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The results are in and the awards handed out at the second annual Montecito Student Film Festival on March 23 at �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Porter Theatre. About 150 people attended the festival throughout the day to watch 41 films, pared down from the more than 500 that were submitted.

Six aspiring ��������app art graduates will exhibit their capstone projects at “Between Moments” from April 4-May 4 in the ��������app Ridley-Tree Museum of Art. A free, public opening reception will celebrate the graduating senior art majors on Thursday, April 4, from 4-6 p.m.

The has awarded ��������app $500,000 to provide students with education, training and industry readiness for the burgeoning field of artificial intelligence (AI). The funds will expand the scope of the Center for Applied Technology Lab (CATLab) to include AI, adding state-of-the-art hardware and software infrastructure to facilitate students’ hands-on learning and experimentation.

, special adviser to the president for equity and campus engagement at Baylor University, argues that race and racism are fundamentally not issues of pride but of greed in a lecture Wednesday, April 3, from 3:30-5 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center.

The talk, “Child of Mammon or Child of God?: The Anti-Greed Gospel,” is free and open to the public. The sociology and anthropology department, history department, Gaede Institute for the Liberal Arts and the Provost’s Office sponsor the lecture.

The music department has formed a partnership with the Rockley Family Foundation, which will hold a private sale of musical instruments at ��������app March 14-16, featuring starter-to professional-level instruments at a discounted price. Go to the website to make an appointment. 

The second annual has exploded in popularity and gone global. Student filmmakers from 65 countries have submitted more than 500 films for the free event. Attendees can watch films throughout the day, Saturday, March 23, from 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. in �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Porter Theatre.

Jupiter and the Great Orion Nebula, M42, will be part of this month’s free stargazing event Friday, March 15, beginning about 6 p.m. and lasting several hours at the ��������app Observatory. Along with �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s powerful Keck Telescope, members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Society bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

This spring, several of �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s athletic facilities have seen dramatic upgrades to accompany the Warriors’ move to National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II in hopes of attracting exceptional student-athletes who will thrive with a rigorous Christian liberal arts education. The ��������app community and supporters have stepped up to provide vital resources for the challenge.

The only active duty Air Force band west of the Rockies energized audiences at two free performances Feb. 27 at ��������app and Montecito Covenant Church.

Two ��������app voice instructors will join forces in a recital, "A Song Celebration," on Saturday, March 23, at 4 p.m. in Deane Chapel on �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s lower campus. The performance is free and open to the public. For more information, please contact the music department at (805) 565-6040.

Richard Haass, who worked at the White House, State Department and Pentagon under four different presidents, offered a civics lesson on global diplomacy while bringing clarity to international conflicts at the sold-out 19th annual ��������app President’s Breakfast March 1 at the Hilton Santa Barbara Beachfront Resort. Despite the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war, contentious China-U.S. relations and the climate crisis, the veteran diplomat admitted that what keeps him up at night is domestic politics.

Adam Goodworth, a professor in the departments of engineering and kinesiology, and alumnus '95 examine balance and mobility and how they’re affected by aging in a talk Thursday, March 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the , 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara.

The ��������app Music Department offers its orchestra concerto concert, featuring the winners of its concerto/aria competition, Nathan Carlin, Karla Munoz, Tasha Loh and Leah Nieman, on Friday, Feb. 23, at 7 p.m. at the college’s Page Hall and on Sunday, Feb. 25, at 3 p.m. in Hahn Hall at the . Both performances are free and open to the public. For more information, please visit westmont.edu/music.

One of the best American beach volleyball players will speak in ��������app chapel on Friday, Feb. 16, at 10:30 a.m. in Murchison Gym. Alumnus Avery Drost ’07 led the Association of Volleyball Players (AVP) with 350 digs and was second with 551 kills last season. He coaches boys volleyball at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach while serving as a youth director at New City Church in El Segundo.

If the weather cooperates, and that has been a big if this winter, the Milky Way’s open clusters will be the focus of the monthly stargazing event on Friday, Feb. 16, beginning after 6 p.m. and lasting for several hours. The observatory, home of the powerful Keck Telescope, is open to the public every third Friday of the month and held in conjunction with the (SBAU) whose members bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

�±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s John Blondell, a longtime professor of theater arts, puts his own contemporary, site-specific spin on Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” as part of a mini-festival about the famous tragedy Thursday, Feb. 29, at 7 p.m.; Friday, March 1, and Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.; and Sunday, March 3, at 7 p.m. in and around the (CAW), 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara.

