1998

David Pizarro is graduating summa cum laude this year with a B.S. degree in psychology. Pizarro was accepted to the Yale University Graduate School of Psychology's doctoral program and was given a University Fellowship which covers his tuition for the entire program and pays him a stipend as well. Pizarro hopes to teach and do research in psychology after he graduates. "I'd like to thank my teachers for preparing me for graduate school, and I'd like to thank God for opening doors in my life," he said. Rob Wells fulfilled the prerequisites for dental school at PUC. He will attend Loma Linda University School of Dentistry this fall, after spending his fifth summer with Camp Wawona's aquatics program. Wells is looking forward to entering the field of dentistry because it is interesting and it will allow him to devote time to family. In 1996, Sylvianne Pizarro graduated summa cum laude from Pacific Union College with a bachelor of business administration degree with an accounting emphasis. She is now studying law at Harvard University, and she hopes to work in the field of corporate law after graduation in 1999. "I would like to work in a law firm in San Francisco,...

On September 22, Pacific Union College launched its 116th year of quality Seventh-Day Adventist education. By the close of the college's inaugural year of 1882 83, the school had enrolled 152 students and employed a faculty of six. Things have changed. Today, PUC educates over 1600 students with about 115 faculty members. This year, PUC welcomes six new professors to the college's faculty. Sandra Balli, Ph.D., joins the department of education. Balli will teach for the department and will serve as an associate academic dean. Her focus will be to assist the school in applying technology to learning. Balli replaces Paul Plummer who retired this year after over fifty years in Adventist education. Kenneth James, Ph.D., R.D., new to the family and consumer science department, will work directly with PUC's food science and administration programs, as well as nutrition classes. James comes to PUC from East Tennessee University. A native of Peru, Rosario (Charo) Cabellero-Chambers, M.A., will teach Spanish for PUC's modern languages department. Cabellero-Chambers comes to PUC from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. PUC's largest department, nursing, welcomes three new teachers. Carol Williams, R.N., M.S., will work as PUC's skills lab coordinator. Carel Clay, R.N., M.S.N., will teach pediatric nursing. And...

Wellness Fair '98, presented by the Pacific Union College Nursing Department, will be at Vintage High School in Napa on March 6. The program is geared towards educating students on the importance of health issues. Seven major booths, scattered throughout the Vintage High gymnasium, offer information on various topics such as self defense, sexually transmitted diseases, and first aid. All physical education and health classes come to the gym, where they are given cards that are to be stamped at each booth. After a certain number, students are allowed to turn in their cards for a door prize drawing. Over 800 students usually end up attending. "Students love the Wellness Fair," says Allison Saether, who is the school nurse at Vintage High. "They have a background knowledge of health issues through their required health classes, but the fair gives them an opportunity to be actively involved in the learning process." The community outreach seminar is part of the service learning component for a class in PUC's Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) program called Health Education Promotion and Self Care. The fair was actually initiated four years ago by a group of students who were required to come up with...

In a rare public appearance, acclaimed writer Chaim Potok lectured at Pacific Union College on Monday night, February 16. Fortunately, the organizers of the lecture moved the event to a larger venue-the college's church sanctuary-in order to seat the more than 1,200 students, professors, and Potok fans. The lecture was part of the Longo Lecture Series, founded in 1992 by Lawrence D. Longo, M.D., in honor of his parents, Frank and Florine Longo. Dr. Longo wanted to benefit students with a quality public discussion of religion and society, so he established the lecture, intended to be an annual event. The lecture committee, with Dr. Longo's approval, chose to stage the event biannually in order to have the necessary funds to invite internationally eminent guests. Potok in his lecture described his difficult-but inescapable-quest to be a "storyteller," a surprising decision for a boy growing up in a Jewish Hasidic tradition. He said, "I remember telling my mother, 'I want to write stories.' She looked at me and said, 'That's wonderful. You can write stories on the side when you are not working as a brain surgeon." According to Potok, "Nothing is sacred to the novelist." A good novelist can take a...

For most people, flying is something to dream about. If they want to get into the sky and soar among billowy, white clouds on a sunny, spring day, they will have to pack themselves elbow to elbow with strangers in a crowded, jumbo jet at a smoggy, big-city airport. For most people, airplanes are about transportation, not about freedom or escape. However, most people do not live with Parrott Field in their backyard or with easy access to a flight training program, as we do at Pacific Union College. This year, PUC's technology department began offering a B.S. degree in aviation. This exciting, new major is designed to prepare students for everything from piloting for major airlines or commercial cargo operations to medical evacuation and missions flying. However, there are rich resources left for those of us who just want to get off the ground. Allan Payne, the airport's director and the chief instructor in aviation, estimates that anyone can earn a pilot's license in about two quarters, English or business majors alike. Some faculty members have even begun to realize that there is no reason to let students have all the fun. Gary Gifford, associate academic dean, is currently...

