Author: Houghton STAR

The student newspaper of Houghton College for more than 100 years.

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Campus Stories In Focus

Willard J. Houghton Library

Library Second Floor - Courtesy of Christian Welker
By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Willard J. Houghton Library comprises about 200,000 physical books and an online database with roughly 50,000 journals and 600,000 ebooks. The library is not just limited to research materials, as there is a childrens and young adult library in the basement and a collection of movies and players on the main floor. There are several study rooms and reading rooms throughout the library with an archival room in the basement. 

Susannah Denham (‘26) remarked, “The library space itself is a great place to study or relax with coloring books and puzzles.” 

Houghton’s library contains archives of the Houghton STAR, other periodicals and The Boulder, Houghton’s yearbook. In addition, the Music Library in the Center for the Arts  contains over 11,000 scores, a collection of music reference works, composer works and a collection of musical sound recordings. 

The Director of Libraries and Information Resources, David Stevick stated, “The goal is to create a welcoming space to study . . . to provide research help at the desk and online and sometimes teach workshops or in classes.” 

Academic departments, who assist with the development of research collection, partner with library staff. Photographic equipment that can be used for digital and photography classes. Professors can request materials to be held for their classes, which students can then pursue. Students can go into the library to find assistance or look for these resources on their own both in person and online on the databases. 

Doyin Adenuga, the Electronic Resources Librarian, explained, “When it comes to online resources, part of it is ensuring the access to the journals and maintaining the library website by updating information on the home page.” 

However, if there are articles or books that are not available at Houghton’s library, students can make a request through the interlibrary loan which can request materials from several other library databases.

Anna Catherman (‘26)  stated, “Interlibrary loan has been picking up . . . you can request anything and the librarians will do their best to find it.” 

Currently, the main project is converting the Woolsey Library in Chamberlain into the basement of the main library. These books will be added to the children’s and young adult books already in the Children Literature Room. 

Ciciley Haslem (‘25) explained that “each book now needs to be processed, stickered with the identification and call number, stamped and given a due date slip.” 

This move allows all young adult and children’s books to be in one location but to also keep better track of when the books are checked out. This will help students if they are looking for a particular book. This also helps limit duplication and allows for new books to potentially be brought into the library. 

Anna Catherman (‘26) encouraged everyone to, “Come in, we are there as resources . . . It makes us so happy when someone checks out a book for fun.” ★

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Campus News

Thanksgiving At Houghton

Thanksgiving fall graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Olivia Kleinau ('23)

On Oct. 9, Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated at Houghton University, Rothenfeast occurred on Nov. 11, and Gillette Thanksgiving will be hosted on Nov. 18 in the KPAC.

“Canadian thanksgiving is attached to the harvest celebration in Canada,” Ethan McCarthy (‘25) shared, “since our harvest starts earlier [than] it generally does in the states. It became a national holiday in 1879 as a way to thank God for the harvest. It happens the second Monday of October.”

Houghton University celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving with all Canadian students who wish to join. McCarthy explained that it’s a positive way to have staff and students come together to celebrate, it especially helps to break barriers down between them.

Rothenfeast is a tradition started for the residents of the men’s dorm Rothenbuhler to share a thanksgiving meal. 

Andrew Hotchkiss (‘24), an RA of Roth, explained that Rothenfeast is an opportunity for the men to gather and have, “a time focused on giving thanks, it helps all residents remember what they are blessed with, including each other. This helps the community grow together even more.” 

Although Hotchkiss isn’t entirely sure how the tradition got started, he stated, “my freshman year it was treated like an old tradition so I imagine it has been around for a long time.”

In terms of preparation, Hotchkiss explained that it is a straightforward process, “We have people register on campus groups, then we send a list to Mets and they do a meal exchange for those people.” 

When it comes to activities, Hotchkiss added, “We usually have board games, some video games, and an outdoor game like flag football or ultimate frisbee. It is an opportunity for the guys of Roth to get together and show thanks for everything this community has to offer, education, friends, and Christ-centered interactions.”

