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For the first time, the annual Seventh-day Adventist Nurse Educators Conference was held at Pacific Union College. Nursing instructors from several Adventist institutions traveled to PUC to participate in this year’s conference, entitled New Directions: The Changing Face of Nursing Education, which was held June 26-28. The annual event is structured to offer nursing educators practical resources that they can develop to help students, inform them about developments in media and medical technology in the field of nursing, and allow them to network and serve as a sounding board for one another regarding current issues in nursing education. During the course of the conference, nursing educators heard from various presenters including Wynelle Huff, vice president for Delivery of Care at Adventist Health, and Marilyn Hermann, dean of the School of Nursing at Loma Linda University. Presentation content included information on media advances in the field of nursing and panel and group discussion on “Politically Charged Issues,” with an emphasis on students who fail nursing programs. With so many factors playing a part in nursing education today, it can be hard to maintain balance and structure. In her introduction to the panel and group discussion held on the final day of...

“The purpose of my speech is to inform you of the secret ingredient in beer. A secret ingredient not found in the recipe or labels; what is that secret ingredient?” Pacific Union College student Andre Sanchez leans into the words as he clearly articulates for the gathered audience and judges the down sides of drinking. “That secret ingredient is…. stupidity.” Despite his charismatic presentation, Sanchez is not a professional speaker: He’s a junior communication major at Pacific Union College, and he is participating in the regional round of the Women’s Christian Temperance Union intercollegiate oratorical contest, held at Pacific Union College in May. Sanchez’s compelling speech won him the regional round of the competition. It also won him a chance to present his speech for the final round in September. The WCTU was organized in 1874 by women concerned about the problems alcohol caused families and society. The college oratorical contests started taking place in the 1950s. Now, regional contests select winners who eventually may go on to the annual world and national WCTU convention, which this year takes place in Indianapolis. Sanchez got involved with the program when he took communication professor James Chase’s pursuasive communication class. Every year...

For the first time in the 23 years he’s taught at Pacific Union College, communication professor James Chase skipped this year’s graduation. It wasn’t so he could spend Father’s Day at home watching golf on TV, though PUC’s graduation usually falls on the final day of the U.S. Open—no, he was away in Pennsylvania, attending the U.S. Open in person to film a special segment with golf legend Arnold Palmer. The event was a result of Chase’s work on a portrait of Palmer, which has been selected as the centerpiece and focal point of the Arnold Palmer Center for Golf History at the USGA’s museum in New York. Hundreds of portraits of Palmer have been created during the golfer’s celebrated career, but none have taken on the magnitude or unique composition of Chase’s “Gratitude,” a portrait created entirely out of words. Ranging from the hundreds of awards and accomplishments that Palmer has received during his career to Palmer’s wife’s name, the 22,719 words, which vary in size from 1/10th to 1/16th of an inch, represent story lines drawn from Palmer’s gracious and compassionate life. Chase explains, “I wanted the content to become the form—to turn Arnie’s story lines into Arnie’s...

The Hugh and Hazel Darling Foundation has made a $60,000 grant to Pacific Union College to fund student scholarships and a capital campaign readiness effort for the college. Richard L. Stack is trustee of the foundation, which was started in 1987 by Hazel Darling after the death of her husband, Hugh. Stack visited PUC in May and expressed an interest in helping the College fulfill its mission to provide Christian education in California. The Darling Foundation has funded major projects such as the UCLA law library and the law library at USC, Hugh Darling’s alma mater. Darling was also known for his service as a city councilman and mayor of Beverly Hills. “We appreciate the commitment of The Darling Foundation, which will make it possible for several students to attend PUC over the next two years who would not otherwise be able to attend,” PUC President Richard Osborn says of the gift. “The Foundation’s investment will also help PUC prepare for a capital campaign to expand and renovate our library, which will become the major learning center on campus.”...

This fall, Pacific Union College is launching a brand-new program that incorporates students’ desire to serve their communities with a demand for trained emergency personnel. The nationwide growing awareness of the need for more people to be trained in mitigating emergencies and large-scale disasters has been felt at PUC in a very tangible, local way. “Our local emergency services agencies, such as fire department and ambulance companies, are made up of a number of students,” explains James Robertson, a firefighter, EMT, and CPR instructor and physics professor who will head up the new program. The volunteer fire department, he adds, is over 50 percent students. “So there is an interest in the part of our current students to have emergency services as part of a program.” The new Emergency Services Program, which now offers an associate of science degree, is part of a larger picture at the college. “PUC has a reputation and a long history of providing medical training, whether it’s in the nursing department or with pre-medical students, and we do a good job of that,” Robertson says. “So it’s a natural extension of that training.” The program focuses on domestic emergency services, preparing students to work with...

