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“You’re grounded.” These words may be heartbreaking to a child, but at Pacific Union College’s annual religion department retreat, the term “grounded” was the talk of the weekend. The annual getaway to PUC’s Albion Field Station, located on the Mendocino, Calif., coast is designed for students and faculty to escape the frenetic pace of school and connect with one another and with God. This year, the theme for the retreat was “Grounded in Christ, Grounded in Faith, Grounded in Love,” borrowed from PUC Campus Ministries. The three spiritual programs of the weekend each focused on one aspect of the theme. The first program highlighted the significance of being “Grounded in Christ.” Senior Wally Peralta, student association religious vice president, delivered a compelling sermon about the need to have an authentic relationship with Christ. “Wally set the spiritual tone for this weekend,” said Danny Castanaza, a senior. “His Christ-centered message was, as always, inspiring and uplifting.” Afterwards, students continued the department’s tradition of singing praise songs long into the night, maintaining an atmosphere of worship. The next morning, PUC chaplain Laffit Cortes delivered a powerful homily about the importance of being grounded in faith. “What really stood out to me was...

Martin Doblmeier, award-winning filmmaker and president of Journey Films, will be at Pacific Union College on November 9 and 10 as the speaker for this year's Longo Lecture Series. The Longo events will begin on Wednesday night, November 9, at a screening of Doblmeier's documentary, The Adventists, followed by a question and answer session with the filmmaker. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. in Scales Chapel.On Thursday morning, November 10, Doblmeier will speak to the campus at the Colloquy Speaker Series in the PUC Church at 10 a.m. At 7:30 p.m., Doblmeier will give the Longo Lecture presentation, titled, "Through the Lens of Faith," in Scales Chapel. The public is invited to attend both events, and admission is free.The president and founder of Journey Films, Doblmeier has produced and directed more than 25 films, including The Adventists, Bonhoeffer, and The Power of Forgiveness. He is passionate about using films to analyze how faith and spirituality can change lives.The Longo Lecture Series began in 1992, thanks to the generosity of Dr. Lawrence Longo, one of the world's most respected specialists in developmental physiology. As part of the lectureship, PUC annually invites a speaker to share his or her views on...

Tracy Kidder, renowned author and Pulitzer Prize winner, will speak at Pacific Union College on Thursday, October 27, at 10 a.m in the PUC Church Sanctuary. A special question-and-answer session with Kidder at 11:00 a.m. in Scales Chapel will follow his presentation. The public is invited to attend, and admission for both events is free. Author of eight books, Kidder’s text “Mountains Beyond Mountains” follows the life of Paul Farmer, a physician with a passion for international outreach, notably in Haiti. “Mountains Beyond Mountains” is the 2011-12 selection for PUC Reads, a campus-wide book club that incorporates a chosen text into general education courses. Tracy Kidder has won the National Book Award, the Robert F. Kennedy Award, and many other literary prizes....

At a presentation at Pacific Union College yesterday, NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez encouraged students to persevere in their lifelong pursuit of ambitious goals. “Don’t ever, ever, ever give up on yourselves, because you can do it,” he said to an overflow audience in the PUC Church. Hernandez addressed PUC students, faculty, and staff at the morning Opening Convocation, the ceremony that represents the formal start of the school year. Beginning with a clip from his TV interview on Oprah, Hernandez recounted his inspirational journey from the strawberry fields of California’s Central Valley all the way to his 5.7 million mile voyage with the International Space Station in 2009. The astronaut, who has received a flood of media attention because of his inspiring story, also revealed that at the urging of President Barack Obama, he is considering a run for Congress in California. He plans to announce his decision on October 11. The son of migrant farm workers who traveled with the growing seasons from Michoacán, Mexico to the farmlands of California, Hernandez grew up picking produce alongside his brothers and sisters. His parents, despite having only a third-grade education themselves, did their best to keep the children in school as...

The college research service Student Horizons has named Pacific Union College one of its “Colleges of Distinction,” with a feature profile of the school posted on the service’s website, collegesofdistinction.com. Student Horizons and Colleges of Distinction provide students, parents, and counselors with information about excellent colleges based on four distinctive factors: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant communities, and successful outcomes. The selection is designed to feature both well-known colleges and smaller, “hidden gems” of which college-bound students may not be aware. View PUC’s profile at collegesofdistinction.com....