Argentina Trip Day 1 - 3

Daaaaaaang! I´m in ma home country!! I still can´t believe it!! It´s pretty hot but not unbearable and suffocating like my mom and siter had said. Today is hotter than the first 2.

We got to the airport just fine and everything went SO smoothely! Praise God for that. Even our customs line in Arg was really short. My dad took over 3 hours to do what we did in just over 20 minutes, haha. We ate and ate and ate that day with Argentinean bbq called asado, sandwiches de miga, and our famous mate. I´m loving life!...... minus my allergies that sprout up when it´s really humid. I really feel that the LORD was taking care of me when He took me out of Arg. I would have lived with allergies and allergy medicine if I would have stayed here... Well, until a cure or something that would lessen it would be found.

Anyways, we went to sleep at 1am or so here. We felt pretty tired, but I just couldn´t go t osleep out of my excitement for being here. Anna was clearly not as excited (hahaha) cause she was sleepy and took 3 naps :)

Yesterday we woke up early and were still tired. We woke up at 10 am which would be 4am in Cali time. We were pretty jacked up with our body time. Today, the third day, we woke up at noon and feel a lot better. But yesterday we ended up getting some good breakfast and then heading up to see part of our family from my mom´s side and I seriously had the best asado that I have ever had!

I´m all over the place, but now that I mentioned who we saw I want to mention that my uncle Pocho (Oscar) and my two cousins came. I hadn´t seen my cousins in 8 and a hlaf years!! That´s FOREVER in Hispanic time for seeing family!!! And the first night (the 25th) my two best friends here in Arg came and kicked it with us! It was like I never left. We were joking around and dreaming of what would have been... at the same time realizing that we have very different lives... Yesterday I saw my mom´s aunt and her 2 cousins with their husbands and kids. It was great!!

I gotta go now, because we´re leaving to Jujuy in 3 hours so we gotta pack, but I´ll give an update in a few days again. I have SO many videos and pictures already and we just started!!!

Almost Ready for Argentina

So I'm here updating my music so that I can take it in my new phone and I'm up waaaaaaay too late.... but then again, my adrenaline will take over tomorrow :) I can't wait to share the videos and pictures with everyone!!!

Quick Change Artists

My friend Kim Harvey sent me this... crazy...

Laid Off - Day 14

There's a reason for everything in the lives of God's kids. I'm was coming home from picking up Dennis' truck so that I can go recycle the 3 months of recyclables that we have in the back and I was thinking that there is a reason as to why I don;t have a job, but there's also a reason as to why I don't have a job now.

I'm continuing to read The Heavenly Man and I am so impressed by the oppression that Brother Yun endured and how he ended up handling all the situations. I know that I'm supposed to be reading through this book right now. I like knowing that. Just as when in the middle of 2007 I went through a great time of hardship and I knew I was supposed to be reading through the whole book of Psalms on a daily basis. It was good knowing then. Brother Yun fasted without food or water fro over 50 days while being continuously beaten in prison. I'm not going to do that, haha. But I remembered how the LORD continuously imprints in my heart that it's not if you fast but rather when you fast.

I'm going to start taking this time when I am not busy with work and with demanding 8 to 5 hours to fast. I'll start tomorrow and see how long it lasts and in what manner the LORD desires this period of fasting to be like. I know I'm blogging about it and it might seem that I'm trying to put dust on my forehead so that people know that I am fasting, but if you know me you know that that's not true at all. I just feel encouraged by the people that read this blog and how they write me emails and comments when I share my life with my community of friends and family.

LORD thank you for this opportunity to not have a job once again. you continue to teach me so many things in trials that I feel so honored to endure them just to inch my way closer to you. Keep them coming God cause I know that they are all for Your glory and that you won't ever leave me alone nor will you ever give me something that I cannot endure if I remain in You! I'm SO excited LORD for this next season and for this deepening of my relationship with You! My heart fills with joy as I pray to you right now and as my hands frantically type away because it feels that every letter, every word, and every written thought draws me deeper into your presence...

Hey guys I gotta go be with my LORD... talk to you guys later.

Laid Off - Day 12

Sorry I've lagged on the daily blogging. I'm such a busy person. And not necessarily busy in the good way. Sure I've taken out some time to read and be with the LORD, but I fell that the day passes so quickly and I still have things to do... anyways...

There's a lot to catch up on. I was fighting against being a bit depressed this past week because nothing was coming back to me. I mean, I sent out so many resumes and the only one that called me back was one to say that the position had been filled. There was one interview that went really well for a local company that I'll mention later. My friend Adrian Spinelli who worked at the Santa Barbara News-Press with me works there as a sales representative now and he recommended me for the Marketing Manager position. That would be awesome! I'm excited to see where that possibility goes. I have actually been thinking of marketing for that past year and how I think I would fit there pretty well since I have Design, Marketing, and Advertising experience in both print and online. Most of my experience is online, but I've had to learn about print as well. I can see myself getting into marketing and staying there for a very long time.

Well, I interviewed this company and it went pretty well. They work with high end technology and I would love to have this opportunity. However, they weren't calling me back or writing me an email. The guy I interviewed with told me that he would be very busy during the upcoming week (which was last week) and that he wouldn't have too much time to look at the past design work that I sent him. So, he said that he'd get back to me as soon as he could. The interview that I had with him was on Tuesday the 9th and I had sent him a sample of previous work that night.

I had not heard anything from this guy or any other prospects by Thursday the 11th and I was getting a little bummed. I prayed against that and the LORD totally gave me joy in Him!

of course He did...

Friday morning I was reading a book called "The Heavenly Man" and wrote a post about it that you can see by clicking here. If you don't read the Heavenly Man post, then just know that it was ALL about surrendering my heart fully to the LORD.

I was totally willing to have the LORD take me anywhere that He wants me to go in any job that He wants me to do. I have to admit, however, that I was not thinking that I would ever leave Santa Barbara or the surrounding area.

*Do you see the foreshadowing????*

So, as I finished writing my post (that I think you should read to understand where my heart was), the phone rings. It was Tony Gonzalez from San Francisco Urban Young Life. We caught up for a couple of minutes and he tells me that he has been thinking and praying about me for the last couple of weeks and that he wanted to know if I was till interested in working with at risk youth. I of course told him that I was indeed interested and that I had just been laid off the previous week... AND... that i had been just praying that the LORD use me and take me wherever He wants. So I ended up sending Tony my resume before we finished speaking on the phone. He mentioned to me that this position was for Latino brothers and sisters that have a passion for Latino at risk youth and that would like to step into a FT position. He mentioned to me that this was for a position anywhere in the country since there are a lot of places with great needs. Young Life realizes that the most under-served population in the US within the Young Life network are Latinos. And, while Young Life now has a program to train Latinos, this program was not yielding enough Latino Leaders to meet the demands across the country. So, Young Life was starting to think outside of the current Young Life Latino leaders.

Another great thing about this opportunity is that YL recognizes that it might be better for there to be a team of two or three people to be sent out so Tony asked me for Anna's resume as well! So, Anna flipped at the idea of being employed full time with me. And, if Anna decides not be a part of YL, then they would be able to pass her resume around the city that we would go to to see if they can give her a job somewhere in the proposed city.

That's scary... but exciting...but scary...

LORD I wasn't thinking that You would actually send me send me... like out-of-santa-barbara send me :)

This would mean that I would leave my family, my friends, my church that I was starting to feel part of. Man, on my knees I go!

