Westmont College

Westmont College is a small ���Christ-centered��� bastion of the liberal arts in sunny Southern California that ���provides a phenomenal education��� and ���a spiritually nurturing environment.��� Highlights include small classes, more than 80 majors and pre-professional programs, and a ���Mayterm��� that affords opportunities to study around the world. There is ���a lot of homework,��� and ���no matter what the class, the professors involve God in some way.��� ���The administration gets the job done,��� and while bad teachers ���do exist��� here, the ���very personable��� faculty members ���take a genuine interest not only in the academic well-being of their students, but also their personal, relational, and spiritual lives.��� Professors are ���fun to hang out with,��� too. ���A group of us regularly watches cheesy old movies at one prof���s house over homemade dinner,��� reports a senior. ���Westmont feels very sheltered from some of the harsh realities of the outside world. It has an unrealistic cozy feeling to it,��� admits a junior. ���However, it is also an environment which is especially proficient at fostering educational growth.���

Westmont students are ���Christians who want to help the world be a better place.��� Most grew up ���surrounded by church and church members for the majority of their lives.��� Not everyone is ���the sold-out Christian who is seeking God in everything��� but just about everyone is ���interested in a personal relationship with God.��� ���There is a remarkable sense of community here.��� ���The weirdest of us all have people who truly care about them,��� asserts one student. Westmonters are ���usually healthy-looking��� and ���genuinely nice.��� They are ���serving, caring,��� and ���creative.��� ���Most are fairly wealthy.��� For whatever reason, a whole lot of guys play the guitar. Politically, ���the largest on-campus political group is conservative��� but there are ���enough lefties and righties to keep hot topics hot.��� ���Missionary kids who have grown up all over the world��� add some variety, but many students lament an overall lack of ethnic diversity.

This ���beautiful and peaceful��� campus boasts ���breathtaking views of the mountains and the ocean.��� ���Dorm life is very communal��� and the campus is generally buzzing with intramural sports, theater productions, concerts, and activities galore. ���People take advantage of the gorgeous Santa Barbara weather,��� too. ���Bonfires at the beach��� are commonplace and Westmont could well be the Christian surfer capital of the world. Fun is often ���very G-rated.��� ���Drinking happens��� but it���s ���an underground thing��� that occurs off campus, mostly when students ���hit up clubs on State Street.��� Rules concerning alcohol and much else here are ���a little strict.��� ���You can���t have the door closed��� when a person of a different gender is in your room, just for example. Many students call Westmont���s mandatory ���tri-weekly chapel��� ���a blessing.��� Others call it ���nap time.��� Also, ���only juniors and seniors can have cars��� and Westmont���s grub could improve. ���The food is perhaps some of the worst that I have ever eaten (except when I try to cook for myself),��� says a freshman.