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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...

Early Sunday morning, August 24, a large earthquake measuring an estimated 6.0 struck southern Napa County at 3:20 a.m. While Angwin residents definitively felt the tremors, very little damage has been reported in the community, which is approximately 30 miles from the epicenter. No damages or injures were reported at Pacific Union College. The campus experienced a brief power outage, but all critical services were functioning following the earthquake. The college, College Market, Chevron station, and other Angwin Plaza businesses were open as usual on Monday, August 25. Campus officials have inspected all the exteriors of all buildings and structures on the campus property, including Angwin Plaza and the Chevron station. No visible damage has been identified. Individual interior building inspections will continue, and if any structural damage is found during these inspections the college will assess the damage and respond appropriately with necessary repairs. As of Monday, August 25, the college had received laboratory reports on the college water supply, and the water was declared safe to drink. All water tanks appear safe and have no signs of structural damage. The intense shaking stirred up sediment in the lines. This is completely normal given the magnitude of the quake....

Pacific Union College has been honored as a College of Distinction for the 2014-2015 school year. PUC is one of a select group of colleges to earn this prestigious designation, based on its excellence in Four Distinctions: engaged students, great teaching, vibrant campus communities and successful outcomes. High school college counselors and educators nominate colleges and universities for recognition by Colleges of Distinction, which then evaluates each school based on qualitative and quantitative research. The colleges and universities are not ranked and instead are members of a consortium of other equally impressive schools. “It is an honor to be recognized as a college that excels in providing a student-focused education,” shares PUC Vice President for Marketing and Enrollment Services Jennifer Tyner. “In keeping with PUC’s mission, we are committed to offering our students an excellent Christ-centered education that prepares them for productive lives of useful human service and uncompromising personal integrity.” Colleges of Distinction looks beyond rankings and test scores to find colleges that are the ideal places to learn, grow and succeed. The selection process reviews such factors as the school’s first year experience, general education program, experiential components of the curriculum, the strategic plan and alumni success and...

During the end of July and beginning of August, Pacific Union College representatives travel to Seventh-day Adventist Camp Meetings in northern and central California along with Adventists from around the state to fellowship, meet alumni and friends, and to share what is happening at the college. Additionally, the college hosts the Korean West Coast Camp Meeting on its Angwin, Calif., campus. During the Soquel Camp Meeting, the Central California Conference’s yearly gathering near Santa Cruz, Calif., a group of PUC students are leading the praise music in the Youth Tent each morning and evening, while representatives at the PUC booth are answering questions and sharing information about the college. During the final Sabbath of Camp Meeting, July 26, the Alumni Relations team will host a Sabbath luncheon in the Earliteen Tent following the worship service. Alumni Relations Director Mark Ishikawa will be speaking at the Youth Tent July 24-26. During Redwood Camp Meeting, July 24 to August 2, PUC will be travelling to the beautiful forest of Humboldt County to worship with members of the Northern California Conference. Pastor Larry Graack, an enrollment counselor for the college, will be worshipping in the Youth Tent during the week, and the PUC...

Teresa Reeve, associate professor of New Testament at Andrews University, has been appointed as the new associate dean of the Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary in Berrien Springs, Mich. Reeve, who graduated from Pacific Union College in 1982 with a bachelor’s in education, is the first woman to serve as associate dean. “Reeve’s appointment is especially significant because she is the first female associate dean in seminary history,” said Jiří Moskala, seminary dean, in a statement released by Andrews University. “This is an historical nomination, and I am glad I can play a part in it. With this appointment comes unique diversity in our seminary.” After graduating from PUC, Reeve taught in Adventist and Montessori schools for ten years and earned an M.A. in educational and developmental psychology from Andrews. She received her M.Div. and Ph.D. at Andrews, where she teaches in the New Testament department. An author of numerous articles, Reeve has served on a number of Seventh-day Adventist Church and seminary committees, including the Biblical Research Institute Committee, the Theology of Ordination Study Committee and the Seminary Deans’ Council. In Andrews’ press release, Reeve shared her plans for her new position. “My central focus will be to...

