Archives

According to Pulitzer Prize-winning author Tracy Kidder, goodness isn’t a virtue that people naturally embrace, particularly when you’re considering the goodness of another human. “We all tend to push away evidence of virtuousness that exceeds our own,” said Kidder at a lecture at Pacific Union College. Kidder was in Angwin on October 27, 2011, as part of PUC’s Colloquy Speaker Series and to discuss his book, “Mountains Beyond Mountains: The Quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a Man Who Would Cure the World.” The book is this year’s selection for PUC Reads, a campus-wide book club. Kidder shared with the audience, comprised mostly of college students, his own encounter with a character of true benevolence, what it unveiled, and how it impacted his own world perspective. His presentation recounted the story of Farmer, a Harvard-educated physician and anthropologist who has committed his life to diagnosing and curing infectious diseases in impoverished communities. Kidder first met him by accident in 1994 while researching American soldiers in Haiti. But it was specifically the virtue of Farmer—his insistent idealism and courage—that kept Kidder from actually pursuing his story for another six years. Kidder surmised that a character “so gifted, so self-sacrificing, so passionate for...

In spring 2011, the Pacific Union College Church pastoral staff decided that it was time to do something about the stained glass window in the roof of Scales Chapel. The original stained glass was installed in the 1970s, in what was then called the Youth Chapel. Years later, the joints had begun to weaken and leak. The situation became so bad that a board had to be placed under the window to protect people from falling glass. John Hughson, PUC Church administrative pastor, contacted Robert Pappas, ’76, to take a look at the ceiling. Pappas taught in the art department at PUC from 1977-1981 and has been an art glass professional for 30 years. He also did repair work on the stained glass windows in the church three years ago. After looking at the glass, Pappas knew it needed to be replaced. “I thought that an art student could donate their time and then have a significant commission to have in their portfolio,” Pappas says. He recommended Cabel Bumanglag, who graduated with a fine arts degree from PUC in 2010 and had studied stained glass. Bumanglag agreed to volunteer his time. To launch the renovation, Bumanglag and Pappas set to...

For the third year in a row, Pacific Union College is seeing an increase in enrollment figures as the new school year begins. The 2011 fall quarter enrolled 1,511 students on campus. When including the off-campus nursing and Degree Completion Programs, overall enrollment a PUC is at 1,567 students. Compared to last year, there has been a 5.2 percent growth for on-campus students and a 2.6 percent increase in total enrollment for the college. “Pacific Union College is absolutely thrilled with the number of students who have made PUC their college of choice,” says President Heather Knight. “In terms of the campus’s enrollment goals, we have actually jumped ahead a year in achieving these numbers,” says President Heather Knight. Campus spirit has also come alive with the arrival of new students. There was standing room only at PUC’s Opening Convocation in October as students filled the PUC Church. The enthusiasm in the air was noticeable as guest speaker Jose Hernandez, NASA astronaut, captivated the audience. Attendance for Friday evening vespers and the Colloquy Speaker Series, a campus-wide gathering that features high-profile speakers, has also been high, with the church filled to capacity for most programs so far this year. As...

“Because of your love for Jesus, I now baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” On October 14, four students heard these words before being immersed in water in front of hundreds of their peers at the “As I Am” vespers, the culmination of PUC’s October 12-14 Fall Revival. The week of spiritual revival, which was themed “Grounded in Christ,” is a quarterly event, but this time, there was an unmistakable sense of God’s presence on campus. “It’s something strong and deep,” said Andrew Lloren, a junior. “By just being here, you know that God is doing something big.” Laffit Cortes, PUC’s new campus chaplain and the series speaker, made five compelling challenges to students to honestly evaluate their faith and make a decision about where they stand spiritually. “I saw that there’s definitely a struggle – the Great Controversy is being played out here,” said Cortes. “But there’s definitely a hunger and thirst for God.” This spiritual desire was evident in the ever-increasing number of students that attended the revival programs throughout the week. The first program, held on Wednesday night, was a challenge to students to reach out their...

On Sunday, October 9, Pacific Union College students volunteered to assist Napa Valley senior citizens with home maintenance with a project called Rebuild Calistoga. The project is a partnership between PUC’s Office of Missions, Service and Justice and the Calistoga Affordable Housing program (CAH). It’s part of new missions and service coordinator Fabio Maia’s campaign to get PUC students involved in community service, both locally and abroad. “We’re young—we have all the energy,” says freshman Arve Lloren, who volunteered on a crew repainting an elderly woman’s home. “I think it’s better to use that energy to help people rather than wasting it, sitting around in front of the laptop.” In addition to repairing and restoring homes, the student volunteers helped CAH distribute subsidized carbon monoxide detectors to senior citizens at ACE Hardware. The detectors are not only important lifesaving devices, but were recently made a requirement for all homes in California. Maia, only two months on the job at PUC, anticipates that Napa Valley residents will come to know PUC by the selfless volunteer service of its students. “It is a way for them to have hands on [experience], going out and serving the community,” he says. Maia has already...