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At the opening Vespers program of the school year on Sept. 28, the Pacific Union College family remembered a student who passed away during the summer. The program also featured Joe Castillo, a Christian artist who recently performed on the television show America鈥檚 Got Talent. To open the program, Campus Chaplain Laffit Cortes invited up the parents of Josh Highness, the former PUC student who passed away over summer. Highness鈥� best friend and girlfriend were also invited on stage. Cortes read Romans 12:15, which instructs Christians to 鈥渞ejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep鈥� (KJV). Student Association President Samantha Angeles and Student Association Executive Vice President Danielle Hagood presented the family with a bouquet of flowers as a small reminder that they are in the hearts and prayers of many on campus. Angeles also reminded them that PUC is the place to find comfort and prayer in this time of need, and that the campus community is always ready with open arms. Rick Highness, Josh鈥檚 father, shared his analogy of what God鈥檚 role is like in our lives. He said that God is like our coach but we are not all meant to be star...

The 2012-2013 school year began at Pacific Union College with a week of special events to kick off the new academic year and welcome new and returning students to life at PUC.Week of Welcome, or "WOW," was planned to jump start the school year and "get new and returning students excited about PUC and all that it offers, right from the start," explains senior theology major Samantha Angeles, president of the Student Association."President Knight was instrumental in making this happen," notes Angeles. "The support and presence of President Knight, our administrators, and various faculty and staff at the different events was wonderful for us as students."The event series began on Monday afternoon with the welcome back celebration on the campus mall. The carnival-themed event featured information tables from campus organizations and departments as well as local organizations and businesses, face-painting stations, a dunk tank, and free food.At 11:59 p.m. Wednesday, the school came together in the Pacific Auditorium to support student athletes at Midnight Madness鈥攁 pep rally held to cheer on Pioneers Athletics at the beginning of every school year. Hundreds of students packed the stands to cheer the teams and then joined in a special prayer to bless the...

Incoming freshmen bonded together over the weekend before the start of the school year at Pacific Union College鈥檚 annual Fusion retreat. The weekend鈥檚 activities included rock climbing, zip lining, line dancing, swimming and a talent show. Students worshipped together, both on Sabbath as one group and separately in smaller 鈥渇amily鈥� groups. 鈥淚 really liked all the worships. When we were singing and everybody went in the front, we all felt like a family,鈥� said Laura Helms, an English and education major from Placerville, Calif. 鈥淚 liked getting to hang out with my Fusion group and getting to know them better, since they all live around me.鈥� The weekend provided the students with a chance to discuss their goals at the start of their college careers. 鈥淚 look forward to getting fully adjusted to my new college lifestyle,鈥� said nursing major Justin Springfield of Montrose, Calif. Like many of his peers, his goal is to succeed academically while managing his time to enjoy PUC鈥檚 lively social scene. Helms said a goal of hers for this first year is 鈥渢o reach out to people that don鈥檛 have as many friends and try to be friends with everybody I meet.鈥� Spiritually, students are...

The Pacific Union College Pre-Law Society hit the ground running in the new school year, hosting a forum featuring law professor Bruce Cameron and Alan Reinach, a prominent religious liberty attorney. The September 25 event was attended by over 20 students interested in a legal career. 鈥淲hen you get the opportunity to ask questions of attorneys who are active, it鈥檚 just a great opportunity,鈥� said Cynthia Westerbeck, professor of English and department chair. 鈥淲hen you ask, 鈥榃hat do I do to prepare for law school?鈥� and you get a law professor giving you the answer, that鈥檚 great.鈥� Reinach is the executive director of the Church-State Council, the religious liberty ministry of the Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, while Bruce Cameron serves as the Reed Larson Professor of Labor Law at Regent University School of Law. The two discussed the importance of integrity in the field of law, the state of the law market, religion in the field and law school application tips. They also took questions from students, sometimes giving varying answers to student questions. 鈥淭he two did not always agree on their answers,鈥� notes Westerbeck. 鈥淚t was really great to see different perspectives.鈥� 鈥淚 enjoyed being able to...

At Thursday morning鈥檚 Convocation ceremony, education advocate and vocal recording artist Wintley Phipps called PUC students to live out God鈥檚 rich destiny for each of their lives. Phipps is an Adventist minister, a Grammy-nominated gospel singer, and the founder and president of the U.S. Dream Academy, a foundation that promotes educational opportunities for children of convicts. 鈥淕od is the ultimate dreamer鈥攚hen He dreams planets are born鈥�stars twinkle in the skies,鈥� Phipps said. 鈥淏ut when He dreams, He also dreams about you and your destiny, and the most incredible thing you can experience is to get a glimpse of the destiny He has dreamed for you.鈥� After opening the program with two songs in his rumbling baritone voice, Phipps shared his life story, emphasizing what he called 鈥渕oments of destiny.鈥� From stories of his humble childhood in Trinidad, he went on to show clips of his first appearances on the television programs Soul Train and Saturday Night Live鈥攚here he performed spiritual songs far different from both shows鈥� usual fare. 鈥淕od showed me that you don鈥檛 have to compromise to be recognized,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese 鈥榤oments of destiny鈥� are the moments for which you are created,鈥� said Phipps. 鈥淏ut they are not...

