Month: February 2015

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News

ISIS Beheads Egyptian Christians

Last weekend, a video surfaced of the Jihadist group, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), showing the beheadings of 21 men. All of these men except one, according to National Public Radio (NPR), were Christian laborers from Egypt.

article-coptic16n-6-webBeheadings have not been uncommon for ISIS. On August 13, 2014 ISIS released a video showing the beheading of U.S. journalist and ISIS hostage, James Foley. On September 13, 2014, yet another video, this time showing the murder of British aid worker, David Haines, is released. Then once more on October 3 and once again November 16, 2014 ISIS released videos of the deaths of British minicab driver, Alan Henning, and U.S. aid worker, Peter Kassig.

This particular set of murders by ISIS differs than the previous. According to Abraham Bashr Aziz, who was present during the kidnapping and is also a brother of one of the deceased, ISIS was specifically looking hostages who were Christian. He said, “I heard them screaming, and I heard them asking about the Christians. They just came to kidnap the Christians.” The kidnapping, however, was not random. According to NPR, the gunmen who came to kidnap Aziz, along with his friends and relatives, had a list of names. Aziz was one of the names on the list.

Egypt’s response to the beheadings was one of violence and retaliation. According to CNN Sunday, Egyptian President, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi proclaimed his country “reserves the right of retaliation and with the methods and timing it sees fit for retribution for those murderers and criminals who are without the slightest humanity.” According to Reuters, an international news agency based in London, on Monday, February 16, Egyptian jet bombed Islamic State targets in Libya. An umbrella group of Islamists in Derna reported the bombing had killed women and children, and in addition warned Egypt of a “harsh and painful” response to come.

The terror from ISIS, however, did not stop there. According to CNN, an Iraqi official has recently confirmed that the town of al-Baghdadi, located in the province of Anbar, has been burned to the ground. With this town an additional 40 officers and tribesmen were burned alive. While the group has not posted photos of the murders on social media as they have in the past, there is reason to believe the Jihadist group is solely responsible for the murders and destruction. The proof comes from the social media updates bragging of their control of al-Baghdadi via photographs. These photographs included images of the recognizable government buildings in al-Baghdadi, along with corpses of the Iraqi joint forces located there.

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News

Houghton Islamic Studies Partners with Lilias Trotter Center

This Monday, Islamic Studies professors Benjamin Hegeman and Don Little, along with President Shirley Mullen and Dean of the College, Linda Mills-Woolsey officially signed a partnership with the Lilias Trotter Center to offer Islamic Studies courses at Houghton. The Lilias Trotter Center, based out of Orlando, Florida, is a collaboration with Pioneers and Serving In Mission (SIM) and enables Christian engagement with Muslims. The Center partnered with Houghton allowing the College to continue the study of Islam by offering courses to better understand Muslim people and the Muslim world. Currently, the agreement with The Lilias Trotter Center and Houghton College is for 18 months, but if the courses are continued to seen as a value to the College, the partnership will continue.

LiliasTrotterSigning1_LukeLauer
From left to right: President Shirley Mullen, Dean Linda Mills-Woolsey, Professor Don Little, and Professor Benjamin Hegeman sign 18 month agreement between the Lilias Trotter Center and Houghton College on Monday Feb. 16.

Currently, Introduction to Islamic Foundations is being offered this semester and is the first course that Houghton has offered residentially and online at the same time. By recording lectures and putting them online, students from all over the world including Kenya and Switzerland are able to learn about Islamic theology and culture. Throughout the course, students are learning about Islam by looking at the three Islam texts: Qur’an, Hadiths, and Sira.  Bethany Rudolph ‘17 said she is taking the course, “to gain a deeper understanding of Islam, to be able to have conversations with Muslims, and to understand what the religion is about.”

LiliasTrotterSigning3_LukeLauer
From left to right: (Back row) Professor Don Little, Gail Schlooser, Professor Benjamin Hegeman (Front Row) Dean Linda Mills-Woolsey and President Shirley Mullen.

