Westmont News

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

“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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Paul Willis, Westmont professor of English, will read selections from his award-winning collection “To Build a Trail: Essays on Curiosity, Love & Wonder.” Tuesday, October 15, at 5:30 p.m. in the University Club, 1332 Santa Barbara Street.

Westmont celebrates Homecoming 2019 with a full slate of on-campus events October 11-12.

Recent rankings of U.S. colleges and universities affirm Westmont as one of the top Christian colleges in the nation.

The National Association of Schools of Music has approved a Bachelor of Music in performance at Westmont for orchestral instruments, piano and voice beginning in fall 2019.