Dear Students,
For all the complaints that Houghton is too small, too rural, and too “bubble-like,” there is much to be said of its merits on these accounts. Living in such a small community is of course frustrating at times, perhaps even boring, but it provides us a wide array of unique occasions for involvement, commitment, and dedication. In some ways Houghton can feel fairly limited in what it has to offer students in comparison to other significantly larger schools, but in other areas our opportunities far exceed the collegiate status quo.
Being involved on campus is one of those things your Transitions leader urges you to do your first couple of weeks here, an injunction most of us blatantly ignore, too caught up in the excitement of our first year. However, after the nerves have settled and we fall into a routine, the chances to be involved start springing up like the flowers we hope will emerge after the much-too-long winters. We have quite a plethora of opportunities at our disposal: the SGA, The Drawing Board, Printed Matter Press, Global Christian Fellowship, the STAR, and dozens of other clubs, all of which are chances to make our marks on campus, to create our legacies. While involvement certainly has its resumé-building perks for us students, it is also is incredibly beneficial to the college as a whole. Committed students help make Houghton distinctive and a place hopping with creativity; we elevate Houghton’s reputation and add to its street cred. In all seriousness, Houghton would be a much less vibrant place without the bustling of students organizing floor events, performing SPOT skits, slamming poetry at a Lanthorn event, or singing their hearts out at a CAB coffeehouse.
Being involved gives a dimension to your college experience that isn’t communicated with the piece of paper they hand you when you walk across that stage. When you’re involved, Houghton becomes your Horcrux. I mean this in the best way possible: you give a little part of yourself to the school, and that little part you leave behind becomes an indestructible and valuable connection you will remember fondly twenty years down the road. I won’t lie, in the midst of finals or if you’re juggling a double major, involvement really does feel a bit like selling a piece of your soul. Not to worry though, you’ll emerge more intact than ever.
I came to Houghton with the mindset that I would only eat, sleep, and breathe my classes, graduate in three years, and move on to bigger and better things. After all, isn’t that the point of college? Thankfully I’ve changed my mind. You’ve been given this chance to become a part of Houghton’s narrative and to let its story shape yours, so why not embrace it? My advice to you is this: find your sanctuary from academics and worship there regularly.
Holly Chaisson ’16 – Past, Present, & Future STAR Editor