So, just as I was starting to feel excited about this opportunity. Just after I called Anna and my dad about this I get another phone call. This phone call was from my friend Mo Gettings who has been in the sales industry in Santa Barbara for 26 years! She told me that I could call a guy that we both knew to start on some immediate sales PT job to get some extra cash. WOOHOO! I haven't gotten his contact info yet, but as soon as I do I'll contact him right away. She also told me of another position with a long time radio station here in SB that needs an online sales representative. She already called the guy and I should be getting a call from him today or tomorrow :) So things, all of a sudden, were livening up. Go figure, when I think that there's nothing, Young Life calls... Then when I get excited about YL, I get a phone call with two job opportunities. One of which would be making some good money! So no doors, no becomes 3.

Of course... that's not it...

Seconds after I talk to my friend Mo, I go online and see that I got an email back from the Marketing Manager opportunity saying that he's been super busy, but that he'll get back to me as soon as he had time and as soon as he interviews a couple of other people which should be this week. When it rains with the LORD, it really does pour!

3 doors now become 4. Granted it's not 4 totally open doors asking and begging for me to walk through them, but it's doors nonetheless. I didn't think that there WERE doors. Well, at least doors that I could see in my microwave mindset :)

So now what? Like I said earlier.... on my knees. If it was for money, I would stay in SB. And I am a little about making good money with my wife so that we can get out of debt. But I'm not about money at all when it comes to Kingdom work.

We'll see what happens. And you'll hear what happens soon as well...

PS - I'm trying to do my health insurance online and the frieking program keeps on having technical difficulties!! FRUSTRATION is NOT my friend!

Life Really Boils Down To 2 Questions

Should I get a dog?



or

Should I have children?




Thanks Dia for sending me this!!

Laid Off - Day 9

This is the season that the LORD has placed me in. What has happened with my job is directly within the LORD's will. And I praise Him and feel so honored to be in this season with the LORD! I am so joyous to know that the enemy is losing his battle with Anna and myself because of the name of Jesus! Yesterday Anna and I were both a bit on the down side and we had NO REASON to be. Once we realized that it was the attack of the enemy we prayed immediately and the LORD delivered us! We had a great date night (Thursdays is our date night) and we really felt the joy of the LORD in our marriage. Thank You God for your faithfulness! I pray you increase our joy and faithfulness to you as we endure this season.

I am also reading this book called "The Heavenly Man" from Paul Hattaway. It's a book about the life of Brother Yun, a Chinese cell church leader since the late 70's that has seen great miracles from the LORD in his lifetime. I fell that this is the book that the LORD wants me to be reading right now as He is greatly ministering to me through it. I just want to share what I jus read. Brother Yun was in the middle of a night in freezing temperature in China with nothing more than ragged clothes. His description of the night would make anyone cry out to the LORD. He was experiencing great persecution and he realized that the LORD was asking for his heart to be completely committed to Him. Here is the song that the LORD placed in Brother Yun's heart that night and the song that ministered to me today.

As long as I live, I will only love the LORD
With all myheart, strength and mind, I will only love my LORD
Regardless of what happens, I will only love my LORD
In all my actions and words, I will only love my LORD

In times of humility and learning, I will only love my LORD
In times of joy and gladness, I will only love my LORD
Whether I face hunger or if I'm full, I will only love my LORD
I am His in life and death, I will only love my LORD

The LORD has sacrificed His life for me
My deep sin has been pardoned
I have dedicated all my life to him
I will only love my LORD.

I am sure that what the LORD desires of me right now is to give my heart to Him fully. Not partially know that I can "provide" for my family, but that HE is the one that provides for us. HE is the one that will provide me a job or jobs. My heart is Yours LORD, do with my life as you wish.

Fast Food Video

I can say what this is about.... but what leaves a lasting impression on you???

Laid Off - Day 4

I woke up this morning and didn't even think about the fact that I am laid off. I'm going to apply for some more jobs today at some point.

Yesterday I applied for unemployment. Man, they make it hard to apply if you don't do it online. I wanted to do it over the phone so that I could get some feedback from the person, but I was NEVER able to get them on the phone. And what's even worse, they automated system hangs up on you! I called on different days at different times, but man! NO ANSWER!! So I went online again and I just did it because they go on weekly terms so that it didn't really matter if I did it on Wednesday or Friday since the weekly term goes until Saturday.

Anna's best friend Asriel Medina is over right now and she's great company to have over. I'm also busy with one of Brett's Restaurant Revolution Technologies project as well as with his web site.

More to come...

Laid Off - Day 3

So I woke up this morning and it has fully set in that I do not have a job.

Yesterday I got a bit frustrated because my old job is trying to not pay me the vacation that it's due and I'm waiting to hear from their HR. Those $500 are much needed!

Anna and I talked a bit today and we came to the conclusion that I will be constantly applying for full and part time jobs and I will, at the same time, be calling local businesses to see if they need web sites or any design work. Anna and I are leaning towards me getting a part time job more than a full time job and then have us go for StepStone Designs to be a necessary income instead of a supplemental income as it has been while I was employed at the Santa Barbara News-Press.

Whatever the LORD has for us, however, is what we'll choose. If that means I turn down a FT job, then praise God... If that means I take a FT or PT job, then praise God as well!!

We'll see. Today I have to continue to attempt to file for unemployment, take care of my 401k and transfer it to me,then I need to work on some StepStone stuff that I currently have as well as try to get some more StepStone jobs, and start to apply to new jobs :)

Laid Off - Day 2

I woke up this morning and after I debrief my weird dream and figured it out in my own head I remember..... I'm laid off! It's kind of funny how reality is hard to understand when reality goes against the routine and norm that you've had for the past 21 months. I'm filing for unemployment in a few minutes. I also had to contact the Santa Barbara News-Press and ask them to pay me for the vacation that I had left over. It's like $500! And needz me dat monee! haha

Well, I gotta go do those things, but I wanted to share the Psalm that my mom gave me in regards to my last post about being laid off... I especially like in verse 8 which says - do not free; it will lead to evil.

Psalm 37

Of David.

1 ^[a] Do not fret because of evil men
or be envious of those who do wrong;

2 for like the grass they will soon wither,
like green plants they will soon die away.

3 Trust in the LORD and do good;
dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the LORD;
trust in him and he will do this:

6 He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn,
the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.

7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.

8 Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret—it leads only to evil.

9 For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

10 A little while, and the wicked will be no more;
though you look for them, they will not be found.

11 But the meek will inherit the land
and enjoy great peace.

12 The wicked plot against the righteous
and gnash their teeth at them;

13 but the Lord laughs at the wicked,
for he knows their day is coming.

14 The wicked draw the sword
and bend the bow
to bring down the poor and needy,
to slay those whose ways are upright.

15 But their swords will pierce their own hearts,
and their bows will be broken.

16 Better the little that the righteous have
than the wealth of many wicked;

17 for the power of the wicked will be broken,
but the LORD upholds the righteous.

I Got Laid Off of the Santa Barbara News-Press Today

Well, I didn't see this one coming. I mean, I know this is advertising and the economy was NOT, I repeat NOT, favorable at all for advertising, but I thought my job was secure since I was the only one that was actually selling one of the only innovative things that the News-Press had: Online.

I really did think that my job was really secure since no one knows how to do my job in that building. There are people like Christian Montecino that know how to do the programming, and others like my immediate boss Bruce Schumikowski that knows how to sell, but no one knows how to do both. There are also a lot of passwords and software that I was the only one that knew of them and how to use them and where to go to use them. Anyways, that's all water under the bridge now.

Going forward I'm going to have to update my resume, which I have updated recently so it shouldn't be much work. My resume is here: www.stepstonedesigns.com/pablo-otaola-resume.pdf.