(Updated Feb. 5 at 2 p.m.) After assessing the rain storm impacts on the campus and the community as a whole, ��������app will resume in-person work and classes tomorrow, Tuesday, February 6. Please continue to monitor your email for additional updates related to this weather event, and note that while ��������app will resume normal operations, additional rains are forecasted through Wednesday, so please plan accordingly and travel safely.

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�±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s 35^th annual Mathematics Field Day features students from nine regional high schools in a friendly competition Saturday, Feb. 10, at 1 p.m. in Winter Hall. , a senior data scientist at , will speak about “Mathematics of Artificial Intelligence” at the awards banquet at 5:30 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center. 

Jennifer Ito, ��������app assistant professor of physics, explores the history of the cosmological model in a free, public talk Wednesday, Feb. 7, at 7 p.m. in the Simmons Center at the Global Leadership Center. The Paul C.

The Martin Institute for Christianity and Culture and the Dallas Willard Research Center have chosen ’s book, “,” as the winner of the

, carved and colorfully decorated wooden figures, are more than just beautiful works of art: They represent Katsinam spirits believed to bring blessings of good health, growth and fertility. A unique exhibition, celebrating the resurgence of a traditional carving method, features dozens of the Katsina (or “Kachina” to non-Hopi people) dolls and is open through May 4 in the lower level of the ��������app Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.

A renovation of the first-floor recording studio and music lab in �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Music Building will provide state-of-the-art equipment for students thanks to a generous gift from longtime Santa Barbara resident and alumnus '55.

Wendy Eley Jackson draws on three decades of experience in film and television in her talk, “The Transformative Power of Storytelling” for a ��������app Downtown Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 1, at 5:30 p.m. at the , 631 Garden Street, in downtown Santa Barbara. The event is free and open to the public; no tickets or reservations are required.

“I was surprised at the sheer size of the math world,” said first-year student Isaiah Conway, reflecting on his trip with fellow students and faculty to the world’s largest mathematics conference Jan. 3-6 in San Francisco. Ten students and three faculty members were among nearly 6,000 other mathematicians at annual (JMM), hosted by the American Mathematical Society.

A double feature operatic performance opens the curtains on the ��������app music department’s spring concert season with productions of Gian Carlo Menotti’s “The Telephone” and Douglas Moore’s “Gallantry” Jan. 19 and 21 at 7 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Purchase tickets, which cost $20 general admission and $15 for students and seniors, online at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

, a veteran diplomat, respected scholar of international relations and president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, speaks at the 19th annual ��������app President’s Breakfast on Friday, March 1, from 7-9 a.m. in the Grand Ballroom of . The event has sold out.

This month’s Stargazing at the ��������app Observatory features Jupiter and its four Galilean moons as well as M42, the Orion Nebula, on Friday, Jan. 19, beginning after 6 p.m. and lasting for several hours. The observatory, home of the powerful Keck Telescope, is open to the public every third Friday of the month and held in conjunction with the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit (SBAU) whose members bring their own telescopes to share with the public.

Lady Leslie Ridley-Tree’s entire collection of , which includes 11 paintings, 12 lithographs and a drawing, goes on display Jan. 11-March 23 in the ��������app Ridley-Tree Museum of Art.

For two decades, Siegwart ‘Zig’ Reichwald, �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Adams professor of music and worship, engrossed himself in the sacred music of German composer and performer Felix Mendelssohn. But when he came to his works written for the Berlin Cathedral in 1843-44, he was struck by how unusual they were compared to the rest of Mendelssohn’s musical creations.

Crews have begun a $2 million renovation project to �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Dining Commons with the majority of the work being funded by Bon Appetit, the college’s food service provider since August 2022.

��������app celebrated the accomplishments of 18 new graduates of the ��������app Downtown | Grotenhuis Nursing program at a pinning ceremony Dec. 14 at Montecito Covenant Church. This is the second cohort to graduate from the 16-month accelerated bachelor of science in nursing program, housed at 26 W. Anapamu.

Two ��������app students presented their research at a joint meeting of the Nuclear Physics Divisions of the American and Japanese Physics Societies Nov. 26-Dec. 1 on the Big Island of Hawaii. Natalie Fogg '24 and Reese Toepfer '26 joined Robert Haring-Kaye, ��������app professor of physics and department chair of physics and engineering, at the event that featured more than 100 undergraduates from both nations.

Bundle up and head to the ��������app Observatory, which opens to the public for its free, monthly Stargazing event Friday, Dec. 15, beginning at sunset and lasting several hours. Saturn and many other celestial delights will be targeted by �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s powerful Keck Telescope and the other scopes owned by members of the Santa Barbara Astronomical Unit, whose members set up around the observatory.

