Peter Frank, a Los Angeles-based art critic, handed cash awards to local artists at a public reception for “Confluence” on May 16 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. Xarene Eskandar, whose single-channel video, “Salton Sea Revisited,” won Best in Show.

“People have been enjoying the wide variety of works, including prints, drawings, paintings, conceptual, sculpture and new media,” says Judy L. Larson, director of the museum. “Many thought it was great that a new media

piece won the top prize.”

The annual juried art exhibition, which features works created by Tri-County artists, is on display through June 22. All works in the exhibition will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the artists and museum.

Frank, who juried the show, told the crowd of more than 350 people that he was pleased to have encountered many wonderful artists who were new to him and encouraged additional local artists to submit works next year. The show features the works of 43 local artists from more than 350 submissions.

The Westmont Art Council recognized Luis Velazquez’s “Seedpod”

Westmont senior Casey Underwood’s “Sought VI,” a photo emulsion , chine colle on paper earned Honorable Mention as did Peter Zaleski’s “Stepladder 2,” a mixed media on panel. The Westmont Art Council also honored Jim McAninch’s “Heaven and Earthmover: Cast of Last Polystyrene McDonalds Container, Luis Velazquez’s “Seedpod,” a piece of wood, chicken wire, ceramic plates, synthetic fur, moss and seaweed, and  Dorothy Churchill-Johnson’s oil on canvas, “Suits: David No. 1.”

Larson says local artists can start planning ahead for what to submit to next year’s juried show, which will be “Made You Look!”

Christian Duarte of Washington Elementary School sprints toward the finish

Two hundred elementary school children enjoyed a day at Westmont College May 17, competing in the track and field city championships. Fourth through sixth grade students from Washington, Adams, Cleveland, McKinley and Franklin Elementary schools competing in several track and field events including long jump, high jump, softball toss, shot put and various races.

The track meet is the brain child of Westmont alumna and Adams Elementary School principal Amy Alzina and Westmont head track and field coach Russell Smelley. They hope to make the meet an annual event including students from all Santa Barbara area schools.

Westmont track and field athletes, who are training for the national championships next week in Indiana, served as volunteers, timing and measuring the events. Winners were awarded Westmont T-shirts.

After the event, students toured the campus and enjoyed eating in the college’s Dining Commons.

More than 100 Westmont faculty and staff teamed up with more than 30 first responders and emergency officials for an all-day earthquake exercise at Westmont May 14. College employees practiced emergency functions and activities with 16 different local emergency organizations.

The exercise provided hands-on practice for the 25 emergency functions identified as necessary for a coordinated response.

“The more we practice, the more effortless it becomes,” says Geri Ventura, information officer for Montecito Fire.

Without electricity, crews were able to set up satellite televisions, wireless connections and satellite phones.  Other activities included a fire drill at Kerrwood Hall, setting up tent shelters, sampling meals ready to eat ( MREs) and practicing with hand-held radios.
“Westmont is prepared to be self-sufficient for 72 hours following an emergency,” says  Troy Harris, director of risk management at Westmont. He and his staff organized the drill, one of two major exercises scheduled each year.

As part of the exercise, the public information team wrote and posted this information via satellite working in a tent set up on the college’s tennis courts.

Thomas Whittemore, Westmont physics instructor, says the moon will be more than seven days into its current cycle. “There will be a number of craters on the terminator, the portion of the moon’s surface where the sun is rising,” he says. “If the seeing is steady we should get a good glimpse of the jagged edges of these craters as the night advances.”

Later in the evening, Whittemore hopes to turn the 24-inch reflector telescope toward Saturn’s Cassini Division, the gap between the A and B rings. “The moon, Titan, should be easy to spot, and more challenging on the same side of the planet will be the moons Tethys and Dione. These are far dimmer than Titan, but we will try to see if we can bag them.”

The viewing may also include the globular cluster, M3, lying about 33,900 light-years away. “A real odd ball, M3 hosts a large number of variable stars among its 500,000 stars,” Whittemore says. “This is unusual for a globular cluster whose stars are estimated to be about twice the age of our sun.”

