web site for students and teachers to use along with the book. The book is unique in its approach to developing problem solving skills in chemistry and in its use of molecular graphics to communicate important chemical concepts.

Reynolds Gallery’s Christmas 2003 exhibit, “Storytellers: Children’s Book Illustrators,” featuring the work of three of the nation’s premier children’s book illustrators, opens Nov. 3 and runs through Jan. 17, 2004.

The show, sure to engage and enchant viewers of all ages, will include original paintings and drawings from a broad range of the books by Kadir Nelson, Kinuko Y. Craft and Gary Kelley.

Admission is free; no reservations are required.

Duncan, a leading environmental activist who lives in Montana, is widely recognized for his humorous and beautifully crafted essays and novels. He is a passionate voice for wilderness and wildlife, particularly salmon. His collection of essays, “River Teeth,” inspired an upcoming Oregon film festival and the award-winning literary magazine, River Teeth: A Journal of Narrative Non-fiction.

An exhibit of the emotionally charged and thought-provoking paintings of Chicago artist Tim Lowly, inspired by his severely developmentally disabled daughter, opens the fall season at Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery. “Trouble the Water” runs Aug. 20-Oct. 19.

Lowly will speak about his life and work during a Westmont chapel service 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 in Murchison Gymnasium. A closing reception will be 4-6 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Westmont Art Center. All events are free and open to the public.

Westmont's student performance of its first original production, “The Mariner,” directed by theater Professor John Blondell, will be reprised Oct. 4 and 5 during the internationally acclaimed Lit Moon Theatre Festival in downtown Santa Barbara.

Two performances are scheduled, 11 p.m. Oct. 4 and 4 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Center Stage Theatre, upstairs in the Paseo Nuevo Mall. Tickets cost $8 for students and $10 for general audience.

San Diego author and physician David Peck will present a slide show and lecture on his book, “Or Perish in the Attempt: Wilderness Medicine in the Lewis and Clark Expedition,” 7 p.m. Oct. 6 in Hieronymus Lounge in Kerrwood Hall on Westmont’s upper campus.

Princeton Professor Albert Raboteau will speak on “Healing the Wounds of Racism: The Role of Memory and Mourning” 4 p.m. Oct. 2 in Hieronymus Lounge in Kerrwood Hall on the upper Westmont campus.
The lecture, sponsored by the Erasmus Society, is free and open to the public.

"Two Westmont employees have been promoted to new jobs in recent
weeks."

Pamela Arneson has been named the new associate director of alumni & parent relations in the Office of College Advancement. She previously worked 10 years as assistant in the Alumni & Parent Relations Office.

In her new position, Arneson will share responsibility for Homecoming, Parents Weekend, Parents Orientation and Westmont’s alumni chapter programs around the country. Event planning, managing volunteers and working with current students are her key tasks.

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.

Photographer David Holt, painter Karin Young and art collector Nancy Wood have joined the Westmont Art Council.

As a vital link between the professional art world, the college and the community, Art Council members assist in establishing networks among these groups.

Holt, Young and Wood bring varied backgrounds and experiences to the council.

Dr. Edward Birch, who retired as executive vice president of Westmont in 2001, and Roy Goble of Pleasanton have joined the college’s board of trustees.

“I know the rest of the trustees join me in heartily welcoming Edward Birch and Roy Goble to the board,” Chairman David Eaton said. “We are delighted to have two people with such outstanding backgrounds willing to share their time, expertise and experiences with us.”

Westmont is listed among the nation’s top 100 liberal arts colleges in the most recent U.S. News & World Report rankings, which were released today.

The college, which has been on the magazine’s list of top national liberal arts colleges since the late 1980s, moved from the third tier (ranked roughly between 110th and 160th out of 217 colleges) to the second tier (ranked 97th ).

Award-winning filmmaker and professor Elizabeth Morgan will present “Veiled Truth: Reading Assia Djebar from the Outside” 3:30 p.m. Sept. 15 in Hieronymus Lounge in Westmont’s Kerrwood Hall.

The lecture, rescheduled from last spring, is free and open to the public.

Morgan is professor of literature and women in development at Eastern University. She is also a founding member of the Oregon Extension Gender Studies Mayterm and a popular lecturer on her home campus.

An exhibit of the emotionally charged and thought-provoking paintings of Chicago artist Tim Lowly, inspired by his severely developmentally disabled daughter, opens the fall season at Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery. “Trouble the Water” runs Aug. 20-Oct. 19.

Lowly will speak about his life and work during a Westmont chapel service 10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 in Murchison Gymnasium. A closing reception will be 4-6 p.m. Oct. 18 in the Westmont Art Center. All events are free and open to the public.

“Excavating the Image: Biblical Subjects by Wayne Forte,” featuring the powerful, monumental paintings and charcoal drawings of Orange County-based Forte, opens Aug. 18 in Reynolds Gallery.

