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The Pacific Union College department of psychology and social work celebrated social justice on Thursday, November 4, in a dedication of the new Social Justice Room, Davidian Hall 106, to Gordon Madgwick and Evaline West. The event honored Madgwick’s and West’s promotion of social justice through their contribution to Adventist education. The Social Justice Room is expected to function as a space for planning social justice activities and to serve as a reminder in class and departmental meetings of the relationship of social justice to the department’s core values of diversity, free inquiry, service to God and humanity, and responsible citizenship. “We [want the Social Justice Room] to be a working space that [will] continually engage and challenge us to put our hands to whatever project is needed at the time… We hope that the students and teachers who are here 20 years from now will use this space to fight injustice as it is expressed then,” said PUC psychology professor Aubyn Fulton in his opening remarks. Professor of religion and social science Greg Schneider spoke in memory of the late Madgwick, who served at PUC as vice president of academic affairs and academic dean. “Gordon Madgwick dedicated his life...

Pacific Union College’s Career and Counseling Center hosted Career Day on November 10 to help give students seeking guidance some direction. The event brought more than 60 working professionals—from a variety of fields ranging from medicine to photography—to PUC’s campus for direct consultation with students exploring career options. “Career Day gives students and professionals the opportunity to meet face-to-face and discuss the realities of the job as well as different career paths available to them,” says career counselor Laura Gore, who organized the event. Most of the professionals who came to interact with the students were PUC alumni, and they gave advice on how to use what they learned at an Adventist institution to succeed in their respective fields. “It was really inspiring to see all the great positions held by alumni,” says junior nursing major Kelsi Weathers. “I really appreciated that they gave their honest opinions about the pros and cons of their jobs.” One highlight of the Career Day program was the featured speaker at colloquy. Emmy Award-winner Patricia Thio, ’01, gave the students three steps to a successful career: learn, work, and give. “Learning from others, working towards your goal, and giving back are so important in...

Pioneer cross-country team member Sophie Grise was named an All-Conference representative of the California Pacific (CalPac) Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). The honor was bestowed at the CalPac Conference Championship in Oakland on November 5. This is the second consecutive All-Conference award and fourth top ten conference ranking for Grise, a senior exercise science major from Welches, Ore. Normally this recognition qualifies a runner to race in the NAIA Cross Country Championship, to be held this year in Vancouver, Wash. On November 20. However, the national championship match is scheduled for a Saturday—a fact that has kept Grise home every year she has been invited. Seventh-day Adventists, including Grise and most of the student body at PUC, observe Saturday as a sacred day of rest, and typically do not compete in sports on the day. It seems like it would be disappointing turn of events, but Grise’s speed is only matched by her unstoppable brightness and positivity. “It’s okay!” she chirps. “When you sign up to go to a Christian, Seventh-day Adventist school, you can’t really get upset.” That unstoppable attitude is what has driven her to such high achievement as a runner—even though she’s much...

In response to a recent post by a website accusing a Pacific Union College biology professor of teaching ideas contrary to Adventist beliefs, President Heather J. Knight affirmed PUC’s commitment to the Bible as the inspired word of God and the belief of God as our Creator. “The biology department’s mission is to provide an excellent education in the life sciences, based upon the latest scientific discoveries and our belief in God as the Creator of life,” said Dr. Knight. “As a devoted Adventist and beloved educator who has taught at PUC for more than 21 years, Dr. Bryan Ness affirms this mission—along with his colleagues, and our students will attest to this as well. Our biology professors are scientists, so they must be dedicated to understanding contemporary issues surrounding science that sometimes conflict with specific theology. However, our professors are also Seventh-day Adventist Christians, and each is at PUC because of his or her commitment to this Christ-centered community of faith and learning.” On November 1, a website accused Dr. Ness and PUC of undermining the Bible after video of a class presentation surfaced on the Internet. The video in question, taken and posted by a student without the...

Pacific Union College will welcome noted historians David J.B. Trim and Eric Anderson for “Celebrating Adventist History,” a two-day event honoring the memory of Seventh-day Adventist historian Walter C. Utt. The event will begin at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, November 10, with an unveiling of the Walter Charles Utt Collection in the Nelson Memorial Library. The collection features Dr. Utt’s papers, correspondence, and personal collection of old and rare books, as well as a collection of publications by dissident Adventist groups. In the future, the center will serve as a resource and research facility for scholars and students, housing papers of prominent Adventists and other important historical materials. At 7:30 p.m. in Scales Chapel, David J.B. Trim will give a special lecture titled “America’s Forgotten Tribe: The Huguenots in the Popular Imagination—on Stage, on Screen, and in Literature.” At 10 a.m. the next morning, Eric Anderson, president of Southwestern Adventist University, will speak for Campus Colloquy in the PUC Church Sanctuary. His topic is “What has Berkeley to do with Angwin? The Paradoxical Achievements of Walter C. Utt.” Trim currently serves as the archivist for the Seventh-day Adventist World Church. He is a senior research fellow in the history department...