Because of budget restrictions, in December of 2013, it looked as though Islamic Studies would be no longer offered at Houghton. Little said, “we needed to know the future of the program and President Mullen invited me to speak out on why we needed Islamic Studies courses.” Throughout the spring semester of 2014, the Lilias Trotter Center and Houghton were communicating about the possibility of a partnership. In May of 2014, an agreement was set between the two organizations and today, they are now in a officially in partnership. Hegeman said, “I’m impressed with President Mullen and her invitation to continue the Islamic Studies programs.” A new Lilias Trotter full-time faculty member, Dr. Gail Schlosser, has joined the Islamic Studies program here at Houghton as well.

Hegeman explains that it is important for anyone in the global community to learn about Islam culture and theology. Senior Tyler Reese explains that her only impression of Muslims before taking this course was what she saw in the media, which she described as terrorist bombings. “I wanted to take this class to have a greater understanding of what provoked those actions and what these people were thinking when they planning such attacks.” Rudolph mentioned that it is easy for people to only listen and to believe to what mass media is telling us about a certain group, such as Muslims. “It’s created a very skewed image of Muslims,” said Rudolph., “Tthe courses that Dr. Little and Dr. Hegeman teach have helped me untangle those ideas and shape a better understanding of what Muslims really believe.,” she said.

Within five years, Little hopes that Houghton will be a main base for teaching Lilias Trotter courses. “We can bring on other Lilias Trotter staff members and work together to serve the local community and the Muslim community,” said Little. These professors are aware of budget restraints but have received a lot of praise for the program. “We realize that it’s an opportunity and challenge,” said Hegeman. In fall of 2015, there will be a new course in Islam offered called Islam: a Christian Introduction. Little said the course will be a general introduction to Islam culture and theology and the department is working on the course to serve as Integrative Studies credit. To find out more about the Lilias Trotter Center, please visit liliastrottercenter.org

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Reviews Stories In Focus

Return to the Radio: Alternative Buffalo 107.7 Review

“Your reason to return to radio has arrived” is a phrase commonly quipped on Buffalo’s radio station  Alternative Buffalo FM 107.7. It is a motto they live up to. The station surprisingly reaches all the way out to Houghton with reception extending across campus. It even has a mobile app or you can listen online. It is a relatively new station that has already got a lot going for it. It gives an excellent alternative for those who are tired of your typical pop radio station tunes, such as Iggy Azalea, Taylor Swift, or One Direction. For those who have forsaken radio altogether in favor of their iPod, try returning to this radio station.

Alt Buffalo plays a wide range artists ranging from legends like Nirvana to young new artists such as George Ezra. Popular artists such as Bastille, Lorde, Hozier, and Coldplay are commonly featured on the station, some even before they became international hits. Along with these big names are lesser known, but equally talented and entertaining musical artists. Alt Buffalo plays many up-and-coming or obscure artists, giving music lovers the opportunity to expand their musical library. Some artists you might discover include Panama Wedding, Catfish and the Bottlemen, Sir Sly, and Glass Animals.

Especially focused on the theme of discovery is the “The Underground Collective” session on Sunday nights 6-8pm. During this time they play only “underground” and indie rock artists, ones you mostly likely have not heard of, but that the station believes deserve to be listened to.

Similarly, “Localized” on Sunday nights 8-9pm features artists from Buffalo, Western New York, and surrounding areas. Local musicians can submit their music for the opportunity to gain exposure and listeners can hear local talented musicians. Joywave, a band out of Rochester, NY is now receiving a little more national attention, was featured on Localized.

Compared to similar alternative stations in other regions, Alt Buffalo keeps itself to the more indie and true alternative side of things. Other similar alternative stations sometimes begin to feel like a borderline pop station by playing too many top chart artists like Imagine Dragons or Fall Out Boy. While 107.7 does play some popular artists that fit into the indie or alternative genres, they steers clear of artists who do not belong on their station.

One drawback to Alt Buffalo is sometimes it can get slightly repetitive. If you listen too often you may find yourself hearing to the same songs multiple times in a week, which is perhaps a flaw of music radio stations in general. As more music comes out, however, they are always updating their playlists.

