Alumni and Friends Area Events 2008
For further details and to make reservations, visit our Alumni Events section
Honolulu, Hawaii
March 7, 2008
Catered luau and short concert by PLNU Concert Choir
Los Angeles, California
April 19, 2008
Music by "RSV" Quartet, Catered dinner from California
Pizza Kitchen
San Diego, California
June 7, 2008
Tour of the Midway aircraft carrier and catered lunch on campus with
music by Alumni Jazz Combo
Portland, Oregon
June 14, 2008
Dallas, Texas
June 28, 2008
San Jose/San Francisco
August 2008
Homecoming 2008
Please take note! Each year Homecoming is scheduled on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving. This year Thanksgiving falls later in the month, on November 27th.
Homecoming Dates:
November 19 -22, 2008
Reunions will be hosted for the following classes:
- 2003, '98, '93, '88, '83, '78, '73, '68, '63, '58
- "The Most Fabulous Reunion" for everyone who graduated in 1957 and before
- "Cafe 10" on Saturday evening for everyone who graduated in the last 10 years
Family Weekend
Parents and grandparents of current students are invited to join us for a family weekend this spring. Come spend time with your student, enjoy PLNU’s beautiful campus and feel embraced by the community. Attend chapel, visit classes, meet University President Bob Brower and enjoy meals and events with your student and other PLNU parents and grandparents.
Family Weekend Dates:
March 14 & 15, 2008
PLNU Athletics
The PLNU women's basketball team is enjoying one of the best seaons in school history, as the Sea Lions are currently ranked #3 in the NAIA and sit atop the GSAC standings.
PLNU is coming off a key win against #5 Azusa-Pacific, a victory that put them in first place (tied with Vanguard) with a conference record of 15 - 1. The Sea Lions are 21 -2 overall, a record that also includes a win against recent GSAC powerhouse #4 Vanguard. On January 22, the Sea Lions snapped Vanguard's 53 - game GSAC winning streak with a convincing 86 - 65 win.
PLNU is the first of five ranked teams in the GSAC as the Sea Lions are looking to lock up their sixth straight appearance in the NAIA national tournament and a likely #1 seed.
Senior Kerra Sutton-Wodarski leads the Sea Lions with 11.9 points per game. Senior point guard Kati Hilbelink leads the team with 63 assists and averages 10 points per game, while sophomore forward Colleen Planeta has had a breakout season and is averaging 10.2 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.
The team did suffer a major loss with the injury of starting senior guard Brittney Dove, but the team's youngsters such as freshman Amanda Franz and sophomores Danielle Arriola and Liah Ector have come up big to fill the void.
PLNU's remaining schedule includes another match-up with Vanguard, this time on the road, February 26.
With eight games remaining on the conference schedule, the PLNU men's basketball team is ranked #5 in the GSAC, 9-7.
The Sea Lions are ranked fifth in a conference that earned five bids to the NAIA tournament last season, putting them in a prime position to make their first appearance at the national tournament since 2003.
PLNU's success has been in large part due to the play of Josh Sanderson, who leads the team in scoring with 15 points per game. The senior point guard is also second in the GSAC in assists, with 4.4 per game.
Other players averaging in double digits for the Sea Lions are junior forward Curtis Carlson (12.1 ppg) and junior center Craig Austin (11.2 ppg).
The Sea Lions have some impressive wins under their belt thus far, including two victories over Azusa Pacific. This was the first time since 1985 that PLNU has completed a season sweep of the Cougars.
The remainder of the Sea Lions schedule includes a match-up with San Diego Christian College on March 3.
13th Annual Writer's Symposium by the Sea
The 13th Annual Writer’s Symposium by the Sea, “Writing for Their Lives,” was held on February 4-8, 2008.
This year’s symposium brought a wide range of writers and their experiences to the Point Loma Nazarene University campus. Guests included Anchee Min, Gay Talese, and Philip Yancey.
