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When Michael Wong first came to Pacific Union College in 1993, he had no idea what an Adventist was. Today, the president of PUC's Class of '97 is also a newly baptized Seventh-day Adventist Christian. Here is his story:Wong was born in the United States and raised in Singapore, where his father is a university professor. He grew up believing in a distant God. "We knew there was a God, kind of, but how He interacted with us or what He did in our lives really had no effect on the way we lived," he said. Wong knew next to nothing about the Adventist church. "All I knew about Adventists was from my ex-girlfriend's mom, who said, 'I've heard about these Adventists; they go to church on Saturday, and I've heard they're a cult,'" he said.When Wong was ready to go to college, his parents decided to send him back to the U.S., debating between St. Mary's College (a Catholic institution near Lafayette, Calif.) and Pacific Union College. Wong visited both campuses and liked St. Mary's very well. "It was a really nice campus, great tennis courts, cable TV hooked up, meat; you know, it just sounded like a great...

Pacific Union College's music ensembles are presenting "The Bold and Beautiful Music of Brahms," a centennial celebration of the life of Brahms (1833-1897), on Saturday, April 5, in the Pacific Union College Church. The concert begins at 4 p.m., and admission is free.The concert features a number of Brahms' compositions, including his Alto Rhapsody for alto soloist and men's chorus, excerpts from his well-known Requiem, and several shorter works for organ, piano, strings and mixed chorus. Brahms' works will be performed by Pacific Union College's men's chorus, conducted by Assistant Professor of Music Gennevieve Brown-Kibble; the Pacific Union College String Ensemble, conducted by Associate Professor of Music LeRoy Peterson; mezzo-soprano soloist Ellen Cowan, a recent graduate of the San Francisco Conservatory of Music; pianists Lynn Wheeler, professor of music, and Helen Chang, a freshman music major; and Professor of Music Del Case on the Pacific Union College Church's Rieger pipe organ....

Tackle the challenging terrain overlooking the Napa Valley on Sunday, April 20, when Pacific Union College hosts its annual mountain bike race, the Napa Valley Dirt Classic.The Dirt Classic's hilly and forested 22 mile race circuit is made up of smooth to medium rough trails, service roads, double track, and single track. The race is sanctioned by the National Off-Road Bicycle Association, and all NORBA rules apply. A one-year racing license is required for those competing in the categories of pro, expert, and sport. These will be available on race day for $35 from NORBA officials. One-day racing licenses will also be sold for $3 on race day for those competing in the beginner class. ANZI-Snell approved helmets are mandatory during race and race day practice. Emergency medical technicians will be present on the course and at the finish line. The first male and the first female finishers will each receive a $100 purse. Prizes for second and third place are $60 and $30, respectively. All participants will receive a race T-shirt....

The community is invited to join Pacific Union College as it celebrates Cultural Diversity Week from May 5-9. This year's celebration features three events: the Spring Festival, a lecture by Judge Don Chairez, and a bilingual musical play by Teatro Milagro.The college's Spring Festival, which takes place from 4-8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 6, features the multicultural food and entertainment of Pacific Union College's campus clubs. It takes place in the college's Pacific Auditorium, and admission is free. Food can be purchased at the booths set up by the clubs. For more information, call Rita Hoshino at (707) 965-7121.On Thursday, May 8, Judge Don Chairez of the Eighth Judicial District Court will speak in the college's Dauphinee Chapel. The program begins at 9 a.m., and admission is free.The final event of Cultural Diversity Week is a dramatic performance on Friday, May 9, by Teatro Milagro, the Northwest's largest Latino arts and culture organization. Teatro Milagro will perform the bilingual musical play Corazón Gitano at Pacific Union College's Paulin Hall. Corazón Gitano, which means "Gypsy Heart" in English, dramatizes the marginalization of the Spanish gypsies....

Pacific Union College's Napa Valley Musical Theatre is presenting the musical comedy Hello, Dolly! on April 3, 5, 6, and 7 at Lincoln Theater, Veterans' Home of California in Yountville. Performances begin at 8 p.m. Tickets are available at the Napa Valley Coffee Roasting Company in St. Helena and Napa, and they will also be available at the door.Set in early 20th century New York, Hello, Dolly! is a choreographed and fully-orchestrated musical comedy of matchmaking and meddling. Dolly Gallagher Levi, played by junior graphic design major Heather McDonald and by Sarah Takii, is supposed to find a wife for the miserly millionaire Horace Vandergelder, played by senior liberal studies Matthew Payne (who is also the play's producer). But when Dolly decides she wants to marry Vandergelder herself and to persuade him to take his clerk as a partner and allow his niece to marry, things get complicated very rapidly."Besides all of the matchmaking, one of the hidden points of the story is that people should use their money to help young people and society as a whole," said director Mark Phillips, senior communications major. Phillips sees Hello, Dolly! as an opportunity for good fun and entertainment for both students...