Enrollment is up once more at Pacific Union College as the Fall 2010 quarter sees 1,436 students on campus and 1,527 total enrolled in both on and off campus programs. PUC saw a substantial jump in new students—which includes freshmen and transfer students—this fall with a 15% increase from last year as of the first day of school, making one-third of the student population new to campus. “PUC is once again a top choice for a record number of new students, and we are delighted with this news,” says President Heather J. Knight. “This is truly a reflection of the outstanding academic and spiritual environment on our campus, as well as our recent recognition by U.S. News and World Report as a best value in our region. We are committed to continuing to meet the needs of our constituents and providing them with an Ivy League quality educational product that represents a solid investment for the families that we serve.” As enrollment grew, several departments on campus experienced increases in certain programs. Although nursing continues to be the largest program on campus, the biology department came in a close second with 141 students—a 32% increase from 2009-2010. The largest increase...

The accolade for Pacific Union College’s outstanding academic program continues as Washington Monthly magazine gave the college high marks for scholarship. In its 2010 College Guide, PUC was ranked in the top ten in the Research Category for Baccalaureate Colleges. According to the publication’s website, the research category considers the dollars spent in research expenditures and the number of bachelor’s degree recipients who go on to receive doctorates, relative to school size. Comprehensive rankings for colleges and universities in the College Guide assess the institution’s success in the following areas: social mobility, which looks at socioeconomic diversity and low-income student graduation rates; research, which examines academic standards; and service, which focuses on a campus’s culture of service. The Washington Monthly, established in 1969, is a publication based in Washington, D.C.; this is their fifth annual College Guide. Earlier this year, U.S. News and World Report ranked PUC in the overall top ten for Baccalaureate Colleges, western region, in their Best Colleges issue--arguably the most well-known college ranking guide in the United States. ...

More than 150 Pacific Union College students gathered in the campus mall on Thursday evening, October 21, for the highly anticipated ribbon-cutting ceremony and grand re-opening of the Campus Center. The opening revealed upgrades funded by the Student Association, PUC administration and Bon Appétit Management Company, the college’s food service provider. College President Heather J. Knight introduced the “wonderful renovation” and declared the center open for use. The opening attracted an elbow-to-elbow crowd for much of the night. Students enjoyed free snacks and live music performed by the PUC jazz band as they excitedly greeted each other and marveled at the differences made by the renovation. One of these changes included the debut of an on-campus convenience store, known as the “C-Store.” Senior Chelsea Hanson commented, “I like how the C-Store has healthy snack options. There are a lot of people on campus with gluten intolerances and other health issues; now they have some great options.” The night also unveiled the Pacific Café, which will serve a variety of beverages. Last year, a similar service operated from a rolling cart in a small corner of the center. The Pacific Café is now located prominently in the center of the building...

Internationally acclaimed pianist John Covelli will perform a free concert at Pacific Union College on Saturday, October 30, at 7 p.m. in the Paulin Hall Auditorium as a featured musician in the college’s Fine Arts Series. The program includes selections from Copland, Lizst, Beethoven, Paul Ben-Haim, Debussy, Griffes and Gottschalk. Donations are gladly accepted. Covelli is an international prize-winning pianist, having won two of Europe’s most presigious piano competitions—the Queen Elizabeth of Brussels and the Busoni International Piano Competition. A Chicago-born prodigy, his career has spanned the realms of orchestral involvement, solo piano performance, and conducting in a variety of ensembles. He is a popular guest conductor, master teacher and chamber player. Covelli is the founding conductor of the Belleayre Festival Orchestra and conductor laureate of the Binghamton Philharmonic. He is music director of both A Company for Chamber Orchestra and A Company for Chamber Opera, and artistic director of Kaleidoscope Concert Productions. Additionally, he is conductor and music director of the International Repertory Orchestra and the curator of classical music at the Goodwill Theatre, Inc., in Greater Binghamton. For more information on Covelli, visit www.johncovelli.com. PUC's Fine Arts Series invites the Napa Valley community to share in culturally rich...

Pacific Union College’s Rasmussen Art Gallery will open its new color photography “Lens and Land” exhibit on Saturday, October 30, from 7-9 p.m. The gallery will feature work of local artists Jerry Dodrill and Tania Amochaev. Refreshments will be served and admission is free. Jerry Dodrill is an international award-winning landscape and adventure photographer whose work has been exhibited in galleries such as the Ansel Adams, Mountain Light, Mumm Napa Valley and Banff Center for Mountain Culture. The Rasmussen Art Gallery will showcase portions of his landscape photography—nature close-ups and vistas. For more information about Jerry Dodrill, visit jerrydodrill.com. Photos from Tania Amochaev’s “Namibia” collection will also be presented. These photos, taken in 2005, capture the interior of homes overrun by sand dunes in an abandoned diamond mining town in Namibia, South Africa. For more information about Tania Amochaev, visit taniaamochaev.com.The exhibit will continue through November 18. Rasmussen Art Gallery is located on the Pacific Union College campus. The gallery hosts six shows each year and features work from invited artists as well as from faculty and students. The gallery is open regularly 1-5 p.m. on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. ...