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They had 24 hours to write, produce and perform one-act plays. On November 7 at 10 p.m., Pacific Union College resident artist Mei Ann Teo and drama intern Zack Dunn gathered with four writers, four directors, and 13 actors to choose their theme for the first PUC 24-hour Theatre Festival. The participants, which included current students, alums, faculty and staff, one community member and one younger student, were divided into four teams and set out to theatrically engage the topic drawn from a hat: "legendary." The four writers wrote through the night, and handed the scripts off to the directors early Sunday morning. At 9 a.m., the directors met with their acting teams and started blocking and memorizing. "This has been quite a journey," said Dunn, who was the event producer. He recounted the strange mix of rehearsal scenes in Stauffer Hall. "In one room, Cammie directed her actors during a crazy dance number, while directly below her, in the seminar room, Doug Gerard's team attempts the rehearsal of a serious drama about severed connections! In another room, actors sit running lines in a closet-spaced set, and I could hear the fourth group rehearsing 'Men 101' while in the downstairs...

When executive and entrepreneur Chris Klinvex presented “Competing for Great Jobs: What Every Student Should Know Before Starting the Job Search” for colloquy on Career Day 2008, he was honest about the challenges, personal in his approach, and serious about the importance of God in the process. The paradox, he said, is that “really this is not about you guys… it’s about Him.” He told students, “I challenge you to be very prayerful.” He also encouraged them that, even in a difficult job market, there is purpose. “I really believe that you’ll find your purpose when you use the brain He’s given you and hold his hand. My life has gone best when I let His desires become mine.” Klinvex shared how he and two others started a new consulting company, Select International, which now provides major corporations around the world with assessment, hiring solutions, and recruiting services. Contrary to what you’ll be told, he said, you don’t have to sacrifice your family or your values to be a successful businessperson. Klinvex also shared some information about job markets, advice on what to look for in a company and what to prepare for in college, and common mistakes students make...

After the Social Work Forum’s push to register voters, classroom and informal debates over Prop 8 and candidates, formal debates about election issues in the Student Association “political party” and a PUC-Cast special episode, and students participating in a survey of Adventist campuses, election day itself was fairly quiet on campus. True, shuttle cars coordinated by the Social Work Forum transported some students to and from the Angwin polling place, but as professor Monty Butler reported, many chose to vote by mail-in ballot. Evening found a little more hubbub as a good-sized crowd kept the Campus Center full. Students came through as they could to catch the results and speeches on the big-screen there. Doug Wilson, director of student activities, said there were a few cheers and boos as results came in, but mostly students were just “interested in seeing the whole process.”Before the election, some of our students participated in a survey conducted for Spectrum magazine by Roger Dudley, director of the Institute of Church Ministry at Andrews University. Students at Andrews University, Southern Adventist University, Union College, La Sierra University, and Walla Walla University also participated in the survey, and an initial report was published on the Spectrum...

With election day fast approaching — and with this year’s much-talked-about ballot — politics, parties, and polls have naturally worked their way into campus life. Class discussion in the Honors seminar “Alterity” have delved into the social background for the to-do on various candidates. Students can always catch some CNN in the Campus Center and have gathered there to watch the candidate debates. The Social Work Forum provided voter registration forms and will host a shuttle to the polling location. And a full Campus Center welcomed a “Political Party” on October 29. Hosted by the Student Association, the “Political Party” featured a Democrat table and a Republican table; commentary and an open forum for issues on the ballot, with a panel of senators and faculty members responding to questions raised by the audience or the facilitator; and apple pie. Student and village district senator Matthew Reeves opened the forum with a basic explanation on bonds and some commentary on how they play into measures on California’s ballot this November. Another senator, Zach Benton, presented background and commentary on Prop 4 (Waiting Period and Parental Notification Before Termination of Minor’s Pregnancy). Reeves and senator Cristina Alba then represented opposing sides on...

In the late afternoon of Friday, October 10, a seemingly harmless incident with a car on the side of Deer Park Road generated a spark that took off through dry grass and became a blaze within minutes. Angwin and Deer Park residents were quickly on the alert — and the firefighting forces multiplied as wind spread the fire. At Pacific Union College, key people stayed in touch with CalFire and were on the ready for whatever might happen. The campus was very briefly without electricity. Special announcements were made to the students at vespers and in dorm meetings regarding fire status and procedures in case the campus should be threatened. About 100 people were evacuated in Deer Park, but Angwin was never threatened. Residents heard the trucks, planes, and helicopters through the night, however; and the glow and smoke could be seen from surrounding areas. The main road off the hill was closed, though most people were able to come and go using Old Howell Mountain Road. The Angwin Fire Department was not a part of the initial dispatch, except for their water tender (for transporting water to the fire location). But later in the evening a team of ten...