Search - by Melanee Grondahl

Imagine being a college student and turning down a two-week vacation so that you could peel 75 pounds of potatoes, crack 50-75 dozen eggs, and make 40 boxes' worth of pancakes in a small Panamanian town.This is exactly what Lana Fiess, senior liberal studies major at Pacific Union College, did with her spring break. Fiess was asked by Maranatha Volunteers International to go to La Chorrera, Panama, as a cook for 80 people for a building project on two churches and a school.Marantha Volunteers International provides willing volunteers with opportunities to spread the Gospel and contribute their time and talent to construct urgently needed buildings.Fiess accepted the offer, ready for the challenge the job would bring. She was in charge of shopping and ordering food, planning menus, organizing kitchen help, and cooking and serving three meals a day. Her kitchen facilities consisted of three burners and a small oven. Despite her meager equipment, Fiess was determined to cook more than rice and beans. "I made pizza buns, french toast, and even some authentic German potato pancakes," Fiess said.This is not Fiess' first mission experience: her missionary work has taken her to the Dominican Republic and Mexico during high school, as...

The next generation of physicians has recently undergone a dramatic increase. Twenty-four Pacific Union College students have been accepted into Loma Linda University School of Medicine in Loma Linda, CA.John S. Thorn, associate dean of admissions at Loma Linda School of Medicine, interviewed prospective medical students from PUC and was impressed with the applicants. "The science department does a marvelous job of advising, and PUC's overall richness of undergraduate education sets the tone for students' future education," he said. According to Thorn, LLU looks at students' "overall academic growth, an approximate GPA of 3.7 in required science courses, and no obvious weakness in MCAT scores."Loma Linda University School of Medicine was founded in 1909. The university currently has an enrollement of 680 medical students.The university is "dedicated to combine the best of medical science with caring Christian compassion," said Thorn.Dr. Gilbert Muth, professor of biology at Pacific Union College, said prospective medical students will have an advantage at smaller colleges like PUC because students get a more personalized education. "They can go to their professors and get help on their work, and their largest class will have 80 students in it instead of 500," Muth said.According to The Right College,...

On a Christian campus such as Pacific Union College, religious and social programs are specially designed and planned to enrich the lives of college students. However, despite the choices available, some students find themselves searching for a more personalized spiritual experience and meaningful relationships. Fortunately there are options and opportunities here at PUC that students can seize and use to change their lives, but it takes some personal effort.Lana Feiss, a senior liberal studies major, and I decided to plan a group weekend trip to Albion, Pacific Union College's marine field station, located on the Mendocino coast.We ended up with nineteen eager adventurers who desired to spend some time in nature, make new friends and get to know the Lord better. After the four hour drive to Albion, everyone devoured the pancake and waffle breakfast we prepared in our cabins.The Albion River was begging for us to canoe its salted estuary, full of seals, osprey, and kingfishers. Joel Dulhunty, a senior biochemistry major, was the first to trek out towards the river and lead the way to our canoes, paddles and life-jackets. He especially enjoyed observing all of God's creatures on the river. Dulhunty commented, "The seals were mangy looking...

When first-year teachers begin teaching, they discover they are responsible not only for themselves but also for a whole classroom's academic, social, and spiritual development. Jean Buller, chair of the education department at Pacific Union College, describes this first year's experience as a "culture shock".Pacific Union College's education department is dedicated to supporting their new teachers even after they graduate. They plan events such as the February experience, at which all first-year teachers come back to Pacific Union College to meet and share their experiences with their professors and fellow first-year teachers.The education department professors also make it a point to call or write to their first-year teachers, encourage them, and give helpful hints on classroom survival.This year the education professors decided to add another element to the support system--prayer.The education department now begins their faculty meetings by praying for two new teachers, two student teachers, and several current education students that are completing their courses. Buller said, "We pray for these individuals during our faculty meeting as well as in our personal devotion time."This idea has also blossomed into a colorful prayer board displayed in the department's foyer. The board lists the names and schools of the teachers and...

Pacific Union College senior history and government major Todd Blum recently completed a two-month summer internship in Washington, D.C., for Republican U.S. Representative Frank Riggs. Blum became active in the political scene in 1992, when he worked as a volunteer assistant in Republican Bev Hansen's campaign for State Senate. It wasn't until the end of 1995 that Representative Riggs' Napa District Office contacted Pacific Union College's history department with a request for a student volunteer. Blum was notified of the request, he applied, and was then accepted as a volunteer assistant. Blum spent some of his time at Rigg's Napa District Office researching legislative issues and relaying the information to concerned constituents. As time progressed and he established a hard working reputation, Congressman Riggs asked Blum to be his "shadow" at various fundraisers throughout the Napa Valley. Blum's dedication paid off when the Washington summer internship arose and he was accepted out of a number of other qualified applicants in the district. Blum became part of Riggs' integral team, doing everything from stuffing envelopes to summarizing legislative bills that were presented to various commitees and ultimately to the House floor. Being on the inside of the political scene gave Blum...