Besides just the radio station, a new and exciting addition to the Buffalo area from Alt Buffalo is their concert series. One of these series, called “You Saw Them First,” features lesser-known artists they expect to become big. Featured last spring was Bear Hands, who have their hit single “Giants.” Bear Hands went on to perform at Alt Buffalo’s big concert, the first Kerfuffle.

The unforgettable Kerfuffle concert happened in July at Canal Side under the skyway in Buffalo. It featured artists Bricks and Mortar, Semi-Precious Weapons, the Kongos, the Bleachers, and Cage the Elephant. Going from 3 to 11 p.m., the show had 10,000 people and was well-worth the price of admission.

With the success of summer concert and the growing popularity of the radio station, Alt Buffalo hosted the Kerfuffle Before Christmas. The concert featured artists Airborne Toxic Event, Jungle, Robert Delong, Neon Trees, and Walk the Moon – who recently came out with a new album, Talking is Hard.

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Stories In Focus

Ready Before It Happens: Emergency Preparedness at Houghton College

Ray Parlett, as the director of campus safety and security, has to deal with emergencies before they happen.

Parlett defined an emergency as “anything that has the potential to cause a threat to life or property or disrupt our operations” in reference to Houghton. Emergencies range from levels one to four, from water leaks and individual injury to major fires and natural disaster. He writes the emergency plan which is the reference for how to approach these emergencies as they come.

Emergency-Action-Plan-8.15.11Parlett wrote his first emergency plan in 1999, and “essentially rewrote it” in 2008, in large part because of the emphasis on specific individuals instead of general positions. As people moved on, references to specific names were no longer applicable. To resolve this, a general contact page was created, listing the positions, the corresponding individuals, and their information. “As we have transitions, we can change that page,” Parlett explained.

This idea of a general framework in fact applies to the entire philosophy of the emergency plan. In considering emergencies, Parlett explained that a lot of what goes into creating an emergency plan is “identifying key players in general types of issues.” This is logical, because as Parlett put it, “they are the ones dealing with it.”

He further noted that “the critical part of that is having the right people in the right place.”

Essentially knowing who to call and where to gather is so important because not every scenario can be predicted. “There is no plan that has every possible contingency,” Parlett explained. If you tried to anticipate every way a situation could go, “the plan would be so cumbersome you would not remember it.” It would be an “impractical reference.”

Parlett’s emphasis on generalities comes from his understanding of emergencies. “Emergency by nature is fluid, fluctuating all the time,” he said. He noted, with a smile, that you cannot expect an emergency to go “as planned.” How, then, are they to be dealt with? Parlett identified flexibility as “absolutely critical,” and further noted drills as an effective way to practice it. “That is the value of doing a drill. It forces you to exercise flexibility and recognize how necessary flexibility really is.”

This was demonstrated in a Gillette fire drill two years ago. The planned situation was meant to replicate a major fire, and while the drill was going on, one of the key people involved had an asthma attack. “It demonstrated that even in an orchestrated situation things didn’t go as planned,” Parlett said. Those dealing with the “emergency” had to adapt to the situation as it came.

Training, then, is an essential aspect of emergency preparedness. Accordingly, the most recent revisions to the emergency plan have come from the “education perspective.” Faculty and staff are being trained to respond to the “more catastrophic” emergencies, when they would need to “take charge.”

Parlett noted that students and faculty the have the chance to be informed as quickly as possible. He encourages students to sign up for WENS, the wireless emergency notification system. Through this they can be notified of an emergency occurring by email or text. Students can sign up online through a student portal, and faculty through a faculty portal. An email will soon be sent out with more specifics about WENS. Students and faculty can rest assured, then, that a plan is in place with the appropriate personnel to deal with any emergency and that they will know about it as soon as possible.

