Fall 2010 Archive:
Becoming Good So We Can Be Great
by Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D. President Soren Kierkegaard tells a parable about a man who escapes from an insane asylum and heads into town. He begins to think about what he can say so the people there won’t think... Read More
Coming to a Computer Near You
Listening to a lecture at Westmont just got easier. Last year, the college began publishing high-quality videos on the Internet easily accessible on computers and mobile devices. Seeking to stay at the forefront of technology with cloud computing and... Read More
Old Building to Sing a New Song
The historic Art Center, which housed Reynolds Gallery, will soon become a hub for Westmont’s burgeoning music department when the college finishes renovating the building in June 2011. The art department moved to Adams Center for the Visual Arts... Read More
Neighbors Give $1 Million to Campaign
Montecito neighbors Harold and Annette Simmons, whose primary residence is in Dallas, Texas, have given $1 million to Bright Hope for Tomorrow, Westmont’s campaign that provides funding for Adams Center for the Visual Arts, Winter Hall for Science and... Read More
New Institute to Explore Christianity and Culture
Trustee Patty Martin and her husband, Eff, have made a significant pledge to Westmont to establish the Martin Family Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation. President Gayle D. Beebe announced the gift... Read More
Green Energy Partner Becomes a Trustee
Tim Keith ’87, a private equity investor based in New York and a partner in two green businesses, has joined the Westmont Board of Trustees. An economics and business major, he has served on the Board of Advisors since... Read More
Faculty Footnotes
John Blondell (theater arts) took his Lit Moon Theatre Company to Finland in November to co-present “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils” by Selma Lagerlof with Tampereen Teatteri on the Frenckell Stage in Tampere. The Global Spotlight section of American... Read More
Open House
Step inside Adams Center for the Visual Arts and take a first look at the spacious Westmont Museum (above), which opened in September with a show by longtime professor John Carlander. In his 31 years at Westmont, he has... Read More
Reverence: The Church Without Shoes
by Greg Spencer An edited excerpt from his book “Awakening the Quieter Virtues” At a worship service recently, when people in the congregation were told they were about to enter into the presence of deity, they audibly gasped. The... Read More
A Single Focus on Saving Marriages
As a divorce lawyer, Celeste Kirk Liversidge ’89 saw women at one of the worst times of their lives, and many expressed regrets that they married young. When she discovered that a good friend heard the same recurring theme... Read More
Heroes of Homecoming 2010
Alumni gathered for two days of celebration with their classmates Oct. 1-2, connecting with old friends and exploring beautiful new buildings and vistas on campus. Two events honored notable alumni. At the Alumni Reunion Brunch, Don Goehner ’60, founder... Read More
Linked Together for Life
For four years, they worked 40 feet from each other in Voskuyl Library, Sonja de Boer ’94 in the office and Kai Schraml ’94 at the circulation desk. They greeted each other in passing but didn’t keep in touch.... Read More
Piloting Help for Haiti
Joe Karabensh ’85 has been flying to Haiti for 14 years. A pilot with Missionary Flights International (MFI) since 1996, he transports people and supplies for hundreds of ministries there. When the earthquake devastated Port au Prince in January... Read More
Seeking the Best Use of His Talents
A native Liberian, Bai Sama Gwenning Best ’01 has lived much of his life in exile. Civil war forced his family to seek refuge in Gambia in 1990, where they stayed four years until a military coup uprooted them... Read More
A Leader Who Has Learned to Listen
Jane Highstreet ’11 brings an air of unassuming confidence and good listening skills to her position as president of the Westmont College Student Association (WCSA). The communications studies major has served with WCSA for three years, taking a hiatus... Read More
Seeking Peace in the Midst of Conflict
Bobbie Gottschalk, a woman who has spent her life promoting peace, spoke to students Nov. 1-4. Seeds of Peace, the organization she co-created, teaches reconciliation skills to young leaders from the Middle East and other areas enmeshed in conflict.... Read More
Meet the Parents
At two busy Dallas college fairs this fall, Lane and Sheryl Troiani learned something about Westmont: lots of prospective students are interested in enrolling. The new members of the Westmont Parents Council joined an admissions counselor at the events... Read More
Longtime Trustee Kept Kerr Legacy Alive
When Westmont opened in 1937 as the Bible Missionary Institute, William “Bill” Kerr became its first bookkeeper, beginning a 73-year connection with the college that culminated in 37 years as a trustee. The son of Ruth K. Kerr, Westmont’s... Read More
A Musician and Educator Leaves Her Legacy
Ardis Higgins committed her life to music and education, and a bequest from her estate will continue her legacy at Westmont. She died in January 2010 and left $50,000 to establish the Ardis O. Higgins Endowed Music Scholarship for... Read More