However, Rothenfeast is not just for the residents of Roth.     

“The Custodians of the dorm,” Hotchkiss explained, “Are invited to the meal since they do so much good work for all of us in the dorms.”

Jenna Strahan (‘24), an RA of Gillette, explained that Gillette Thanksgiving is a “tradition done for many years where we get together for a space and have dinner together. In the past there’s been activities, we’re not just eating a meal, also playing games and spending quality time together.”

Strahan also said this is a great way to be together during a busy semester and that it helps to reconnect people. 

The RA’s have met to discuss the preparation process and also how to best accommodate everyone. Similarly to Hotchkiss, Strahan’s favorite part of the thanksgiving gathering is the community. 

Strahan shared, “My favorite part is the community aspect of it people choosing to be with one another and have those connections shared over a meal.” ★

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Opinions

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

By Joshua Armstrong

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1: 1). These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name (John 20: 31).

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1: 1). And God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1: 27). And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good (Genesis 1: 31). Then sin came into the world through one man, for as in Adam all die (1 Corinthians 15: 22) and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned (Romans 5: 12) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3: 23). All are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” “The way of peace they have not known.” “There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Romans 3: 9-12, 17-18). And the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness (Isaiah 5: 16). And Jesus who is lord of lords and king of kings (Revelations 19: 16) is to judge the living and the dead ( 2 Timothy 4: 1). 

However, mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2: 13). For ‘The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty’ (Numbers 14: 18). 

For I deliver to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15: 3-4), and that he is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high interceding for those who are in the faith (Romans 8: 34) (Hebrews 1: 3). For God So loved the world that he gave his only Son that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life (John 3: 16). Jesus is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through him (John 14: 6). For there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4: 12). For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6: 23). For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame” (Romans 10-11).

A person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified (Galatians 2: 16). For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree” — so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith (Galatians 3: 10-14). For by grace we have been saved through faith. And this is not our own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2: 8-10).

Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others. For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor. 5: 11, 14, 15, 16-21). ★

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Campus News

Lyric Theatre’s Our Town

Our Town Cast and Crew - Courtesy of Andrew Reith
By Jiana Martin ('26)

Tonight, Friday, on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m., the Lyric Theatre will hold its second performance of Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” in the CFA Recital Hall. A third and final performance will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

“I’ve enjoyed the whole process and it’s been an honor to do it,” Professor Cox reflected.

The play “Our Town” has already been done at Houghton a couple of times, however, this was Professor Cox’s first interaction with it in any capacity. 

“I’ve wanted to do Our Town my whole life,” Professor Cox enthusiastically expressed, “it’s a gorgeous play and it needs to be done.” 

The two-and-a-half-hour production follows the lives and families of the people in a small New Hampshire town called Grover’s Corners during the early 1900s. Specifically, the storyline focuses on George Gibbs (played by Senior Jonathan Hutmire), and Emily Webb (played by Junior Lydia Rech) as they grow up together.

“George is a boy whose thoughts are mostly occupied by baseball, agriculture, and Emily Webb,” Hutmire described. 

Within three acts, the audience watches the daily life, marriage, and death of these characters.

“This play highlights the beautiful moments that we’ve all experienced in everyday life, and it encourages us never to take these moments for granted,” explained Rech. 

Both Hutmire and Rech loved bringing this beautiful story to life. It has allowed them to get to know their fellow cast and crew members, and to create beautiful on-stage scenes with them.

“I simply love seeing and creating genuine moments on the stage,” Hutmire commented.

Professor Cox appreciated how vulnerable all of the students were willing to be with their emotions in order to bring themselves into their characters. She also admired the connection, genuine care and support they always have for one another. 

“I am also so, so grateful for the chance I’ve had to learn from Professor Cox’s experience. I really appreciate how she takes the time to continually tell us that we are not loved simply for what we do or how well we perform, but for who we are – children of God,” Rech thoughtfully said.

