Tag Archives: SDA California College

Visual Arts Student Designs Set for PUC Musical  

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During the beginning of this school year, auditions were in process for the Jericho Road Musical, which tells the story of two young individuals who fall in love, get married, have a child, and face problems throughout their relationship. Senior graphic design major Sarah Franklin saw this as a fun chance to work on props and set design. With already having experience with stage production and film set design and taking a class from musical director Lindsay Morton, Lindsay asked Sarah if she would be interested in creating the artwork and advertisements for the show too. All these roles created a great opportunity for Sarah to use the material in her portfolio as she finishes her senior year at PUC. 

How long did it take to complete all the art for this show? What did you enjoy the most about this experience?

I completed all the advertising artwork over winter break, and it probably took me around 30 hours. For the set design, we’ve been working all quarter and are still working on painting and constructing everything. I really enjoy working with other people on a project and helping them make their vision come to life.

Do you have a favorite art piece from the show?

It’s difficult to answer this because I consider the whole set an art piece. If I had to pick an individual piece from the show, I’d say the tree from the wedding scene, which turned out beautifully. Bethanee (Tabura) did most of the carving and painting of the tree trunk, which was made of several layers of foam, and we worked together to add the vines and leaves to the branches. We also added string lights to create a whimsical look that fits the wedding scene nicely. 

What do you like the most about PUC’s visual arts department?

I really appreciate the feeling of family in the VA dept. Throughout my years here, I have become so close to my professors and classmates. I truly value the diversity of the department and how we work together and benefit from our differences. I think it’s amazing when people who are different from each other can learn from one another and create truly amazing things together.

What have been the most important things you’ve learned from your classes, professors, or mentors?

One of the most important things I’ve learned as a visual arts major is to take inspiration from anything and everything. As an artist, I am constantly absorbing the environment I’m in—people, objects, architecture, colors, shapes, shadows, lines, graphics, words, lyrics, you name it. Being an artist means you are always taking in your surroundings and looking at the world from different points of view. It also means you are processing all this information in a way that is unique to you and relaying these new perspectives to others in a way that moves them or makes them think differently. 

Is there a class you found most valuable to you?

There are a lot of classes that were valuable to me, so I’ll give you all of them and a short reason why:

Astronomy with James Robertson–gave me perspective on how small we are and how short life is.

History of Contemporary Art Since 1945 with Jon Carstens—my favorite art history class of all-time; introduced me to some of my favorite artists and works (Mark Rothko, Josef Albers, Andy Warhol, and Lynda Benglis to name a few). These artists’ works were an integral part of my senior thesis research and inspiration, so this class has been extremely valuable to me.

Packaging Design with Cliff Rusch–aside from this being one of the most fun classes for me as a graphic designer, I ended up becoming really close to my classmates and creating some great friendships which I value so much. Not only do I value our friendships, but also the constructive criticism, competition, and push to become a better designer. 

Can you share any projects you hope to do this year?

Aside from Jericho Road, this year’s main project is my senior thesis. I am working on gathering data from individuals about their favorite colors and using this data to represent the evolution of color preferences throughout one’s life. The data will be visualized through a series of paintings and will be hung in the Rasmussen Art Gallery this spring. 

Meet Pioneers Student Ambassador Madison Kindred 

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Sophomore nursing student Madison Kindred is a Pioneers Student Ambassador this year. Being a student-athlete representative has been a wonderful experience for Madison, with meeting so many new people within the conference and working to improve the CAL PAC conference. As a member of the Student Athletic Council (SAC), she attends meetings once a month to discuss matters about the schools that want to improve, share what they are proud of, and are in charge of making policies in the conference that will help student-athletes. 

How long have you been a student ambassador and how did you get this role? 

I have been a SAC member for about a year. J.R. Rogers reached out to me last Spring quarter, asking if I would like to fill the role of representing PUC. 

What is the most challenging part about being a student ambassador? 

The most challenging part is balancing meetings with my studies. There have been times when school has taken priority over our meetings, but that just means that I read over meeting notes and reach out to the SAC president with any input I may have. 

What do you enjoy the most about this role? 

What I really enjoy about this role is meeting all the new people from all the schools in the conference. I know at least one person from every school I travel to with my team. There is a sense of family among the members. We all support one another. 

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers family? 

My favorite thing is the feeling of community. Each student-athlete knows of one another here, and it makes for a small but strong community. 

What makes PUC Pioneers special? 

PUC has gone through some major changes since I have been an athlete here, but our department still continues on and I think that is what makes us special. 

