About

Pacific Union College's music ensembles are celebrating "The Reason for the Season" with two Christmas concerts this weekend. Six different music ensembles and guest harpist Beverly Wesner-Hoehn will present Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols," John Rutter's "Gloria," and traditional Christmas favorites in the Pacific Union College Church at 4 p.m. on Saturday, December 7. The concert will be repeated in the Mont La Salle chapel in Napa on Sunday, December 8, at 4 p.m. Both concerts are free to the public....

Edith Eva Eger, a survivor of the Auschwitz death camp in Nazi Germany, will speak about "The Celebration of Life" on Friday, Oct. 25, at 8 p.m. in Pacific Union College's church sanctuary. Admission is free. A 68-year-old clinical psychologist from La Jolla, Calif., Eger uses her past experiences to share a message of healing and personal growth. "People must acknowledge not what happens with us, but what we do with that. You can turn tragedy into victory," she says. Living amidst torture, cannibalism, and death in Auschwitz, 16-year-old Eger learned how to turn her suffering into survival. The same day she was separated from her parents, who were executed in the gas chambers, Eger was forced to dance for the infamous Nazi officer, Dr. Josef Mengele. Eger was routinely starved, beaten, and humiliated until her camp was liberated. Her nine-month ordeal ended on May 4, 1945, when her emaciated, 40-pound body was pulled out of a pile of corpses by an American soldier who saw Eger's hand move. She considers it a miracle that she was spared. Today, Eger is a sought-after clinical psychologist and lecturer, helping individuals and organizations overcome their limitations, discover their powers of self-renewal, and...

Pacific Union College's Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform in the college's Paulin Hall Auditorium on Saturday, November 16, at 7 p.m. The Symphonic Wind Ensemble, which includes faculty members as well as students, is composed of wind instruments such as flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, and trumpets. It also includes percussion instruments. On November 16, the Symphonic Wind Ensemble will perform a variety of pieces, including "Incantation and Dance" by John Barns Chance, "Fanfare and Flourishes" by James Curnow, "St. Martin's Suite" by Jan Van der Roost, and selections from the musical "Evita" by Andrew Lloyd Webber....

Pacific Union College welcomes six new faculty members this school year. Donna Archer, assistant professor of nursing, teaches in the college's LVN to RN program. Archer was a major in the United States Air Force, where she was nurse manager of an alcohol and drug rehab unit and a mental health unit, before coming to PUC. She earned a master's degree in nursing at Loma Linda University in 1985. Monte Butler, assistant professor of social work, teaches social work classes in the behavioral science department. Butler received his bachelor's degree from PUC in 1988, and earned a master's degree in social work at the University of Utah. Before coming to PUC, Butler was treatment supervisor at Salt Lake City's Division of Aging and Adult Services. David Duran was formerly a senior scientist at Jacobs Engineering Group, Inc., of Pasadena, CA, and an adjunct clinical professor at Loma Linda University's Department of Environmental and Occupational Health. He earned a bachelor's degree at PUC in 1974, and a doctoral degree at the University of Nebraska. Now a professor at PUC, Duran teaches general chemistry and organic chemistry. Allan Payne, associate professor of technology and director of the college's flight center, teaches in...

Christian recording artist Steve Green will perform in concert at the Pacific Union College Church at 7 p.m. on Thursday, October 24. He will sing songs from his new album, The Letter, as well as selections from the other albums of his decade-long solo career, which include Where Mercy Begins, We Believe, Find Us Faithful, and For God and God Alone. Green has received four Grammy Award nominations for best gospel performance (male), and has won seven Dove Awards: praise and worship album of the year (Coram Deo II, 1995); children's music album of the year, and choral collection album of the year (Hide 'Em In Your Heart and I Call You To Praise, 1991); inspirational album of the year (The Mission, 1990); musical album of the year (A Mighty Fortress); male vocalist of the year (1987), and male vocalist of the year (1985). Green's October 24 concert will be held at 7 p.m. in the church sanctuary of Pacific Union College. Doors open at 6 p.m. The concert will benefit Pacific Union College Preparatory School's Christian drama group, The Last Act, as well as its Worthy Student Fund. Admission is $10 for general admission at the door or $8...