There are a couple of opportunities out there that Anna and I are praying about. I guess "opportunities" is not exactly the right word though since something that is not of God is not "opportune." Anyways, some theology for ya ;)

I gotta go be with my wife. We gonna watch a funny movie and have dinner... oh yeah and PRAY PRAY PRAY!! I'm sure you guessed that my 'oh yeah' was not because I forgot :)

It'll be exciting to see what God has for us in the next few months. I'll be blogging a lot about it. If you want to stay posted, just subscribe to my blog by hitting the subscribe button on the upper right hand corner.

Peace Out
-P

Amazing Christmas Video on Holiday Spending

My good friend Paula Sevilla sent me this last week and I thought it was worth passing on...

FIVE BEST THINGS TO SAY IF YOU GET CAUGHT SLEEPING AT YOUR DESK

My dad sent me this... it made me laugh out loud :)

NUMBER 5: They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen.


NUMBER 4 : 'This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about

in the time-management course you sent me to.


NUMBER 3 : 'Whew! Guess I left the top off the White-out.

You probably got here just in time!


NUMBER 2: Did you ever notice sound coming out of these

keyboards when you put your ear down real close?


Number 1: Best thing to say if you

get caught sleeping at your desk:

(Raising your head slowly)... "in Jesus' name, Amen"

Who Needs Pockets

My pastor sent me this... hilarious!

Westmont College - Chapel

Even if you live far away from Santa Barbara, you can join the Westmont community Monday, Dec. 1, at 10:30 a.m. for a special chapel program, A Service of Hope and Renewal. To watch the service live online, click here. You may need to install QuickTime.

Classes resume Dec. 1 after the devastation of the Tea Fire, and the community will gather to give thanks that no lives were lost and to comfort and mourn with those whose homes and offices were destroyed.

Campus Pastor Ben Patterson will speak and President Gayle D. Beebe will reflect on the topic, "How Do You Redeem Suffering?"

Office of Alumni and Parent Relations

Pablo and Anna Otaola Wedding Pictures

Just 4 beautiful pictures from the wedding that we just printed and put up in our little home :)






Thank you LORD for giving me such a beautiful wife!!!!

Westmont College Needs Volunteers

Dear Local Alumni,

Thanks for all your support and prayers during our recovery from the Tea
Fire.

I know many of you were able to join us at Saturday night's exciting soccer
game.

There definitely is a sense of gratitude for all the support we have
received from alums, parents and the community.  Having 2000+ fans at the game was a
tangible reminder of that support.  

I am sending this request on behalf of the Student Life office and want you
to be aware of an opportunity to assist our students as they return to campus this
coming weekend.  We are gathering volunteers to greet our students and their
parents as they return to campus to resume the semester.  Student Life would
love to have volunteers at each residence hall providing a welcoming hand as the
students move back into their rooms.  The Student Life Department is coordinating
the check-in and hopes to have 50 volunteers at each of the five shifts.  The first shift
is to assemble gift bags for each returning student that have arrived from
other colleges as an expression of support for our students.

1.    Friday, Nov 28:    1-4 pm
 2.    Saturday, Nov 29:  11:30 am - 2:30 pm
 3.    Saturday, Nov 29:  2-5 pm
 4.    Sunday, Nov 30:    11:30 am - 2:30 pm
 5.    Sunday, Nov 30:    2-5 pm

Everyone helping will come to the Founder's Dining Room on the lower level of Kerr Student Center. 
Kerr Student Center is accessed by parking in the first lot on the left after you enter through
the main campus entrance.

If you are able to assist us in welcoming our students, please send a note to
stulife@westmont.edu with the shift that works best for you.  Please also reply
if you are able to assist for part of a shift.  If you would like to help at a particular hall,
please indicate that in your response as well.

Thanks so much and have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

With gratitude,


Teri Bradford Rouse
Senior Director of Alumni and Parent Relations
Westmont College

Westmont College Needs Volunteers

We need volunteers to assist with filling sandbags throughout the day today. There is a slow moving rain event heading our way, and a Flash Flood Watch is in effect.

If you are available, please show up anytime at either Station 1 (595 San Ysidro Road) or Station 2. (2300 Sycamore Canyon Road.) If you are coming in, give me a call or reply to this email to let me know.

THANKS in advance for any help you can give us in preparing for this weather event.

Be Safe,

Geri Simmons Ventura

gsimmons@montecitofire.com

805-969-2537

A Fabulous Hawaiian Vacation Opportunity

Dear Friends of Westmont,

As Westmont College works through all aspects of the Tea Fire, we recognize how we have been extremely blessed to have God's protection cover our campus, not a single life was lost during the disaster. It has also been a blessing to see the love and support coming to campus from the Westmont community; generous donations to the Wildfire Relief Fund, offers of clothing, shelter, food, and more, arrive daily.

With the Tea Fire foremost in our minds, it is extremely important to recognize that our ongoing operational costs continue to grow and funds are needed to keep up with the demand. Annual Fund gifts are among the most important and valuable to Westmont because they can be used where the need is greatest to include student scholarships, student counseling services, improved library resources, recruiting excellent faculty, as well as fire relief needs.

We were fortunate to receive a generous donation from friends of Westmont, Peter and Monique Thorrington, in the form of a vacation home in Kauai, Hawaii . The dates for the 10 day vacation are December 12 through December 22 and you are able to bid by going to EBay and searching for item number 320320508591 or simply Click Here! You can read about the property by going to: www.luxurykauai.com/vacation-rentals/halemana/ . All proceeds will benefit the Westmont Annual Fund.

Happy Bidding!

Forgiveness

My good Friend Liane Koh wrote this blog last night and I thought it was worth re-posting on my blog. You can see the original post by clicking here: Thanks Li!

- - - - - - - - - - - -

What do you do when your heart gets broken when you least expect it?


Excerpt from Dare to Forgive

By Dr. Ned Hallowell

Chapter 3: Forgiveness Sets You Free

To understand forgiveness, you must first understand what forgiveness is not. Forgiveness is not turning the other cheek. Forgiveness is not running away. Forgiving someone does not mean that you condone what the person has done, nor does it mean that you invite them to do it again. It doesn't mean that you don't want the offending person to be punished. It doesn't mean that you forget the offense, nor does it mean that by forgiving you tacitly invite bad things to happen again. It doesn't mean that you won't defend yourself.

So what does it mean? Forgiveness is one of those words that we assume we can define, but when asked we stumble. Before you read on, try it yourself. How would you define forgiveness?
The dictionary can help. My American Heritage College Dictionary defines "forgive" as, "To renounce anger or resentment against." It goes back to a Greek root word that means "to set free," as in freeing a slave. Ironically, when we forgive, the slave we free is ourselves. We free ourselves from being slaves to our own hatred.

According to the dictionary definition I just cited, in order to forgive we must renounce resentment or anger. We do not have to forget, ignore or condone anyone or anything. We just have to renounce our anger and resentment. Even doing that may seem impossible, especially if whom or what we are trying to forgive has hurt us deeply. How do you forgive murder, child abuse or any other horrible offense? How is anyone supposed to renounce anger and resentment in cases like those? How do you stop feeling what you are feeling, or at least how do you renounce what you are feeling? And exactly what does that word "renounce" mean?

Turning to the same dictionary, I look up "renounce," and find the following definition: "To reject, disown."

This helps. In order to forgive I am not required to cease to feel anger or resentment, only to renounce anger or resentment, which means to disown my anger and resentment.