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Stories In Focus

Musician of the Week: Malcolm J. Bell

Malcolm J. Bell, a senior music composition major, has always had a love and passion for music. A native from Buffalo, New York, Malcolm began playing the piano when he was three years old. Throughout his childhood years, he had developed the skill of composition and directing gospel choirs. Later in his teenage years he began to receive recognition for his work in performance, composition, and directing which included recognition from Western New York’s Business First magazine as an “Extra Curricular Star” Currently at Houghton, Malcolm is involved in many musical ensembles such as Symphonic Winds, The Philharmonia Orchestra, College Choir, Houghton Jazz and various chamber groups at Houghton. In addition to participating in these ensembles, Malcolm has served as the director of the Houghton Gospel Choir for the past three years. Eventually, Malcolm hopes to earn a doctorate in either music composition or music theory so that he can teach in the college classroom. Some of Malcolm’s hobbies are reading, writing literature, and watching the Buffalo Bills.

Malcolm RGB

Check out Malcolm’s work at:

http://youtu.be/ztsld-M6ptI
http://youtu.be/8G_iOa53I_U
http://youtu.be/-iHbhU1T8rA
Categories
Opinions

Living in Tension: Climate Change, Critics, and Convictions

On Tuesday night, I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Katharine Hayhoe speak on the topic of climate change. Considering that there have been only eighteen possible chapel credit opportunities so far this year, it’s safe to assume that most of the student body attended chapel this Wednesday in the quest towards the elusive twenty-seven. If you were one of those students, the following ideas will not be foreign to you.

Climate change is real. Climate change is detrimental. Climate change is caused by human activity.

I believe these statements are true. Frankly, if you disagree with me, the point of this article is not to convince you otherwise. If you have questions about climate change, I would highly recommend reading Dr. Hayhoe’s book, “A Climate for Change: Global Warming Facts for Faith Based Decisions” or watching the 2014 Emmy Award-winning non-fiction mini-series “Years of Living Dangerously” among other resources. If 97% of climate scientists agree that climate change is real and caused by human activity, then it goes without saying that we should take climate change seriously.

That being said, the tension felt within the areas of faith and environmentalism is not entirely new to me. I have been interested and aware of environmental issues for as long as I can remember. The ideas of caring for creation and stewardship had always been a part of my Christian faith. The intersections of climate change, justice, and human flourishing have fit together seamlessly in my mind. Why care about the planet? Because humans live on the planet, that’s why. It seemed simple to me.

In September of 2014, a group of Houghton students, including myself, went to New York City for the Peoples Climate March, the largest march on climate change in history. For me, the march represented a movement of solidarity between all groups of people, despite the differences in the values held by each group. Afterwards, however, I was unprepared for the lack of support and downright disapproval my friends and I received for going to the march.

Christian family members criticized our participation, saying that it was a waste of time. Christian friends told us that we should be more focused on the condition of people’s souls than the condition of the planet. Christians supported us too, but the negative interactions left an overwhelmingly bad taste in my mouth, and I realized that the bad rep Christians have when it comes to environmental issues is not entirely unfounded. Where did this leave me?  As a Christian who felt strongly about the impact of climate change on all aspects of creation, human and non-human, was I too “Christian” to align myself with environmentalists, or too “environmentalist” to align myself with other Christians?

As Dr. Hayhoe pointed out on Tuesday evening, science can tell us what climate change is and how it is happening, but science cannot tell us why we should care. Science can tell us which parts of the world are feeling the severest effects of climate change, but science can’t motivate us to care for human life and inherent dignity. Science can’t, but faith can.  My faith calls me to love my neighbor as myself (Mark 12:31). My faith calls me to love in action and truth (1 John 3:18).  My faith calls me to have a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).

In short, I am faced with the reality that climate change is negatively affecting the lives of people across the globe right now and will continue to do so in the future without human intervention. On the basis of my faith, I must think clearly and critically in order to love my neighbor in truth and action.  Therefore, I realize that I must approach climate change with an understanding of the strengths and the limitations of science, and with humility and love for God’s creation.

There is tension present between Christians and Environmentalists: I realize this.

Yet in my mind, my role as a Christian and my role as an Environmentalist are concerned with one thing: people. People’s lives matter, both in the present and for eternity. Climate change, by its very nature, is not something you can be ambivalent about. The consequences of climate change for the human race are real and serious. Members of the Christian faith are faced with the reality that caring for people’s souls without caring for people’s physical condition is to care for neither at all. Until the climate change is recognized by the members of my faith as being real and serious, I choose to live in the tension between Christians and Environmentalists. And as the planet continues to experience climate change, that tension will only increase for all of us.

