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When I walked into Norm and Carolyn Low's St. Helena house late on Sabbath afternoon, they were looking a little stunned. I knew it had been a Home Lunch day - when church members invite college students home for a family-style meal - and the Lows often serve up to 30 students at their house. The day had been idyllic, so students could eat out on the deck; but I could see that something else must've happened. "You won't believe it," said Norm. "Oh, my, goodness!" exclaimed Carolyn. Norm finally explained: "We had 70 kids." The Lows live in Modesto but make St. Helena their weekend home, and they are regular attendees of the Pacific Union College Church. Through Jessica Shine, then pastor of worship and outreach, the Lows got connected with a program called "Home Lunches" and joined on as hosts - though it was a stretch of faith (and personality) to do so. Before too long, they were helping Shine lead the program; and when Shine took a call to pastor in another church, they were left at the helm. Home Lunches began about three years ago when the PUC Church staff was talking about how to get...

Teachers understand that the modern world has drastically rearranged students' reception and absorption of knowledge. Pacific Union College professors Shana Ruggenberg and Aimee Wyrick address the new mentality by implementing multi-media devices such as the podcast into class curriculum. Ruggenberg's Introduction to Nursing and Wyrick's Introduction to Biology classes each require students to narrate a podcast presentation. Both feel the podcast engages students better than more mundane, lecture-type projects. "Having the students create podcasts taps into experiential learning - much of the literature on learning tells us that students learn much in the process of creating a product," says Ruggenberg. "In my class, this gives the students an opportunity to explore a topic, to present what they've learned in a succinct manner, using a narrative designed to capture interest, and also to learn a bit about maximizing both the audio and visual channels of the brain for learning." Ruggenberg and Wyrick understand that the application of multi-media devices seems to leave an indelible impression on students. They feel students "own" the material to a much greater extent, as the podcast requires each student to synthesize information not covered in class in a visually appealing fashion. "The digital podcast makes a...

Spreading bark in the park and learning about nature deficiency were highlights of Pacific Union College's second annual Green Week, celebrated on and following Earth Day in April. The week was also the keystone event of a year-long emphasis on the campus to "get out into nature, get your hands dirty," as vice president for student services Lisa Bissell Paulson explains. Ten new trees was one success of the week, and a product of the Friday afternoon service project in the town of St. Helena. About 50 students, faculty and staff headed down to Crane Park, where they placed new bark around all of the playground equipment, washed all of the equipment, and planted the trees. Doug Wilson, student activities director and coordinator of the event, was thrilled with how the project turned out. " It was a great turnout and great event," he said. "The St. Helena people were amazed and excited by our help." The college also brought Cheryl Charles, president of the Children & Nature Network, to present twice for Green Week. At an evening lecture on April 22, Charles presented "The Ecology of Hope: Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature." She spoke on why...

Pacific Union College freshman Peter Han won first place for public service announcement (PSA) in the second annual "Preserve Our Planet" National Geographic college film and PSA contest. His film, "Why Would You," earned him $3,000 in prize money and a trip to Washington, D.C., in June for the annual global gathering of National Geographic Explorers. The contest received nearly 100 entries, narrowed down to the top 20 by the contest committee and then voted on by a panel of judges that included top National Geographic Explorers and representatives from NGC, National Geographic Society, ecoAmerica and Green Careers. Han's win was a result of chance, confidence and good film-making. Just as many students do, Han was passing through the halls of Fisher Hall, home of PUC's visual arts department, and noticed an advertisement for the contest, which many had passed and few had noticed. However, Han took initiative and took a part in the contest. So when everyone else was enjoying the festivities of the Christmas season, this film & television and biology major was out with his camera, letting his creativity roll. He made the December 31st deadline and completely forgot about the contest until early April, when he...

Pacific Union College hosted its annual Spring Week of Prayer on April 6 to 11, which featured the usual powerful preachers, beautiful praise music and fascinating skits. However, what made this week of prayer stand out and appeal to its audience was the fact that the speakers weren't well-established professional preachers, but students just like the audience. Every day new students came up and didn't just preach about the topic of "Refiners Fire: Barriers That Keep You From God," but also opened their hearts and showed us how it affected them; and through this, the audience could also see how it affected them, says senior Lisa Iskander. The students preached in both the morning and evening programs on such topics as denying self and not doubting God. Many of PUC's staff and students were rejuvenated by this simple week-long service. And above all, this week of prayer has made all PUC staff and students stop for a few moments in their busy lives and focus on community. Senior Andrew Riffel says that he really feels the PUC family every time he steps into the chapel. "I really like student week of prayer because it strengthens our community and makes us...

