Westmont News

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.”

“A Celebration of North American Choral Music” will be presented by the Westmont College Choir, Chamber Singers and Vox Lumina Women’s Chorale 8 p.m. April 11 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. in Santa Barbara. Admission is free; however a donation for the music program will be requested.

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.

Robert Ludwick, a 1974 Westmont graduate, is the new chairman of the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, accepting the gavel from Gerd Jordano, who served as chair for two years.

The foundation is comprised of community members who seek to cultivate healthy ties between the community and Westmont College.

The chief academic resource of any institution of higher education is its faculty and staff. But these committed people rely on programs and facilities which enhance learning.

Orientation. The Academic and Student Life Offices conduct a comprehensive orientation program for all new students before classes begin. All new students (including transfers) must attend Orientation.

J. Clifton Lundberg, former chief operations and finance officer of PostX Corp., a Silicon Valley software company, has been named executive vice president of the college by President Stan D. Gaede, effective May 1.

Lundberg, whose father was a Westmont music professor for 32 years, is a 1965 graduate of the college. He grew up in Montecito and attended Cold Spring School, Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School. Lundberg received his master’s degree in business administration from UCLA business school.

Westmont Chancellor David Winter and recently retired Executive Vice President for Advancement Glen Adams have joined the board of directors of the Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, board President Steen Hudson announced.

“We are so pleased that Dr. Winter and Dr. Adams have joined the Rescue Mission board. They know and understand us, and we are delighted they have agreed to lend their talents to this important community program,” Hudson said.

The James Irvine Foundation has awarded Westmont $400,000 over three years under its Campus Diversity Program. To prepare graduates for effective citizenship in an increasingly multicultural world, Westmont will use the funds to enroll more students of color and to achieve college goals on diversity.

Westmont is listed among the “Best Colleges in America to Study Entrepreneurship” by Irvine-based Entrepreneur magazine.

The feature story in the April edition of the magazine featuring the top-ranked programs was written by David Newton, Westmont professor of entrepreneurial finance, and Mark Henricks of Dallas. Newton’s company, Santa Barbara-based TechKnowledge Point Corp. (www.techknowledgepoint.com) did the research for the project.

“Read My Lips: The Compelling Case Against Civility,” a Phi Kappa Phi lecture on understanding reasons for uncivil behavior, will be given by Associate Communication Studies Professor Michael Giuliano 7 p.m. March 31 in Hieronymus Lounge at Westmont.

Associate Communication Studies Professor Deborah Dunn and Associate Religious Studies Professor Bruce Fisk will respond.

Westmont's student business venture team took first prize in the Sixth Annual Midwest Enterprise Creation Competition at Ball State University in Muncie, Ind., over the weekend.

Westmont's entry – Solum Monitoring Systems, Inc. – received a check for $7,500 in seed capital for the business and introductions to several venture capital sources to pursue potential funding of the enterprise. The national competition is co-hosted by Ball State, Syracuse University and Ernst & Young, LLP.

Twelve Westmont students received David K. Winter Character Through Student Leadership Awards during a ceremony on campus March 19.

The students – four first-year students, four sophomores and four juniors – will receive $2,000 to go toward tuition for the 2003-04 academic year. The juniors receive an additional $250 to give to a charity of their choice. The winners were chosen for their service to others through various leadership positions.

After 127 debates, 70 speeches and 179 judging assignments, the finals of Westmont’s 6th Annual Expressions Speech and Debate Tournament came to a close March 5 with victories by sophomore Josh Cox for the debates, freshman Brad Wiegel for persuasive speaking and junior Clark Morgan for interpretive speaking.

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. May 3 on Russell Carr Field. Commencement is open to the public; however, seating is limited.

Lisa Beamer's book, “Let's Roll, Ordinary People, Extraordinary Courage,” chronicles the last hours of Todd Beamer's life and the acts of those courageous individuals on Flight 93 who decided to take action to stop terrorists from using their plane as a weapon.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has given $500,000 to Westmont for the acquisition of new science equipment.

This grant is the lead gift toward a $2.3 million effort to equip the new David K. Winter Hall for Science and Mathematics with state-of-the-art science equipment and to upgrade the observatory.

Robert Ludwick, a 1974 Westmont graduate, is the new chairman of the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, accepting the gavel from Gerd Jordano, who served as chair for two years.

Robert Ludwick, a 1974 Westmont graduate, is the new chairman of the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, accepting the gavel from Gerd Jordano, who served as chair for two years.

The foundation is comprised of community members who seek to cultivate healthy ties between the community and Westmont College.

Howard Figler, Ph.D., a nationally known speaker, author and seminar leader, will teach a workshop for career professionals and students, “Essence and Ego: Is it Your Career or Theirs?” 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. March 7 in the Founders Room in Kerr Student Center.

Bob Kuntz, who has served for more than 30 years in higher education, has been named registrar at Westmont, effective March 1.

Kuntz has worked for the past 18 months at Westmont as assistant to the director of information technology for software improvements. Before he came to Westmont, Kuntz was assistant chancellor for budget and planning at the University of California Santa Barbara, where he worked for 32 years.

Franz Joseph Haydn’s dramatic Mass, “Missa in tempore belli,” will be performed by the Westmont College Choir and Chamber Singers at the fourth annual Choral Masterworks Concert, 8 p.m. March 5 at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1500 State St. in downtown Santa Barbara.

Admission is a suggested donation of $7 for students and seniors and $10 for general audience.

Westmont’s first fall dance concert featuring a unique blend of dancing and acting will be 8 p.m. Nov. 15 and 2 and 8 p.m. Nov. 16 in Porter Theatre. Admission is $5 for students and seniors and $8 for general audience.

The performance is centered on our relationship with water and will feature one complete piece of contemporary dance. The concert will also include students acting in a European style of clowning. The piece features six dancers and seven actors.

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.

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.

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 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,” 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.

“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.

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.

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 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.