Westmont readies for students' return: Classes resume Dec. 1 after extended break caused by Tea Fire

I saw this story in the paper today and thought it was worth posting.

by MARCI WORMSER, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Westmont College's Bauder Hall, which was built in the 1920s and housed offices and a classroom, was destroyed by the Tea Fire. MATT WIER/NEWS-PRESS PHOTOS

The Physics Building at Westmont College was completely destroyed by the Tea Fire. Above, Mark McCormick, the Resident Director of Clark Hall where many students are housed, stands in front of his home, which was destroyed by the blaze.

The area around the path leading to the Nancy Voskuyl Prayer Chapel had been burned by the Tea Fire, however the chapel itself remained untouched and in good shape.

November 24, 2008 7:17 AM

Since the Tea Fire leveled a slew of academic and residential buildings at Westmont College on Nov. 13, administrators have been focusing on making the campus ready for its 1,200 students to resume classes one week from today.

The fire, which began at the nearby Tea Gardens, gutted 15 faculty residences and nine other structures: four buildings that make up Clark Halls, Bauder Hall, the physics building, the old math building and two Quonset huts. Fourteen of the faculty homes that were destroyed were located in Las Barrancas, an area that's adjacent to the campus where the college built 41 homes for its professors.

"We want to get this place looking as back-to-normal as soon as we can for the students," said Scott Craig, manager of media relations at Westmont. Mr. Craig estimates it will take about 21/2 years to repair all the damage.

Students at the 110-acre Christian-affiliated college have been on an extended break from school since the fire gutted their campus. Students would normally start their Thanksgiving break on Wednesday and return on Dec. 1.

Although classes haven't resumed since the fire, professors have been sending students e-mails about coursework, along with podcasts of lectures, so they will be able to finish the semester as scheduled on Dec. 19, said Mark McCormick, resident director for Clark Halls. Thirty-eight students were displaced when Clark Halls burned, he added.

Although officials still aren't sure about which damaged buildings will be rebuilt, the most imminent tasks at hand to prepare the campus for the students' return, said Mr. Craig, are placing portable buildings on the campus parking lot for female freshmen whose dorms were ravished in the blaze and rebuilding Clark Halls. "Clark will be rebuilt as soon as possible," he said. Housing residences for male freshmen were also destroyed; the students will be placed in the lounge until their housing quarters are rebuilt.

In the wake of the blaze, contractors have worked on fencing off dangerous areas on campus and making small repairs to fencing and wooden bridges. In addition, an independent company was hired to repair smoke damage in the housing quarters, classrooms and offices that weren't hit by the fires, Mr. Craig said. Last week, students whose dorms burned in the blaze returned to the campus with firefighters to sift through the rubble, he said."Some were able to recover everything," he said, adding that the school's insurance policy doesn't cover the students' lost property.

A construction crew demolished the remains of the old math building; coincidentally, its demise was planned, Mr. Craig said. It and the two World War II-era Quonset huts, which housed the art department, were scheduled for demolition last week as part of Westmont's master plan. The master plan entails building a new art building and a new science and math building, a new chapel (the students currently meet in the gym for prayer services) and new residence halls. Westmont pulled the permits for phase one of the master plan construction two days before the fire, he said.

Changes laid out in the master plan encompass the first significant construction on campus in more than two decades, said Mr. Craig. The plan, which will take two to three years to complete, will add 166,000 square feet to the campus. The fire damage, he said, will probably not affect the timeline of the master plan.

Bauder Hall, an historic 1920s-era carriage house that was home to the psychology department, "will have to be bulldozed," Mr. Craig said, adding that he's not yet sure if the building will be rebuilt. The main house burned during the 1964 Coyote Fire, but the rest of the building survived -- until the Tea Fire gutted it.

While psychology, math, art and physics students wait for more permanent classrooms, their classes will be held in existing structures on campus, Mr. Craig said. A temporary building was brought in for the biology department office for phase one of the master plan, but the building may now be used as temporary classrooms, he said.

In addition to the buildings and residences, Westmont's picturesque grounds also suffered damage. The backstop of the baseball field was burned, along with acres of landscaping and trees.

Fortunately, the fire spared the Nancy Voskuyl Prayer Chapel, which was built in memory of the daughter of the first Westmont president, who was killed in a car crash in 1959. Flames singed a mountainside next to the chapel, along with a few pickets on the fencing bordering the chapel, but it left the popular wedding venue undamaged.

According to Mr. Craig, the college students he has encountered since the Tea Fire have been mostly upbeat and positive. Their strong Christian faith, he added, is the reason why they are taking things in stride.

Eight hundred students and staff -- including 140 visiting high schoolers who were taking a tour of the campus -- were ushered into the gym at 6:05 p.m. Nov. 13. when the fire erupted, he said.

"It was amazing we were able to get them all into the gym by 6:15," he said. "By 6:30, the flames were already on campus."

Strangely enough, the students were well versed in how to prepare for a disaster: "We had done an earthquake drill that morning," said Mr. Craig, adding that the school also holds at least two wildfire drills a year. The students spent the night eating snacks, listening to the choir perform and watching movies. Although some students were able to leave the gym that night, about 300 students spent the night there, Mr. Craig said.

Mr. McCormick said he was walking with some students when he saw an orange glow of flames heading toward the campus. He pulled the fire alarm at 5:45 p.m. and called 911. He ran back to his home at Clark Halls, where he serves as resident director for about 240 students, and he changed out of his flip-flops into tennis shoes. He yelled for his two cats to come out, but only one emerged. He didn't have time to grab anything else as he fled. Tragically, his home burned to the ground, and his second cat presumably perished.

While his home is rebuilt, Mr. McCormick and his wife, Nora McCormick, will be staying at a cottage house on campus that previously housed two students. Those students were relocated to a residence off campus that boasts a pool and hot tub. "So they're not complaining," Mr. McCormick said with a laugh.

"The fire was right there and we just had to get out," he said. "Like everybody, we didn't think our place was going to burn."

"I was most concerned about my students," he added. "Everybody's safe and that's the most important thing."

Mrs. McCormick takes a similar view of the tragedy.

"We hope God turns the ashes into something beautiful," she said.

The entire community is invited to a chapel service at the college on Dec. 1 -- the first day that students will return to the campus -- at 10:30 a.m. For more information about the service, titled "A Service of Hope and Renewal," or for updates about rebuilding efforts, visit www.westmont.edu.

Anna and Pablo Otaola: Our Engagement

Here it is!! November 10, 2007... a day that changed my life forever... I love how surprised she got and how she was so nervous that she didn't know what to do! hahaha

Anna Otaola Dances Away

Yeah you wanted it... now you got it!! This is 2 of the many Anna Dances that I have had the privilege to witness... Not only witness but also to capture on video! It's as if I caught Big-foot on tape! well, maybe not that much but close!!

Anna's Crazy Foot

So when my wife Anna goes to sleep before me and I stay out of the bed, she takes over the bed :) She starts on "her side" and then spread-eagles over towards my side. She also doesn't really believe me since she was sold on the idea that she is totally still when she sleeps. I'm not sure who told her that, but they were definitely smoking something. Last night, I went to see how she was doing and she was sprawled out like usual, so I decided to get proof :)

Then, I decided to tickle her foot and her foot became alive a-la-Frankenstein! It was as if her foot had a life of its own! Check out the video and you'll see what I'm talking about. You could almost put words to what her foot must have been "thinking."

Westmont College Assistance and Volunteer Opportunities

Hey everyone,

If this is your first email from me, it means you have been added to the student volunteers list and are likely to receive a ridiculous amount of emails in the following week (I know, I know it is not a exactly a proper reward for your generosity). In any case, we want to express a deep gratitude for your willingness to serve.