On June 3, Pacific Union College’s President, Heather J.Knight, Ph.D., announced the receipt of the largest single private gift in thecollege’s 132-year history, a $2.4 million testamentary gift from the late StephenBall, a twenty-year resident of the Napa Valley. The gift is for theunrestricted support of Pacific Union College’s mission.“We are grateful for this transformational and historicgift,” said Knight. “Stephen Ball understood the mission and the impact thatPacific Union College has had throughout its history, and we’re honored toreceive this gift at a time when our college is on a historic upwardtrajectory. This gift is truly ablessing for our campus community.”Born in 1944 in Berkeley, California, Stephen Ball attendedArmstrong College, a private liberal arts college in Berkeley specializing inbusiness management. He relocated to the Napa Valley in 1994, and lived in St.Helena until his death in April.“Stephen was a generous soul, and he appreciated thosearound him who made a difference in the community,” said longtime friend SusanBaxter. “Pacific Union College is such an asset to the Napa Valley community,and Stephen wanted to support the mission of the college.”Pacific Union College is currently engaged in the planningphase for a major philanthropic campaign, the Heritage Campaign, which willencompass a variety of signature...

On April 27, Pacific Union College will present the Napa Valley Off-Road Triathlon, an event that will benefit the non-profit organization Clinica Verde. Clinica Verde promotes sustainable health care for the underserved populations of rural Nicaragua. The Triathlon features events for all ages, including a kid’s triathlon, a 5k run/walk, triathlon relay, beginner triathlon, and the individual triathlon. Uniquely, the triathlon includes a mountain bike course instead of a road bike course, much like the popular Xterra series of races. Pre-registration for the race closes on Friday, April 26, and the race-day registration opens at 5:30 AM. The triathlon, relays, and 5k run/walk will begin at 8 AM with the kid’s triathlon beginning at 10 AM. All participants will receive official finish times, finisher medals, and race t-shirts. Three-deep medals will also be given in age divisions. Sponsored by St. Helena Hospital Napa Valley and local businesses including the Calistoga Bike Shop, Sportago, and the Napa Running Company, the race is directed by Fabio Maia, PUC’s service and missions coordinator. For more information and to register, visit www.napavalleyoffroadtriathlon.com....

In remembrance of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Pacific Union College will host Dr. Eboo Patel for the College’s Colloquy Speaker Series on January 9 in the PUC Church Sanctuary. Patel is the founder and Executive Director of the Chicago-based Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC), which works toward the growth of the interfaith youth movement. He has spoken at the TED Conference, the Clinton Global Initiative, and the Nobel Peace Prize Forum. Dr. Patel is also a member of President Obama’s Advisory Council of the White House Office of Faith Based and Neighborhood Partnerships, and contributes regularly to the Washington Post, NPR, and CNN. A Rhodes Scholar, he holds a doctorate in the sociology of religion from Oxford University. For this special Martin Luther King, Jr. Remembrance Colloquy program, Dr. Patel’s subject will be Ghandi’s influence on Dr. King. Patel will present at 10 a.m. in the PUC Church Sanctuary....

After finishing 3rd in league play in the California Pacific Conference, Pacific Union College’s Pioneers women’s volleyball team completed their season at the Cal Pac playoffs. The Pioneers fell to Menlo College on Friday, November 15. Menlo College would go on to defeat La Sierra and head to the National Tournament. After the playoff match, three lady Pioneers and their head coach Brittany Brown were honored with Cal Pac Conference Awards. In a highly competitive conference, the lady Pioneers received the most conference honors in program history. Leading the Cal Pac with 584 digs, senior libero Lauren Secchitano was named to the California Pacific All Conference 1st Team and received the 2013 Conference Libero of the Year Award. Setter Kailey Faust and outside Viridiana Gallardo were also named to the California Pacific Conference 2nd Team. Faust led the Pioneers with an impressive 884 assists and 112 digs. Gallardo led with 245 kills, and was second on the team in digs with 345 throughout the season. “Lauren Secchitano, Viridiana Gallardo, and Kailey Faust have all worked hard this season, and with the help of their dedicated teammates have earned this honor,” stated Brown. “All of these athletes and this entire team...

Eight weeks into their 2013 season, PUC’s Pioneers Women’s Volleyball team has more than doubled their win total from the previous best season record; a significant factor in this winning streak has been the play of senior Lauren Secchitano. Secchitano was awarded the California Pacific Conference Player of the Week for the week of September 30. The Pioneers have won three straight matches, improving their overall record 10-6, with Secchitano totaling 44 digs and 8 service aces. Secchitano, the team’s libero (defensive specialist), currently leads the CalPac Conference in digs with 265. “I am extremely proud of Lauren and she is very deserving of this award. She has been working hard since spring of last year and is always the first one in the weight room and in the gym getting extra reps,” states Head Coach Brittany Brown. “There is a lot of hard work behind the award.” Secchitano is the second Pioneers player to receive the Player of the Week recognition this season; Jenna Glantz, a junior outside hitter, received the award the week of August 25 after her outstanding performance in the lady Pioneers’ four-game win streak at the Mustang Invitational in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. “It is always...