On April 9 and 10, 2009, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees met in executive session to discuss the results of a commissioned Study Committee report. The report, written by a special committee of faculty and staff, had recommendations on how to strengthen specific programs and departments, better preparing PUC for continued success in the future. The study committee was formed in November 2008 at the request of PUC president Richard Osborn with the board's unanimous support; the group spent four months interviewing employees and reviewing programs. After careful consideration, the board of trustees and Dr. Osborn agreed that new leadership would best serve the college as it looks to addressing some of the recommendations, which lists both challenges and opportunities for PUC. On April 9, Dr. Osborn tendered his resignation as PUC president, effective June 30, 2009; the board accepted the resignation. "On behalf of the Board of Trustees of Pacific Union College, I would like to commend Dr. Richard Osborn for the selfless ministry of leadership he has provided for PUC during the last eight years," said board chair Ricardo Graham. "The benefits of his leadership will be felt for years to come. We ask the entire...

Cheryl Charles, leader in education, environment, and communication, will present on "Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder" on April 22 at 7 p.m. at Pacific Union College. The lecture is part of the college's celebration of its second annual Green Week, April 22-25. Green Week is one way the college community hopes to increase commitment to good stewardship of the environment and to inform students and community members about local and global ecological issues. In addition to Charles' lecture, the campus will enjoy other Green Week throughout the week. Charles' lecture will be the keystone presentation of the week. A leading figure on environmentalism, Charles is president of the Children and Nature Network and co-chair of the Education for Sustainable Development Working Group of the Commission on Education and Communication, World Conservation Union (IUCN-CEC). She will share her thoughts on why the health of children and the health of the earth are inseparable matters and what we can do to secure the future of both. Charles will speak at Dauphinee Chapel. To learn more about the lecture or other Green Week activities, call 707-965-7362....

Last year, a student movement called Revo swept the Pacific Union College campus and raised over $10,000 for a shelter and vocational center for trafficked and abused children in Lima, Peru. This year, Revo is back - but students have decided to raise money for a Napa Valley cause. "After a few weeks of researching, asking social work professors, and praying about it, we decided to support the Napa Valley Food Bank," says student Revo leader Grace Jung. The reasons for the choice were numerous, including a timely response to the economic downturn, emphasis on the fact that you don't have to travel oversees to help those in need, and the hope of involving the wider community in the Revo movement. But the foremost motivation for supporting the Food Bank is hunger. "There are people in our own backyard that desperately could use our help," Jung says. "The issue of hunger is becoming very real to more and more Americans. It is not a poverty issue anymore; it is creeping its way into the middle-class, forcing children, single mothers, businessmen, senior citizens, and many more to go to bed hungry at night." As Jung reports, the number of individuals experiencing...

Each year, the Napa Valley Dirt Classic mountain bike race takes place on 22 miles of Pacific Union College's trails through its undeveloped property. Prizes include a purse to each first, second, and third finisher in male and female pro categories, and trophies to top finishers in all categories. For the 2009 Dirt Classic, Aren Timmel took first place in the male pro category, finishing in 1 hour, 27 minutes, and 57 seconds. Katerina Nash came in first for the female pros, at 1 hour, 40 minutes, and 5 seconds. There were 469 racers who finished. "It was a great day," race director and PUC professor of physical education Michael Hellie was glad to report. "We didn't have any large accidents." PUC has been hosting an annual mountain bike race on its property since 1991. A NORBA (National Off-Road Biking Association) cross country race, the Dirt Classic offers riders hilly, smooth to medium-rough trails, service roads, and double track and single track, all through PUC's wooded property. Funds raised from the event benefit PUC recreational projects....

"My job is just to be an athlete," said Erica Davis, a 2004 Pacific Union College graduate. And an athlete she is. Erica's time is almost completely devoted to her love of sports. She is persistent when it comes to her goals. In March, Erica spoke at PUC for an all-school colloquy, wheeling herself onto the stage to share with students the story of her life as an athlete, including the drastic change that landed her in a wheelchair a few years ago. Her journey began at Lodi Academy. Erica played every sport Lodi Academy had to offer, her favorites being softball and football. Her senior year of high school she scored 48 touchdowns during the season. PUC was the next step in her life, a logical decision for a young woman whose parents had both graduated from its campus. Her major of choice was physical education, something she had wanted to do since she was in third grade. "You change your major five times, but I just always wanted to do P.E.," she declared. "It was an easy choice." She actively participated in intramurals and helped run them. "My teachers were good mentors," she noted. In 2005, Erica's life...