Summer 2011 Archive:
The Rich Academic Legacy of the Christian Church
by Gayle D. Beebe, Ph.D. President Why do students choose to attend Westmont? Our Christian identity is one of the top three reasons they cite for their decision. But their backgrounds vary greatly. Some possess a deep faith, and... Read More
Westmont Graduates Don’t Default on Loans
With more borrowers nationwide defaulting on students loans, the default rate for Westmont graduates drops significantly While the number of borrowers defaulting on federal student loans has jumped sharply, Westmont is bucking the trend. The national two-year cohort default... Read More
Selective Class of Students Enrolls at Westmont
An impressive group of new students arrived on campus in August, 335 first-year students representing the class of 2015 and 65 transfer students. The incoming class includes four National Merit Scholars and 275 students who’ve earned an academic merit... Read More
Westmont Moves Up in National Rankings
Westmont rises higher in both the U.S. News & World Report and Forbes Magazine national rankings of colleges and univerisities Westmont leaped nine spots in this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts colleges according to U.S. News &... Read More
Luy Earns Lifetime Achievement Award
Joyce Luy, who retired in August as dean of admission at Westmont, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the North American Coalition for Christian Admissions Professionals (NACCAP) at its national conference in June. She is the first woman to... Read More
Access This Article on Your iPad
An interactive version of the Westmont Magazine is now available for iPad owners If you’ve become accustomed to reading newspapers, magazines and books on your iPad, you now have the option of adding the Westmont magazine to your digital... Read More
News of Note Around Campus
Susan Jackson, a long-time volunteer in Santa Barbara, has joined the Westmont Foundation Board of Directors, which cultivates ties between the college and the community. “Westmont is a special place because it attracts young adults who exemplify Christian principles... Read More
New Music Building Debuts on Campus
Once a dormitory for Deane School boys and Westmont women, the historic building continues housing the arts on campus Music has replaced the sounds of construction at the historic Art Center and former Deane School for Boys building. Extensive... Read More
Five New Faculty Arrive at Westmont
David L. Anderson Economics and Business Anderson’s background includes both business and academic experience. He has worked in strategic planning and technology for BlueCross/BlueShield of Illinois, Hewitt Associates, IBM and Andersen Consulting. He has taught full time at Trinity... Read More
Faculty Footnotes
Activities and awards for Westmont’s outstanding professors The Santa Barbara Independent honored John Blondell (theater arts) and James Connolly (music) with Independent Theatre Awards in June for their work in Lit Moon Theatre’s “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils.” Blondell... Read More
Women in the Midst of War
by 1st Lt. Christina Prejean ’08 ‘What are you doing, Christina?” I asked myself. Strapped into the netting seats of a C-130 Air Force cargo plane, I wore my 30-pound, bulletproof vest, helmet, gloves, earplugs and eye protection in... Read More
Making the Bible Accessible in Botswana
by Rob Veith ’91 Last Sunday after church, I went on a riverboat cruise along the Thamalakane River. That’s what people do here in Maun, Botswana. It was liking being on the jungle ride at Disneyland, only real. When... Read More
Planning a Part-time Retirement
After 41 years of teaching sociology, Mike Leming ’70 retires in December as a professor at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. But he won’t quit working. Each spring he’ll continue directing Spring Semester in Thailand, a program he and... Read More
Starting a New Career at an Old Firm
In 2004, Sharon McGee Rose ’89 stepped down as a partner of Trinity Financial Partners to go to law school. She’d already earned a master’s degree in business administration from Claremont Graduate University and spent 15 years in the... Read More
Opening Educational Opportunities for Students from All Backgrounds
Reggie Williams ’95 played basketball in college and formed his identity as an African-American athlete. He came to Westmont to study Greek, Hebrew and theology but didn’t see himself in an academic career; that was something white people did.... Read More
A Missionary Daughter’s Memoir
Apricot Anderson Irving ’97, memoirist and oral history writer, traveled to New York in September to accept the 2011 Rona Jaffe Foundation Writer’s Award. Each year, six women writers demonstrating excellence and promise in the early stages of their... Read More
The Practice of Painting Daily
In the golden early morning light, Sharon Williams Schock ’06 sets out with a camera. She explores streets and shores, parks and landmarks, seeking inspiration and appealing locations. When she finds one, she sketches and snaps photos. Returning to... Read More
Westmont Fund: Dean LaBarba ’13
The Westmont Fund is all about the students. At the age of 5, Dean LaBarba ’13 sensed God calling him to be a neurosurgeon. He has faithfully followed this leading, choosing the pre-med track at Westmont and majoring in... Read More
Excelling as a Writer, Proofreader and Lifeguard
Westmont junior wins a scholarship for proofreading and earns a commendation as lifeguard of the year. Tammy Lang ’13 is making a name for herself both in and out of the water. The English major has earned the 2011... Read More
New President Leads Students Quietly
T.J. Breshears draws on his involvement in a wide variety of campus activities to encourage students to use their time wisely. Becoming student body president took a leap of faith for T.J. Breshears ’12. Felix Huang ’11, who led... Read More
FDNY
By Paul Willis, Professor of English and Poet Laureate of Santa Barbara for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. And did they climb those stairs? They did. Oh yes, they did. Oh yes, they did.... Read More
A New Life for an Old Building
Originally built in 1912-1914 to house students, Westmont’s music building served as the Junior Dormitory of the Deane School for Boys until the school closed in 1934. Headmaster Hewitt Reynolds owned the campus and later leased the Junior Dormitory... Read More
Committed to the Glory of God Alone
Carl LaBarbera ’76 grew up in a business-oriented family, and Westmont gave him a good grounding in combining faith and work. After earning a degree in economics and business, he considered youth ministry as a career but joined the... Read More