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From February 21 to 22, students from Pacific Union College and PUC Preparatory showcased the largest cast turnout of PUC on Broadway at the Paulin Hall Auditorium. A student-led production, this year’s directors and producers were PUC seniors Leila Beltran, a senior liberal studies and music major, and Emily Lalas, a biology and music major.Beltran directed the first-ever production of PUC on Broadway in 2023. This year was a full-circle moment, marking her Broadway return this year, her last. Some differences this time around for her involved directing in the renovated auditorium, which allowed access to new lighting and costumes that were unavailable two years ago. With a larger cast, the show was extra special. For two nights, they performed songs from & Juliet, [title of show], Hadestown, Hamilton, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Mean Girls, Little Shop of Horrors, My Fair Lady, Something Rotten, The Count of Monte Cristo, The Lightning Thief, The Prince of Egypt, The Phantom of the Opera, and Wicked.On opening night, “Drive” from The Lightning Thief was a hit performance. “It was corny to the point that it was enjoyable,” said Beltran. “And with the little hand motions that go with it?...

Over the past few years, Pacific Union College has enthusiastically expanded its graduate degree programs in education, nursing, communication, and business, offering flexibility, small class sizes, experiential learning, and most importantly, a Christian environment that empowers students with opportunities within the Seventh-day Adventist world and beyond.Having offered the Master of Education program for some time, the college decided to broaden its offerings in other high-demand fields in an online setting, which has ultimately allowed PUC to expand its reach to more students in California and Hawaii. Currently, the M.Ed. degree is a summer-based program that exposes graduates to teaching skills and technological proficiency, scholarly research, and leadership development while observing classroom trends and issues.Dean of the School of Arts, Humanities, and Professions, Milbert Mariano, emphasized the need to reach students beyond PUC. “We are adding to our list of online graduate programs providing much-needed training for busy professionals who want to advance their careers through master's degrees,” he said.To keep up with the high demand for nurses in the job market, PUC now offers a Master of Science in Nursing, a 100% online program that provides core, specialty, and practicum courses to students who already hold a BSN. Two areas...

Over winter break, February 5-8, Pacific Union College’s department of music went on tour to the San Diego, CA, area. They performed for chapel programs at Escondido Adventist Academy and San Diego Academy, presented vespers at Paradise Village Retirement Community and San Diego Fil-Am Adventist Church, and provided music for the church service at Bonita Valley Adventist Church.Ensembles on tour were Mosaic, PUC’s string quartet, and Vox Pro Musica (VPM), PUC’s select audition-only vocal ensemble. Mosaic is directed by Chair of Music Rachelle Berthelsen Davis; VPM is directed by Professor of Music Ronnie Zanella.“My favorite tour performance was at the retirement center because the audience was very lively and singing felt like a gift that night,” comments Tessa Hutzkal, senior graphic design major, who sings first alto with VPM. She adds, “I also unofficially loved when we sang in a very echoey walkway while outside.”It is not common for elementary or secondary schools to receive visits from college-level music ensembles, something Michael Spencer, music director at Escondido Academy, commented on.“He was super appreciative of the level of excellent music-making we brought to their students,” says Berthelsen Davis. “He remarked that they have opportunities to bus their students to high-level musical...

For years, various projects have been deeply considered by the administration at Pacific Union College. At the start of 2025, Vice President for Advancement Carlos Garcia, with the help of various departments, created the PUC Forward Campaign to raise funds for numerous renovations to highlight overall campus and student life, beautifying and improving the campus.Irwin Hall is one of two buildings on campus that house the most classes, serving departments such as business, communication, history, and more. Also, being one of PUC’s oldest buildings, its halls and stairs have needed remodeling. Garcia said that phase one of this renovation will focus on repainting the exterior and installing new windows, which have water damage. To complete this project, PUC needs to generate $410,000.Newton Hall is also a focus in this campaign, as it has been many years since any major remodels were done. To continue maintaining a comfortable dorm environment, Newton Hall needs to upgrade its restrooms and showers. PUC must raise $990,000 to create a better home-away-from-home for these students.Due to increased student interest, PUC has decided to expand its aviation program and enhance its department. They have also acquired a new aircraft, "Charlie," a technically advanced aircraft with a...

This past fall quarter, Pacific Union College Aviation Program Director Nathan Tasker taught the AVIA-402: Simulation Innovation course for the first time. The purpose of this class was to further the program’s two prototype simulators. One group focused on the full-motion, six-degrees-of-freedom platform purchased with funds from the 2025 VersaCare grant. This platform is a highly respected, cutting-edge device that is currently marketed for realistic, immersive simulation.Throughout the quarter, aviation students have worked diligently and collaboratively to adapt this platform for use in a virtual reality full-motion trainer to help beginning flight students progress more rapidly and affordably. In the initial analysis of the program, the students attempted to validate the motion characteristics of the full-motion base. Students took measurements, made calculations, and analyzed the data to determine how well the platform simulated an aircraft hurtling through a large 3-D space, a complicated prospect. Unfortunately, they found that the original software did not accurately reflect washout and load factor, which are crucial factors for achieving a realistic result.After they followed up with the manufacturer, the students learned that their goal was beyond the scope of the manufacturer's development team, prompting them to develop their very own motion platform software under...