Hutmire, Rech and Professor Cox are excited to share the story of Grover’s Corners. Every personality and type of person in the town is represented, so they hope this thought-provoking play will connect the audience to the characters. 

“There are so many little themes, nuances, and messages that we can glean from this story,” Rech added.

Audiences can expect to be charmed by the characters, to laugh, to cry and to be reminded of the many things to be grateful for in their lives. ★

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Stories In Focus

Feature: Patrick Hager

Patrick Hager (left) with men's cross country team - Courtesy of Houghton Highlander Athletics
By Abigail Bates ('26)

Patrick Hager is in his 10th year of being the Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach at Houghton University. Under his leadership, the program has won conference championships in cross country for women in 2019 and the men in 2023, as well as broken numerous records.

Coach Hager first came to Houghton when he was searching for full-time coaching jobs after finishing his two year tenure at Messiah University as a graduate assistant coach. He was offered the position and immediately accepted in the fall of 2014.

He explained that he has learned a lot since working at the university, especially from the student-athletes he works with.

“They energize me,” he stated, “and honestly push me to be a better man. I do think I hold my position in high regard in terms of my ability to influence and be a positive figure in the lives of 40-60 student-athletes a year. This ‘burden’, of sorts, really pushes me to adjust any bad attitude, or negativity that might try and peak to the surface.” 

Sophomore Noelle Linenfelser (‘26), a member of the women’s cross country team, has been positively impacted by Coach Hager in both her running and as a person, during her time at Houghton.

“I see Coach Hager impacting other students every day,” Linenfelser expressed. “He invests time and thought into every one of his athletes, developing personal training plans that will fit each individual to be able to help them reach their fullest potential.”

Linenfelser explained that runners in cross country and track & field programs will often peak performance-wise in their second and third year, before potentially declining. Comparatively, it is amazing that there are so many athletes in the program at Houghton who continue to progress throughout their four years.

“I have no doubt that this is thanks to Coach Hager’s hard and very intentional work, and I am so grateful to have him as a coach,” Linenfelser stated.

Matthew Webb, the Director of Athletics, is optimistic about the continued success under Coach Hager’s leadership. He described the culture Hagar has built in cross country and track & field as one of discipline and excellence.

“Honestly,” Coach Hager disclosed, “I think our program is in as good of a place from a culture and performance standpoint as it’s ever been.”

Coach Hager wants to maintain this quality in the program, while continuing to reach for breakthroughs. In the future, he would like to have someone qualify for the NCAA Championships, and pave the way for future student-athletes to do the same. Even so, Coach Hager remarked that it means more to him to see success in athletics when there are solid relationships with those he is working with.

“Every summer,” Webb commented, “it seems as if Coach Hager is attending multiple weddings of his former athletes.”

One of Coach Hager’s favorite things about being a coach at Houghton are the wedding invitations. At the weddings, there always tends to be a handful of past and present student-athletes (or as many as 33, in the case of Miller-Domaracki’s wedding).

“Being [a part] of this,” Coach Hager stated, “I think encapsulates my goal for the program. To get so connected with each other through the vehicle of athletics that we can celebrate important life events together, years later.” ★

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Columns

Five Nights at Freddy’s Review

Written by: Joseph Schmidt (’24)

Five Nights At Freddy’s is a movie set in the year 2000, where Mike Schmidt (played by the talented Josh Hutcherson), the main protagonist, is struggling to find any work to take care of his younger sister, Abby and avoid eviction. His only hope is a night shift at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, an abandoned family restaurant. Mike soon finds out that “where fantasy and fun comes to life”, so do other things, as the abandoned animatronics Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy are still active, and they are not friendly. With the help of a local police officer, Vanessa, Mike struggles to survive each night shift at the pizzeria and figure out why the animatronics are out for blood.

