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The residence halls at Pacific Union College were a storm of activity Wednesday, September 21, as the year’s crop of freshmen arrived on their new campus. Faculty, staff, and many upperclassmen welcomed the new faces to campus, helping the freshmen move into the dorms as a volunteer service known as Porter Power. “This is great! I wish people had done this for me when I started college!” said Student Association Vice President Jessica Kremer, who transferred to PUC as a sophomore. The entire SA government turned out to assist their new classmates into the dorms and welcome them to the student body. “Porter Power is a reflection of our very mission at PUC—to live a life of service!” says Lisa Bissell-Paulson, Vice President for Student Services. “Why not put our mission into action from the moment students set foot on campus? Parents love the assistance, students see faculty, staff, and students joining together to help them, and in turn, new students immediately embrace serving others. One good deed really does lead to another.” Now that they’re settled on campus, the freshmen are headed for a campground in the Mendocino forests for a retreat with Fusion, the freshman orientation program that...

Academy students from across the western states learned tips from design and editing professionals September 6-8 at PUC’s annual Publication Workshop. This year’s crowd was the largest in the 21-year history of the program, with 26 schools in attendance. Publication Workshop provides invaluable experience for high school yearbook, video yearbook, and newspaper publishers, and for many students is a first step into a lifelong career in publishing or journalism. “PUC does an amazing job at providing support through the workshops and especially the opportunity to network with each other,” said Stanley Matsuda, yearbook sponsor at Redding Adventist Academy in Redding, Calif. This year’s program instructors included professors from PUC’s communication and visual arts departments, working professionals in the public relations and student life offices, and upper division design students—some in their first teaching experiences. The program also tapped resources from off campus, including keynote speaker Donna Rooney, who has been a writer for a variety of TV shows and websites; Jesse Duarte, a reporter for the local newspaper St. Helena Star; and John Tagamolila, an assistant director with credits including The Fighter and Dear John, and an adjunct professor in PUC’s visual arts department. “Publication Workshop was a great mix...

Summer break offers welcome gifts of new activities and a change of pace to Pacific Union College students. For junior Rebekah Widmer, summer vacation 2011 brought a new chance to give of herself to others. Whether laying bricks or teaching kids how to brush their teeth, Rebekah Widmer is on a mission—or leading one. This summer, Rebekah led over 20 college-age peers on a unique mission trip to Chiapas, Mexico. For two weeks in July, the Collegiate Project team worked to build a church, offer a dental clinic, and conduct vacation bible school in the rural community of El Retiro. Sponsored by Maranatha Volunteers International, the project is the organization’s newest option for young adults, who are the trip’s leaders and participants. Rebekah was the trip’s first project coordinator. “Being the project coordinator helps you learn how everyone is part of the team; how the pastor impacts the cook,” she says. As a four-time veteran of Maranatha’s Ultimate Workout, a mission trip for high school age teens, Rebekah is very familiar with a mission team’s many roles. This service-driven student may be new to the Collegiate Project, but she’s no stranger to missions. At age 15, Rebekah felt a passion...

The California Pacific (Cal Pac) Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics named Pacific Union College the winner of the 2010-11 Cal Pac Sportsmanship Award at the annual Cal Pac Convention on Sunday, August 21. The award honors the Pioneers athletic program as the best example of the value of respect in sport. "We are very honored to receive this recognition from our fellow members in the Cal Pac Conference. We are proud to be a member of a conference that strives to make character such a focal point in our competition," said PUC athletic director Robert Castillo. "This is a testament to the quality and character of our student-athletes here at Pacific Union College and throughout the Cal Pac Conference," added Castillo. The Cal Pac Conference recognizes one institution each year with the Sportsmanship Award. At the end of the season for each sport, the coaches of each college submit their top two choices for most sportsmanlike team in their respective sport. The institution with the most points at the conclusion of the sporting season wins the award. This is the eleventh year the Cal Pac Conference has granted a Sportsmanship Award. "Pacific Union College represents all that...

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges, the organization that accredits educational institutions in California and Hawaii, concluded a six-year review of Pacific Union College last month, awarding PUC uninterrupted accreditation through spring of 2018. “This process, while long, was very helpful as we continue to improve student learning at PUC,” said academic dean Nancy Lecourt. “We learned a lot and consider it a growing process.” That process included two visits by WASC evaluation teams, as well as three rigorous reports on the college’s progress in several areas recommended at the beginning of the review, including strategic planning, financial stability, and student enrollment and retention. In a letter to the college administration, WASC applauded PUC’s “effective and committed engagement with issues of continuous improvement.” More specifically, the organization praised PUC’s faculty for maintaining a strong system of self-review, and to the college in general for its “commitment to a culture of evidence” in evaluating best courses of action....