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Can you measure the cross section of an electronic CT (charge transfer) in an isotopic system? Can you employ a variety of lasers and beams to generate specified molecular activity? Unless you are part of the research of Dr. Vola Andrianarijaona or researching experimental physics at the postgraduate level, chances are you cannot. This is just a sampling of the many-faceted research Andrianarijaona, who teaches in the physics department at Pacific Union College, is conducting in association with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Andrianarijaona's work is entitled "An Investigation of Charge Transfer in Low Energy D2+ + H Collisions using Merged Beams" and is scheduled to be presented at the Division of Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics (DAMOP) convention at the University of Virginia later this year. He is joined by senior physics major Jerilynn Rada, who helps analyze data and compare it to previous experimentation. Rada, who plans on attending graduate school, understands the importance of participating in such a project as an undergrad. "It really helped introduce me into the world of research and I was able to get my name out," she says. Andrianarijaona agrees and feels all science students should look for similar research...

On Sunday, March 22, 2009, Pacific Union College lost six alumni in a fatal airplane accident. The crash, which took place in Butte, Montana, claimed the lives of 14 people, seven of which were children under the age of ten.Brent Ching ('93), Kristen Mautz Ching (att.'96-97), Erin Jacobson ('96), Amy Feldkamp Jacobson (att.'93-95), Michael Pullen (att.88-91), and Vanessa Feldkamp Pullen (att.'89-90) all attended PUC and went onto Loma Linda University. Close family friends, they often vacationed together. On this occasion, the friends were headed to a ski trip in Montana.PUC President Richard Osborn said in a statement, "We are deeply saddened by this tragedy, and our prayers are with the victims' families. This is a very personal tragedy for Pacific Union College and our local community. All but one of the adults on board the plane graduated from or attended PUC, and there are many on our campus who remember them as students. Our alumni are also grieving this loss, as are many in the St. Helena and Angwin communities who knew and loved the Jacobson family."There were three families lost in this accident: the Chings and their two children, Hailey, 5, and Caleb, 3; the Jacobsons and their three...

According to the American Association of Cancer Research, cancer claims the lives of almost 500,000 Americans each year. The cure will come from the research of gifted students, professors and scientists. Leading the charge for Pacific Union College in this field is Dr. Brian Wong, who manages to balance his time between the classroom and the lab. He is joined by senior biochemistry major Rachel Devadhason and senior biology major Tom Nguyen. Many students don't realize that advanced cancer research is being conducted right here at PUC. It came as a surprise to Devadhason although she was herself a science major. "When I first heard about ongoing cancer research at PUC, I was extremely skeptical," she admitted. "Without state-of-the-art technology and multimillion dollar funding, what could be accomplished? My ignorance kept me from setting foot in the lab for an entire two years." Devadhason latched on to the research of Wong (who has been studying the effects of Scutellaria barbata and Oldenlandia diffusa on cancer prevention since the early 1990s) early last year and began conducting research of her own. "I was privileged to join Dr. Wong's team of researchers and began to work in earnest," says Devadhason. "I began...

Although the newest member of the aviation program's fleet was purchased in the summer of 2008, it has yet to leave the ground. It lacks an engine and wings, but its usefulness is hailed by students and flight instructors alike. Meet the Frasca 180, Pacific Union College's new "flight training device." The advancement of technology has had an untold impact on modern instruction. Perhaps nowhere is this more clear than in the realm of aviation and the development of flight simulators. The PUC aviation program understands that any technology promoting more efficient learning in non-life threatening conditions is worth its weight in gold. Housed safely in Fisher Hall, the Frasca 180 provides both, and affords peace of mind to students and - especially - to parents. The flight simulator allows student pilots to test their abilities against every aerial hazard imaginable, all within the safety of Fisher Hall. "We can 'weather' the airplane any way we like," says flight center director Bill Price. "We can fail various pieces of equipment and force the pilot to fly in snow, hail, fog and turbulence." Frankly, if it happens in an airplane, it can happen in the flight simulator. The sense of realism...

