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A total of 16 athletes across six varsity sports at Pacific Union College were named as the inaugural recipients of the new Scholar Athlete Recognition Program at the annual Awards Colloquy this past Thursday, May 12. In conjunction with Pioneer Athletics, the college will annually recognize junior and senior athletes who excel in the classroom while participating in varsity sports. This announcement comes at the completion of the second year of the collaborative efforts between Pioneer Athletics and the Teaching and Learning Center to help students balance the demanding schedule that comes with being a student athlete and full-time student. Being a student athlete and maintaining a high GPA can be tough, with practicing a minimum of 12 hours a week and traveling to locations in and out of state. “To manage and excel both as a student and an athlete takes dedication and a community of support, which makes PUC such a remarkable place to be,” said Athletic Director Brittany Brown. “They are not only preparing themselves as students but learning and growing in a team environment preparing them for their next phase in life. We are excited to announce our first ever scholar athlete recognition program!” Scholar Athletes...

Pacific Union College is delighted to announce Sam Delaware, an 18-year-old freshman photography major, has been named Youth Photographer of the Year in the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards. The recognition follows his win in the competition’s Youth Portraits category. Delaware came to PUC from Pine Tree Academy in Freeport, Maine, as one of the college’s five Maxwell Scholar recipients in 2015, PUC’s most prestigious scholarship. He was senior class president, a member of the National Honor Society, a Phi Beta Kappa Award recipient, and first chair trumpet in the academy band. PUC professor Brian Kyle, who is Delaware’s photography instructor, commended him on his win, saying, “Sam is a talented photographer and dedicated student of the arts whom I am thrilled to have here at PUC. The fact that such a young student is already being publicly recognized for his talents is a testament to his dedication, passion, and artistic vision.” Delaware’s entry was titled “Sarah,” and is a portrait of his sister. When asked about the inspiration behind the winning photograph, Delaware shares, “After moving to a university across the country, I understood I’d miss my family; my mother and father, and especially my sister. Like so many...

Assistant professor of communication and department chair Michelle Rai, M.S., was named Educator of the Year 2016 during the colloquy program on April 28. Faculty, staff, students, and administration all celebrated with Rai as she was recognized for this prestigious award for the first time. Rai has been a professor in the department of communication for the past ten years and chair for the past eight. “Faculty and students alike are pleased with the choice of Michelle, whose hard work and collegiality have allowed the Communication department to grow into one of the largest on campus in recent years,” says Dr. Nancy Lecourt, academic dean and vice president for academic administration. This distinction, determined solely upon student vote, recognizes an outstanding educator each year. Rai was praised by students for her ability to connect on personal levels and willingness to make time for students. Talissa Romero, junior health communication major, described Rai’s dedication to her students as, “a phone call or text away, responding to text messages faster than you can blink your eyes.” An alumnus of PUC, Rai graduated in 1997 with a degree in both communication and journalism. A home-grown member of the college’s faculty, Rai started her...

Pacific Union College Fine Art Series features renown solo pianistRoy Bogas on Sunday, May 1 at 4 p.m. in Paulin Hall Auditorium.An accomplishedmusician, Bogas was trained at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, and received hischamber music training from the Alma Trio and the Griller Quartet. Bogas wasonly 14-years-old when he debuted with the San Francisco Symphony. By 19, hewas the accompanist for violinist Yehudi Menuhin, and proceeded to play over100 concerts alongside him around the globe. In 1962, he was a prize winner atthe Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, Russia, and made his debut in New Yorkand London the following year. He was also awarded a special prize at the Queen Elizabeth Competition inBrussels, Belgium.Bogas has played with several otherinfluential artists, including Jaime Laredo, Zara Nelsova, Michael Rabin,Ruggiero Ricci, and Joseph Szigeti, with whom he made a number of recordingsfor Mercury Records. In addition to his recitals, he has performed as a soloistwith close to every orchestra within the state, and countless other orchestrasthroughout the country and around the world.Bogas is the founder and director of theMasterGuild Series of chamber music concerts at Holy Names College in Oakland,Calif., where he also serves as artistic director. He is the director of...

The Rasmussen Art Gallery hostedthe annual Student Art Exhibition on Thursday evening, April 14. The exhibitionis a showcase for the department of visual arts, receiving 127 entries from in-classwork and independent art pieces that included painting, photography, sculpture,and ceramics.A packed crowd spilled out of theeast wing of the gallery and into the foyer as Cheryl Daley, instructor of fineart, presented awards to 39 students across 12 different categories. Small cashprizes were given to students finishing in the top three or receiving honorablemention in each category.Visitors spent the two-houropening circulating the room, admiring the student works placed throughout thegallery. “This was my first time entering the art gallery and it wasphenomenal,” said Krista Bathan, a junior communication major. “The studentshere on campus are very creative and did an incredible job.”Michael McGinnis, the inventor ofthe 2013 Toy of the Year, the Superplexus, and a former Rasmussen Art Galleryfeatured artist, judged the exhibition and offered advice to the aspiringartists from afar: “Regardless of your ultimate career goals, make art a partof your lives, both as an expressive outlet of great value and as an aestheticelement in your daily living. Art is a fundamental element of the humancondition. Never be afraid to break boundaries,...