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The annual lighting of the PUC Christmas tree took place on the Monday of dead week, December 1. The campus mall was aglow with candlelight, and Christmas melodies wafted over the people in the crowd as they waited for the festivities to commence in front of the massive landmark tree. At 6:30 sharp, Student Association (SA)president Daniel DeCaires welcomed everyone to the tree lighting, especially thanking the rest of the SA officers for their hard work at the beginning of the holiday season. Josue Hernandez, SA religious vice president, gave a short prayer then turned the stage over to PUC President Heather J. Knight. President Knight provided the encouraging message that in a few short days, the quarter will be over and winter break will begin; until then, we have to keep up the momentum and power through finals. She then began the countdown to the light-up. After a momentous few seconds to take in the radiant tree, most of the crowd headed to the mall in front of the campus center for cookies and hot chocolate. As a surprise finishing touch to the evening, a snow machine blanketed the ground of the mall with fluffy white flakes to the...

As a Seventh-day Adventist learningcommunity offering an excellent Christ centered education, Pacific UnionCollege is proud to prepare its students for productive lives of useful humanservice and uncompromising personal integrity. Ranked as a National LiberalArts College by U.S. News & WorldReport, a PUC education emphasizes academic excellence, authentic spiritualexperience, and service to local and worldwide communities. At PUC, studentsare taught lasting lessons that they employ as professionals and as Christ’sservants.A Pacific Union College degree is also an investment withlasting value. In September 2013, PUC was ranked in the top 13 percent ofcolleges nationally for return on investment by PayScale, a provider ofcompensation data. The ROI (return on investment) ranking demonstrates thatstudents who graduate from PUC enjoy a greater earnings increase than studentswithout a four-year degree. Estimates of lifetime earnings of college degreeholders range from $700,000 to $1 million more than those who have only a highschool diploma. When the college’s financial aid offerings are taken intoaccount, the PayScale ranking shows that PUC graduates could expect an annualreturn of 7.9% on their higher education investment. PUC has a long traditionof sending students to medical and dental school, as well as prestigiousgraduate programs, which further increases earning potential. PUC students arewell positioned for...

Pacific Union College students have many opportunities when making weekend plans: Vespers services on Friday, hikes on campus trails, trips to the ocean, and Student Association gatherings on Saturday night. For many students, service to others through Clearlake Homeless Ministry is an essential part of each weekend. After Sabbath church services and lunch, students hop in to vans and make their way to Clearlake, a small town 40 miles from PUC with a large homeless population. This outreach began in the fall of 2012 with a senior theology major, Gresford Thomas, who saw a need in the Clearlake community. “Lives have been changed,” says the ministry’s sponsor, Gilbert Abella, a PUC librarian. Each Friday afternoon, volunteers pack nonperishable food into bags to hand out behind a parking lot and at a park by Redbud Lake. The bags are filled with a variety of supplies, including donations from the school cafeteria and from Gott’s, a local restaurant. Sometimes the group includes specific items that homeless individuals request. The ministry also makes calls for seasonal items, including coats and tarps in winter. The team is led by Cristian and Shelina Villegas, who faithfully visit Clearlake each week and make sure the needs...

Pacific Union College’s department of English hosted a poetry reading on the evening of November 17 featuring adjunct English professor Judith Rose and her friend, Israeli poet and translator Betsy Rosenberg. The poets are accomplished writers as well as longtime friends, and in their presentation spoke about their shared childhood experiences and current creative collaboration to a full auditorium in McKibben Hall. After an introduction to the poets by Cynthia Westerbeck, chair of the department of English, Rose and Rosenberg alternated reading. Both have recently published books of poetry: Rose published Walking the Minefield in 2012 with Finishing Line Press, and Rosenberg’s A Future More Vivid with Sheep Meadow press this month. “It’s so wonderful to be able to look back on such a long time … and to share the perspectives of over a half century of friendship,” Rosenberg said of her friendship with Rose. As they read, they explored similar themes in their poetry, including descriptions of the Midwest (where they first met), animals, the passing of siblings, and the tensions of war and peace. To read more about Rose and Rosenberg’s longtime friendship and poetry, read the profile in the St. Helena Star....

The Pacific Union College Pioneers women’s volleyball team ended their season at the National Athletic Intercollegiate Association (NAIA) California Pacific Conference Volleyball Tournament in Riverside, Calif. The Lady Pioneers lost to Menlo College on October 13; Menlo went on to beat UC Merced for the Cal Pac Championship on October 15. At the Championship Awards Banquet, Pioneer players were honored with postseason honors. PUC women’s volleyball ended their season 15-12 overall and 5-6 in Cal Pac play. They entered the Championships as the three seed before falling to Menlo College in the first round. “We are a young team, and a young team with a lot of talent,” shared head coach Brittany Brown. “I am looking forward to building off the success of this program going into next year.” At the Cal Pac Championship Awards Banquet, Lady Pioneer Viridiana Gallardo, a senior, was recognized the Cal Pac Libero of the Year and named to the All Conference First Team. Gallardo led the Cal Pac in digs per set at 6.02 and tallied a total of 602 digs in the season. She was seventh in the NAIA in digs per set. In addition to Gallardo’s award, Amanda Loeffler was named Cal...