Life at PUC

Veteran journalist Hal McClure narrates his film, Magic of Malaysia, as part of the Elmer Herr Adventure Series at Pacific Union College. The 80-minute travel documentary shows on Saturday, November 3 at 7:30 p.m. Magic of Malaysia offers viewers the opportunity to explore the faraway nation of Malaysia in Southeast Asia—all from the comfort of an auditorium seat close to home. The country is a fascinating blend of Malay, Chinese, and Indian culture in an area of equally diverse landscapes. McClure’s film highlights both the modern architecture of Kuala Lumpur and the Bidayuh longhouses in former head-hunting Borneo. Gorgeous island beaches and the endangered orangutans in their jungle habitat round out a tour of this little known country which is becoming a popular tourist destination....

Equestrian Art: Oil Paintings by nationally recognized artists Marnie Donaldson and Sharlene Lindskog-Osorio will be featured at Rasmussen Art Gallery beginning Saturday, November 3. Calistoga artist Marnie Donaldson’s paintings portray equine sporting arts through light, color and lively brushwork she describes as “loose realism.” Deer Park artist Sharlene Lindskog-Osorio is known for her realistic, finely detailed equine art including portraiture, fantasy images and Western art. Both artists have received national recognition for their work....

Pacific Union College’s president, Richard Osborn, has been elected President of the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). One in four of the nation's schools is a private school, translating into 27,000 schools and nearly 6 million students; and CAPE represents roughly 80% of those schools. As a liaison between America’s private schools and Capitol Hill, Richard Osborn will represent an alliance of diverse educational programs, including the U.S. Catholic Conference, the National Catholic Education, the American Montessori Society, the Waldorf Schools of America, the National Association of Independent Schools, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Church, the Southern Baptist Church, the Christian Schools International, and the Association of Christian Schools. Before coming to Pacific Union College, Osborn lived near Washington, D.C. and served as the Vice President for Education of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. Working as the head of education for the Adventist Church, he became active with CAPE and, as a result, with politicians. One wall in his office is filled with photos, over the years, he has gathered of American presidents, senators, and representatives, as he’s taken a more and more active role in championing private schools. Most recently, he served as the...

Travel the world this week via Pacific Union College. Representatives from the four corners of the globe will be ensconced in the college cafeteria to spread the word about world missions with hungry students. Returned student missionaries will be in the cafeteria to talk with anyone interested in serving as a missionary, or simply curious about PUC’s outreach. On Monday from 4:30 -9:00 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Friday from 8:00 a.m. until noon, visitors can check out the service opportunities available around the world, look at pictures of exotic locations and challenging mission fields, and examine artifacts brought back to the States by former student missionaries. PUC is currently represented by 23 student missionaries working at locations around the world including Thailand, India, Czech Republic, Mongolia, Kenya, Samoa, Honduras, Egypt, New Zealand, Palau, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Saipan. Vespers will close the week-long look at world missions with presentations by two students and a faculty member. Magally Alvarado will share her experiences on the island of Palau, Ken Luk will present his adventures in Bolivia, and James Dick will speak about his mission work in Madagascar with ADRA....

Unfurl the red, white, and blue; enjoy apple pie and popcorn; and come experience the good ol’ USA in all its diversity. America is the theme for this year’s annual Fall Festival at Pacific Union College. The event will be held on Sunday, November 11, from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Pacific Auditorium. Representing the wealth of cultures that make up America, student clubs—including the Korean Student Association, the Hawaiian Club, the Asian Students’ Association, the Chinese Club, and multiple others—will sponsor booths at the Fall Festival. A variety of academic departments as well as the local academy and elementary school, will be represented at the festival as well. Proceeds from the sale of foods and from entertainment will go to support the participating clubs and academic departments. Featuring a wealth of different foods, cultural dances, and a short play by the dramatic arts society, the Fall Festival embodies the spirit of optimism and diversity that make America unique....

