by Anna Catherman
The celebration of President Wayne D. Lewis Jr.’s inauguration as the sixth president of Houghton College will continue with an Inauguration Day of Service on March 12, 2022.
Volunteers will assemble at various locations throughout the areas surrounding the Houghton and Buffalo campuses to put into action the verse that President Lewis spoke on during his Inauguration last fall. Micah 6:8 lays out succinctly what Christians are expected to offer this broken world: “He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
The day is being coordinated and planned by the Center for Faith, Justice, and Global Engagement. Director Brian Webb explained that there are a total of 13 different project sites split between the Allegany County and Buffalo areas. Buses will transport students to the projects and bring them back; local projects are expected to run roughly from 9 a.m. to noon, while Buffalo projects will take place from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., including transportation time. The projects will include a variety of traditional service activities such as cleaning, organizing and painting. Volunteers will help organizations with extra projects and tasks that they might not ordinarily have the time or workers to accomplish.
A variety of campus groups have signed up to volunteer together, including the Men’s soccer team, Immanuel Scholars, the Lending Paws Campaign, and the Advancement Office. “Unfortunately, it looks like the day we picked had a lot of conflicts with spring sports,” Brian Webb noted. Still, despite the fact many students were unable to attend because of this, 134 volunteers were signed up for the event as of Monday, February 28.
When asked what excites him most about the day, Webb said, “I really like the idea of faculty, staff, and students serving together. We learn together, sometimes we’ll eat together…but it’s not very often that students, faculty, and staff get to serve together.”
President Lewis told the STAR in an email, “I am excited about the opportunity to serve with Highlanders in Allegany County and in Buffalo on the Inauguration Day of Service. This day will give us the opportunity to put our faith into action as a college community. With Micah 6:8 as the theme for my inaugural year, nothing could be more appropriate for celebrating the start of a new chapter for Houghton College than coming together to serve our communities. I look forward to serving with Highlanders I have come to know and love and meeting and serving with new friends as well.”
Highlanders are also looking forward to coming together to “act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly”. Madelyn Miller (‘23) expressed excitement at the opportunity to serve together. Mary Chichester (‘22) said it’s nice to see Houghton acting out its commitment to justice, adding “It’s really nice to honor what President Lewis said.” Hannah Duncan (‘22) noted “I think it will be a wonderful way to serve others. But also to live out the true spirit of what Houghton is all about: helping others.” ★
