Monthly Archives: April 2020

Refill Your SOL at Albion

Leave a reply

By: Ally Romanes 

SOL Club is the Student Organization of Latinos here at PUC and welcomes all students. Every year the SOL Club takes students to Albion Biological Field Station, located just two hours north from PUC. The students are able to enjoy camping by the ocean, soaking in God’s nature, and spending time with friends for the weekend. 

This annual weekend at Albion is full of activities including canoeing, kayaking, playing games, while also taking time to relax. Going to Albion gives students the chance to be in a different environment and allows them to take a break from school and work, and to relax by the ocean and worship together. 

Misael Bernard, the Religion VP for the SOL Club, was kind enough to share his experience.

Let’s talk about the Sol Club. What made you decide to join?

What made me join the SOL Club was the idea and purpose behind the club. SOL Club is on campus to offer students an opportunity to have a family-like environment while being here at school. Home to me is where family is and being part of the SOL Club, it’s as if I haven’t left home. 

What made you choose to join the club on their Albion trip this year?

I wanted to go to Albion because of how fun it looked. I saw an opportunity to “get off the hill” and enjoy a weekend up north with friends. 

What did you do? 

The weekend at Albion was full of activities, chances to be in nature and a part of God’s nature, and also time to spend with friends.

How has this trip impacted you? 

This trip has really made me realize it’s always important to take a break from my busy life of school and work and just enjoy the weekend. Enjoy the time with friends and family.

What is your favorite part about spending time at Albion? 

My favorite part of Albion was the campgrounds itself. Being close to the ocean, camping, and with friends, I couldn’t have asked for a better weekend. Albion is such a beautiful place and being there was simply a rewarding experience and another way to grow my relationship with God in nature.

Convince me to join the SOL Club and go on the Albion trip in five sentences. 

Join the SOL Club and become a part of a family away from home. The SOL Club is a Student Organization of Latinos here at PUC, BUT not only for Latinos! We welcome all students. We host numerous activities throughout the year both on and off-campus. We hope to see you there and become a part of our family!

 

Call On Jesus

Leave a reply

PUC alum, Brad Gienger, graduated in 2010 with a religion degree and clearly put that to good use as he is now serving as the pastor of the Champaign Seventh-day Adventist Church in Illinois. Brad was kind enough to share with us a little Friday worship thought!

“Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”, these are some of the most biting words in Scripture. This question is especially hard-hitting in light of the context, a storm. As Jesus and his disciples are crossing the Sea of Galilee a storm takes them with such ferocity that hardened fishermen find themselves fearing for their very lives, “Save us, Lord: we are perishing.” As I read that cry I immediately experience empathy, we all should, who has not been caught in a storm? Often it has been a great comfort to me to know that in the storms of life, literally and figuratively, I can cry out to Jesus. When I read the response of Jesus to that plea I must admit to finding it troubling. Why would Jesus rebuke the cry of his follower in the midst of a storm? Would Jesus do that to me?

In the course of serving the Lord storms arise, in fact, if your life of service is stormless it is time to do some soul searching. What do we make of this interaction Jesus has with his disciples? Is it wrong to cry out to God during the storms of life? No, in fact, we are urged to ask Jesus anything many times in Scripture, called to know God as our Rock and Shield. So how then do we understand this story? The disciples unwittingly reveal the answer as they comprehend the capability of Jesus to calm the storm, “What sort of man is this?”. The rebuke of Jesus has nothing to do with the storm and everything to do with the relationship. The issue is not that the disciples are afraid due to the situation they are in, but rather that they are afraid in the company they are in. Jesus wants us to call out to him in the storm, but to call out to him in the knowledge he is with us “even to the end of the age,”.

An Inside Look at PUC’s Emergency Services Programs

Leave a reply

The emergency services programs at PUC prepare students to be highly skilled professionals in the emergency and fire responder fields. If you’re considering a career in the fire service, law enforcement, disaster relief, or emergency medical services, a degree in emergency services from PUC may be for you. 

You might have some questions about the EMS programs at PUC. Well, we have answers!

Jeff Joiner has been working at PUC as an associate professor of nursing & emergency services for five years now and he was gracious enough to answer a few of our burning questions. 