At Pacific Union College鈥檚 annual Parent Orientation on September 19, parents of incoming freshmen received a special blessing in preparation for the start of the school year. College officials also shared information on how the parents can help their students make the most of their time at PUC. Campus chaplain Laffit Cortes commended the parents and offered a blessing over all new students and their families. 鈥淔ather,鈥� Cortes prayed, 鈥淚 want You to embrace these parents and give them the peace that surpasses all understanding, that they may know that You are watching over their children, that, Father, You will not abandon them.鈥� For Marsha Horton, there were a number of reasons she and her son Byron felt that PUC was the right choice. Coming from Michigan, they were looking for a school in California and one with a Christian foundation. PUC not only offers his exercise science major, but is also his grandmother鈥檚 alma mater. 鈥淚 loved [the blessing]. I think it鈥檚 a good idea to have everybody in the room and just bless this campus and the students and the parents as they start this new journey,鈥� said Horton. 鈥淚 thought that was a very important and moving...

A group of Pacific Union College students and staff spent a week providing medical care and health information to villagers along the Amazon River鈥攑art of a medical service trip in conjunction with Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) Brazil, August 21-29. The trip continued a recent increase in focus on humanitarian service at the college. The group traveled along the Amazon River aboard a boat, the Luzeiro 26, stopping in the remote villages which line the river. The Luzeiro 26 is one of ADRA鈥檚 river boats dedicated to reaching the villagers in the interior Amazon Basin in Brazil. With the help of local professionals, the group set up medical clinics for villagers to consult with a physician or receive dental care. They also conducted medical screenings, health presentations, workshops, and expos to aid the communities in preventing future medical issues. The educational programs make a notable impact in the locals鈥� lives, explains Fabio Maia, service and missions coordinator at Pacific Union College. 鈥淭he problems you see in these communities are the same,鈥� says Maia. 鈥淎 lot of the people are dehydrated because they don鈥檛 drink enough water and they sweat like crazy鈥攊t鈥檚 100 degrees and 100 percent humid, so people...

PUC physics student Shalynn Romano received the top student presenter award for outstanding research at the International Conference on the Application of Accelerators in Research and Industry (CAARI) this summer in Fort Worth, Texas. The conference included professional research physicists, and Romano鈥檚 award was in a category typically reserved for graduate students. 鈥淭o be recognized for research at a professional level while being an undergrad student was a great accomplishment,鈥� says Romano. 鈥淚t made me feel like anything was possible with hard work and confidence.鈥� Romano conducted her award-winning research at her summer internship at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, one of the premiere experimental research facilities in the world. The subject was the energy exchange of charged particles. Although her research team included several other students and physicists from educational and scientific institutions around the world, Romano was named first author on the presentation of their findings due to her extensive work and commitment in the lab. 鈥淪he is very motivated and focused, which has helped her as a researcher,鈥� says PUC physics professor Vola Andrianarijaona, one of Romano鈥檚 collaborators on the project. 鈥淭his is very important, because in research you are the teacher of yourself.鈥� Although CAARI...

U.S. News & World Report ranked PUC the second most ethnically diverse liberal arts college in the nation, in the magazine鈥檚 annual list of the best colleges and universities released last week. The ranking calculates the proportion of minority students among the student body, excluding international students. Hispanic students make up the largest single minority group, according to the report. PUC administrators celebrated the distinction as an unique educational advantage. "Living, working, and studying collaboratively with people who come from a variety of backgrounds gives students an opportunity to learn about people, ideas, and cultures, and to think critically about new ideas," says academic dean Nancy Lecourt. 鈥淚t also helps prepare them for the current working world, where they often find themselves working on teams with people who are quite different from themselves.鈥� View the official ranking online at U.S. News & World Report....

One-hundred eighty students from 23 Adventist academies visited PUC for the 2012 Publication Workshop on Wednesday and Thursday, learning writing, photography, and design techniques from college professors and working publication professionals. 鈥淭he classes have really opened my mind, and just what we鈥檝e learned today has helped us come up with a great theme for our yearbook this year,鈥� said Brandie Scott from Mother Lode Adventist Junior Academy, a first-time attendee at Publication Workshop. 鈥淚 love it so far鈥攊t has been amazing!鈥� High school yearbook and newspaper staffers chose from courses including photojournalism, layout, brainstorming, Photoshop, editor鈥檚 forum, and feature writing. Teachers lead the eager students in many hands-on learning activities, from spreading out across campus to develop their eye for photo opportunities, to creating scrapbook-like mood boards to help refine yearbook themes. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see the potential in these students and see their excitement in learning the subject,鈥� said Brian Kyle, a photographer and graphic designer in PUC鈥檚 public relations office, who taught several photography classes at this year鈥檚 program. 鈥淲hen you see them catch on it鈥檚 a very fulfilling experience.鈥� The event also included a contest that awarded the attending schools for outstanding work on their latest newspapers...