About 250 Westmont students and community volunteers are in Ensenada, Mexico, spending spring break constructing homes, operating medical and dental clinics, leading a vacation Bible school, running haircutting clinics and competing in sports events. More than 5,000 students have participated in Potter’s Clay, an annual student-organized service trip, since it began 31 years ago.
Kenya Davis-Hayes, assistant professor of American history at California Baptist University, will discuss how hairstyles affect perception of black women at a free lecture Friday, March 28, at 1:30 p.m. at Hieronymus Lounge in Westmont’s Kerrwood Hall. Refreshments will be served prior to the lecture.
Author Gustavo Arellano will give a free lecture, “Beaner, Wetback and Other Spicy Words You Can’t Say But Should: Satire as Hammer Against Anti-Immigrant Madness,” Wednesday, March 26, at 3:30 p.m. in Westmont’s Founders Dining Room. Refreshments will be served at the lecture.
Arellano will discuss his nationally acclaimed column “¡Ask a Mexican!” in which he addresses questions about the Latino culture using “satire to combat racism and stereotypes against Mexicans.”
The Westmont student group Act on AIDS is hosting a Broken Bread Poverty Meal Tuesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. on Westmont’s Kerrwood Lawn. The benefit dinner, sponsored through World Vision, will allow students, faculty and the public to identify with families and individuals affected by HIV/AIDS and hunger around the world by coming together to eat a meal of porridge and share a night of fellowship and discussion on the subjects of AIDS and hunger.
Donations will be taken to raise money for HIV/AIDS orphans in Malawi.
Westmont’s Keck Telescope has confirmed the existence of a supernova, discovered this week by astronomical investigators Jack Newton and Tim Puckett in the course of the Puckett Observatory Supernova Search.
Within 48 hours of receiving a communication from Puckett about the discovery, Michael Sommermann, Westmont physics professor, spent several early morning hours imaging Supernova 2008an.
Five prospective Westmont students competed for scholarships of up to $10,000 Feb. 22-23. The Computer Science Connection and the scholarships are funded by a $287,500 grant from the National Science Foundation.
The event included problem-solving activities and a dinner at the home of Kim Kihlstrom, computer science professor.