Search - Michael Skinner

Motivated by the continued focus on service at Pacific Union College and on the national stage, the PUC chapter of Amnesty International (AI-PUC) has developed an ambitious program for 2009. Through continued use of awareness campaigns, guest speakers and a new program being pioneered at PUC that mixes music and social awareness, they are tackling the major issues of international justice and violence against women, as well as the inevitable human rights issues that pass across the world stage during the year. As a creative and compelling way to call attention to areas of human rights concern, AI-PUC has developed a series of concerts called "Jamnesty." Jamnesty events feature information on current human rights campaigns intermingled with live music from local musicians. The combination of music and activism is not unusual. The club's faculty sponsor, Gregory Schneider, professor of religion and social science, points out that the two have often gone hand in hand. "There has long been a synergy between Amnesty International and popular music groups," he notes. "Yoko Ono famously gave them the rights to the song 'Imagine,' and other musicians, from Tracy Chapman to Rage Against the Machine, have performed benefit concerts for the organization and the...

Ashley Riveira once paced the tree-shaded sidewalks and staircases of PUC’s campus, taking time to chat with a friend or rushing to make an early class. Now she strolls the halls and offices of a law firm in Washington D.C., practicing both international law and labor and employment law in one of the country’s most exciting legal climates. Her story became even more remarkable this May when Riveira, along with nine more of America’s most promising young professional women, won Running Start’s “Women to Watch” award. The award is given to young women who use their positions of leadership to aid the cause of women’s rights. Riveira was recognized for “Presumed Equal: What America's Top Women Lawyers Really Think About Their Firms,” the book that she co-wrote with a classmate from Harvard Law School. Of course, Riveira’s transformation from PUC-ite to nationally recognized up-and-comer did not happen overnight. After her graduation from PUC in 2001, she spent a couple years in the Napa Valley before applying and being accepted to Harvard School of Law. The transition from a small liberal arts college, quietly nestled in the hills of the Napa Valley, to one of America’s most prestigious and competitive law...

Today’s youth are constantly in the crossfire of public opinion. The “millennial generation” is criticized in the media, which depicts them as narcissistic and shallow. But at Pacific Union College, campus chaplain Roy Ice sees something in today’s youth that others have missed. “Millenials are much more willing to serve than previous generations. Ninety-two percent say they will volunteer if they believe in the cause,” he reports. At PUC, students are already living up to the numbers, with grassroots volunteer groups becoming ubiquitous on campus. Sensing a cultural shift among students, PUC leadership is strengthening their focus on service, which has always been one of PUC’s core values. In philanthropy, large donations and publicity-laden events garner the lion’s share of attention. Though PUC doesn't discourage this kind of service, the college aims to redefine how a person can make a difference. Pastor Ice points to Galatians 6:2 as a guide for the campus’s direction: “Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.” Various service groups have sprung up around campus to meet this challenge. Dean Annette Riebe of Andre Hall leads “A Stitch in Time,” a group of students who use their talents with a...

Pacific Union College’s 15th annual Malcolm Maxwell Golf Classic, a charity event that raises funds for PUC scholarships, took place at the Silverado Country Club May 16. The tournament, which is PUC’s biggest community event, raised $50,000 for the second year in a row. In recent years, the Malcolm Maxwell Golf Classic, named for the former president of the college upon his retirement, has become a major source of funding for PUC student scholarships. Proceeds go to “Golf Scholarships,” which are awarded yearly to students based on need. One hundred and forty-four golfers teed up in teams of four under a cloudless blue sky, beginning at 10:30 a.m. and rotating holes until they had all finished the course at around 4 p.m. Teams kept their own score throughout the 18-hole tournament and turned in their scorecards at the awards dinner. The scores were tallied while the golfers ate and took part in live and silent auctions. When the results were in, the winners were announced and given their prizes. The day-long event was funded completely through donations and sponsorships, allowing all proceeds to go directly to student aid. PUC holds the event for more than fundraising purposes. For any college,...