��������app junior Analee Josselyn '25, a history and economics and business double major, and Conrad Morgan '23, who graduated with a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, are attending the .

Overcoming obstacles was the challenge of the day as the ��������app Engineering Department hosted its third annual remote control car competition Dec. 7 in front of Kerrwood Hall.

New this year, students competed in a bowling pin knockout following the traditional figure eight race. The competition was tight and a final race with all three cars was needed to determine a winner.

With the arrival of Advent, , professor emeritus of English and former Santa Barbara poet laureate, has co-edited an anthology of readings “A Radiant Birth: Advent Readings for a Bright Season.” Madeleine L'Engle, Marilyn McEntyre, Eugene Peterson, Tania Runyan, Luci Shaw, Jeanne Murray Walker, Walter Wangerin, Lauren Winner and Philip Yancey contribute to the book, which provides daily readings for the four weeks of Advent and two weeks of Christmas.

��������app is on the board! Monopoly: The Santa Barbara Edition includes a space featuring the Montecito campus in the light purple section where Virginia Avenue sits in the classic game. The only college featured on the board, ��������app appears between two iconic locations: the Santa Barbara Harbor and the Santa Barbara Airport. The square features a Brad Elliott photo highlighting the college’s iconic Italian fountain, a replica of one dating from the 19th century that graced the Dwight Murphy estate, which ��������app purchased in 1945.

A study of older U.S. South Asians examines relationships between religious service attendance (temple, mosque, etc.), anxiety and feelings of emotional neglect by fellow congregation members. The research finds that among U.S. South Asians, those who attend religious services more often are also more likely to experience higher levels of anxiety. Further, much of this relationship can be attributed to feelings of being ignored or neglected by other members of the congregation.

��������app Festival Theatre reimagines the life of as if she spoke like a Beverly Hills teenager in Chiara Atik’s “Poor Clare” on Dec. 7-9 at 7:30 p.m. and Dec. 9 at 2 p.m. in Porter Theatre. Tickets, which cost $20 for general admission and $12 for students and seniors, may be purchased at westmont.edu/boxoffice.

has awarded ��������app a $1.25 million grant to create a unique program exploring the meaning and value of in-person Christian preaching. At a time when much communication takes place online, remotely and impersonally, the Incarnational Preaching Project will invite active and aspiring preachers to investigate the value of preaching live to a church community.

The (CCNE) voted to approve accreditation for �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program. ��������app had to clearly demonstrate that its nursing program, which launched in January 2022, met all four of the CCNE standards: mission and governance, institutional commitment and resources, curriculum and teaching-learning practices, and assessment and achievement of program outcomes.

For Giving Tuesday, a generous donor has pledged $50,000 to double the impact of gifts made to the ��������app Fund between Nov. 21-28 until midnight or until the pledge amount runs out. 

An ecological restoration project near the ��������app campus has begun with students, faculty and staff planting about 45 native coast live oaks. This first phase focuses on an area where Montecito Fire removed many dead and dying eucalyptus trees last summer.

The ��������app Women’s Leadership Council Luncheon features , certified financial planner and behavioral financial advisor, on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024, 12-2 p.m. in the Global Leadership Center. A limited number of tickets, which cost $100 per person, may be purchased .

��������app celebrates Advent with “Let There be Light!” a festive gathering, tree lighting, hot cocoa and opportunity to take photos with Santa on Wednesday, Nov. 29, from 5-7 p.m. on Kerrwood Lawn. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public.

The ��������app Ridley-Tree Museum of Art’s most popular exhibition and fundraiser returns to Montecito on Nov. 30- Dec. 15 offering viewers an opportunity to see and bid on more than 675, small 5-inch-square works by regional, national and international artists. The museum hosts a free, public opening reception on Thursday, Nov. 30, from 4-6 p.m.

Longtime ��������app trustee Gary Harris died Oct. 27 from a heart attack. He was 87.

President Gayle D. Beebe announced to the ��������app community that he and Pam were praying for Gary's wife, Jo Harris, and their family, and encouraged the community to do so as well.

Violinist , who served on �±���ٳ��DzԳ�’s music faculty from 2006-13, returns to college for a recital with , a violin-piano duo consisting of Ficsor and pianist Constantine Finehouse, on Sunday, Nov. 5, at 3 p.m. in Deane Chapel. The concert, featuring American masterworks for violin and piano by John Corigliano and Daniel Gee ’13, ��������app director of choral activities, is free and open to the public.