2002

Nobel Prize winner Stanley Prusiner, M.D., will present the 5th annual Breakthroughs in BioScience Lecture at Pacific Union College (PUC) on Monday, April 15, at 8 p.m. in Dauphinee Chapel. The topic of Prusiner’s lecture is “Mad Cow Disease: Prion Biology and New Therapeutic Approaches.” Dr. Prusiner won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine for his pioneering research on the unusual infectious agent of this disease. He is currently a member of the department of neurology at the University of California, San Francisco. Prusiner is the fourth Nobel Prize winner to speak for the Breakthroughs in BioScience series....

Bill Hemmerlin, Educator of the Year for 2000-2001, presented his goals for Pacific Union College’s teaching environment in a lecture to his colleagues during faculty and staff college assembly on Tuesday, April 2. Hemmerlin is a professor of chemistry who has taught at PUC since 1979. Last year’s award marked the second time he has been recognized as Educator of the Year for his excellence in teaching at PUC. Hemmerlin spent much his presentation recalling the significant teachers who shaped his educational experience. From elementary his days through graduate school, Hemmerlin noted the devotion, inspiration, and challenges his teachers presented, highlighting the specific impact each teacher made on his life. Hemmerlin concluded his lecture by outlining his goals for the teaching environment at PUC. He suggested mentors for new teachers, to be chosen from more experienced faculty, and an open policy of visitation by teachers between classrooms. Hemmerlin also noted the advantages of a videotaping service whereby a faculty member can record a class for later observation of his or her teaching style. This, together with an independent teaching evaluation system, will allow educators better insight into how they are perceived by students. He concluded the lecture by calling for...

Catherine Babcock, a student in the teacher credentialing program offered through Pacific Union College’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education (CAPE), was recently honored as one of 1,000 students in California selected to receive a Governor’s Teaching Fellowship. This $20,000 award is designed to help pay education and living expenses for qualified students enrolled in a teacher credentialing program. In return, Catherine will teach for four years in a state designated, low-performing school. So how does it feel to receive a $20,000 check from the government? “I couldn’t believe it at first,” says Catherine. “They sent a letter of congratulations—and you get so many letters promising stuff that isn’t true. I thought, ‘Is this real?’ Now I’m very proud and excited.” The education department at Pacific Union College shares Catherine’s excitement. “We are extremely proud of Catherine’s award,” said Jean Buller, professor of education and chair of the education department. “We always knew we had special students at PUC and this award only confirms that.” When asked what she will do with the money, Catherine says it will help her pay off the thousands of dollars she owes in student loans. Ever since she came to the United States from...

On April 10, Bob Trinchero announced that he is in the process of donating St. Helena Corporate Child Care to Pacific Union College. Mr. Trinchero, chairman and CEO of Sutter Home Winery, and his wife, Evalyn, developed this property as a child care facility in 1992 in order to provide Sutter Home employees and local residents with a convenient, quality child-care option. The Trinchero family chose Pacific Union College because of its long-standing reputation for excellent child care. Pacific Union College has operated a preschool in Angwin—Discoveryland Preschool—since the 1960s. Its preschool has not only provided a valuable service to the community, but also a training ground for PUC's highly regarded Early Childhood Education program. St. Helena Corporate Child Care will continue to be operated by its current child care provider, the Knowledge Learning Corporation, until May 17, 2002. At that time, the facility's administrative operations will be transferred to Pacific Union College, managed by the college's Department of Education and Early Childhood Development Program. According to John Collins, Ed.D., vice president for financial administration at Pacific Union College, "We're delighted that the Trincheros have confidence in our ability to provide a high quality preschool program for the children and...

George Knight, well-known Adventist author and educator, is the speaker for this year’s Heubach Lecture. His topic is “Ground Zero in the Battle Between Christ and Satan.” The Heubach Lecture on Thursday, April 18, marks the start of Homecoming Weekend at Pacific Union College. Knight is currently a professor of church history at Andrews University and is the author of dozens of books, including a recent series on Ellen White. The Heubach Lecture, created in honor of PUC alumnus Paul Heubach, was established to examine the great central truths of Christianity in light of the character of God. Lecturers strive to communicate these truths in simple language—“terms understood where people live.” The goal of each lecture is to leave the listener with a clearer comprehension of God, and thus more confidence in Him....

