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Santa Barbara's Channel 21 is showing several of Westmont's recent events. Click here for a schedule.
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The 333 members of the class of 2012 arrive at Westmont this week for new student orientation Thursday, Aug. 28, through Aug. 31. Parent orientation programs take place Aug. 28-29. The first day of classes for all students is Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 1. The incoming class is one of the most talented academically, but also one of the most diverse. There are 111 students of color, a third of the freshman class. “We are thrilled and excited to welcome this new group of students to Westmont as they begin their college journey,” says Joyce Luy, dean of admission. more
Santa Barbara master violin maker James Wimmer will be honored at Wimmerata, a festival of two concerts featuring musicians from throughout California playing their Wimmer instruments, Sunday, Sept. 7, at Trinity Episcopal Church on the corner of Micheltorena and State Streets. The first concert, 4-6 p.m., will highlight world-class fiddlers playing bluegrass and old-time music. A classical concert follows at 7 p.m. with an all-Wimmer string orchestra and featured soloists. A suggested donation of $25 will contribute to the completion of the Hubert Schwyzer Quartet, which Westmont has commissioned Wimmer to make. For information about the concert or the quartet, contact the Westmont music department at (805) 565-6040. more
Westmont’s Reynolds Gallery opens the academic year with “Language Skills: The Art of the Expanded Print,” new work by Martha Ensign Johnson, on display September 4 through October 25. An opening reception Thursday, September 4, 4-6 p.m. is free and open to the public. An internationally know printmaker, Ensign Johnson is also a new faculty member in the Westmont art department. Trained in the southeastern United States and in Italy, she has been a printmaker for 35 years and exhibited work across the United States and abroad. She came to Santa Barbara three years ago when her husband, Don Johnson, became pastor of Montecito Covenant Church. more
Westmont is in the top tier among the nation’s best liberal arts colleges according to U.S. News & World Report’s “America’s Best Colleges, 2009 Edition.” Of the nation’s 265 liberal arts colleges, Westmont ranked in a four-way tie at 111. This is the fourth straight year the college has ranked in the top tier. Only seven other liberal arts colleges in California are ranked in the first tier: Pomona, Claremont McKenna, Harvey Mudd, Scripps, Occidental, Pitzer and Thomas Aquinas Colleges. more
Teri Bradford Rouse, executive director of the Channel Islands YMCA Youth and Family Services branch, will become Westmont’s senior director of alumni and parent relations. Rouse graduated from Westmont in 1977, earned her master’s degree from USC then worked at Westmont as a resident director, director of residence life and associate dean of students from 1981 to 1998. “Teri reflects the high caliber of our alumni and I expect her to serve with distinction,” says President Gayle D. Beebe. more
Lyle C. Hillegas went to be with his Lord and Savior July 29, 2008. He served as the fifth president of Westmont from 1972 to 1975. At 37, he was the youngest person ever appointed to the position and the only one to come directly from the ranks of the faculty. During his tenure, he recruited a strong team of administrators, began the process of increasing enrollment from 800 to 1,200 and worked on preserving Westmont’s gardens and beautifying the campus. more
Westmont is prominently featured in a video produced by the National Superconducting Cyclotron Laboratory of Michigan State University. The video describes the Westmont College Cosmic Muon Detector Array and undergraduate research such as viewing the cosmic muon flux mapping over a wide range of the sky. "Here our interest is finding the kind of fluctuations and trends that occur in the cosmic ray distribution, both from Michigan State and Santa Barbara, simultaneously," says Warren Rogers. more
Several hundred youngsters who arrive for a basketball camp in less than two weeks will be the first to play on Westmont’s new state-of-the-art court in Murchison Gym. Workers are putting the finishing touches on the floor, including lines and a half-court logo are being painted on the floor over the next several days. Alex Nizet, director of athletic development, says the project is being funded through donations. “The renovation of Murchison Gym is an important step in the overall goal of developing first-rate athletic facilities at Westmont.” more
The Hubert Schwyzer Quartet, a unique ensemble of instruments commissioned by Westmont, is taking shape under the hands of master violin maker James Wimmer at his workshop in Santa Barbara. Named for a former UC Santa Barbara philosophy professor and cellist, the quartet will be used by Westmont faculty and students during the school year and loaned to the Music Academy of the West in the summer months. more
The National Association of Schools of Music Commission on Accreditation has granted associate membership to Westmont following a four-year review process. NASM, founded in 1924, is an organization of more than 600 colleges and universities that establishes national standards for degrees and credentials. “To have successfully completed this endeavor on the first round is a fabulous achievement for the college,” says Michael Shasberger, Adams professor of music and worship. “This is a testament to the quality of our curriculum and affirms our commitment to strengthen the quality of music in higher education nationwide.” more
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