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Last month, the department of music took several students on a field trip to Anaheim for the 2019 National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) convention. Asher Raboy, professor of music, vocalist, and PUC’s resident artist, organized the trip for two reasons. First, he wanted his students to gain insights into the kinds of employment opportunities that exist for music majors.“There are a lot of jobs in music,” he says, “but the traditional jobs—classroom teaching and performance—are getting rarer. It’s important that our students experience the wealth of modern opportunities so they can make wise choices about their futures.”Secondly, Raboy wanted his students to be energized by meeting successful professionals who are creative, energetic, and entrepreneurial by nature.“At worst, our students can find a new and powerful purpose to their major,” he says. “At best, they start to network and make connections that last a lifetime.”Though the event lasted six days, to avoid missing too many classes PUC’s students attended only for the weekend. During this time, they were able to attend concerts, talk with music professionals, listen to presentations, meet performers, and explore a plethora of products related to the music industry. NAMM exhibitors and presenters filled the entire Anaheim...

Adventure photographer and PUC alumnus D.J. Struntz will speak for Career Day colloquy in the PUC Church sanctuary at 10 a.m. on Thursday, March 7.Struntz grew up in Angwin, graduated from PUC Elementary and PUC Preparatory schools, and graduated from PUC in 1997 with a degree in biology. He worked as a research biologist after college and planned to spend his career in marine mammal research.However, his life took a surprisingly different turn and Struntz left his work as a research biologist to become a staff photographer for Surfing Magazine. In this new line of work, Struntz traveled the world and photographed every major surfer in the industry. His photos have been featured on CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC and CBS.He explains becoming a photographer happened accidentally. “I was going on a surf trip with friends and took a camera for giggles and shot a photo an East Coast regional surf magazine ended up running,” said Struntz. “Eventually I started sending slides after cold calling surf magazine photo editors. Six months later I had a job offer.”Struntz says his small-town upbringing set the tone for his current life. “[Angwin] was an incredible place to grow up and fostered my love for...

Earlier this year, the social work program at Pacific Union College was ranked the most affordable at a private school in California by humanservicesedu.org. In their 2019 101 Most Affordable BSW Programs in America rankings, humanservicesedu.org evaluated total program costs for both private and public institutions, selecting the schools with the lowest cost in each state. PUC comes in at more than $32,000 less than the state average for total program cost.On their website, humanservicesedu.org states, “As someone preparing for a career that involves saving lives, you’re not interested in saving dollars if it means compromising anything important in your education.” For this reason, they say, cost isn’t everything, “so you can be sure these programs are also top quality.”PUC is noted for being consistently ranked as a leading liberal arts college by U.S. News & World Report since 2009, providing exciting opportunities for undergraduate research, and offering an outstanding student-to-faculty ratio of 12:1.“Like its many other degree programs,” continues humanservicesedu.org’s website, “Pacific Union College’s BSW program is rooted in value. This program seamlessly blends classroom theory with research and practical experiences to produce a well-rounded course of study that’s designed to prepare you to work with a variety of...

Colloquy on Feb. 21 marked a special visit from orthopedic surgeon and medical missionary Scott Nelson. The father of a current student and a PUC alum himself, Nelson spent his time onstage encouraging students to step outside of their comfort zones and participate in Christian service, using anecdotes and experiences from his own life to explain why mission work is a crucial aspect of Adventism. Nelson shared some of the more poignant memories of his time on the island of Hispaniola, notably his involvement with relief work after the 2010 earthquake that threw the country of Haiti into chaotic devastation. Overwhelmed by the sheer number of injuries he witnessed in first few days after the disaster, Nelson decided to extend his time in the country from a few days to nearly six months. “We began operating throughout the day and night,” he noted. “During that time, I was not in control, I was far from the normal support of family, and I just had to depend on God. Living there for those six months taught me what was essential in life.” He went on to compare his story to that of Abram in Genesis. Nelson explained that, like the biblical...

Pacific Union College announces Dr. Ron Graybill as the speaker for the 2019 lecture of the Percy and John Christian Civil Rights Conference Center. Graybill has served his communities in a variety of ways over the years—professor, journalist, communications specialist, historian, editor, and pastor—and will draw from these varied experiences as he presents on his topic, “James Edson White: Flawed Hero.” The lecture will take place on Saturday, March 9, at 4 p.m. in PUC’s Paulin Hall. This event is free and open to the public.“I’ll be presenting on the paternalistic racism which characterized most social action by whites during the late 19th century,” Graybill explains. “To do this I will be examining closely the story of the life of James Edson White, with emphasis on his pioneer evangelistic, educational, and humanitarian work among Mississippi Blacks during this era.”Much of his lecture will be an elaboration of the premise of his book, Mission to Black America, originally published in 1971 with a second, updated edition released in February 2019. “James Edson White’s evangelism story has significant application to current issues,” Graybill says. “We are in an era when the long-standing racism of much of American society has come more obviously...