From October 26 to November 21 the Rasmussen Art Gallery will present "Still Lifes and Other Images" by Marvin Humphrey. Humphrey's oil paintings deal with focus and simplicity. His still lifes are small in size and present one or two objects, such as fruit, pastries, or glassware. The opening reception takes place on October 26, from 7-9 p.m....

The Pacific Union College Men's Pioneer Basketball team faced the La Sierra University Eagles as they began their '96-'97 season on Saturday night, Nov. 23. Although LSU made a comeback late in the second half, the Pioneers, led by junior forward Rob Adams, hung on to win 80-73 at home. "I really wanted to win this one," said PUC freshman guard Mario Perez. Perez graduated from La Sierra Academy and had grown up with most of LSU's players. The offense for both teams started off sluggishly until PUC guard Brett Graves sunk a three-pointer with 16:40 left in the first half. Graves' three-pointer awoke the Pioneer offense into a 19-2 run. At the end of the first half, PUC led 36-17. But the Pioneers lost the spark they had shown in the first half, and allowed the Eagles to come back within 10 points with four minutes left in the second half. LSU then proceeded to outscore PUC 56-44, coming within four points with one minute left in the second half. Bryan Patterson sank four straight free throws to make the score 78-70. PUC hung on to win with a final score of 80-73. Chris Lindstadt led LSU with 24...

Pacific Union College's men's soccer team played their last away game at Dominican College on Friday afternoon, Oct. 11, and lost 0-2. Dominican scored early in the first half, but the Pioneers kept them from scoring for the rest of the match with strong defense and good passing. "It was the best game of the year," Head Coach Isaias Jacobo said. "They played their hearts out and they played consistently. I was very proud of them." Both teams met just two days earlier at PUC's home field on Wednesday, Oct. 9. The Pioneers lost 1-6 to Dominican, but stayed in the game for most of the match, trailing only 1-2 at halftime. Bad breaks and three Pioneer injuries slowed the team down, according to junior defender Rick Mann "The [1-6] score didn't reflect how well we played," Mann said. "We're learning how to play as a team and deal with pressure and competition," Jacobo said. The Pioneers have an overall record of 4-5, and one tie. They will play their last game of the season at PUC's upper field on Friday, Oct. 18, at 3 p.m....

Pacific Union College's men's soccer team won 3-1 over the University of the Pacific Tigers on Sunday, October 6, at the Tiger's home field. The Pioneers also won 16-0 over Cal Maritime Academy at PUC's home game Tuesday, Oct. 1. "The team has improved a lot since last year," says head coach Isaias Jacobo. "I think our off-season practices helped to increase our stamina and ball handling skills. We play a passing game, which emphasizes a lot of control, and we're getting better at it," he said....

October 10 marks the anniversary of the completion of the Pacific Union College Church's Rieger Organ. At the school's chapel service on this date, the anniversary was celebrated as professor of music Del Case performed music on the world class organ which he had played fifteen years earlier in the instrument's dedicatory recital. A technical and visual masterpiece, the $250,000 Rieger organ is the result of a project which was 18 years in the making. The first commitment by Pacific Union College to build a pipe organ was made in 1963, but insufficient finances and difficulties with the chosen organ company delayed the plans. In 1977 the college was able to pursue the project again, appointing a committee to make recommendations for a builder and for the design. The first task was resolved when, after extensive study, Rieger Orgelbau of Austria was selected from the fifteen North American and European builders considered. The organ was constructed in Schwarzach, Austria, of materials ranging from African mahogany, Austrian spruce, and ivory, to steel beams for internal support. A French approach was taken in the design, which makes use of 58 stops, eight couplers and eight combination stops. Case, who was in charge...