The 325 graduates of the Pacific Union College Class of 2007 celebrated the conclusion of their undergraduate education during the weekend of June 15-17. The full schedule of programs and ceremonies included addresses from Roy Ice, PUC chaplain; Don Schneider, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America; Kristie Brandt, director of the Parent-Infant & Child Institute; and Julius Nam, assistant professor at the Loma Linda University School of Religion. Sunday morning’s commencement ceremonies found Commencement Grove lined with chairs and festive with leis, balloons, billowing black or white robes, and the traditional corn tortillas that graduates toss as an expression of their ebullience. Nam, a former member of PUC’s religion department, spoke to the graduates about dreams. “PUC has taught you to have dreams that are bigger than yourselves,” he said. He challenged them to choose a cause, a mission to serve their communities, citing several alumni who have made significant contributions through their vision and creativity. “The God who holds the universe asks you to partner with him in dreaming,” he said. “You PUC graduates have to be champions, have to be leaders.” Academic Dean Nancy Lecourt and President Richard Osborn then conferred 339 degrees, with the...

The Pacific Union College men's Pioneer volleyball team defeated Pacific Christian College 15-12, 9-15, 15-7, 15-7 on Saturday night, March 8, at PUC's Pacific Auditorium. It was the first win this season for the Pioneers, bringing their current record to 1-4. This season is proving to be a challenge for the Pioneers. With a rigorous game schedule and only five returning players on the 12-member team, the Pioneers are learning the meaning of endurance, stamina and cooperation. "The dynamics of the team are different every year, but we have an especially new and young team which calls for more adjustment on everyone's part," said senior outside hitter David Rai. Junior outside hitter Scott Eastman said this win was just a taste of the level of play to come. "We played well, especially considering the fact that it was our fifth match in six days," said Eastman. "But we will be playing at a much higher level as the season progresses and as we pull together as a team." Head coach Bob Paulson agrees. "It is early in the season and the team is still growing," he said. "Our goal is to get better with every game and peak at the...

Getting a chance to show off a little firepower last Tuesday night, the Pacific Union College men's volleyball team up-ended UC Cal-Maritime's Keelhaulers in 55 minutes, 15-0, 15-7, 15-12. The Pioneers showed both strength and control with a 7-0 lead in the first game, forcing the Keelhaulers to call a time-out. However, the Pioneers kept the pressure on and won the set as Cal-Maritime remained scoreless. The Pioneers took an 11-4 lead in the second game and got fired up with freshman outside hitter Jonathan Paden's back-to-back kills. They took the set 15-7 with ease. The Keelhaulers refused to give up in the third game. Their strategy was to get the ball over the net and make the Pioneers work for their points. This became a difficult task for the Pioneers as passing and hitting errors brought the Keelhaulers closer at 9-13. Cal-Maritime rallied to pull within one, 12-13. But that was as close as they got. Sophomore middle hitter Steve Dulcich banged a kill and aced a serve to win the third game and the match 15-12. The Pioneers were led by Dulcich with five kills and senior Brian Thio with three solo blocks. The Pioneers have a current...

The Pacific Union College Lady Pioneers basketball team fell 48-66 to Bethany College on Saturday night, Feb. 15, at PUC's Pacific Auditorium. The Pioneers started off with strong defense and trailed a close 25-28 at half-time. The teams' previous encounter ended in a blowout for the Pioneers. "It was impressive that we stayed in the game," said guard Julie Moyer. "We played really well in the first half, but we just couldn't sink our shots throughout the game." This was evident as Bethany had a .429 (18/42) field goal shooting percentage compared to the Pioneers' .266 (17/64) average. Guard Rachel Kendall said it was the most exciting game all season. "Our attitudes on the bench and on the court were centered around motivating each other," she said. "We played hard and had a lot of fun without worrying about the score or our personal statistics. We know we're getting better." The Pioneers were led by guards Heather Isaacs, with 20 points, and Carrie Wade, with 11 rebounds. The Pioneers will play their next game at Patten College on Saturday, Feb. 22, at 6:15 p.m....

The Pacific Union College Lady Pioneer basketball team won 64-59 against Patten College on Saturday night, Jan. 18, at PUC's Pacific Auditorium. The Pioneers trailed most of the game, and were down 26-29 at half time. Pioneer captain Heather Isaacs said one of the team's goals was to get Patten's main players in foul trouble. Their goal worked, and two Patten starters fouled out in the second half. The Pioneers seized the opportunity and won the game 64-59. "We got fired up at the end and pulled through," said freshman guard Julie Moyer. "What really helped us was our determination." Isaacs said the team had a strong fundamental game. "It was a good win," she said. "We got more comfortable with our offense, and we had a balanced outside and inside game." The Pioneers were led by Isaacs with 20 points. PUC freshman center Toakase Mo'ungaafi also had a strong game with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. The Pioneers have an overall record of 2-3....