2014

Pacific Union College will host a Graduate School Fair on October 15, open to students and the community. Prospective graduate school students will have the opportunity to meet with representatives from 23 schools that offer a variety of graduate programs. The event will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the college Dining Commons.Graduate schools represented include:Academy of Art UniversityAmerican School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University, San Francisco Bay AreaAndrews UniversityChapman UniversityDominican University of CaliforniaFashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM)Holy Names UniversityKaplan Test PrepLa Sierra UniversityLoma Linda University School of Behavioral HealthLoma Linda University School of Public HealthLoma Linda University School of NursingLoma Linda University Department of Earth and Biological SciencesMcGeorge School of Law (University of the Pacific)Mills CollegePalo Alto UniversitySan Francisco State UniversitySouthern Adventist UniversityTuoro UniversityWalla Walla University School of Social WorkUniversity of California, DavisUniversity of La Verne School of LawUS Army Health Professions ScholarshipsThis annual event is a great resource for those pursuing graduate studies. “Up to 50 percent of our graduates each year pursue graduate or professional school and we want to support students' goals and make sure they are prepared as they plan for the future,” says Career Counselor Laura Gore, who...

Four of the six Pioneers athletic teams—women’s volleyball, men’s soccer, and the men and women cross country team—began their seasons this fall, representing PUC with their promising talent at both home and away games. Since the preseason in August, the members of the Lady Pioneers volleyball team have given their all on the court, touring in the Pacific Northwest and southern California. The weeks of touring left them 6-6 before their games against Mills College and UC Santa Cruz. Currently, the women’s volleyball team stats are 9-7 overall and 1-1 in California Pacific Conference league play. The first home game against Mills College filled the college’s Pacific Auditorium for a dominating win against the visiting Cyclones. "The Cyclones did a really great job of challenging our offense by digging us a lot tonight,” said Head Coach Brittany Brown following the game. “Despite a few dips, I was overall pleased with the way we played and was excited to have many different contributors.” The team took to the court on October 2 in a home game against Emery Riddle, which left them with a close four set victory, 25-23, 22-25, 25-20, 25-21. The women’s volleyball team will continue to play two...

As the classes began on September 22, both new and returning students started the school year right with the annual Week of Welcome celebration. Through an array of social, spiritual, and academic events, the PUC community was reunited following summer vacation. To start off the week, students filled the campus mall on Monday for “A Taste of San Francisco” welcome back dinner, and enjoyed a buffet of food such as Boudin sourdough soup rolls, gnocchi, and potato tacos. Ana Delgado, a junior, was excited to see all the new faces on campus at the celebration. “I’m looking forward to seeing even more diversity on campus than before because of all the freshman. There’s a lot more people so it feels like a bigger campus family,” she said. Students had a chance to promote and join clubs that catered to their interests and majors, such as the Business, Music, and Pre-Law clubs. Alicia Nieb, co-president of the Business club, noted, “The business club is especially excited for this new school year, and for our new and returning members!” On Tuesday night, students filled the benches to cheer on the Pioneers volleyball team against Cyclones of Mills College. The Student Association (SA)...

PUC’s student body, from excited freshmen to seasoned seniors, packed into the PUC Church on September 25 to attend the first gathering of fall quarter’s Colloquy Speaker Series. After professors and administration had marched into the building in full regalia, and the string section from the PUC Orchestra had performed a rendition of Vivaldi’s “Summer,” PUC President Heather J. Knight took the podium to introduce the Opening Convocation speaker, Leonard Bailey, M.D. Dr. Bailey’s presentation was entitled “Be a Pioneer,” an appropriate title for a lecture given to a college that has long been known as a pioneering institution. In her introduction, Knight noted that the podium on the platform was used by Ellen G. White, a pioneering founder of both the Seventh-day Adventist Church and Pacific Union College. PUC was founded in 1882 as Healdsburg Academy, and is one of the oldest colleges in California. The college continues to embody the pioneer spirit, even naming the varsity teams the PUC Pioneers. Dr. Bailey and his wife, Nancy, R.N., began their presentation discussing what makes someone a pioneer. On whether ordinary people would be able to become pioneers in new areas, Dr. Bailey was encouraging, yet practical. “Pioneering doesn’t happen...

Phaidra Knight’s first class doesn’t start until nine in the morning on Monday, but the new Pacific Union College freshman is already making PUC home. Like the rest of her peers in the PUC Class of 2018, Knight arrived on campus with a car full of boxes on September 17 for new student orientation ready to join the PUC community. “It’s happy and sad all at the same time,” shared Phaidra’s mother Sheilvina Knight as she left the Family Orientation session. “With college, once you start it’s like you’re an adult. It’s a big difference between high school and college, so I’m teary-eyed.” Though the moment can be bittersweet for families like the Knights, the PUC faculty and staff were excited to have the new students on campus. Many faculty members welcomed the new students by helping them move in to the residence halls, making multiple trips back and forth to the parking lot and travelling up and down many sets of stairs as part of Porter Power. Lary Taylor, professor of business administration, experienced a few special moments while moving in children of his former students. “The surprised looks and comments from parents and their children when seven or...