The Keck Telescope is housed in the observatory between Russell Carr Field and the track and field/soccer complex. Free parking is available near the baseball field. Here is apdf of the campus map.

Westmont’s annual juried art exhibition features 44 works created by Tri-County artists May 16-June 22 in the Westmont Ridley-Tree Museum. A free, public reception for “Confluence” is Thursday, May 16, from 4-6 p.m. All works in the exhibition will be for sale with proceeds benefiting the artists and museum. Peter Frank, Los Angeles-based art critic, curator and poet, juried the show. Cash awards, determined by Frank, will be given to the artists at the opening reception.

“Because it’s a blind, juried exhibition, each artist’s work is placed on a level ground, granting exciting opportunities for newer artists to place their work alongside internationally recognized artists,” says Brandon Waybright, Westmont museum outreach and education coordinator. “This show is unique in that it represents one person’s perspective.”

“Stepladder 2″ by Peter Zaleski

Untitled by Christine Loizeaux

Chris Rupp, Westmont collection manager, says the exhibition is a survey of great art being created in our area. “The Central Coast is rich in artists, but there aren’t many places for them to exhibit locally,” Rupps says. “This exhibition, which Westmont began more than 20 years ago, provides a rare opportunity to showcase the talent of the local area.”

The exhibition includes several mediums, including visual art, painting, prints, watercolor, sculpture, video, photography and assemblage. Forty-four artists will be represented:Wesley Anderegg, Bela Bacsi, Jerrold Burchman, Dorothy Churchill-Johnson, Patricia Clarke, Kate Connell, Ralph Corners, Bill Dalziel, Kathleen Elsey, Xarene Eskandar, Rosemarie Gebhart, Nancy Gifford, Bay Hallowell, Mary Heebner, Patricia Crosby Hinds, David Holt, Ben Johnson, Christine Loizeaux, Laurie MacMillan, Saritha Margon, Jim McAninch, Patrick McGinnis, Barbara McIntyre, Maria Miller, Stuart Ochiltree, Maria Rendon, Lindsey Ross, Ilene Segalove, Terry Sharp, Leslie Lewis Sigler, Ro Snell, Jeffrey Stone, Nicole Strasburg, Marlene Struss, Nancy Taliaferro, Susan Tibbles, Nancy Tunnell, Casey Underwood, Luis Velazquez, Monica Wiesblott, Sara Woodburn, Peter Zaleski, Don Zimmerman and Pamela Zwehl-Burke.

Westmont is remembering the life and teachings of American philosopher Dallas Willard who died May 8 at the age of 77 following a battle with cancer. Willard taught at USC since 1965 and wrote many spiritual formation books including “Renovation of the Heart,” “The Spirit of the Disciplines” and “The Divine Conspiracy.”

“Dallas has stood at the intersection of Christianity and culture throughout the last 50 years, and he has written on wide-ranging topics,” President Gayle D. Beebe says. “His well-known works and distinguished career at the University of Southern California are compelling. His willingness to engage spiritual thought, academic achievement and Christian community is especially noteworthy. Most significantly, during the last 25 years, he has emerged as the most compelling voice shaping this important conversation.”

In 2010, Westmont established the Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Center for Spiritual Formation (MI/DWC), which is dedicated to the intellectual legacy of Willard. Part of its mission is to develop a library and study center dedicated to Willard and other leaders of the spiritual formation movement in 20th century. Last February, MI/DWC hosted a sold-out conference with Willard, who spoke to help Christian leaders embrace their role as teachers of the knowledge of God.

Willard also spoke at Commencement 2011, imploring the graduates to remember who they are. “You are an unceasing spiritual being with an eternal destiny in God’s great universe,” he said to the more than 4,000 in attendance at Russell Carr Field. “When you seize that truth and put it into practice, you are living eternally in the moment.”

“This morning our wonderful teacher and friend awakened to the full goodness of the Kingdom of the Heavens he had described so beautifully,” says Gary W. Moon, director of MI/DWC. “I believe Dallas Willard was one of the great reformers of Christian thought of the past century and that his most powerful lessons were in how he lived an unhurried life with God.”

The Dallas Willard Center has established an online memorial guestbook for people to share their reflections.