Min’s bestselling memoir, Red Azalea, is the story of her childhood and young adulthood in communist China. Talese is the bestselling author of 11 books and is a former reporter for the New York Times. He has been credited with inventing the “New Journalism.” Christian writer Philip Yancey has authored bestselling and award-winning books, including Where Is God When It Hurts, What’s So Amazing About Grace, and The Jesus I Never Knew. Joining the authors was musician Jon Foreman from the long-time popular band Switchfoot. Workshops on memoir and historical fiction were also offered as part of the symposium.
Debate Tournament
While most Point Loma students were at home enjoying their last few days of Christmas break, a number of the debate team members were back on campus helping with the San Diego Classic NCFCA (National Christian Forensics and Communications Association) Home School Speech & Debate Tournament. This event, held on campus January 2-5, was hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University, Heritage Christian School, and the Paradigm Speech and Debate Club. Hundreds of home school students, ages 12-18, competed in the tournament.
Skip Rutledge, Point Loma’s director of forensics, was pleased with the help received from Point Loma debaters. “It [the tournament] comes at an inconvenient time to enlist student help because of the [Christmas] break,” he said. “Students were willing to come forward and help. They did a great job of judging and representing the school.”
Rutledge sees the tournament as an outreach to the home school students and as an important recruitment tool for the debate team and PLNU in general. Many students recruited through the tournament have become important members of the university debate team, as well as honors graduates of Point Loma.
The interest from prospective students was no different this year.
“I had the opportunity to meet with many students who are interested in coming here,” Rutledge said.
After helping host the home school tournament, PLNU's debate team is now looking forward to the college-level tournaments it will host later this semester and to the second half of its season.
There was uncertainty about how this season would go after graduating so many top competitors last year, but so far, things are looking good. The team is currently in 5th place in the National Parliamentary Debate Association (NPDA) standings.
"I think [the season is going] really well," said Rutledge. "They have been working very hard."
Alumni Spotlight: Judy Warner (81)
Music has been a part of Judy Warner’s life for a long time. She earned her bachelor’s degree in music as a piano major and went on to become a high school choir teacher. More recently, her musical interests have directed her to a less common instrument: the fiddle. In fact, Judy is currently writing her master’s thesis on Ozark old-time fiddling at the University of Arkansas in Little Rock.
In her thesis, Judy will be comparing Ozark fiddling to other styles, including Appalachian. She’s also doing field research and making recordings. She plans to create a DVD on the history and practice of Ozark old-time fiddling. The DVD will showcase some of her own fiddling and will discuss how people can learn to play the Ozark style. She plans to send the DVD to universities around the country, including PLNU, for their libraries or music departments.
“Ozark fiddling isn’t as popular anymore, and I wanted to document it,” she said.
Judy’s interest in fiddling began while she was living in San Diego, where she dabbled in bluegrass. But it was her family’s move to Arkansas in 1998 that really inspired her to master the instrument. She now plays fiddle in both country (Ozark-style) and Irish bands.
In addition to her studies, Judy is teaching private music lessons. She and her husband, Brian, have a son, Greg, who attends the University of Central Arkansas and a daughter, Amanda, who lives in Saint Louis.
Judy would love to hear from her old friends, so look her up in the Alumni Directory at my.pointloma.edu/Alumni
Tour Schedule
Sunday March 2, 8:00AM and 10:45 AM
Kaneohe Church of the Nazarene
45-232 Puaae Rd.
Kaneohe, HI 96744
Sunday March 2, 6:00pm
Kailua English Church of the Nazarene
536 Oneawa St.
Kailua, HI 96734
Wednesday March 5, 8:30pm
Kaneohe Christian School
Wednesday March 5, 7:00pm
Wahiawa Nazarene Church
Thursday, March 6, 7:30am
Kamehameha High School
Thursday, March 6, 10:3am
First Church Academy
Friday, March 7, 6:30pm
District Concert for Pastors, Alumni & Friends
Radford High School
4361 Salt Lake Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96818
Sunday March 9, 10:30am
Honolulu First
408 N. Judd St.
Honolulu, HI 96817
Sunday March 9, 4:00pm
Living Waters Church of the Nazarene
Kapolei Middle School
91-2250 Kanela St.
Ewa Beach, HI 96706