You’ve now taught at PUC for a few years. What’s been your favorite thing about teaching here? 

I think my favorite thing as a teacher is seeing what my graduates are doing after graduation. Whether it’s working as an EMT in a big city or small rural area, getting that first paid position as a firefighter or heading back to school to advance their career as a paramedic or a graduate degree.

The EMS program at PUC has been around for over 10 years now. What exciting things are in store for the program in the future?

We’ve got lots of ideas on new courses to add to our program to keep it up to date with current standards of Emergency Management education (and make our graduates better prepared). We’ve recently added a new course in Search & Rescue and are taking advantage of the new Geographic Information Systems (GIS) course being offered (now a contextual requirement). We have proposed a new degree track that would allow students to complete their paramedic training within four years and receive a B.S. in Emergency Management. We have just had a new course approved for next year that will allow students to complete an internship in Emergency Management with various, county, state and federal agencies. We have new courses in Business Continuity, Technology in Emergency Management (think drones), and a Wilderness (Medicine) First Responder (WFR) courses in the planning stages. All of these courses will keep PUC Emergency Services graduates on the cutting edge.

image-1

What distinguishes PUC’s program from other EMS type programs, such as Union College’s international rescue and relief program?

While there are definitely similarities with Union’s IRR program, our program at PUC is more focused on domestic Emergency Management positions/careers. Both programs have an EMT component that leads to National Registry and identical courses in Technical Rope and Swiftwater Rescue. IRR has an international component that we do not. We have courses in Emergency Vehicle Operations (EVOC) that lead to a Department of Transportation (DOT) certificate (how to drive an ambulance); a course in how to manage an EMS agency. Approximately half of our students in Emergency Services are members of the Angwin Volunteer Fire Department and are able to gain valuable experience as a firefighter and EMT while they are still in school. This experience is invaluable when applying for positions upon graduation. This is a very unique opportunity for Emergency Management students.

image

Why should someone consider studying EMS?

We currently offer two degrees in Emergency Services – an A.S in Emergency Services which is ideal for the student who is looking for a position as an EMT, Emergency Dispatcher, or EMS manager/supervisor. The B.S. in Emergency Management opens up the world of Emergency Management which includes careers in law enforcement, firefighting, Emergency or Disaster Management, international relief, social services, public health, or medicine. Positions as Emergency Managers can be found at the city, county, state, or federal government level; with domestic or international relief agencies (Red Cross, ADRA, USAID, Samaritan’s Purse, Team Rubicon, World Vision, etc.). In the future, up to ninety percent of EM positions will be in private industry leading the business continuity programs. We now offer a pre-med option for students that wish to pursue a career in medicine. We have had several complete dual degrees in Emergency Services and Nursing.

Can anyone take an EMS class, or are they only for EMS majors? 

There are several Emergency Services classes that are open to all students – EMT I & II, and Technical Rescue I & II. Some even meet general education requirements!

What are graduates of PUC’s EMS program doing? 

Currently, we have graduates of our B.S. in Emergency Management working as Emergency Managers for the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office, the San Bernardino County Health Department, and the city of Beacon Hill. One of our graduates is the Emergency Manager for Facebook. We have some working in Law Enforcement, some as firefighters for CalFire. One is currently pursuing her paramedic certification. Another graduate is completing her MPH in Disaster Management (and doing her last internship at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. One of our graduates is now a Disaster Specialist with FEMA in Washington D.C. Another is a youth crisis worker in L.A.

Out of all your classes, which is your favorite to teach and why?

My favorite is probably the EMT I & II courses. These are the foundation courses in our 2 & 4-year degrees. I’m introducing these students to the field of emergency care. From these first two classes, they will use these skills for the rest of their professional career, be it as an EMT, Paramedic, Registered Nurse, or physician the ER. These students are probably the only students on campus who must be prepared to take a National Registry exam after only two-quarters of college. Many are freshmen. And yet, after only two quarters they are able to go out and get a paying job saving people’s lives. Some of our students do this each year before the end of their first year of college!

If you’re interested in learning more about our emergency services programs visit puc.edu/academics. If you have questions, our team of admissions counselors will be happy to answer them! Call (800) 862-7080, option 2 or email admissions@puc.edu to get connected with a counselor and start learning about all the options available to you. 

