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Fifteen PUC visual art seniors displayed their thesis projects at Rasmussen Art Gallery Saturday evening as the venue swelled with an overflow crowd. The Thesis Exhibition is an annual show that serves as the highlight of the capstone year for fine art, photography, and graphic design students. The show featured a diverse collection of student work, including photography series, paintings, digital installations, and collections of business promotional materials. “It was a very strong exhibition that showcased the talent and hard work of our students,” said Milbert Mariano, chair of the visual arts department. “They have been planning, conceptualizing, and implementing their projects all year long. They should be very proud.” See a photo gallery from this year’s senior thesis show....

At a special Colloquy program on Thursday morning, Pacific Union College named the 2011 Educator of the Year: associate professor of communication Tammy McGuire. McGuire, who came to PUC in 2005, completed her undergraduate studies at Union College in Lincoln, Nebraska. She went on to earn an M.A. in English from Eastern Washington University and a Ph.D. in communication from the University of Missouri-Columbia. In addition to teaching a series of major classes in the communication department as well as courses in the Honors Program curriculum, McGuire is a prolific researcher who has presented her studies on communication, linguistics, religion, and feminism at several national communication conferences. At colloquy, a number of faculty friends and students offered a roast, paying tribute to McGuire; each praised her in every aspect, from her innate ability to engage students in the most challenging of subjects to her impossible athleticism. Roasters Elaine Neudeck, Lynne Thew, Michelle Rai and Doug Wilson left no base uncovered, revealing everything from her love of peanut butter to her ferocious childhood temper to photographs from her days as a lanky Pathfinder. The communication department honored the woman of the hour with a video featuring messages from various family members,...

Pacific Union College has selected the recipients of this year's prestigious Maxwell Scholarship. The scholarship rewards incoming freshmen for high academic achievement, a commitment to Christian service, and outstanding leadership experience with $15,000 in annually renewable funding—$60,000 over the course of four years at PUC. These students comprise the third group recognized by the Maxwell Scholar Program, which was established at PUC in 2009 to recognize the late Malcolm and Eileen Maxwell, former president and first lady of PUC. Applicants must meet GPA and test-score requirements, and the ranking of their applications is based on resumes, an essay, and letters of recommendation. This year's winners are:Tori FodeSacramento Adventist AcademyCarmichael, CaliforniaTori served in student government for a number of years, including in the office of senior class president. She also played varsity flag football, was first chair clarinet in the school concert band, and a member of the school choir and handbell choir. In addition to her academic and leadership accomplishments, Tori volunteered 75 hours at Mercy San Juan Hospital in Sacramento, independently raised $700 for a local crisis center, and participated in a mission trip to Honduras. Tori, who also volunteers at her church, has preached at several worship programs...

PUC students held the college’s fourth annual REVO fundraising event on the Campus Mall, Sunday, May 8. Hundreds of students braved damp weather to turn out for the charity event, contributing about $2,500 toward feeding an impoverished population in Argentina. The event featured performances by two student bands, as well as the San Francisco rock group I the Mighty. Students also browsed many tables of donated clothing and assorted items for sale, followed by REVO’s annual second-hand fashion show. Models in the show strode the runway in fashions inspired by African tribal dress. A new feature at this year’s REVO event was the silent auction in which students bid for goods and services from PUC’s staff and faculty, including music lessons, athletic adventures, and homemade food. “REVO couldn’t exist without the students at PUC, willing to come spend their time and money,” says REVO coordinator and junior Tyler McCulloch. He is one of several student organizers that plans the annual campaign. This year’s project is a community kitchen that will serve a small indigenous village in the Argentinean province of Salta. Malnourishment is widespread in this community, and REVO has partnered with the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) to...

A visit from innovative environmentalist Annie Leonard highlighted Pacific Union College’s celebration of Green Week, Thursday, April 21. Leonard spoke for the annual Green Week lecture at Colloquy, and her presentation, entitled “Stewardship for the 21st Century,” capped a yearlong campus discussion on consumerism and society. Following the lecture, roughly 200 students attended a Q & A session with the speaker. Leonard is founder of The Story of Stuff Project, author of The Story of Stuff: The Impact of Overconsumption on the Planet, Our Communities, and Our Health—And How We Can Make it Better, and creator of a documentary of the same name. This year, Pacific Union College students read her book as part of the college’s new PUC Reads program, through which the college aims to foster a rich learning community by providing a shared reading and critical discussion experience to students and faculty. Last summer, all incoming freshman for the fall 2011 quarter received a copy of Leonard’s book. The Story of Stuff was then incorporated into several classes, including English and communication courses. Beginning her lecture, Leonard described the events that led her to a career in environmentalism. Having grown up in a family that frequented nature...