This summer, July 12 -16, Nike and Pacific Union College will present a volleyball camp for girls ages 12-18. The camp is offered at major universities throughout the United States, and this is the first year it has come to the Napa Valley. Lori Endicott-Vandersnick, member of the US Olympic volleyball team in both 1992 and 1996, will teach many of the sessions. Participants will develop important volleyball skills, achieve a new level of play, and-most important-gain added self confidence. The program will offer both a general skills camp and a setter specialty camp. While the curriculum is designed to be challenging, past participants have come away with a new excitement about the game. The resident price for campers is $455, which includes room and board. Campers will stay in the dormitories of PUC's campus, located in Angwin, California, (north Napa Valley) and will eat their meals in the PUC dining hall....

Is there a secret to great teaching? L. Monique Pittman, assistant professor of English, pauses only for a second before answering. "Well, it has to be my absolute conviction that what I am doing matters and has great importance." On May 21, Pittman became the youngest professor to receive the Educator of the Year Award here at PUC. Seated in a "throne" of sorts, Pittman was honored by students and fellow faculty members in what was supposed to be a roast, but turned out to be a touching tribute. She was lauded for many things, from her impeccable fashion sense to her one page, single-spaced responses to her students' papers. "I'm very sensitive, so I'm glad it wasn't a roast," smiles Monique. "The whole morning turned out to be overwhelming emotionally, because people usually don't say such nice things in such a short amount of time." Surprisingly, Pittman didn't really intend to become a teacher. Early childhood photos show her dressed in medical garb, giving her mother a shot with a plastic syringe. She seriously considered going into marketing, so that she could do promotions for the arts. Entering into her freshman year at Andrews, she registered as undecided. It...

Wednesday, April 29, two key issues were discussed at Pacific Union College's regular meeting of the board of trustees: faculty wages and the possible sale of PUC property. The board voted to increase salaries and benefits for faculty and staff to the mean paid by similar Christian institutions in the area. The increased wages are contingent on raising additional funds, which is as yet an unresolved discussion. As for the sale of land, no definite decisions were made. The board simply voted to meet again on June 15 after more dialogue. College president, Malcolm Maxwell, has established an intranet newsgroup for continued dialogue among campus employees and students, and he encourages response from the school's constituency. The Finance Committee did, however, favor the concept of selling land in order to "establish an endowment to maintain the fiscal integrity of the institution, to fund an increase in faculty salaries, and to retire college debt, and." But after further deliberation, the board decided that more discussion and feedback was needed before a decision could be made....

On Wednesday, May 20, 120 golfers gathered at the Silverado Country Club to take part in the 6th annual Napa Valley Golf Tournament. The weather was cool and sunny-a surprisingly golf-friendly day considering this year's winter. The tournament, hosted by Pacific Union College, raised money for the college's worthy student scholarship fund, and provided an opportunity for good natured competition and a fine day on the greens. The tournament consisted of 18 holes of golf in a two-best, foursome play. Special awards were given for the longest drive and the closest to the pins on all par 3's. A 1998 Chevrolet Malibu also sat glistening on the course, the prize for a hole in-one. Alas, no miracle strokes were recorded, so no one left the course with a new car, courtesy of Epps Chevrolet Pontiac Oldsmobile Inc. in St. Helena. Of special note, the Napa Valley Service Club Championship perpetual trophy was awarded to the St. Helena Rotary team, as the top Napa Valley service club foursome. Alex Fox, assistant director of development at PUC, said that the Napa Valley Golf Tournament was, "just a good old home town kind of thing... raising money for local kids." An awards dinner...

It's become a summer tradition at Pacific Union College to see 5th-12th graders working on their lay-ups, their jump-shots, and their ball-handling. This summer, PUC, located in Angwin (north Napa Valley) will host the fourteenth annual Lavin Basketball Camp, offering two camps. The boys' camp will take place July 26-31, and the girls' camp will take place August 2-7. Cap Lavin began his Lavin Basketball Camps to provide boys and girls the skills to become better high school and college basketball players. Sessions are taught by top experts, including Steve Lavin, UCLA basketball coach (national rookie coach of the year). What's more, campers learn to enjoy the game itself in a fun, disciplined environment. Gene Keady, head coach at Purdue University, said, "I think the Lavin Basketball Camp is the finest camp in America." All the camps include clear instruction in basketball fundamentals, with an emphasis on both defense and offense. The games played at the camp will be refereed by a staff of instructors with NCAA Division 1 experience. And because life is not all basketball, there will be time for swimming, highlight films, and a few surprises....