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This story was originally published in PUC's Campus Chronicle.On November 1, 2019, freshman Justin Roosma won a record-breaking first place in the Cal Pac championships. Competing against 81 competitors from 11 different schools, Roosma won first place in the 8k race by three seconds. Not only did Roosma win the Cal Pac championships, he also broke a Cal Pac cross country record with the time of only 24:56.5—the fastest in Cal Pac history. Additionally, Roosma is the first freshman and PUC athlete to win the Cal Pac title.The ChampionshipThe California Pacific Conference Men’s Cross Country Championship was held at Woodward Park in Fresno, California. The race was initially led by Santiago Hardy from Antelope Valley and Grady Kerst from Embry-Riddle. Half-way through the race, Roosma quickly advanced from the middle of the pack to the lead. Roosma not only won the Cal Pac title by a whole 16 seconds, but also qualified for the NAIA Championships.This Cal Pac championship was the fastest in Cal Pac history. This was the first time that two runners crossed the finish line in under 25 minutes. The 2019 Cal Pac Championship now holds the fastest times ever recorded, with Pacific Union College, Justin Roosma,...

This story was originally published in PUC's Campus Chronicle.Senior business major and student athlete Joshua Mitchell flew out to D.C. Oct. 16-19 for a leadership conference.Mitchell did two video interviews and two in-person interviews before the conference board made the final decision to invite him. The all-expenses-paid trip included five nights in the Washington Marriott Wardman Park and meals that Mitchell describes as “too bougie”— multiple forks and all.Where His Passion StartedRaised in New York—South Bronx, to be specific— Mitchell emphasizes the importance of pointing out his neighborhood because of hometown pride, and to acknowledge the impoverishment. Although many of his friends passed away or were incarcerated, Mitchell always knew he was different.“There was violence in my neighborhood every day. So I made a change. I wanted to get my family out,” he explains. “I just don’t want kids to go through what I went through.”His altruism and passion for business rightfully earned him a spot in the D.C. conference—a chance to network with people who could help him make a difference back home.The ExperienceThe conference offered networking opportunities with both businesses and graduate school recruiters. Fortune 500 companies like AIG, Boeing, Wells Fargo and JP Morgan Chase had representatives...

On Nov. 9, painter Davis Perkins will host an opening reception and artist talk at 7 p.m. in the Rasmussen Art Gallery on the campus of Pacific Union College. Admission is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be served.Always drawing as a kid, Davis Perkins doesn’t remember a time when art wasn’t a part of his life. Perkins attended University of Oregon, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine arts, and he has now made art a career. He has original artwork in a permanent collection at the Smithsonian as well as in the Pentagon, and has done one-man shows at the Alaska State Museum and the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum.“I consider myself a traditional landscape painter,” Perkins says. “Much of my life has been spent outdoors, and the wonders of nature inspire me.”His exhibit, Landscapes: A Moment in Time, will be on display through December 8 (the gallery will be closed Nov. 23-Dec. 1 for Thanksgiving break). Gallery hours are 2-6:30 p.m., Thursday through Sunday.To enjoy a Q&A with the artist, visit puc.edu/blog.For more information regarding the arts on the PUC campus, contact the department of visual arts at 707-965-6604 or the department of music at...

Back from summer break, energetic students gathered outside the Campus Center for Club Rush, an opportunity to get involved with all kinds of clubs at PUC. One of these, a science club called SPARK, gives volunteers the chance to apply concepts they are learning through teaching others.SPARK is an acronym for Science Presentations and Research for Kids. “We get to teach kids about Chemistry, Technology, and Biology,” says club co-president Justin Youn. “The goal is to get kids excited about science.”Youn and co-president Emma Tyner got involved with the club their freshman year of college and started leading out last year. They work mainly with local elementary schools and visiting academies who ask them to give presentations to students. Integrated into their talks are fascinating lab activities like color changes, explosions, and chemical reactions, as well as seeing and observing animals from the department of biology.“This year, we are planning to get the department of physics more involved as well so that the activities can be more interactive and hands-on,” says Youn.SPARK has also made connections beyond PUC. Last year, they were excited to be invited to the Loma Linda Academy Maker Fair, where they did a demonstration about cyanotype...

Sunday, October 20, marked the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the newest section of the Bay Area Ridge Trail, an extensive hiking route spanning from Calistoga in the north all the way to Gilroy in the south. The trail runs through PUC’s Back 40, and is part of a larger conservation effort that will eventually include 1,100 acres of protected forest lands.PUC’s forest manager, Peter Lecourt, headed the dedication with a speech detailing upcoming plans for the forest. Along with informational kiosks and maps, plans for additional parking are underway, in an effort to make the natural beauty of the PUC area as accessible for recreation as possible.Kellie Lind, PUC’s vice president for alumni and advancement, commented on PUC’s rich history with the surrounding land.“Not only were many of PUC’s academic buildings constructed using lumber from the back 40, but last year 14 classes used the forest as part of their curriculum just during Fall Quarter,” she noted.A number of Napa Valley officials attended the ceremony, including Napa Open Spaces District Vice President Barry Christian, Bay Area Ridge Trail executive director Janet McBride, county supervisor Dianne Dillon, and chairman of the board of Napa Supervisors Ryan Gregory.Dillon commented on the importance and...