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Opinions

What Feminism Should Do

A couple weeks ago in the STAR an opinions piece stated, “While I’m at an immediate loss for what exactly feminism should do, I certainly have a few thoughts on what feminism shouldn’t do.”  This well-written article raised many important points. For instance, the article stated that feminists should not shame housewives and should not degrade men. Feminism should not be a plea for attention nor serve as an encouragement for violent acts. In response to this list of shouldn’ts I completely agree.

However, as I read all of the above statements I felt a pang of injustice since these attributes of feminism serve to further the stereotype that feminists are bra-burning radicals who seek to dominate and belittle men. Therefore, I feel compelled to now write on a few things that feminism should do by making mention of what it has done.

MurphyFirst, though, it is worth noting that feminism is not a new concept, nor is it a movement only for and about women.  It originated, not as a radical movement spawned by the sixties, but much earlier as an important issue of fundamental human rights.   In 1869, in one of the first radically feminist published works, The Subjection of Women, philosopher John Stuart Mill wrote, “The principle which regulates the existing social relations between the two sexes- the legal subordination of one sex to the other- is wrong in itself, and now one of the chief hindrances to human improvement; and that it ought to be replaced by a principle of perfect equality, admitting no power or privilege on the one side, nor disability on the other hand.”

Without feminism of the 1900s, women would not be able to vote. Anyone holding an archaic view of voting rights which would deny women the vote might refute the feminist movement; however, any man or woman who supports voting equality must recognize this right as rooted in and supported by feminism.

What other benefits do my peers and I enjoy because of feminism?  The list is long.  Somewhere between earning women the right to vote, pushing through legislation, opening up universities to female students and advancing the civil rights movement, feminism has made life much better, not just for American women, but American men as well. Partly because of the efforts of feminists, women have the option of working outside the home, and can now enjoy more equity in pay and job opportunities in fields ranging from business to science to politics.

Far removed from the stereotypical and inaccurate image of the bra-burning activist, feminists have proven time and time again that women’s rights are human rights that benefit everyone. Largely because of feminism, sexual discrimination is not just a natural and to-be-tolerated product of the “old boys’ network.” Recently, Title IX is working to ensure that campus sexual assault is not the inevitable and to-be-tolerated product of a culture in which it is assumed that a woman who presents herself as sexual is “asking for it”.

Last semester a peer asked me if I was a feminist. Though I have always identified myself as such I paused when asked this question. Then, I spoke. Yes I said. Yes, I am feminist. However, I was reluctant – not because I didn’t know what feminism meant but because I didn’t know what the other person meant. If my peer meant do I want equality for both genders well then yes of course, I am a feminist. If, however, the peer thought feminism meant women should dominate/belittle men then no I would not be considered a feminist, however that is not what feminism is. Feminism is an advocation for equality.

Yet, our culture as a whole is sadly not on the same page. Our culture needs to understand the true calling of feminism- a call for equality. To be sure, there may be differences of opinion on particular issues, even among men and women who embrace the self-descriptor of feminist.  Not all feminists, for example, are in favor of pro-choice legislation.  Definitions of what it means to be a feminist may differ on the particulars, but to suggest that we are not indebted to the feminist movement for very important benefits that we enjoy on a daily basis seems both shortsighted and even ungrateful.

With brief support given as to what feminism has done and should continue to do the reader thus understands the truth of the feminist cause: advocacy for equality between both women and men economically, socially, and politically.

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News

Two Longtime Houghton Faculty To Retire: Lastoria

After 33 years, Michael Lastoria will be retiring from his position as Director of Counseling Services at the end of this semester. Lastoria has been vital to the growth of Houghton’s Counseling Center, as well as student support systems in general.

Lastoria was key in some of the integral parts of the Houghton campus as we know it. In the mid-eighties, Lastoria started what is now known as the Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA) to support students with learning disabilities. Lastoria said, “obviously it was meeting a need,” and as part of the program’s growth it was transferred to its current management. Lastoria also drafted Houghton’s policies on sexual assault and sexual harassment. “That was also something that we did that I feel pretty good about,” said Lastoria, “Our sexual harassment policy and procedures I think had its beginning in the early nineties, and I played a major role in that.”