The show, which runs through Oct. 18, is the first exhibit of the 2003-04 academic year. An opening reception, which is free and open to the public, is 3-5 p.m. Sept. 6 in the Westmont Art Center.

Santa Barbara-based Lit Moon Theatre Company’s production of “Hamlet,” directed by Westmont Professor John Blondell, received the top award for drama at the 13th Montreal Fringe Festival in June.

Called the Centaur Award, the honor is accompanied by an invitation to play at the Centaur Theater, Montreal’s major English-language theater, in October.

Director of Admissions Joyce Luy was honored with the Guidance Professional of the Year Award at the National Association of Christian College Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) annual conference at Seattle Pacific University in June.

Luy received a standing ovation when she was given the award, which is normally given to a high school counselor.

“Joyce was always the champion for the high school counselor,” said Dr. Janet Miranda of Trinity Christian Academy in Dallas. “How much we appreciate her out here in the trenches.”

Westmont has joined the Santa Barbara Book Council, Public Library System and the libraries of UCSB and City College in celebrating reading with “Santa Barbara Reads!”

Throughout August and September, Santa Barbara will be reading T.C. Boyle’s “The Tortilla Curtain,” a novel about the American Dream that deals with themes of illegal immigration, social discrimination, human dignity and racism.

Westmont has received a gift of $420,468 from the Volentine Charitable Remainder Unitrust, established by the late Myatt W. and Mary Genevieve Volentine of Santa Barbara.

The unitrust distribution will fund the Myatt and Mary Genevieve Volentine Endowed Scholarship at the college.

“We are so grateful for the Volentines’ steadfast giving and for their keen foresight in setting up this provision to benefit deserving students,” President Stan D. Gaede said. “Whenever someone provides student scholarships, they provide for the future.”

Three hundred and fifty fledgling writers will gather at Westmont College for the 30th Santa Barbara Writers' Conference from June 21-28.

Famed poet, playwright and mystery writer Ray Bradbury, who has been involved in every Santa Barbara Writers’ Conference, will again be the opening speaker for the weeklong event. Local authors Sue Grafton, Julia Child and Gayle Lynds, along with journalist Sander Vanocur and actress and writer Fannie Flagg, are among the more than 20 authors scheduled to speak at the conference.

Five Westmont students received awards during the Student Research Symposium held April 16 on campus.

The students presented results of research conducted during the 2002-03 academic year in the humanities, social sciences, and natural and behavioral sciences. The winners were chosen based on the excellence of their research.

The Camille and Henry Dreyfus Foundation, based in New York City, has awarded Westmont a $30,000 matching grant to enhance the capabilities of its nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrometer, which will improve students’ ability to do first-rate research.

"The NMR spectrometer enables us to teach students how to apply high-field (300 MHz) NMR to a wide array of experimental situations using inquiry-based teaching throughout the curriculum,” Chemistry Professor Stanley Anderson said.

“About Face,” a juried theme show, will be on exhibit May 22 through June 27 in Reynolds Gallery. The opening reception and awards presentation will be 5-7 p.m. May 23 in the Westmont Art Center and is free and open to the public.

Lisa Beamer, wife of 9-11 victim Todd Beamer and author of “Let’s Roll,” the heroic story of United Flight 93, will address Westmont’s class of 2003 at commencement ceremonies 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. May 3 in Murchison Gymnasium.
Expected rain forced the services inside, and because of very limited seating, commencement is not open to the public this year.

Dr. Shirley Mullen, professor of history and Westmont’s interim academic dean, has been appointed provost effective Aug. 1. She will be the first woman to serve in that capacity in the college’s 65-year history.

"Mullen will fill the position left vacant last June when Dr. Stan Gaede became president, replacing Dr. David Winter, who had served as president for 25 years.

Westmont student Eric Knopf of Troutdale, Ore., won first prize for the southwest region in the 2003 Global Students Entrepreneur Awards Program.

Knopf received a plaque and $2,500 for his new business venture, Epic Life LLC, at the 15th annual GSEA awards reception April 30 at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The southwest region includes Arizona, Nevada, California, Utah and Hawaii.

Love and science don’t mix. Or do they? Westmont Biology Professor Jeff Schloss speaks about “The Science of Love: What Biology is Discovering About Caring Relationships” 5:30 p.m. May 8 at the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara St., in downtown Santa Barbara.

The event is free and open to the public.

Schloss is biology adviser at the Institute for Research on Altruistic Love and co-author of the recently published “Altruistic Love: Science, Philosophy and Religion in Dialogue” (Oxford University Press).

Acclaimed authors Joseph Wambaugh, Elizabeth Berg, Clive Cussler, Fannie Flagg and Ray Bradbury are among the scheduled speakers for the 31st Santa Barbara Writers' Conference, June 20-27 at Westmont College.