 

Peace in the Storm

Leave a reply

By: Becky St. Clair

Fear. Anxiety. Confusion. Lack of assurance.

All of these feelings are normal and understandable in the unfamiliar world in which we now find ourselves. As a Christian college, PUC supports faith in what never fails: Christ. And as a department of music, we also believe in the calming, reassuring, healing power of God’s gift of music.

Whether it’s COVID-19 or a significant change in your personal life, adapting to a new normal can be challenging at best. This month, our faculty share their perspectives on the importance of music in situations like this.

Asher Raboy

Resident Artist, Acting Chair, Symphonic Winds Ensemble Director

English is a great language for talking about concrete things. Trees and cars and houses and rocks are all well served by our local tongue. But abstract concepts, like hope, love, and faith are much better voiced in the language of music. 

For me, when I need a shot of faith, I turn to J.S. Bach (the Magnificat is my go-to piece).  Others may find the same message in Christian contemporary music. For hope, the Great Gates of Kiev from Pictures at an Exhibition (Mussorgsky/Ravel) always thrills me. For love, a melody from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake or maybe a Schubert song will do, or maybe you would prefer Here, There, and Everywhere by The Beatles. In any event, let’s buoy our spirits by listening to the music that feeds our better angels.

Jenelle Westerbeck Anderson

Choir & Vox Pro Musica Director

It may seem rather silly writing about how music can positively impact our feelings, energy, creativity, etc. because it seems so self-evident to many, including me. But it is true that different music will speak to various individuals in varying ways. To that end, here are some annotated links to choral music that move me, sounds exciting and creates energy so I can’t sit still. I will end with a Sacred Harp singing example that reminds me of the power of shared music-making that isn’t about performance, but about sharing the experience of singing together.

What If by Eric Whitacre and arranged by the conductor of this wonderful choir. It comes from an opera so it was originally sung by solo voices. But in a choral setting, I love the unique way the voices are used. It’s almost pointillistic (if that’s a word). I also love the combination of percussion instruments and voices.

Unclouded Day arranged by Shawn Kirchner and sung by the same choir as above. I love folk music and this is a wonderful sacred folk song arranged for choir.

The Battle of Jericho, a traditional spiritual arranged by Moses Hogan. This video is to enjoy an animated, fun conductor and singers who are totally committed to their singing and the message of the song. There may be cleaner, “better” recordings out there of this famous piece, but probably not one more fun.

Ndikhokele Bawo (text based on Psalm 23) is a South African traditional song arranged by Michael Barrett (who is conducting). I’ve listened to this piece often this year since we performed it. But I like how this choir feels it and sings from the heart.

Antioch (I Know That My Redeemer Lives) from The Sacred Harp. This video isn’t about the beauty of the sound. In fact, you need to watch to the end and really watch the leader. In this style of singing, everyone sits in a square and different people lead each song. The singing is not for performance at all … just to sing together. The best sound is in the middle of that square and it is fun to watch this rather reserved man get taken by the experience. FYI – this is a uniquely North American style of folk music that is here sung by a group in Ireland.  

Rachelle Berthelsen Davis

Orchestra Director

Music has been therapy for me for longer than I want to admit. Its power to distract my mind from stress and give me something constructive to focus on is a given in my experience. Certain songs have had the power to lift my spirits and help me re-engage with the world with a more positive spirit and I have a playlist that I’ve often used when my stress level is high and my courage low. 

Regularly on my rough-day-therapy playlist are Mahler’s Symphony 8 (especially the opening and closing sections: 1.1 Veni, Creator Spiritus and 2.12 Alles Vergangliche); His Eye Is On The Sparrow by either Whitney Houston or Eclipse 6–each recording is very different; Spark of Creation by Nikki Renee Daniels; Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee by Glad; Brave by Sara Bareilles; This is Me and From Now On from The Greatest Showman; Mendelssohn’s String Octet (the first movement is my favorite); Brahms’ Symphony 3; Mendelssohn’s Symphony 5, Reformation; Bruch’s Romance for Viola and Orchestra; the list goes on. (And if you want angry music, I’ve got that too.)