For right now, any needs or requests of Westmont and the surrounding community are sent to studentvolunteer@westmont.edu where we can then organize them and then communicate them to you. We have expressed this before but it does not hurt to reiterate: this is not an obligation and our only goal is to mobilize the students who feel led to lend a hand. (NOTE: it is likely that we will include this header at the beginning of emails from now until the list of volunteers ceases to grow)

anyways....

BUSINESS:

+ We received a request for two people to look after an elderly couple so that their daughter can work on insurance. Please sign up on the spreadsheet and contact Debbie @ the phone number listed.

+ The Montecito Fire Station will be filling up sandbags all day, feel free to stop by and help out if you are not doing anything better with your time. From what we are told they have around 200 to fill so they will appreciate a few extra hands. (It is not hard, just a bit time-consuming)

+ Good work so far, right now the limiting factor is work and not volunteers. Please remember to be safe in whatever tasks you are employed.

+ Here is that link again for those of you too lazy to search back through your inbox Volunteer Spreadsheet

Second Life - A Virtual World

So, while I love the technology that it takes to build this program, this is Second Life virtual world pretty disturbing. I was reading another AdAge.com article and saw how virtual worlds are tanking in the advertising world. In this virtual world, you pick what you look like and then you enter a 3d world online that you interact with other people that are logged on. It's free also. What-evs to me, because I don't use them, but it seemed like a good idea as far as innovative advertising when it first start. It certainly works for online gaming. The disturbing part about virtual worlds, particularly this one, is that you can make your character and actually cheat on your real live spouse with a virtual relationship... nuff sed.

Here's the article from AdAge.com:

Virtual World Isn't a Marketing Paradise

Posted by Ken Wheaton on 11.21.08 @ 09:50 AM

So sad. Based on the actions of Google in the virtual world space, it looks like some are making funeral arrangements for Second Life. Sure, I'm throwing dirt in the grave while it's still drawing a air, but let's face it: what little usefulness Second Lifers had (a target for mockery, I guess), they've long since outlived it.

Let me be clear. It's not Second Life itself that's annoyed me to such an extent I feel like dancing a jig on a virtual grave. If Second Life can eke out a living by getting more money from its citizens, that's a good thing. No. All along, it was the boosters -- especially those in the ad world looking to cash in by suckering convincing marketers what a marketing gold mine Second Life would be. Buy an island! Build a store! And the press releases for all those fake parties with fake booze!

I'm sure all those marketers who've poured anything more than $150 into developing islands in this place are kicking themselves. With the economy being what it is, just think what they could have done in the real world with that real-world money (actually, not much, I imagine). As I've said before, the problem with Second Life is that it's a fake world, in which fake money is spent. Now call me crazy, but if I'm a major marketer I don't know that I want to spend marketing dollars in a land where people go to virtually cheat on their spouses. Besides, despite claims to having over 1 million users, I don't think anyone was convinced that Second Life ever saw anywhere near those numbers active at any one time. (World of War Craft, on the other hand, now that's a different story.)

Hey, remember when we were given the list of Top Ten Reasons Brands Don't Get Second Life? I sure do. I tried to explain that "not wanting it" and "not getting it" are two entirely different things. And the typical Web 3.5 (or whatever) boosters rushed into the breach to tell me how wrong I was. Even as the actual numbers were already slipping, they were telling me (in comments on this post) that "in 5 years, Gartner predicts 80% of people will have a Second Life of some sort." I'm sure Gartner was counting on no one actually keeping count. Or maybe it planned on revising what "a 'Second Life' of some sort" meant. (The first person who claims that his or her Mii is a Second Life of some sort will get a virtual slap.)

Hey, maybe one day technology will be there. And maybe, even more importantly, the people will be there. But for now, Second Life qualifies as -- at best -- a niche market, something slightly more easy to monetize than Twitter and Facebook. But just because you can cram ads into something used by the smallest sliver of the population doesn't necessarily mean you should.

A Dog Named 'Condom' Has India Rapt

This post below is on www.adage.com - an advertising magazine. I thought that it was funny. Yet, abstinence loses some power when we say, "Abstinence is the way to go... BUT... if you're going to do it anyways, here's a condom." I'm kind of on the line because there are non-Christian people that don't have Christ as their LORD and therefore way of life. So, should I ease their pain and possible consequence of an STD by giving people condoms? Should I support that with my time and money? When I was in Santa Francisco many of my Christian house-mates were involved in programs like these for their internships and they became big believer in this method of ministry. I'm still not sure. I need time to think about it and to what extent I support this or to what extent I don't support this. Here's the article:



New Spot Is Part of a National Anti-AIDS Efforts

Posted by Matthew Creamer on 11.20.08 @ 02:50 PM

Puppies are cute. Condoms are useful in preventing the spread of AIDS. So it only goes to figure that a pup named after prophylactic will help get the word out about safe sex, especially in an Indian culture that's often shy when it comes to talking about these matters.

In a new ad from the country's National AIDS Control Organization, an old woman playing with a puppy asks its owner (and his omniscient parrot, of course) what the dog's name is. "Condom," they say, which she then repeats several times. When the man asks her how she can say that in public, she declares her support for condoms. The tagline, "Jo Samjha Wohi Sikander," translates to "The One Who Understands Is the Winner."



The spot is a cute, weird attempt to get people used to saying and hearing the word "condom." According to Afaqs, the ad is the fourth phase of a highly effective campaign to promote condom use that has also included a contest and a ringtone giveaway. Afaqs quoted one official claiming a 5% increase in condom sales between April and September 2008.

You can find other ads in the campaign here.

Westmont Soccer Game - Update

Join us this Saturday at 7 p.m. at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium to show your support for your Westmont family. Days after losing his own home to the Tea Fire, Coach Dave Wolf took his team, some of whom had nothing left but the clothes on their backs, to Azusa, where they won the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Monday with a 2-0 victory over No. 5 Azusa Pacific. The article in the LA Times captured the hardship and healing in their victory. Now the 24th-ranked Westmont Warriors have turned their attention to the 2008 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship opening round. The Warriors (10-6-2) will host Holy Names from the Bay Area Saturday in a 7 p.m. game at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium.

"Your support will mean a great deal to our Warriors!" says President Gayle D. Beebe. "The energy at the Azusa Pacific game on Monday was a big factor in the Westmont victory. I know you will enjoy the article in Tuesday's L.A. Times by Pulitzer Prize winner Bill Plaschke."

Westmont will use the opportunity to say, "Thank you," to the Santa Barbara community for all the help, support and compassion it has received in response to the Tea Fire, which swept through campus on Thursday evening. In addition to offering free admission, the Warriors plan to honor some of the people who worked to protect not only the Westmont campus but the communities of Montecito and Santa Barbara.

Please make plans to be there and support the team and the college. This is our chance to come together as the Westmont family to cheer for students while showing our community what it means to have a solid foundation in Jesus Christ.

We hope you will join us there!

Westmont Office of Alumni and Parent Relations

Our YouTube Playlist with JW Media Player

I'm so happy that I was able to put this together! This is a the free JW Player. It's not all that intuitive to put things together with this. I worked on it for a while :) You can see our 3 Google videos in this non-google player!

Westmont Soccer Game

Join us this Saturday, November 22nd, at 7pm at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium to show your support for your Westmont family.