Senior Spotlight: BevenGreg Delos Reyes 

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Before becoming a PUC student, BevenGreg Delos Reyes’s first impression was roaming around Fall Festival as a high school student and seeing the different cultural and activity clubs. Being drawn to campus life, particularly the diverse range of activities offered, he saw PUC as his future college. Now in his last quarter at PUC, finishing up his major in health communications/pre-pharmacy, BevenGreg says his favorite place in the world is “Pacific Union College in Angwin, California, of course!”

What is something you want to accomplish before graduating? 

I really want to eat at an expensive restaurant in St. Helena! I’ve lived on a tight budget for too long that I think it’s time to drop a cool $100 on a single meal for the fun of it.

Where is your go-to restaurant in the Napa Valley, and what do you recommend to order? 

Hop Hing’s Kitchen on Trancas Street. They will pack your to-go box to the brim with food! The servings are huge, so you’ll get a great bang for your buck. I always order the combo special, which comes with two entrees and two sides. It’s enough for two meals, so I usually take the leftovers back to my dorm with me.

What made you decide to attend PUC? 

I was primarily drawn to the campus life at PUC, particularly the diverse range of activities on offer. Since my first impression was roaming around Fall Festival, I was able to see all the different cultural and activity clubs. Clubs, SA, and the dorms all host events that keep PUC alive!

What is your favorite class?  

Interpersonal Communication with Dr. Tammy McGuire! This class taught me essential practical skills that I use in my everyday conversations. You learn how to converse, listen, and communicate with people of different backgrounds.

What will you miss the most about PUC?  

I am going to miss the dorm life the most at PUC. Living just a couple of strides away from my friends is what made living in a dorm fun. If I want to play video games or get a group to grab dinner with, there are always people in the dorm wanting to hang out. It’s even nicer if you’re taking the same classes with your neighbors. You won’t feel lonely during the late-night study sessions!

What is your favorite thing about being a part of the Pioneers family? 

The Pioneers family has so many friendly and helpful people! The professors, students, and campus staff are all really approachable and nice. You can always find help when you need it or strike up a conversation with anyone!

Meet PUC’s SA: Natalia Gomez, VP of Publication & Marketing 

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Natalia Gomez is this year’s SA VP of Publication & Marketing. She’s in charge of running SA’s social media accounts, creating all the visuals for their announcements and events, and in charge of designing their merch. Running their social accounts has given Natalia an “inside scoop” on how the student body feels about their events and allowed her to connect with more people. 

Natalia answered some questions for us to learn more about being a part of SA. 

What do you enjoy the most about being SA VP of Publication and Marketing? 

It might sound silly but I honestly love getting to read all the DMs, comments, and answers to polls or questions that get put on our Instagram accounts. It’s like an inside scoop as to how the student body feels or thinks about events, and it’s also allowed me to get to know more people!

What is the most important part of your role?

I would say that the most important part of my role is communication. It’s my job to communicate with other members of the team to get all the necessary information to create posts. Then I have to communicate those details across social media to the student body. I also check in with all the DMs for any questions or suggestions that SA gets through our @puc.sa & @withmewednesdays accounts on Instagram. 

What do you like the most about being a part of SA? 

I really love our team’s dynamic! I think it’s really special to get to be a part of a group that all have different majors and are a part of different departments or groups on campus. Without SA I’m not sure if we would have all met and gotten the chance to see each other on a weekly basis. Plus our group chat is really funny and it always makes me laugh. 

What goals do you have set for the rest of the school year with SA and the campus? 

One of my biggest goals right now is working on an SA march drop and possibly making it accessible online, so stay tuned!

Do you have a favorite SA event? If so, which one and why? 

Well during fall quarter my favorite SA event is the corn maze in Petaluma! I love getting to go and find my way out of the maze while scaring my friends or them scaring me. Although I also love the excuse to dress up and take photos with friends so banquet is always special to me. I think this year’s banquet will be bittersweet since it’ll be my last and graduation will be right around the corner. 

Can you share any events that will be happening this quarter?

There’s so many plans for the rest of the year! Of course we will have poor mans banquet, actual banquet and hopefully a spirit week! A future even I’m looking forward to is a rollerskating night. I’m determined to be able to roller-skate without holding onto a friend for dear life!

What are your favorite things about PUC? 

I really love all the nature that we are surrounded by here at PUC. One of my favorite things to do on the weekends is grab a blanket and have a picnic or read out in on of the grassy areas. The grove is one of my favorite places for some quiet time, and in the spring its a great place to escape the heat on campus! Hammocking is also a lot of fun once the weather gets a bit sunnier!