Westmont News

The Westmont College Choir and Orchestra will host its Masterworks Concert tour performing Handel’s Messiah (parts 2 and 3) beginning in Santa Barbara on Friday, April 6, at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 305 E. Anapamu St.

Sandra Richter, who began teaching at Westmont in the fall, will be formally installed as the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies at Westmont on Monday, April 16, during a full-regalia ceremony at 10:30 a.m. in Murchison Gym.

Westmont will activate its Shelter Activated for Flood Emergencies (SAFE) plan beginning Tuesday evening, March 20. Classes and activities will continue as planned through noon on Tuesday. We have designated responders and trained emergency response members of our community available and scheduled to be on site through Thursday and as needed, as well as medical personnel and their support staff.

The Westmont Chamber Orchestra and Chamber Winds will host their spring concert Sunday, April 22, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel on Westmont’s lower campus. Admission is free.

The Fletcher Jones Foundation has awarded a $750,000 grant to Westmont for the second phase of renovation of Whittier Science Building, including classroom, laboratory and storage spaces. The next phase of work will take place during the summer, so Whittier will be completely renovated by fall 2018.

Westmont seeks to integrate faith and learning in all its programs, and the campus pastor plays a crucial role in carrying out this mission and cultivating the spiritual development of students. President Gayle D. Beebe and Vice President for Student Life Edee Schulze co-chair a search committee interviewing candidates to replace Campus Pastor Ben Patterson, who announced his retirement in September 2017.

March marks National Women's History Month and we celebrate the life of Westmont's founder, Ruth Kerr. Kerr conceived the vision for the college, and served as a trustee and the college’s chief benefactor for 30 years.

The Westmont music and theatre arts departments combine creative talents to produce “Die Fledermaus (The Bat),” an operetta composed by Johann Strauss, on March 2 and 4 at 7 p.m. in downtown Santa Barbara’s New Vic Theatre. Tickets cost $17 for general admission, $12 for students and seniors, and may be purchased at newvictheater.com.

The computer that runs Westmont’s Keck Telescope has been experiencing intermittent problems and may be unavailable for the public viewing Friday, Feb. 16. Members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit will bring their own telescopes to the observatory for public use beginning about 7:30 p.m. and lasting several hours.

The third annual Advancing Women in Leadership Conference, March 5 at Azusa Pacific University, celebrates Women’s History Month. The Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) sponsors the one-day national event, “Lead with PURPOSE,” which addresses the need to encourage and increase female leadership in higher education on school boards, in executive positions and in the classroom.

Seven high schools from around Southern California will compete in the 30th annual High School Mathematics Contest at Westmont on Saturday, Feb. 3, from 1-6:30 p.m. in Winter Hall. The competition starts at 1 p.m. with the College Bowl Prelims, Chalk Talk Prelims, and Team Exam, and will conclude with an awards ceremony in Founders Room.

This year’s Chalk Talk topic is complex numbers.

Yulya Dukhovny, Westmont artist-in-residence, performs her style of visual theater that features paper animation performed in a vertical 2D scenic space on Feb. 9-10 at 7:30 p.m. in the Porter Hall Black-Box Theatre.

Westmont’s talented music faculty members perform at the Spring Faculty Recital on Friday, Feb. 2, at 7 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The performance is free and open to the public.

Christian nonfiction author Andrea Lucado, daughter of bestselling author and pastor Max Lucado, discusses the twists and turns of a life of faith on Thursday, Jan. 25, at 7 p.m., in Westmont’s Adams Center 216. The talk, part of the Westmont Reading Series, is free and open to the public.

Hundreds of Westmont students returned to campus Jan. 16 after being evacuated following the deadly Montecito mudslides to resume the spring semester. Before classes began the following day, the community gathered in the gym for a time of music, prayer and inspiration.

How is Westmont?

Make a new beginning in a new year. January continues our season for admitting new Westmont Warriors for fall 2018. Hundreds of hopeful high school students have been receiving their Westmont admittance packages. You still have time to apply to meet our next priority deadline of  February 15. Apply Now!

Here are a few social media posts we love to share with #WestmontsaidYES:

Information Regarding Access to Residence Halls after the Thomas Fire

Overview and Updates

Dear Members of the Westmont Community,

Q & A Update About Access to Campus, December 11, 9 a.m.

Santa Barbara resident Denice Fellows has joined the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, which helps build connections between Westmont and the greater Santa Barbara community.