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This year's Student Week of Prayer brought eight current Pacific Union College students to the platform to share with their fellow students about becoming active Christians. Morning and evening programs (and a change of class schedules) brought the campus together for messages on this year's Student Association theme, "From the Ground Up," emphasizing community, acceptance, and personal ministry. One "active" element of the programs was a daily challenge, such as "Tell someone how you appreciate them for something." Laura Dominguez, the first speaker, started by reading a quote: "The human soul spends his or her life searching for that one thing that will bring fullness, meaning, and happiness to their life." With help from other students, she acted out a dialogue in which her heart was missing something and people came along with suggestions of how to fill it. Education didn't seem to work. Money didn't fit. Music didn't cover it. Fun and parties weren't quite right. Romance wasn't enough. But when a friend came to tell her about "the Alpha and the Omega," about "something much much better that will give you a love way purer than others," about "Jesus Christ," the fit was perfect. "The greatest struggle for...

The new exhibit at the Rasmussen Art Gallery celebrates the many various talents of some of Pacific Union College’s creative student minds. April 15 was the opening and awards presentation for the annual Student Art Exhibition in the gallery. Around 80 visitors, including students, faculty, and community members, came to cheer the student artists on. The show was open to all PUC students of any major, and many students had responded to the call for entries, resulting in 165 exhibited works. Student artwork was judged under the categories Drawing, Opaque Media Painting, Watercolor, Graphic Design, Printmaking, Mixed Media, Stained Glass, Sculpture, and Ceramics. Visitors viewed the show while enjoying refreshments, including fresh fruit and Sparkling Martinelli’s, all the while talking with the students who had come to view their own success. Various prizes were awarded for the different categories—$25 for first place, $20 for second, and $15 for third. There was also a $50 grand prize awarded for the emphasized environmental theme of PUC's Green Week. The show will remain up in the gallery through May 4. Regular gallery hours are Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday from 1-5 pm. Admission is free and open to the public....

Pacific Union College students host this year’s REVO humanitarian fundraising and awareness event on April 25 in an outdoor area at the center of the school’s campus. From 6:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. that Sunday, students will hold a benefit rummage sale, host a fashion show, play a concert, and sell corn dogs and t-shirts to aid the Tropical Health Alliance Foundation (THAF) in its efforts to combat podoconiosis, and a KidzReach program that supports local children. The event on the 25th will be the second REVO event this year; the first was a very successful 5K race on the college's trails on April 18. REVO plans to donate half of the raised funds to support THAF-sponsored clinics in Ethiopia that treat podoconiosis, a form of elephantitis caused by exposure of feet to red clay soil. Santa Monica-based non-profit TOMS Shoes agreed to collaborate with REVO and THAF, and will provide shoes for family members of each person who receives treatment as a result of this endeavor. The rest of the funds raised by this event will go to KidzReach, a campus-based program whose members volunteer to spend Saturdays with children from underprivileged families or unstable homes in nearby counties....

For this year's student-led Revo project at Pacific Union College, the coordinators decided to host a benefit 5K run as well as the annual rummage sale, concert, and fashion show. Both events are to raise money for a local kids ministry and to treat a foot disease in Ethiopia caused by not wearing shoes. The race took place on Sunday, April 18, and the students were hoping for 100 racers and some decent weather. Instead, they had 125 racers and a gorgeous day. PUC cross country coach Bob Paulson laid out a fairly simple 5K course for the runners as well as an easy route of about two miles for people who preferred to walk. "We had so much rain, it was a bit of an obstacle course," Paulson reports. But he says people just had fun with the challenge. "Everybody seemed to have a blast." The student leaders were also very pleased to see some runners who were not from the campus. "I was surprised at how many runners were not students," reports Tyler McCulloch, one of the student organizers for the event. "We had people from Fairfield, Napa, and beyond." With a beautifully fair day squeezed between rainstorms...

Pacific Union College alumni gathered as they do each spring for Homecoming Weekend, April 16-18. From the handing out of Diogenes Lanterns (the school flower) to the Utt Lecture to parties for Honor Classes, events gave alumni a chance to enjoy the current campus and reminisce about their days at PUC. This year, Honored Alumni awards went to Audrey and Bruce Anderson, Monica Neumann, and Jake Scheideman. The Andersons, both 1960 graduates, come from a family whose members have attended, taught, or pastored at PUC since 1910. The two have been invaluable to the legacy of former PUC professor Walter Utt, hosting alumni and board meetings and collaborating with the college on Utt Endowment affairs. Monica Neumann, class of 1970, is an anesthesiologist, professor, and director at Loma Linda University Medical Center and is known for her work in nurturing the next generation of Adventist medical professionals. Local bike shop owner Jake Scheideman, class of 1990, has spent 10 years improving life for the people of a small town in Nicaragua. He founded the non-profit Developing Communities, Inc., and has involved the local community and many volunteers in contributing to the town. PUC also honored Jean Phillips as an Honored...