Alums Flock to Westmont for Tree Lighting

Westmont ushers in the Christmas season with the15th annual Pickle Tree Lighting at Kerrwood Lawn on Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 5 p.m. Following holiday music and the Pickle Address, a mystery tree lighter will throw down the massive switch that lights the 150-foot redwood tree, affectionately known as the Pickle Tree. The event is free and open to the public.

Hundreds of students, alumni, and neighbors will join the celebration, enjoying warm apple cider and cookies. Inside Kerrwood Hall, Santa Claus will pose for pictures with people who brought cameras. Westmont alumni and their children are invited to take photos with Santa beginning at 4 p.m. For more information, please call (805) 565-6056.

About 30 students with the Cold Spring School Chorus, under the direction of Sara DiSalvo, Cold Spring School music teacher, will sing holiday music during the event.

Greg Spencer, professor of communication studies at Westmont for more than 25 years, will deliver the humorous Pickle Address. The author of two books and two novels, he has written numerous articles about living in a media-saturated culture. He earned his doctorate and Master of Science in communication from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in speech communication from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.