Days after losing his own home to the Tea Fire, Coach Dave Wolf took his team, some who had nothing left but the clothes on their backs, to Azusa where they won the Golden State Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Championship on Monday with a 2-0 victory over #5 Azusa Pacific. The write up in the LA Times captured the hardship and healing in their victory. Read the full story at
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-plaschke18-2008nov18,0,5737203.column.

Now, the twenty-fourth ranked Warriors of Westmont have turned their attention to the 2008 NAIA Men's Soccer National Championship Opening Round. The Warriors (10-6-2) will host Bay Area school Holy Names on Saturday in a seven o'clock game at UC Santa Barbara's Harder Stadium.

Westmont will use the opportunity to say thank you to the Santa Barbara community for all the help, support and compassion it has received in response to the Tea Fire which swept through campus on Thursday evening. In addition to free admission, the Warriors plan to honor some of those who gave of themselves in protecting not only the Westmont campus but also the communities of Montecito and Santa Barbara.

Please make plans to be there. This is our chance to come together as a Westmont family to support and cheer for the students, while we show our community what it means to have a solid foundation in Jesus Christ.

We hope to see you all there!


Westmont Office of Alumni and Parent Relations

Separation Between Church and State? - Proposition 8

I was listening to the radio yesterday and the host was talking about the separation between church and state in the context of Proposition 8 that passed not too long ago in CA. Separation between church and state has to exist and does indeed exist. However, what does separation between church and state mean?

I believe that in order to answer my previous question, there is a need to state that God is sovereign over all. Also, I want to point out that Romans 13:1 says:

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Another point that needs to be pointed out is that whether we are Christians or non-Christians, atheists or believers, we are all subject to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. So, whether or we follows Christ or not, we will be judged when Christ returns. In the different ways, the government and individual people are both subject to God. As the parable of the talent shows us, each individual or group is given a different amount (thing) to be responsible for. So, the government's "talent" is to govern, while the people have different responsibilities; one being to follow the laws of the land.

However, even though I think that there needs to be a separation between church and state, that separation is so that the government does not govern the church, and so that the church does not govern the government. However, as a Christian, I feel that my responsibility toward government is that laws continue to be Christ-centered. I feel that it's the same as being in community. My friend Tristan and I sharpen each other and call each other out when things are not Christ-centered. In the same way, I feel that the lay-Christian must do the same with government. In order to help governement fulfill its duties towards God. Since, as quoted before, there is no authority except that which God has established.

So when voting (if I indeed was able to vote since I am not a citizen yet) on prop 8, I would have voted yes because I need to recognize that I am supposed to keep the law of the land continuously reflecting the face of God.

I guess that someone can then say that God does not want disunity and sees everyone as equal. I also think that someone can also say that God looks out for the poor and the minority. Especially when it comes to people's rights. But I would ask this: What is more important, to look at this from the people's perspective, or to look at this issue as to which response would give God more glory. I feel that God also wants unity among His people.. IE, those that have accepted Him as LORD. When Jesus prayed about unity in John 17, He spoke of unity between Him and the Father, His disciples, and all of those that would be in Him through the message of salvation that the disciples proclaimed.

One of my friends also pointed out that now most homosexuals are upset with the Church since basically all of the Church, or a large percentage, voted Yes on prop 8. Well, not to be too blunt here, but so what? Even if I voted no on prop 8, I would still be totally against the homosexual lifestyle. Hence, homosexuals might not like the Church now, because I'm holding up another one of God's ideals.

I think that no matter how anyone looks at it, there needs to be a recognition that both church and state have different functions and that these functions are both subject to God. All will be judged... even those people goverment... And all will be judged as to how they lived or did not live a Christ-like lifestyle.

Another possible argument is this: what is more important, minority rights or keeping a Christ-like lifestyle in our society as a whole or individually? Furthermore, who is to say which one of those two is above the other?

That's a harder one. But, I believe that even though one could be more important than the other, or even though they might both hold the same weight, if one of the two allows for evil(sin) to occur, then the one that allows that sin to occur automatically becomes second in order of importance.

I need to work this out in writing:

Consequences of YES on 8:

1. Society not as depraved
2. Sexuality not lawfully okay
3. minority rights not given to homosexuals

Consequences of NO on 8:

1. Society becomes more depraved.
2. Sexuality now lawfully okay
3. minority rights not given to Christians as a population

I think this last #3, again going back to the government being under God whether they like it or not, shows that the LORD always favors His people, since His people are supposed to be following His law. Supposed to be... But anyways, this last point sounds a little confusing to me and it's late, so I'm not going to rephrase it. If you have questions about this or want to talk about this then ask and I'll take the time to answer.

I'm basically saying that the rights of God's people according to God's laws will always be higher in hierarchy than people that are not of God.

That last point was a bit abrasive.

Pablo and Anna Otaola - Lobster Night

We had a great time! And it was DELICIOSO!!!!

Some Pictures of Our New Home :)

These are loooooooong overdue.... but mejor tarde que nunca!

How to Help Westmont

The Westmont community is so grateful for the many offers of assistance we have received for faculty and students. All emergency needs have been met thanks to these generous offers. We will now start addressing long-term needs and matching them with individual offers. The most pressing need is for long-term housing for faculty and their families. If you know of suitable rental properties, please send that information to westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com

Donate cash

To donate money, please mail a check payable to Westmont College and note “Wildfire Relief Fund” in the memo section of your check or cover letter. You may also donate online.

Donate in-kind

If you have items to donate to fire victims, please send an e-mail to assist@westmont.edu

Offer Housing

To request or offer temporary housing, please e-mail westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com

Student Volunteers

Westmont students currently in the Santa Barbara area who wish to help, please e-mail studentvolunteer@westmont.edu. Please include a phone number where you can be reached. WCSA & WSM will be linking student volunteers to local needs.

Article from Westmont.edu. CLICK HERE to vie article.

How to Help Westmont College after the Montecito Tea Fire

The Westmont community is so grateful for the many offers of assistance we have received for faculty and students. All emergency needs have been met thanks to these generous offers. We will now start addressing long-term needs and matching them with individual offers. The most pressing need is for long-term housing for faculty and their families. If you know of suitable rental properties, please send that information to westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com

Donate cash

To donate money, please mail a check payable to Westmont College and note “Wildfire Relief Fund” in the memo section of your check or cover letter. You may also donate online.

Donate in-kind

If you have items to donate to fire victims, please send an e-mail to assist@westmont.edu

Offer Housing

To request or offer temporary housing, please e-mail westmonthousinghelp@gmail.com

Student Volunteers

Westmont students currently in the Santa Barbara area who wish to help, please e-mail studentvolunteer@westmont.edu. Please include a phone number where you can be reached. WCSA & WSM will be linking student volunteers to local needs.

Article from Westmont.edu. CLICK HERE to vie article.

Westmont College Frequently Asked Questions and Answers Regarding Montecito Tea Fire

Academics

How will physics majors be affected?

Please wait for updates on the Web site.

Is the yearbook picture deadline postponed?

All college deadlines will be affected by the fire and new dates will be issued accordingly.

Do I need to buy a new choir robe? May I get a discount or have it paid for me?

Each department will assess replacement ability as needed and communicate to effected students.

What about if my books and school work were lost in the fire?

Each professor is aware of students in their classes who would have been affected by the fire. They will determine on the first day of classes what the needs are for each class such as sharing notes, books, etc. Westmont's textbook provider is providing students' books free of charge to the bookstore and the bookstore will overnight them to the students' homes in the coming days.

What is the schedule is for registration for Spring 2009?

Registration starts Dec 1, and will follow the original plan.

When does second semester start?

Classes begin Jan 12th, students are welcomed back Jan 10th as previously planned.

When will classes start?

