2005

The men grow out their beards; villagers dance in the halls of Paulin; and on the grass by the tennis courts stands Tevye, giving his opening speech to Angwin. The Fiddler on the Roof has come to the hilltop, and a dedicated cast and crew fill the air with their lines, songs, dances and theatrical enthusiasm as they throw themselves into the Napa Valley Musical Theatre production that will be the first musical produced in the newly remodeled Lincoln Theatre. If you wander into Paulin Hall some evening, you’re likely to encounter a lot of actors (there are over 41 in the musical, all PUC students, faculty or staff) and crew (the artistic and administrative team consists of over 20 people, including professionals from Napa and San Francisco). They may be doing Japanese warm-up exercises, or discussing what’s not working in a particular scene, or dancing around in the halls for lack of any other available space. Some of the actors are no surprise—students who have consistently been front-and-center in PUC’s drama and music. “But,” says Mei Ann Teo, our English department Resident Artist and Fiddler’s director, “look at the majors of these students: graphic design, nursing, business, chemistry...the list...

Brass gleamed all across the stage, an epidemic of foot tapping spread through the crowd, and waves of appreciative noise frequently erupted after solo sections. In their first official full-length concert, the PUC Jazz Band filled the well-populated auditorium with great tunes and enthusiastic responses. An engaging mix of works, including “Georgia on my Mind,” Duke Ellington’s “Come Sunday,” and a peppy arrangement of “Just a Closer Walk,” kept the concert varied and enlivening. Though informal jazz bands have been meeting and playing at PUC for some time, this is the first year the band is offered as a credit class. At the end of fall quarter, the jazz band played a well-received set after the PUC Wind Ensemble concert. But their March 12 concert was, you might say, their first truly solo flight. A jazz concert is all about having fun—both onstage and in the audience. And there’s no question: the PUC jazz band concert was just plain fun....

With cold, wet days suddenly exchanged for the vibrant spring sun, all the many-legged and many-eyed critters stir and emerge from their winter homes. Likewise, students swarm out of dorm rooms and study carrels and spatter the campus with bright voices and short-sleeved shirts (and an influx of doe-eyed couples). The tennis courts are well populated in the evenings, and a stream of students flows around the track. Outdoor picnic tables have suddenly become popular again, and attempts at studying for looming finals are moved outside, with backpacks and textbooks spread on the thick green grass. Meanwhile, construction has energetically resumed on the prayer chapel, adding the sounds of tractors and shovels to the general hubbub. Trees blossom with all the preposterous elegance of old-time belles. Students drive up from St. Helena with their windows down. There’s no denying it: it’s spring in Angwin....

If you had been walking through the Napa Valley Adventist Retirement Estates last week, you might have encountered a strange mix of college students and white-haired folk all in the depths of a very exciting activity: filling out tax returns. A number of years ago, business administration professor Henry Kopitzke started a service learning opportunity with his “Taxation for Individuals” students. They trooped down to the Retirement Estates in Yountville and helped the residents with their tax returns. The next year, Kopitzke was contacted by Veterans Services, and he added the Yountville Veterans Home to his project. Kopitzke’s students are given the option of doing either an all-day tax return lab for the retirees or writing a short paper. Every single student has chosen the lab. “I’ve had some students who were real cynics about it beforehand,” says Kopitzke. “But when they’re done, they’re completely changed!” It’s a very personal project, he explains, because the students are meeting these individuals and then sitting down with them and going through the filing process. In the end, they hand their “client” a completed return. Koptizke says, “I tell my students, ‘these people are going to sign the return you do for them...

January was crowded with tsunami news, relief efforts, and commemorative and fund-raising endeavors at PUC and the Angwin community. But by February, the $100,000 goal had been met (with the help of the $50,000 matching grant), and the check sent to ADRA. News coverage of the tsunami aftermath slowed, and gradually it became easier to forget the families in Asia still struggling to regain their footing and cope with loss. Despite the fading coverage—and the onset of midterms—students remembered. PUC’s Student Association planned a benefit night; and on the evening of February 19, students contributed $5 each and joined an enthusiastic audience for an evening of student performances. Academy students who were on campus for College Days added their energy to the crowd. The program began with a somber moment as tribute was paid to the tsunami victims through a slide show and the song “Nearer My God to Thee,” sung by senior Katy Hopgood. After that, the tone became a bit more light-hearted with an excellent line-up of PUC talent. The evening’s profits of $1,800 will go toward tsunami relief and to the fund for the family of David Egwahke, the student who tragically passed away on February 14....