PUC is thrilled to welcome national best-selling author Anne Lamott as the speaker for the Longo Lecture Series held this year in the PUC Church sanctuary on February 21, 2002 at 7:00 p.m. Lamott is the acclaimed author of such bestsellers as Bird by Bird, Operating Instructions, and Traveling Mercies. In the latter, she divulges the horrors and miracles of her atheistic, drug-ridden struggle to find God. Lamott’s straightforward style is a captivating blend of wit and spiritual philosophy with an added punch of brutal honesty. Her ministry is refreshingly hard-hitting. As described in People magazine, “Lamott fills her text with remarkable detail and a refreshing sense of humanity that has you guffawing on one page and bawling on the next.” Lamott’s visit to PUC is due to the generosity of Dr. Lawrence Longo, who, in 1992, established an endowment at PUC with the idea of creating a lectureship on topics relating to religion, society, and learning. Dr. Longo is the head of the Perinatal Biology Center, professor of Physiology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Pediatrics at Loma Linda University, School of Medicine. He is one of the world’s most respected specialists in developmental physiology. Dr. Longo began the lecture series...

Four Corners USA, a stunning travelogue of the American Southwest, will be presented at Pacific Union College in Paulin Hall at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 1. Documentary filmmaker James Tompkins explores this unique region of the United States—the only place in the country where four states meet at a single point. The scenic back country of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah, offers an amazing combination of impressive mountains, raging rivers, remote canyons, and historic cultures. From the history of Colorado’s San Juan Mountains to the labyrinths of Lake Powell and national parks of Utah, the viewer will be amazed at the wealth of diversity in this beautiful part of our country....

Ring in the Christmas season with Pacific Union College’s music department on Friday, December 7 and Saturday, December 8. Brass, choirs, handbells, and strings will delight the whole family with dynamic arrangements of traditional Christmas favorites. Daniel Pinkham’s Christmas Cantata for choir, brass, and organ will be the featured 20th-century work. The Friday evening and Saturday afternoon programs represent a cross campus collaboration of more than 100 singers and instrumentalists. Kenneth Narducci directs the PUC Brass Quintet, and the PUC Chamber Orchestra performs under the baton of LeRoy Peterson. The college’s choral ensembles, (Pro Musica, Kantorei, and Bel Canto) are conducted by Gennevieve Brown Kibble. Del Case directs the English Handbell Choir. Performing individually and as a whole, the instrumental groups and three choral ensembles will enchant audiences with a variety of Christmas classics and lesser known works. The musicians will also join the audience in singing favorite Christmas carols....

Recent Congressional approval secures $250,000 for Pacific Union College. The money will be used for maintainaince and improvements on the Napa Valley Community Resource Center. U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) requested the funds as part of the Veterans Administration-Housing and Urban Development Fiscal Year 2002 Appropriations Bill, which is currently in Congress. A final vote in the House and Senate must be secured before the bill goes to the President for his signature. The Resource Center in Napa serves as a base for Pacific Union College’s Center for Continuing and Professional Education which offers teaching credentials and Bachelors’ degrees in Early Childhood Education, and Business Management. Part of the grant money will also go toward additional technology at the Resource Center. “This is great news for Napa Valley and Pacific Union College,” stated Boxer. “The improvement of this facility will mean a better education for our children , a broader economic base for the community, and increased access to developing technology.” Michelle Mesnard, Pacific Union College director of public relations, emphasizes that “the success of the Napa Valley Community Resource Center has been a collaborative effort. Pacific Union College has worked with Napa Valley College, the Napa Valley Economic Development...

Doors open to Pacific Union College’s virtual classroom on January 7, 2002. Through PUC CyberCourses, the college’s newly created online program, students can earn credit for a variety of general education classes from the convenience of a personal computer. Biological foundations and jogging are among the first classes offered as CyberCourses. Seven classes from five of the school’s academic departments—biology business, chemistry, math, and exercise science, health, and nutrition—are premiering as PUC CyberCourses. The courses include biological foundations, natural products, introductory algebra, statistics, PC operating systems, PC spreadsheets, and jogging. All of the classes meet either general education or elective requirements and many can be applied towards a specific Bachelor’s degree. The PUC CyberCourses program is a balanced blend of online instruction and interaction with professors and fellow students in the virtual classroom. The format of PUC CyberCourses facilitates discussion while allowing students to work at their own pace. "Throughout PUC's history, we have attempted to provide well-tested new approaches to learning,” says PUC President Richard Osborn. “Our new CyberCourse program now enables individuals to take classes from their homes from Christian teachers; which opens many new possibilities for traditional and non-traditional college students." Students are required to take at...