Classes will start on Monday, Dec. 1st with more information posted on the web as know.

Will art students be allowed to pick up their art on Tuesday?

No.

Will my college units count this semester?

Faculty are working to accommodate all course work for their classes and students to complete the academic requirements for the semester.

Will the orchestra still have its concert? What about Christmas party?

We will continue with these events.

What is happening to Preview Days students' belongings?

The college will box and ship (at no charge) belongings left on campus when Preview Days students had to depart.

Assistance

How can I donate clothing or items to people displaced?

The most helpful thing is to donate $ at this point which can be directed to affected people for them to purchase items they would need. With specific items please email assist@westmont.edu

Where can I make a monetary donation?

If you would like to make a credit card donation, please donate online, or call Delia Csipkay at (805) 565-7053. Checks can me made out to:

Westmont College
Wildfire Relief
955 La Paz Rd
Santa Barbara, CA 93108

Automobile damange

How many and where were the cars destroyed by the fire?

There was only one vehicle destroyed by the fire in the Page parking lot and it was from a visiting student

Auxiliary Services

What about my mail in the Post Office?

Mail was removed from the Post Office to protect it. You may request that it be forwarded by going to Auxiliary services, but keep in mind that there may be a delay which would result in delivery past Dec. 1

Cleaning

Are there any professional cleaning companies in SB that families could drop off their stuff?

ServiceMaster: 963-1365
Servpro: 963-0606
Ward Restoration: 501-0080

Counseling

When will mental/emotional resources be posted on-line for students and families?

Information for mental/emotional support is posted on the Westmont Web page. In addition, the counselors will provide additional hours for the remainder of the semester and process groups which students can attend.

Dining Commons

Will there be food vouchers for students while the DC is shut down?

955 La Paz Rd.

Financial

How do I wire $ to my son/daughter?

Contact your bank for this question or through Western Union

Future

What are ideas to rebuild?

At this point there is not a specific plan but many considerations in the future

Housing

Are we demolishing Clark M and S?

They will be rebuilt in parallel with Phase 1 construction.

Did washers survive the fire in S?

No they did not.

How bad was the smoke damage in the halls?

Each hall had varying levels of smoke damage. The professional cleaning crew is doing an amazing job removing the smoke from the rooms and then individual clothing and bedding will need to be washed by each student. Contact your insurance for coverage on this.

Is there any way for people to return after this Wed and before Dec 1st to get their stuff? This is being asked by families who are further away (4 plus hours)?

Yes - make arrangements with Student Life via an email to stulife or calling the 888-565-7911.

Was there water damage in Clark M & S?

Clark M & S had severe water and fire damage.

Will mattresses and rugs that have been smoke-damaged be replaced?

All items unable to be cleaned by the cleaning service will be assessed and replaced as needed.

Can someone else pick up my stuff Tuesday or Wednesday if I'm unable to come?

The resident would need to contact the RA or RD to authorize a person to pick the items up.

Were bikes damaged in Page?

4 bikes parked near Page were damaged.

What about other dorms?

All residence halls besides CL, S and M, and PG C338, 340, C238,240 are fine and inhabitable. There will likely smoke damage but rooms are inhabitable and items will be able to be retrieved at a soon to be announced date and time.

What about rotting food in Clark fridges?

The students will need to clean them out when they return after Thanksgiving break.

What dorms are effected by the fire?

CL S, CL M, and PG C238, C240, C338, C340.

Where will displaced students be housed?

We are working to keep the sections of students together and on campus and on a modular dorm that will be placed in the Clark property for the residents.

Will college insurance cover damaged student belongings?

College insurance will not cover students' personal property. We suggest contacting your insurance company as parents' homeowners insurance will often cover these losses. A recovery service has been engaged to clean each room. Students are invited to come to campus and retrieve their valuables on Tues and Wed before the cleaning commences.

Information Technology

What about if I lost my student ID?

The IT department is working on getting replacement IDs for students who have lost them. Please send an email to cst@westmont.edu with your request if it is lost.

When I go to www.westmont.edu, I end up at disaster.westmont.edu - what should I do?

The old address is saved in your computer. Reboot your computer and flush the cache in your browser.

Lost Stuff

Where is Lost & Found on campus?

See Ginny Murray at Physical Plant 565-6105

Parking

Will people get parking tickets for coming to campus to help students move their stuff?

No, they will not be issued tickets but vehicles will only be allowed on campus a short time and not allowed to remain parked.

Personal Belongings

What if all clothes smelly should they take them?

Students will be allowed to take only a couple of bags -- i.e. not all of their things-- so will most likely be unable to take all of their clothing. They will be able to address smoke smell when they return by washing clothes after Thanksgiving break.

Safety

How is the air/water quality? Any toxins from the Physics Building?

The air quality is a bit smoky but face masks are not required any more. We will have some masks provided for individuals with respiratory issues as a precaution. There is no danger from the Physics building. Water quality is good.

Shuttle

Is the shuttle working or dial-a-ride?

Shuttle service is not running now. It will resume on Nov. 29th at 9:30. Dial-a-ride will begin at 10am on the 11/29 and might start earlier if needed. Dial-a-ride will continue to operate through the Thanksgiving Break for faculty, staff, and students. 565-7000 or 455-6630 for appointments.

Will there be airport transportation to and from Thanksgiving break?

Dial-a-ride will help with students who come into SBA and Amtrak. They will need to call to make a reservation (455-6630). Students who use Santa Barbara Airbus will be picked up by the shuttle at stop #2 Mar Monte. Students who choose not to use Dial-a-Ride from Amtrak can walk a couple of blocks to stop #3 corner of State Street and Cabrillo Blvd. Students who come in by Greyhound but don't call Dial-a-Ride, can walk a few blocks to stop #3 Pasea Nuevo. This is similar to all holiday transportation services for students.

Fashioning Art Out of Clay - Westmont College

“Ceramics: Form and Function” opens in Reynolds Gallery Thursday, Nov. 6, with a reception from 4-6 p.m., and will be on display through Dec. 19. The exhibition brings together work in clay by 14 internationally-recognized artists from around the world, each with a unique mode of working in the medium. Many pieces on display will be for sale.

“I chose these particular artists because of their characteristic surface decoration and notable style,” says guest curator Chris Rupp, who teaches sculpture at the college and is a ceramic collector and potter. “Each artist has a unique method of showing his or her process through the finished piece.”

Local artist James Haggerty is one of very few potters in the country to use the Persian Luster technique, which creates a shimmering metallic surface on his pottery. His pieces are delicately thrown and then glazed specifically to crater, fissure and bubble with an iridescent shine. Many pots are fired several times to achieve the desired results. Having dedicated his life to mastering the process, Haggerty is one of the best ceramic artists working in this style.

Functional pottery by New York artist Aymui Horie is characterized by playfulness and storybook decorations, often incorporating line drawings of animals, numbers, letters, and whimsical splashes of color. “I hope to impart a feeling of quietness and contentment,” she says. “Finger marks and dents are unconcealed and even celebrated, because what could be more comforting than the handmade?”

Californian Marc Digeros, the model shop manager for architect Frank Gehry, says his ceramic work reflects architectural ideas of structure and texture. He folds and joins slabs of clay to create his pieces, letting the seams and layers interact with colorful glazes to create the final form.

John Dix, an American-born ceramicist currently living and working in Japan, uses traditional Japanese materials and processes, including a wood burning kiln to create unpredictable finishes. His pieces often spend seven days in the kiln, producing finished glaze effects created from the path of the flame and the falling ash.

More information about each artist is available at the Arts at Westmont page on the Westmont Web site, www.westmont.edu.