Suzanne and Edward Birch

Beebe gave the Westmont Medal to Edward and Suzanne Birch, leaders in the education community and active volunteers in Santa Barbara organizations.

Ronald C. White, the Commencement speaker, reflected on Abraham Lincoln’s Sermon on the Mount. White, a Lincoln scholar and author of numerous books about the 16^th president, said Lincoln’s second inaugural address was an attempt to be inclusive, to acknowledge that both the North and the South were responsible for the Civil War and to urge healing. He compared 1865 to the deep political decisions that exist today and noted the need to embrace Lincoln’s last paragraph, which he asked everyone to repeat with him: “With malice toward none, with charity for all.”

Student Stars: Daniel Gee, Lillian Yamese, Kristin Lo and J.J. Turbin

Vice President and Dean of Students Jane Higa, who announced her retirement in March after serving for 24 years at Westmont, completed her final official duty by handing student awards to J.J. Turbin, Kristin Lo, Lillian Yamese and Daniel Gee.

Lo, who served as Westmont College Student Association president, earned the Dave Dolan Award for contributing to the awareness and response to the social and spiritual needs of the community, the nation and the world.Turbin and Candice Adema, who was unable to attend, earned the Dean’s Award as outstanding graduates who’ve demonstrated excellence in the classroom and made superior contributions to an athletic team.  Turbin, who earned All-Golden State Athletic Conference honors playing center field for the Warriors baseball team, graduated with a degree in communication studies. Adema, who was named to the All-GSAC volleyball team, graduated with a 3.76 GPA in economics and business.

Higa gave Yamase and Gee the Kenneth Monroe Award for their superior academic achievement in the classroom and as leaders on campus. Gee also won the Faculty Scholarship Award for the student with the best academic performance: 4.0 GPA.

Jane Higa and President Gayle D. Beebe

The college announced the creation of the Jane Higa Academic and Co-Curricular Partnership Award, which offers $1,000 annually to a faculty or staff member who continues the productive working relationship between faculty and student life staff that Higa has cultivated over the years.

Provost Mark Sargent announced Russell Howell, professor of mathematics, as the new Kathleen Smith professor of natural and behavioral sciences. Howell, who has been teaching at Westmont for 35 years, co-edited a book, “Mathematics Through the Eyes of Faith,” which examines the connections between math and faith. Kathleen Smith, a longtime neighbor of the college, left $1.7 million in her will for Westmont when she died in 1988.

Terry and Betsy Davis with President Gayle D. Beebe

Omedi Ochieng, associate professor of communication studies, Stephen Contakes, assistant professor of chemistry, and Michelle Hughes, assistant professor of education, earned the Bruce and Adaline Bare Outstanding Teacher Awards.

Alister Chapman, associate professor of history, won the Faculty Research Award for his scholarly work, which includes the book, “Godly Ambition: John Stott and the Evangelical Movement.”

President Gayle D. Beebe gave a plaque to Terry and Betsy Davis, the parents of Nick Davis, who died in a solo-motorcycle crash in January, and awarded Nick a posthumous degree.

Here is a photo slideshow from Commencement 2013.

A record-tying 71 Westmont students will spend at least four weeks this summer serving communities around the world on 15 teams in 13 countries including Bolivia, China, Guatemala, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Madagascar, Nepal, Philippines, Spain, Taiwan, Korea and Uganda. The student-led, staff-directed Emmaus Road program is in its 15th year, sponsoring activities that serve to increase awareness of global concerns, broadening the worldview of students and promoting the value of diversity.

Last year, the same number of students took part in Emmaus Road, surpassing the previous record of 51 who took part in international service projects in the summer of 1990.

Students in Guatemala City will be working and living for eight weeks alongside staff and missionaries at Casa Bernabé, caring for more than 170 children rescued from abandonment, trafficking and other forms of severe trauma.

In Cochabamba, Bolivia, students will serve at Hospitals of Hope, a non-profit, Christian, medical missions organization that improves the healthcare of the under-served.

Along the Mediterranean coast of Spain, students will serve with the Edge Project Mission in Altea-Alicante, living out their faith in the area of the arts, culture and community.