In an unusual and unusually rich theatre production in March (with 15 additional showings scheduled for April), Pacific Union College's Dramatic Arts Society pushed into some new theatrical territory. Clay Feet/Wire Wings: The Space Between was another original DAS work inspired by two series of poems by a PUC English professor and Honors Program director, John McDowell. McDowell's "God Poems" are written as narrative, based on the common (and biblical) things we say about "seeing God in others" or "God understanding every experience," and making that experience literal. Thus we have "God Surfs" and "God in the Kitchen." His "Angel Poems" series are more mysterious and ambiguous as they explore the mysterious and ambiguous roles of angels, who must, McDowell says, represent God to man and man to God, who are in-between. Clay Feet/Wire Wings: The Space Between is a play that is, in director Mei Ann Teo's words, "collage, ensemble, and experimental theatre." With layer on layer of art, meaning, and experience, the play demands that the audience think hard, feel deeply, and even interact. Teo led a team of DAS members in personally exploring McDowell's two series of poems, contributing their own thoughts and experiences to create the...

In three March 7 programs at Pacific Union College, U.S. Senate Chaplain Barry C. Black spoke for the Heubach Lecture and two church services. Faculty and staff, students, and visitors from far and wide packed the building for all three services and the book-signing that followed the lecture. In his presentations and interactions, Black impressed people from a wide range of ages and backgrounds with his energy, sincerity, and message. At the first church service, Black presented "Gather the Fragments," a call to gather and put to use the leftovers, fragments, or things that seem not to matter to us - including fragments of blessings, time, and compassion. All these pieces, he said, still count. They all add up. "We've got to not waste the leftovers of our faith," he said. We have to believe that God can use his people "above all that we can ask or imagine." In the second service, titled "Comfort in Tough Times," Black shared ways to have courage in these times, including learning how to wait on the Lord, permitting God to dispel the shadows in one's life, and developing an unshakable confidence in Jesus. At the Heubach Lecture, a biennial lecture provided by...

When you first meet Karen Ong you quickly become aware that she is someone going places. What you don't know is that she's getting to those places in a beat-up old trailer packed to the brim with toilet paper, toothpaste, groceries, and clothes. She sits in the passenger seat, maybe fiddles with the radio, the driver revs up the engine and it is the start of another typical day as the first full-time volunteer coordinator for JPPM. JPPM is Jail, Prison, and Program Ministries, an organization based in California's Napa Valley that ministers to prisoners and their families. Three years ago, Karen was at PUC finishing up her senior year as a bio-chemistry major and heading the ministry KidzReach, JPPM's children's program. KidzReach takes children from unstable homes and gives them a weekly day of fun filled with loving adults and activities. Then Karen received a diploma and said a sad goodbye to KidzReach. She had wanted to keep working with JPPM, but the lack of a real position and funds made it impossible. She moved to Washington, D.C., and became a fellow with the National Institute of Health (NIH), where she spent the next two years doing medical research....

While "Lance-mania" was sweeping through Angwin, Pacific Union College's very own Lindsay Myers competed in the women's criterium of the Amgen Tour of California cycling race. Lindsay, a sophomore communication major, finished 47th in a field that featured some of the top women's cyclists in the nation. She stars as a member of SugarCRM's "elite team," meaning she has established herself as an amateur racer in regional as well as national racing circuits. Although still relatively new to the racing scene, Lindsay is heading to France later this year to train with the USA Cycling Development Program. Lindsay's entry into competitive cycling was quick. After her first race in 2007 (which she won), she was fortunate to make connections with people who facilitated the transition to the next level. She credits the Team Swift Junior Development program and director Laura Charmeda for jumpstarting her career with the necessary coaching and equipment. By 2008, Lindsay was ready for a full season. As a full-time student, Lindsay knows that juggling a passion for competitive cycling with the academia is a struggle. When most students relax or catch up with schoolwork on the weekends, Lindsay is racing. However, she thrives on the focus...

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...

PUC has long been a campus of sports enthusiasts. A record number for intramural participation during this winter quarter testifies to this enthusiasm. Each week, around 400 students (and some faculty and staff) remove themselves from their studies, significant others and daily social rituals to play basketball, futsal and floor hockey. There are 42 teams total. However, Coach Bob Paulson - associate professor in the exercise science department, coach of the cross-country team and head of the intramurals department - is not satisfied. Four hundred is great, but this still means many students are not participating. "The degree of intramural participation tells us we have great, active students, but I will not be satisfied with the participation until we find something for everyone," he says. "We want to create a place to play for each and every student." The official intramural website, www.recradio.org, features schedules, extensive photo galleries and a weekly podcast devoted to intramural conversation. Hosted by Coach Paulson, the podcast usually consists of student interviews and a summary of the week in intramurals. Students who listen in may be surprised to hear their team critiqued by coaches, fellow students and even a dean! The spirit of fellowship and...