Reynolds Gallery hours are Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Saturday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information visit www.reynoldsgallery.org or call (805) 565-6162.

Article from www.Westmont.edu. To view article clickc HERE.

Westmont Wildfire Relief Fund

In response to this emergency the college has established a Wildfire Relief Fund. Those wishing to contribute may do so by making a check payable to Westmont College and addressed to Westmont College / Wildfire Relief. Or you may do so online.

Westmont College Students NOT involved in Montecito Tea Fire!!!

Praise God fort this!! Praise God!!! Please see the official Westmont email from President Beebe:

Tea Fire Update from President Gayle Beebe

Dear students, faculty, staff and friends:

It has nearly been a week since the Tea Fire ravaged our campus and the larger Montecito and coastal community. Our thoughts and prayers are with all devastated by this fire as each of us affected throughout the region continues to face the reality of having our everyday lives turned upside down.

Due to the close proximity of the college to the off-campus site of the fire, we have been inundated with questions from many concerned audiences. I?m sure that you have also been contacted as a source of information by friends and family.

There are a few questions that have come up repeatedly, and I?d like to share my responses with you. The most accurate source of information about the fire investigation will come from the authorities themselves; misinformation will only cause greater suffering for the region. For information concerning the investigation, please refer to the Sheriff?s department at http://www.sbsheriff.org/.

Sincerely,
Gayle D. Beebe, President


1) Were any Westmont students involved in causing the fire?

No. On Wednesday afternoon at approximately 2:45 p.m., Drew Sugars, the public information officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff?s Office officially informed the college that no current Westmont students were present nor in anyway involved with this tragic incident.

We have been in regular contact with investigators since the fire and have been providing any information that might be helpful toward determining the exact cause of the fire. This is our responsibility as a community citizen. Our surrounding coastal region is home to many colleges and universities, and like all of them, we are awaiting new information.

It should be noted that at this point, the group of individuals responsible for starting the fire are under the jurisdiction of law enforcement authorities. Again, no current Westmont students were involved with this incident.


2) When will students and faculty be able to return to campus?

The campus will reopen Saturday, Nov. 29, at noon, and classes will restart Dec. 1. We are tirelessly working to clean up the campus and accommodate the entire campus population after the Thanksgiving holiday.


3) When will new information about the cause of the investigation be made available?
We have been informed by authorities that the investigation is still underway. It is important to resist the urge to speculate beyond what is currently known. Ultimately, the public needs to let the authorities do their job.


4) How is the college addressing rumors speculating about Westmont students?

Investigators have determined that no current Westmont students were involved in the fire. Any suggestions to the contrary are false and damaging.

Despite rumors and speculation on the Internet, our utmost priority throughout the investigation has been addressing the needs of our campus and the surrounding community. That means providing information requested by authorities, cleaning up the demolished sites on our campus in preparation for returning to the academic term, and generally being a good neighbor in a time of great need. Second, we are providing accurate information directly from investigators to our college community in as timely a manner as possible.

Ultimately, the findings of the investigation will be made public by authorities and the individuals responsible for the fire will enter the jurisdiction of the law. Until that point, I ask that each of you do your part by avoiding undue speculation and by communicating responsibly, as is reflected in our values and mission.


5) How can I help?

Along with your family and friends, I strongly encourage you to participate in our Wildfire Relief Fund. As a longtime member of the Santa Barbara community, we will be working in unison with the region toward rebuilding efforts and we will be releasing more information about those possibilities as appropriate. For now, I ask that you continue to keep all victims of this fire in your thoughts and prayers, and become involved in our community efforts.

Lance Hoffman and his Wife

Lance Hoffman's dad was my youth pastor when I was growing up at First Southern Baptist Church in Lompoc, CA. Lance and I hung out some times in youth group and her's a good guy. I would ask that you please pray for him since he and his wife are being treated for bad burn that they suffered during the first few hours of the Montecito Tea Fire.

Here is the article that was published today in the Santa Barbara News-Press:

A tragic tale : Relative of burn victims Lance and Carla Hoffman describes harrowing moments of Tea Fire

ANGEL PACHECO, NEWS-PRESS STAFF WRITER

Lance and Carla Hoffman are being treated at UC Irvine Burn Center for injuries they suffered in the Tea Fire. COURTESY PHOTO

Lance and Carla Hoffman's home, which was located behind these trees on East Mountain Drive, burned to the ground in the Tea Fire. The couple, both 29, are being treated for burns at a hospital in Irvine.

November 18, 2008 7:07 AM

Montecito couple Lance and Carla Hoffman were in critical condition at UC Irvine Burn Center after being overcome by flames in the early stages of the Tea Fire.

Mr. Hoffman, a security guard at Paseo Nuevo, and his wife, an assistant manager at Metro Entertainment, were both sedated and being assisted in their breathing Monday, according to relatives.

The 29-year-olds suffered severe burns the evening of Nov. 13 while fleeing their home in the 200 block of East Mountain Drive, not far from where the 1,940-acre blaze is thought to have started. People close to the couple tell a harrowing tale of their running down a twisting dirt road in hopes of getting to safety, only to fall victim to a flash-fire.

Then, in the face of severe injuries, Mr. Hoffman apparently found the strength to drive himself and his wife to Santa Barbara City Fire Station 7 on Stanwood Drive, some three miles away.

Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Department investigators said Monday the person or people responsible for the blaze may have entered the area of origin -- on East Mountain Drive between the historic Piranhurst Tea House and Cold Springs Trailhead -- the night of Nov. 12 or the morning of Nov. 13.

It's not known whether the fire was accidental or intentional, but authorities are urging anyone with information on vehicles or people that may have been in the area to call an anonymous tip line at 681-4171.

Mr. Hoffman suffered second- and third-degree burns to his head, face, arms, knees and feet, according to his grandfather, James Mills, 82. The man's face was extremely swollen, Mr. Mills added, and doctors initially were concerned that Mr. Hoffman's eyes and lungs had been scorched.

That ended up not being the case.

His wife suffered primarily second-degree -- and some third-degree -- burns to her arms, hands, legs and feet, Mr. Mills said.

The Hoffmans, who have been married for about a year, were transported by ambulance to Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital Thursday night before being airlifted to the burn center in Orange County.

Mr. Mills, who spent 14 years as a firefighter in Los Angeles and Santa Barbara, and also was a pharmacist in Santa Barbara, told the News-Press he was not prepared for the sight of his injured grandson.

"I've never seen anyone look as bad as Lance did," he said. "God, I couldn't take it."

Fire officials on Monday still did not have the complete story of what befell the Hoffmans.

"We have secondhand reports from family members," said Capt. Eli Iskow, Santa Barbara County Fire Department spokesman. "There is probably more to the story."

Before they can find out the rest, however, they must wait for the couple's condition to improve.

"Right now they are severely burned and we are in full support mode," Capt. Iskow said. "I have kids that age, so I sympathize with the family."

Lance and Carla grew up in Santa Barbara County. He is a graduate of Santa Ynez High School and, at 6-foot-5, has a big presence, said his grandfather.

Mrs. Hoffman's family has lived in Santa Barbara for many generations.

The two met at Whittier College and have been together about 10 years, Mr. Mills said.

Doctors at UC Irvine are hopeful that the couple will recover, and Mr. Mills said that Mr. Hoffman's mom, Linda, had told him the hospital was really on top of things.

"The kids could not be at a better place than they are right now," he said.

However, he described the last few days as very trying.

"To look at him in that condition, it's tough."

e-mail: apacheco@newspress.com