Mike Lastoria_courtesy ofLastoria described his relationship with the college as “a good marriage.” “The college invested in me along the way for those 33 years, and I think I gave back on that investment,” he said. An example of this is the family studies minor, “a popular minor,” said Lastoria, which was co-created by Lastoria after Houghton gave him support to pick up the specialty of marriage and family therapy at the University of Rochester. Lastoria said that while many people may disagree over the state of the college on LGBTQ concerns, he has “been instrumental in at least shaking the tree” in terms of how LGBTQ topics are approached in discourse on campus. It is a conversation familiar to Lastoria who has published various research over the years on the sexual behavior of college undergraduates including a 2013 study surveying 19 Christian campuses nationwide.

Cindy Hannigan, Administrative Assistant to VOCA and Counseling Center, who has known Lastoria for over six years said, “I think one of the great things Dr. Lastoria has been able to do in his time at the Counseling Center is to be the very human, likeable, and widely-known face of the Center.  He’s helped to make it a less intimidating place by getting to know so many students in classes, in chapels, in SPOT, on panels… really everywhere on campus.”

Wendy Baxter, who has worked in the Counseling Center for 19 years said, “It has been a really great experience working in this office…he’s really grown this center over the years.” Both Hannigan and Baxter cited Lastoria’s sense of humor as a contributor to, as Hannigan described it, creating a “very easy-going atmosphere” in the Counselling Center. Baxter said, “Mike just has a really fine way of interjecting humor into situations, and humor is important.”

Baxter said she appreciates “the professionalism, the availability, and the accessibility” with which Lastoria conducts himself. She said it has helped her grow as a therapist, and offering this accessibility to students and staff alike has been central to how he “has represented the counselling center well outside of this office.”

Next year Lastoria will continue to teach the classes he currently teaches and may continue some counseling, but retiring from his position as director will leave him working at about half-time. He said, “I still have energy to work and to contribute. Whether or not I do that at Houghton after next year that’s left open, but I’m certainly willing and desirous of doing that.”

Lastoria said he is looking forward to “that time expansion…not having to squeeze everything in at once,” and hopes to audit a few courses in theology, history, and art – some core liberal arts classes that he wasn’t exposed to in his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University in Ceramics Engineering.

Lastoria, who has travelled to Israel, London, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ecuador for the college, said he also looks forward to being able to take “short trips when [he] just feel[s] like it.” He hopes to play more golf which he described as his “passion” and looks forward to having time to do things like keeping up with yard work he currently tries to s

Categories
News

Student Developed Studio Produces 3D Animation

Ice Nine Studios, a student developed production studio, has started work on their first project, a 3D animation called Allice.

Allice, according to Collin Belt ‘15 and Matt Grim ’16, is similar to Pixar’s Wall-E. In an apocalyptic ice age where nothing can unfreeze the planet, a robot, Allice, has been sent to do the impossible: thaw the ice. Allice, who Belt described as a “determined robot,” like anyone on a mission, faces her share of challenges and obstacles while attempting to melt the ice nine. After a while, however, she meets a ‘child-like’ robot named Delta and then, Belt says, “She sort of learns how to develop her own purpose after meeting this friend she didn’t know she wanted.”

Animation_CollinBeltThe inspiration for the name of the studio came from Allice because this is the studio’s first production. Ice Nine Studios team is made up of Houghton students Hosanna Gifford ’16, Grim, and Belt. Each student places a different role on the team, making the project a collaboration each of their different talents and skills.

The idea for a studio started with Grim, who designs both the sound and music for Allice. He first had the idea of creating a studio with friends to produce portfolio pieces for future job experience. This thought became a reality when both Belt and Grim decided to form Ice Nine Studios. Grim said, “It was originally conceived as a way for us to work together and create great art, and it just kind of escalated from there.”