More than 350 writers are expected at the conference, which features workshops, competitions, panel discussions and speakers. While most events are open only to registered conferees, the afternoon and evening presentations by the above speakers and others are open to the public. Admission is $7 for each event.

The Westmont Windancers and theatre arts students will present their newest pieces at a New Works Festival 8 p.m. April 24 and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. April 26 in Porter Theatre. Tickets are $5 for students and seniors and $10 for general admission.

The Windancers will perform “Earthworks” directed by Associate Theatre Arts Professor Erlyne Whiteman, “I Own You” and “Dancin’ in the Dark” directed by senior Grace Chisholm, and “Gloria” directed by Whiteman with music by the Westmont Chamber Singers.

The annual Senior Art Show opens April 22 and runs through May 4 in Reynolds Gallery. The reception, which is free and open to the public, is 4-6 p.m. April 26.

Seven seniors, Tyler Elliot, Chris Johnson, Lori Leming, Josh Manley, Ariel Oleari, Shane Quinlan and Wells Stellberger, will display work from their portfolios representing a wide variety of artistic interest.

“This is an extremely talented group of artists,” Reynolds Gallery Director and Art Professor Tony Askew said. “We are excited for them to exhibit their work publicly for all to enjoy.”

Westmont music instructors William Nield Christensen and Celeste Tavera will perform a faculty recital 1:30 p.m. April 21 in Deane Chapel on Westmont’s lower campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

Christensen is finishing his doctorate in music at UCSB and has been a regular at music performances around Santa Barbara. He has performed with the Santa Barbara Grand Opera and performed at the opera nights at the Arts and Letters Café.

Lord Paul and Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree will receive the Westmont Medal during graduation ceremonies 10 a.m. May 3 on Russell Carr Field.

The Westmont Medal is given each year to recognize those in our community whose lives embody the very principles associated with the Christian character of the college: integrity, service, compassion, responsibility, faithfulness, discipline and generosity.

Westmont’s choral groups unite for their annual spring concert 8 p.m. April 19 at Trinity Episcopal Church. Admission is free, but a free-will donation will be requested.

The concert will open with an African processional, featuring all Westmont choristers.

Ron Shelton, director of the 1988 Oscar-nominated film “Bull Durham” and a 1967 alumnus of Westmont, will speak on “Ideas of Redemption in Popular Culture” 3:30 p.m. April 18 in Porter Theatre. The event is open to the public and admission is free.

Shelton’s other films include “Tin Cup” (1996), “White Men Can’t Jump” (1992), “Blaze” (1990), “Cobb” (1994) and “Play It to the Bone” (1999). His first film was the 1983 political drama, “Under Fire.”

The annual spring Wind and String Ensemble Concert will feature the wind and string ensembles in a joint concert 8 p.m. April 15 in Porter Theatre. Admission is free.

The wind ensemble is made up of 20 students and will perform pieces by Beethoven, Stravinsky and Persichetti. They will also perform Gershwin's eclectic “An American in Paris,” which features sounds such as a taxi horn.

The string ensemble consists of 12 players under the musical direction of violinist Emily Sommermann.

Professor James Barr will present “The Depictions of the Hebrew Prophets: Regularity and Surprise” 4:30 p.m. April 9 in Page Hall Multipurpose Room on Westmont’s upper campus.

This is the first in a UCSB-Westmont series of lectures on the Hebrew Bible. The lecture is free and open to the public.

Barr is emeritus regius professor of Hebrew at Oxford University and emeritus distinguished professor of Hebrew Bible at Vanderbilt University, as well as the author of numerous books.

Award-winning filmmaker and professor Elizabeth Morgan will present “Veiled Truth: Reading Assia Djebar from the Outside” 3:30 p.m. April 7 in Hieronymus Lounge in Westmont’s Kerrwood Hall.

The lecture is free and open to the public.

Morgan is professor of literature and women in development at Eastern University. She is also a founding member of the Oregon Extension Gender Studies Mayterm and a popular lecturer on her home campus.

Robert S. Bryant, owner of Bryant and Sons Ltd. Jewelers and a longtime supporter of Westmont
and many other non-profit causes in Santa Barbara, was granted emeritus status when he recently completed three years of service with the Westmont Foundation board.

Stewart Abercrombie is the only other foundation board member who has been granted this special status upon leaving the board. It is reserved for those who contributed of themselves beyond the expectations of a typical board member.

Westmont’s annual Student Research Symposium celebrates the accomplishments of student researchers from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. April 16 upstairs in Kerr Student Center.
Admission is free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.

“This is a great forum for the students to show off all of their hard work,” symposium director and Physics Professor Warren Rogers said. “One of the hallmarks of Westmont’s academic program is the opportunity for undergraduate students to work directly with faculty on research projects.”