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After a quiet summer at PUC, the campus has come back to life as the 2010-2011 school year officially began on Monday, September 20. As students begin classes last week, early registration figures indicate that enrollment will increase this year compared to 2009-2010; it will be the college’s second consecutive year of growth. “It was exciting to see that there were [students’] cars double-parked all throughout the Winning parking lot,” said Scott Callender, PUC’s director of enrollment. “We’re definitely on track to see an increase this year.” The bustle on campus began Wednesday the 15th as PUC welcomed hundreds of new students to campus on Freshman Move-In Day. Freshmen eagerly made their way in to their first college dormitory rooms with the aid of parents and friends. PUC faculty, staff, and student leaders also provided assistance, volunteering in an annual tradition known as “Porter Power.” These campus volunteers helped new students carry in boxes and furniture and offered information and advice about campus life. “We've eagerly anticipated the arrival of our many freshmen, and they finally arrived!” said Lisa Paulson, vice president for student services. “We are going to have a great school year!” Over the weekend the new students...

Pacific Union College welcomed over 130 Pacific Union Conference academy newspaper, yearbook and video yearbook editors September 7-9 to learn the skills required to produce high quality publications from professors and working professionals in the college’s 20th annual Publication Workshop. The program offers an in-depth and multi-faceted approach to teaching students publication skills. “In addition to excellent instruction in video, graphic design, communication and writing, student leaders are able to network with each other and form a support group that (hopefully) lasts beyond their time at the workshop,” says program co-director Michelle Rai. “We also have a spiritual component to the workshop, from our Christian instructors to our praise and worship services. Our goal is to show students that they can serve God in any profession and with any communication medium.” The workshop offered more than 50 different seminars to students and their sponsors. Students chose to follow specialization tracks in journalism or yearbook writing, newspaper or yearbook design, newspaper or yearbook editorship, photography and video yearbook editing. A few course titles included: “Photoshop Tips and Tricks,” “Copy Editing,” “Editorial Writing,” “Hands-On Mood Boards” (inspiring the publication’s theme, color, layout, type and images), “Photo Essence” (how to get the most...

On September 7, 2010, the Pacific Union College Board of Trustees confirmed Dr. Dave Lawrence as the college’s new vice president for financial administration. Lawrence officially started his appointment on September 13, in time for the new academic year. Most recently, Lawrence was university controller at Loma Linda University, where he managed and coordinated the daily activities of the University’s accounting and finance functions, internal control, investment management, chart of accounts administration and provided budgetary control of Loma Linda University’s $250 million budget. Furthermore, Lawrence provided oversight of all financial reporting, implemented accounting and financial policies and procedures, coordinated cash flow and collaborated with the information technology department in reference to financial systems application, internal audits and tax reporting. Additionally, Lawrence served on the Financial Operations Committee, the Risk Management Committee, the Human Resources Operations Committee, the Investment Management Committee, the Web Steering Committee, as well as the Plant Operations Committee at LLU. He is also an active member of NACUBO and WACUBO and has published in the Journal of Adventist Education on topics related to school finance. Lawrence also served as an assistant professor at Loma Linda University’s department of health policy and management where he taught courses in...

This July nine missionaries from PUC—one professor, six current students, and two recent grads—journeyed to Guatemala for a 15-day evangelism drive organized by ShareHim ministries and sponsored by The Quiet Hour radio program. The group stayed in the northeastern town of Flores from July 9-24. From that hub, the missionaries fanned out each day and each one preached a solo evangelistic series. It was a daunting challenge for the missionaries, many of whom were preaching for the very first time. “It was scary when they asked me to be the leader,” says Charo Caballero-Chambers, a PUC modern language professor and official group leader, who had never preached before. “But I [prayed], and I felt like this was what God was really calling me to do.” At the close of the trip, 36 Guatemalans decided to give their lives to God in baptism at a nearby lake. In addition, Caballero-Chambers reports that she has since received calls from pastors in the area who say that in the successive weeks many more decided to be baptized in response to the evangelistic efforts. “They tell me, ‘You have planted the seeds, and we will continue watering,” she says. The mission provided an especially...

At the Seventh-day Adventist General Conference session in Atlanta this summer, visitors to the Pacific Union College exhibit booth were confronted with a tough decision. They had to choose between donating money to an organization that mentors children in California, providing shoes for families in Ethiopia, or building a village in Nicaragua. "They are all such good causes!" said one visitor to the booth. "I don't know how to choose!" Some wanted to give to all three charities—a generous spirit that was helped by the fact that PUC was giving them the money to donate. For this General Conference PUC eschewed the usual giveaways that dominate convention exhibits and allocated $5,000 for student ministries instead. The decision of how to distribute the money was left in the hands of visitors, who were given wooden tokens that could be dropped into one of three boxes representing the ministries. At the end of the 10-day session, PUC would count the tokens, each representing 50 cents, and then write checks to the student ministries for the amounts collected. The project fits in with a culture of giving and volunteerism that is deeply ingrained at PUC. "It's just another example of how PUC has...