Pacific Union College students past and present are invited to attend this year’s alumni weekend activities beginning on April 18. Among other opportunities, Homecoming Weekend gives PUC alums the chance to re-acquaint themselves with the beautiful Angwin campus and greet old friends. Alumni Weekend begins with several activities on Thursday, April 18, including the Alumni Weekend Exhibition at Rasmussen Art Gallery, which features the work of current PUC student artists. An opening reception for the show will be held at 7 p.m. in the gallery. The second major event on Thursday evening is the annual Heubach Lecture, this year featuring Adventist theologian and educator, George Knight. The lecture will be held at 7:30 in Dauphinee Chapel and will be followed by a book signing. On Friday, April 19, Homecoming Weekend visitors are invited to the Pioneer Luncheon at 11 a.m. in the Dining Commons. Vespers will be held at 7 p.m. in the Pacific Union College church sanctuary. PUC graduate, world-renowned archeologist, and current president of La Sierra University, Lawrence Geraty, will present the sermon for both church services on Sabbath, April 20, at 8:45 and 11:15 a.m. Afternoon activities include Music for a Sabbath Afternoon presented by the music...

Pacific Union College recently hosted the 2002 Northern California Regional Meeting of Phi Alpha Theta. The gathering of members from the national honor society in history was sponsored by PUC’s local chapter, Alpha Zeta Theta and organizedby the chapter’s faculty advisor and professor of history, Keith Francis. PUC chapter president Justina Buller, vice-president June Oh, secretary-treasurer Andrew Caldwell, and history major C. Ross Mullin also contributed to the success of the two-day event.Adu Worku, director of library services at Pacific Union College, was the featured speaker for the conference. He lectured on the topic of “Ethiopia: The American Connection.”The conference featured student papers by both graduate and undergraduate historians from colleges and universities throughout Northern California. Presenters were divided into twelve catagories to share their work with peers and professors. Lorne Glaim, chair of PUC’s history department, was a judge for the regional conference along with professors from San Jose State University and CSU Stanislaus. Prizes were awarded for the best undergraduate and graduate papers as well as a grand prize for the best paper overall....

And like one’s best relatives, they only came to visit. By Sunday afternoon, scarcely a trace was left of them, save a few fifth-wheel trailers and Burma-shave signs along Howell Mountain Road into Angwin. Though it happens every year, each Homecoming Weekend is a unique experience. Of course, most students wouldn’t know because they’re gone. Maybe that’s not all bad—good for them and good for alumni. However, it’s possible, maybe even likely, that both groups would benefit from each other’s presence. Alumni might learn that, contrary to rumors, PUC is NOT a party school. (Whoever started that rumor has never been to a party school.) And PUC’s students might learn that there is life beyond Pomp and Circumstance. Perhaps the surprising guest to this year’s Alumni Homecoming Weekend, April 18-21, was something past Homecoming’s have gone without: warm sunshine. It’s doubtful the thousand-plus visitors could have asked for a more delightful Spring weekend. Though the weekend officially began on Thursday, April 18, with an evening of vintage films and the Heubach Lectureship with George Knight, the festivities kicked into gear starting Friday. One of PUC’s grandest traditions, Pioneers’ Luncheon, took place at 10 a.m. This is when the old, old...

Pacific Union College (PUC) athletics are still going strong after nearly 13 years. While PUC is in the process of selecting a new coach for the women’s basketball team, the department’s varsity program and college-sponsored academy tournaments will continue as usual. “PUC is committed to its athletic program, from the administration on down,” says Chuck Evans, chair of the exercise science, health, and nutrition department. The school has been part of California Pacific Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) since 1996. The NAIA’s strict academic eligibility requirement is one of the reasons why PUC chose to join. “It allows us to stay focused on education,” Evans says, referring to the grade point average (GPA) and minimum load unit requirement for PUC athletes. Student athletes must also sign a personal contract before joining the team. The varsity program at PUC currently includes men’s and women’s cross country teams, as well as women’s volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. The selection of sports is based on school demographics and reflects the student population. PUC’s varsity teams include a cross section of athletes, representing many departments on campus—not just exercise science majors. Evans says he is pleased with how well...

Having a wide variety of students at Pacific Union College means that they have some fairly unique interests. Isaac Hrimnak, from Placerville, California, is one of these students. Now a freshman, Hrimnak has what some would consider to be a split personality. Aside from being a normal Californian, he has also taken part in Civil War re-enacting for half of his life. As he says, his frock coat, forage cap, and red sash may be “140 years out of style,” but his uniform fits right in when he joins his friends for battles and tours of historic sites. Hrimnak’s interest in history began when he was young. While his classmates were out playing soccer and baseball, Hrimnak stayed inside, absorbed in history books. At nine years old, he became interested in joining a Civil War re-enactment group, but was required to have a parent join as well. However, since his mother was a single parent at the time, she was too busy home-schooling his younger sister. Hrimnak’s mother finally asked whether there was any way he could join the group and was told that the only position a child of his age could hold during the Civil War was that...