Westmont Magazine Sunset Cruise Refreshes Faculty

Westmont faculty enjoyed a relaxing evening together on the ocean to see the sunset and recharge before the start of the fall semester. The dinner cruise aboard the Condor Express, a special treat during the annual faculty retreat, took professors around the Santa Barbara Harbor.

“It was the perfect way to end the summer and begin new friendships after being away from each other for a long time,” says Rick Ifland, interim provost. “I found the evening to be unifying in all good ways. The weather was agreeable, the venue was amazing, the food was fantastic and the company was perfect.”

Eff and Patty Martin sponsored the special event through the Martin Institute/Dallas Willard Research Center (DWRC), which has funded summer faculty retreats since 2017.

“Part of the mission of the DWRC is to support the intellectual, spiritual and moral formation of the Westmont faculty,” says cruise organizer Mark Nelson, Monroe professor of philosophy and DWRC director. “COVID-19 cancelled the retreats in 2020 and 2021, which was really disappointing. But it meant that we had money left over in our budget, and we wanted to do something nice for the faculty before the academic year started.”

In thank-you emails to the Martins, many professors expressed how important the time was for reconnecting with their colleagues, catching up on family news and invigorating their thinking and faith. Several said they appreciated their first cruise in the harbor and enjoyed seeing Santa Barbara and the beautiful waterfront from a new perspective.