The campus community at Pacific Union College mourns the sudden loss of one of our students. David Egwakhe, a senior nursing major, died Monday night after sustaining a head injury during an intramural basketball game in PUC's gymnasium. He was 21. Egwakhe collided with another player during the game, but continued to play for several minutes. During halftime, Egwakhe collapsed, exhibited signs of a seizure, and lost consciousness. Bob Paulson, physical education professor, immediately performed CPR on Egwakhe while emergency medical services were called. Despite CPR and the efforts of emergency responders, Egwakhe never regained consciousness. He was transported via ambulance to St. Helena Hospital where he was later pronounced dead. Faculty, administrators, counselors and the campus chaplain joined students in the college's Dauphinee Chapel to pray and reflect on this tragedy. A native of Nigeria, Egwakhe was one quarter shy of completing his A.S. degree in nursing. His sister, Ruth Egwakhe, is also a nursing student at PUC. " He was a wonderful student with warmth and quiet dedication to his studies," says Joan Hughson, Egwakhe's faculty advisor. Egwakhe has two other sisters, Titi and Kumbi, living in Nigeria. His parents are living in the Philippines where his father,...

On Wednesday morning the commotion in Davidian Hall caused those passing by to wonder why the downstairs hallway was so busy with excited students. Any nursing student could have told you why–It was the annual nursing department job fair. Starting at 8:30 a.m., more than 25 top nursing recruiters from as nearby as St. Helena and as far away as Florida set up booths in Davidian Hall, hoping to recruit PUC nursing students. Great door prizes and giveaways enticed the students to visit the various booths. Many of the recruiters also used incentives such as loans, sign-on bonuses, moving allowances and new graduate orientation programs to arouse the interest of the students. Many nursing students expressed excitement about the opportunities presented to them. Nursing senior Alondra Martinez said, “The job fair gives us a lot of exposure to different hospitals and programs and shows how they can assist us.” Debbie Duckett, the nursing department admissions coordinator who organized the job fair, expressed the importance of these opportunities, saying, “It is very exciting for the nursing students to see that there are recruiters out there eager to hire the students even before they graduate, all because of the high demand for...

“Sculpture and Encaustics,” an exhibit featuring the work of artist Arminée Chahbazian, is currently on display in Pacific Union College’s Rasmussen Art Gallery. The show will be open through February 3. Chahbazian, a local artist who also showcases her work in San Fransisco, received her MFA in sculpture from the Yale School of Art. Her current exhibit at the Rasmussen Art Gallery includes encaustic paintings and sculptural works. “Encaustics” refers to the method of painting with pigmented bees’ wax; and Chahbazian’s sculptures are predominantly marble, with some other materials incorporated....

“Please keep your questions succinct,” requested Student Association Executive Vice President Adam Weeks. Students began to line up behind the three mics, waiting for their turn to address questions to the onstage panel consisting of the college president, all four vice presidents, the chief of Campus Security, the chaplain, and the SA president and executive vice president. In this colloquy program on January 6, organized by the Student Association and conducted like a town hall meeting, the floor was opened to discussion between students and the panel. Questions regarding plans for housing arrangements, weight room and Internet upgrades, and required program attendance were raised. Others asked about married student issues, the student senate situation, and the new assessment seminar required of all seniors. Not all the students felt that their questions were answered satisfactorily; but, all in all, the atmosphere was positive as the campus had a chance to verbally address major issues and hear the personal responses of the administration. The attentiveness (and occasional outbreaks of laughter or applause) of the audience showed that they were paying close attention. And as both President Richard Osborn and Vice President of Student Services Lisa Bissell Paulson reminded the assembly, the administration...

Filmmaker Dale Johnson will be presenting his travelogue entitled "Canada's Incredible Parks" at Pacific Union College's Paulin Hall Auditorium on Saturday, January 15, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. Dale Johnson did his first filming while living with the Choco Indians in the jungles of lower Panama. Later he spent two years directing and filming the outdoor television series, "The Lone Star Sportsman," which took him all over the United States and several foreign countries. He also joined the film unit attached to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, spent five years at NASA, and formed his own company, Trailwood Films. Many of his films have won prizes and awards, including two that collected the prestigious CINE Golden Eagle. Recent projects include a National Geographic Special on the wolves of Yellowstone. ...