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The Pacific Union College family lost a cherished student, devoted friend, and adventurous spirit this past weekend. Senior communication major Jayaram Notestine died in an automobile accident on Butts Canyon Road near Lake Berryessa Estates in Napa County around 10 p.m. Friday, May 22. Jayaram was one of two men in the vehicle. Ernest Crain, 54, of Angwin, also died in the crash. The accident remains under investigation by the Napa County Sheriff's Office. “Jayaram was a sweet, kind, friendly and thoughtful soul,” says Michelle Rai, chair of the department of communication and Jayaram’s advisor. “His smile could light up a room. He had an adventurous spirit and was an avid, extreme bike rider. He loved his family and friends and treasured growing up in Angwin where he could enjoy being out in nature.” Jayaram was preparing to graduate this June with a B.S in Communication: Communication Studies emphasis. “He was looking forward to starting a new chapter in his life and seeing where the Lord would lead him in his professional and personal life,” says Rai. “We are devastated by the tragic loss of our dear student Jayaram Notestine,” says Lisa Bissell Paulson, vice president for student services. “He...

Back by popular demand, musician and orator David Anthony Johnson returned to PUC’s Colloquy Speakers Series on April 30. Johnson, an alumnus of Oakwood University, has won multiple awards during his 30-year musical career, and has shared the stage with many names of note, including Rosa Parks, Johnnie Cochran, Maya Angelou, Take 6, Brian McKnight, Julian Bond, and others. Johnson’s Martin Luther King Jr. Remembrance Colloquy on January 8 featured his oration talent, imitating the style and manner of the eloquent equal rights activist. This time, however, Johnson spoke as himself, his speech entitled, “The Greatest of These.” After President Heather J. Knight introduced Johnson, he began by singing a song called “Ordinary People.” Johnson then shared his story of when he was a probation corrections officer in San Bernardino County. Johnson explained that in this role, he didn’t want to come across as soft, so he tried to hide his Christian faith from the inmates and the rest of the officers. “I tried to do everything that the world would do,” he said, as he explained that his “tough” act was only a false front. Johnson said he realized his pride was not allowing him to minister to the...

As part of the biennial Pacific Union College Heubach Lectureship series, Kendra Haloviak Valentine, Ph.D. will present a lecture entitled “God on the Move: The First Gospel and the Advent Movement” in Angwin on Saturday, May 30, at 4:00 p.m. Valentine is an associate professor of New Testament studies at the H.M.S. Richards Divinity School at La Sierra University in Riverside, California. She has published in journals, magazines, and books. Recent publications include “The Book of Revelation” in The Dictionary of Scripture and Ethics (2011), Signs to Life: Reading and Responding to John’s Gospel (2013, and Worlds at War, Nations in Song (2015). The lecture will take place in Paulin Hall Auditorium on the Pacific Union College campus. Admission is free. For more information, please call the PUC office of public relations at (707) 965-6303....

Pacific Union College’s alumni family numbers over 26,000 people,and each individual makes an important impact in their own community. Eachyear, Honored Alumni awards are given to graduates who demonstrate the best ofthis Pioneer Spirit. Though they finished their college experience in differentgenerations, each Honored Alumnus had something central in common: a passionfor answering God’s call to be a light in the world.On April 17 to 19, 2015, alumni and friends of Pacific UnionCollege gathered at “Our College on the Mountain” in Angwin, Calif., for aspecial and unique Homecoming Weekend recognizing the trails of service blazedby the many dedicated graduates of Pacific Union College. During a weekend fullof special events, eight individuals were recognized for their exemplaryservice with Honored Alumni and Honored Pioneer awards at a Friday eveningdinner in their honor.The 2015 Honored Pioneer recipient was Adu Worku, M.A.,M.S.L.S. Worku received the award, which is given to a non-graduate forexceptional service to the college, in recognition of his exceptionaldedication to the power and freedom of education. The director of libraryservices at PUC since 1985, Worku’s path to the Nelson Memorial Library beganin northwest Ethiopia, where his parents taught him an agrarian life. It took afreak accident to break the cycle of...

A group of Pacific Union College students enrolled in the Film & Television program traveled to La Sierra University in Riverside, Calif., for the annual SONscreen Film Festival on April 2-4, 2015. Students stayed busy by attending workshops, viewing film screenings, and meeting talented students from other Adventist colleges and universities as well as industry professionals. At the awards ceremony that wrapped up the festival, PUC’s own Mark Soderblom won the Jury Selection Award for his film The Pilot. PUC represented the largest group attending the festival with a total of 30 students. The 2015 SONscreen not only had keynote lectures and film screenings, but a mini-movie challenge as well. The students had a strict two-hour time limit to shoot and edit a film in teams. Featured speakers included Rik Swartzswelder, director and costar of Old Fashioned, and Jason Sutterland, director of The Record Keeper. In addition to the lectures, the professionals also held Q&A sessions with the students. Winning the Jury Selection Award was an “exciting moment for PUC,” said Soderblom, a sophomore. Soderblom’s documentary, shot entirely on his iPhone, is a showcases his brother and fellow PUC student Bryan Soderblom. Like many other students, Bryan was unsure of...