Grizzly bears, Dall sheep, moose, and orcas are unusual college classmates. Pacific Union College students enrolled in this summer’s Polar Biology class encountered these animals and more as the thriving Alaskan ecosystem became their classroom during an 11-day immersion into true field biology. After flying from San Francisco to Anchorage, PUC biology professors Floyd Hayes and Scott Herbert led their students to the city of Seward and on to Denali National Park. The course focused on the natural history of the region; students observed and studied plants and animals first-hand in their natural setting. Living in relatively close quarters with the native wildlife and experiencing the immediacy of the learning environment were incredible learning experiences. “Being able to see and experience the sights and sounds of Alaska firsthand is a much better learning experience than looking at photos and videos in the classroom,” explained Hayes. “You can’t forget watching salmon spawn while wading in a frigid river, a killer whale swimming right under your boat, clown-like horned puffins perched on narrow ledges of an island cliff.” Sophomore environmental studies major Dylan Turner said the trip significantly helped him broaden his understanding of ecology through direct interaction with the environment. “It’s...

Budding journalists, designers, videographers, and editors from throughout California and Hawaii travelled to Pacific Union College for the 24th annual Publication Workshop September 2-4, 2014. The workshop provided high school and junior high students with training and inspiration to make their academy yearbooks, newspapers, and other publications shine. Students from the 20 academies that attended returned to their schools with what Publication Workshop director Milbert Mariano describes as “targeted, practical training and useful tips for jumpstarting yearbooks, newspapers, and video yearbooks.” Students learned how to utilize design and photography software; strengthen writing, design, and photography skills; and edit video yearbooks. Industry professionals and PUC professors, including recent educator of the year John Nunes, presented the training sessions. Nunes, a professor of business administration, led workshops on project management and team building for publication editors. “Be consistent and simple,” were the lessons Rheanna Garcia took away from the Workshop. Garcia, the designer of San Fernando Valley Academy’s yearbook, appreciated the presenters’ real-world advice. “They were really helpful since they were all designers who knew what they were doing,” she said. This year’s workshop marked the tenth year Mariano has led the workshop. At the closing program, Mariano, chair of the department...

Daniel DeCaires has a passion for Pacific Union College and is ready to lead. DeCaires, a senior from Benicia, Calif., majoring in business administration, will be serving as the president of PUC’s Student Association (SA) during the 2014-2015 school year, which begins September 22. As president, DeCaires will lead the campus-wide Student Association with a team of eight fellow officers elected by the student body. The goal of the SA is to serve and assist students so they can enjoy their time at PUC as much as possible through social events, religious experiences, and by serving on committees as student representatives and leading the Student Senate. DeCaires has been excited about PUC since arriving on campus after attending public school and community college. He’s proud to be a Pioneer, and even shares his enthusiasm with future students as a Student Ambassador for the office of enrollment services. “As students, we should take more pride in where we live and the opportunities that are presented to us,” the student leader explains. One of DeCaires’ goals as SA president is to encourage students to engage productively with campus life. Rather than waiting for something to go wrong and complaining on social media,...

Early Sunday morning, August 24, a large earthquake measuring an estimated 6.0 struck southern Napa County at 3:20 a.m. While Angwin residents definitively felt the tremors, very little damage has been reported in the community, which is approximately 30 miles from the epicenter. No damages or injures were reported at Pacific Union College. The campus experienced a brief power outage, but all critical services were functioning following the earthquake. The college, College Market, Chevron station, and other Angwin Plaza businesses were open as usual on Monday, August 25. Campus officials have inspected all the exteriors of all buildings and structures on the campus property, including Angwin Plaza and the Chevron station. No visible damage has been identified. Individual interior building inspections will continue, and if any structural damage is found during these inspections the college will assess the damage and respond appropriately with necessary repairs. As of Monday, August 25, the college had received laboratory reports on the college water supply, and the water was declared safe to drink. All water tanks appear safe and have no signs of structural damage. The intense shaking stirred up sediment in the lines. This is completely normal given the magnitude of the quake....

For a week in early August, Pacific Union College Professor of Biology Aimee Wyrick-Brownworth took the students in her Biological Foundations summer class to PUC’s Albion Retreat and Learning Center on the Mendocino coast. The class, which focused heavily on understanding species diversity, implemented outdoor, hands-on lab sessions so students could see how plants and animals had adapted in unique and specific ways to their environment. “The students’ understanding was improved because they could actually see what these animals deal with and the adaptation became an obvious outcome,” said Wyrick. Biomathematics major Taleah Tyrell appreciated the opportunity to get an up-close view of the organisms she’d studied in. “It was great to go to a place and see these organisms we had spent hours memorizing in their natural habitat,” she stated. “It’s one thing to memorize; it’s a completely different thing to see the animals.” In addition to the outstanding academic setting, the students formed new connections with each other. “It was a great opportunity for us all to come to know each other much better,” said Wyrick. “The students really bonded during the week and it felt like a family. Having the group in camp also facilitated learning. There...