Emmaus Road in Israel 2012

Students serving in Jerusalem will work with Musalaha, a non-profit organization that promotes reconciliation and bridge-building between Israelis and Palestinians.

In Lugazi, Uganda, students will work with orphans and widows at Faith Children’s Home and God’s House of Miracles. They will also teach AIDS and HIV awareness to both teenagers and adults in the community.

Music is the focus of a camp that will serve an indigenous tribe in Taiwan and refugees in South Korea. Team members will teach music and English to children while living with local families.

For the third year, students will travel to Katmandu, Nepal, volunteering at Transformations Nepal, a registered religious non-profit organization that assists the underserved. Students will teach English, basic computer skills, sewing and gardening.

Students will travel to Qingdao, China, to volunteer at the International Care Community, an orphanage serving children with mental and physical disabilities. In a nation with restricted access, students will teach English and assist in building a school on the property.

The Emmaus Road team in Tokyo will assist with English classes and after-school activities at Jiyu Gakuen, a Christian-oriented school with many non-Christian students and faculty. Students will also partner with Mizuba Community Church, a bilingual, independent church.

Emmaus Road in Japan 2012

In Indonesia, students live and work with local families, serving the community in meaningful and helpful ways as directed by leaders.

For the first time, a team will travel to Manila, Philippines, to serve with Kids International Ministries, which seeks to end poverty in slums and on the island of Mindanao. Students will volunteer at sports camps, building projects, tutoring programs and assisting agricultural development.

Another new trip for Emmaus Road will take a team to Mahajanga, Madagascar, to serve with Red Island Restoration, which focuses on health, agriculture and faith. The students will lay the foundation for a much-needed women’s birth center and support Malagasy men and women planting propagules in the mangrove forests.

Emmaus Road is just one program that encourages Westmont students to take part in cross-cultural service to help them understand the impact of world events and cultures.

Each student must raise several thousand dollars for their trip. To help with this year’s service trips, please visit: www.westmont.edu/studentministries.

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The Westmont Student Life Office awarded 10 outstanding students for their leadership during the past year. The 13th annual David K. Winter Servant Leadership Awards are given each spring to students who show exemplary leadership through service at Westmont and in the community. Each recipient receives $1,000 toward next year’s school expenses.

This year the awards went to incoming seniors Mikey Espegren of Spring, Texas; Annie Kyle of San Diego; Myvy Ngo of San Jose, Calif.; Gabriella Pinheiro-Chavez of La Mirada, Calif.; Bri Popineau of Greeley, Colo.; Laura Stiles of Matthews, N.C.; and Chloe Yoder of Palm Desert, Calif. Incoming junior winners are Jake Allbaugh of Folsom, Calif., Rachel Harril of Lomita, Calif.; and Ben West of Boise, Idaho.

Winners were chosen for demonstrating integrity, collaboration skills, a passion for service and empathy. They revealed a servant’s heart in their roles on or off campus, made a significant impact on an organization, group or activity, and earned the respect and trust of their peers.

The student life office invites all faculty, staff and students to nominate deserving candidates, who are then vetted by a selection committee, which included Steve Contakes, assistant professor of chemistry; Angela D’Amour, director of campus life Rebecca Gist, student life assistant, Robyn Bickerton, student life intern and former recipient Anne Funk ’13. The committee received more than 50 nominations this year.

David K. Winter, Westmont president emeritus, attended the April 26 awards ceremony.###

“I am pleased with the accomplishment of our volunteers,” says Tom Bauer, Westmont chief of public safety. “As the next fire season approaches, it’s great to know that Westmont has this trained and equipped force to defend and protect our campus.”

The volunteers will not be involved in battling structural fires but will enable officials to better protect the college’s shelter-in-place program in the event of another wildfire.

Less than three months after the devastating Tea Fire in 2008, Westmont purchased a 350-gallon, water-pumper truck. A year after that, the college acquired another 2,000-gallon pumper truck. The Tea Fire destroyed 210 homes in the local community as well as eight Westmont buildings and 15 faculty homes, displacing 62 students, 18 faculty and nine staff members.