The film however, which is being used for Professor Madison Murphy’s class, Media Arts: Advanced Projects, started long before the class with a significant amount of pre-production from the team. Part of this pre-production included forming the team that now makes up the studio. After decided to form a studio, Belt, who does the animation of the production, and Grim contacted Gifford about writing the script for Allice. According to Gifford, the production has been based on collaborative, with everyone contributing equally to the film, “Honestly, I don’t feel very much as far as writing just because we work together.” This, Murphy said, will work in their favor, “They have the kind of relationship that if they want to go to work at a distance on projects together, that could happen.”

According to Gifford the process can be difficult at times because they’re all still learning and said, “It’s definitely a labor of love because we don’t know what’s going on all the time. So it’s a matter of trying to do the best we can with what we know, and figuring out what to do with what we don’t know.” Murphy, however, has been assisting the team with the production process starting last semester by providing critiques and assisting the team where she can, “Really my role has been giving them framework, insight, and lots and lots of critique, like ‘yes this is working, no this isn’t working, and have you thought about this? This is going to be a problem for you later on.’”

Murphy, while providing lots of critique, is also extremely optimistic about the future of Ice Nine Studios, “I think they’re going to be hugely successful if they keep up at this pace.” Murphy said she sees Allice going far beyond just being a project for the class and is also helping the team prepare for that as well, “As I watch them go through the steps I can notice ‘oh that might be a problem for you later on, why don’t you start thinking about it now’”? One of the largest preparations for the final production of the film, which Murphy says won’t take place until about April or March, will be rendering. Rendering is the process of building output files from computer animations, or the process of taking something from a computer and putting it on a screen. In this process there are many things that can go wrong causing for delays in deadlines and many other problems. To prepare for the rendering the team has been doing rendering tests to prevent such problems from arising.

According to Grim, the reaction to Allice has been positivity and support, so much so that they want Ice Nine Studios to carry on after they leave Houghton, “With all the press that Allice has been getting and the great response from everybody in general, the way things are going we’re looking into the possibility of making Ice Nine Studios an actual, ligament arts studio after we graduate.”

Murphy is looking forward to seeing what comes of Ice Nine Studios and it’s team saying, “They’re all exceptional people, and I’m excited.”

Categories
News

Baseball and Softball Teams Head to Florida

During the upcoming February break the baseball and softball teams will be taking their annual trip to Florida to kick off their seasons.

rp_primary_IMG_5194Since Houghton has hit almost record low temperatures, close to negative forty, both teams have been using the resources available in the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH). The KPFH provides an open space for both teams to move around and also batting cages to work on hitting, but it does not allow the typical outdoor experience of baseball.

“One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is just getting outside,” said Brian Reitnour, head baseball coach. “Chances are that by the time we leave for Florida the snow will still be on the baseball field, so just getting back on a field will be great,” he said.

“Florida is a great opportunity for us to get our season going. It allows us to play in some warm sunshine, get a tan, and develop closer friendships with the team. Every year we come back a closer knit team,” said Seth Cornell ‘15, baseball captain.

Since this is the start of both teams’ seasons, players and coaches are very optimistic about the coming season and excited for the competition in Florida.

“This time of year is always exciting because it’s a fresh start. Our guys train year-round and they finally get a chance to compete,” said Reitnour. “We have 10 seniors on this team and our aspirations grow with each season. I’m looking forward to seeing how much we can accomplish,” he said.

rp_primary_DSC_3100Both teams seem to have a very busy schedule during the week. The softball team is scheduled to play ten games and will be playing teams such as Lydon State College, Hanover College, and Alma College. The baseball team is scheduled to play eight games against teams such as Cleary University, Concordia University, and Hanover College.

The baseball team plays every day but Sunday and the softball team plays every day but Wednesday and Sunday. The baseball team will be doing a worship service on Sunday and barbeque with the player’s families.

Last year the teams had the opportunity to see some Major League teams spring training, but this year they are going earlier, so they will not able to attend any games.

The baseball team will be traveling from Davenport and Haines City, Florida during the week and the softball team will be mainly in Clermont, FL.

“There is no better way to get our season going then going to Florida for a week of games and non-stop fellowship with the team,” said Cornell.