If any of you know the famous games this movie is based off of, then you can probably relate to how excited I was to finally see this movie completed and released. The movie gives you a first hand look into how the animatronics operate during the night within the opening minutes. It gave a sense of anticipation but also the uneasiness one could expect from a thriller. The movie also has a great sense of mystery, as we follow Mike’s journey as he tries to figure out why the animatronics are so dangerous as well as his nightmare of his brother’s kidnapping. The plot bounces back and forth between the shifts at Freddy’s and Mike battling his aunt for custody over his sister, Abby, which does provide a tiny bit of contrast to the dangers of Freddy’s with a grounding real-world challenge which we can sympathize with. The sense of danger and intensity, however, is kept up really well through the first half of the film until they interrupt with a very out-of-place montage. The movie took a turn there, and everything became far less serious.

However, the movie does slowly and carefully redeem itself near the end. The feeling of intensity didn’t really come back entirely, but the dangers became obvious again in the final chapter as stakes were raised for all the characters. The ending of the movie felt satisfactory as the mysteries all came together and the final villain was revealed.

Overall, I did enjoy the movie! It was a fun watch, and the acting was great. Every character had a necessary role, and nobody felt out of place. The cinematography is nothing too special, but that helps lend a hand to the deadness of Mike’s life as he struggles to stay afloat. However, the movie is definitely more based off of the books instead of the original video games, which I did find to be slightly disappointing. The movie’s story stayed partially faithful to the game’s lore, though it seemed as though it wanted to take a new approach to the franchise and its threats.

Personally, I wish the movie relied on the games’ story and lore more heavily, as the animatronics felt dangerous but never truly threatening to the characters. They felt more like creepy obstacles than scary threats, and I hope they change that. The PG-13 rating for the movie also hindered its creative capabilities, I believe. Much of the original Five Nights at Freddy’s lore involves darker topics than the movie is able to touch on and any topics the movie does bring to the big screen aren’t translated very well. However, for a rating of PG-13, I will say that Blumhouse did a fantastic job of convincing us otherwise. Could it have been more creative if it had a different rating? Yes. But it did not disappoint me, it simply made me wish for more.

In conclusion, I liked the movie! It did well overall, and I was genuinely surprised and excited by some of the details and reveals. With a sequel already confirmed to be in pre-production, I’m excited to see how they build off of the first movie into the second one, and with hopes that they’ll improve and grow the overall story of Five Nights at Freddys.  ★

Final Grade: 7/10

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Campus Stories In Focus

Inside the Board of Trustees

By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Houghton University Board of Trustees is a group of volunteers, mostly composed of alumni, who form the chief policy-making government for the university. 

The board is broken up into nine committees: Advancement, Academic Affairs, Audit, Enrollment, Finance, Investment, Student Life, Trustee and the Executive committee, which is composed of the chairs of the other committees, the board chair and the board secretary. 

James Eckert and John Lee, both board members, explained the Board of Trustees’ undertaking as, less reacting, more planning and student focused. 

The board’s role is to support Houghton’s president, and the president works with the university’s administration to keep the school running smoothly. In addition, there is a responsibility for the board to represent the Wesleyan Church, which Houghton University is affiliated with.

Rev. Johanna Rugh, an ex officio board member and the Executive Director Education Clergy Development of the Wesleyan Church, stated, “Giving support to the president, administration, business and building maintenance is a combined effort between the president and board.”  

While the board checks in with President Wayne D. Lewis Jr. on what the administration is doing, they do not have the ability to directly intervene with decisions made by the administration and the president.

President Lewis stated, “One of the phrases that gets used a lot is boards should have their noses in and their fingers out. Which means they should be asking questions, they should be making sure the [p]resident and administration are doing what they’re supposed to do but they should not have their fingers on the actual admission and management of the university.”

However, if the board believes the president is not meeting what needs to be done for the university, they can remove them. 

Many of the concerns arising during board meetings are in relation to building maintenance, the number of professors and the ups and downs of student enrollment. 

Gary Larder, Chairman of the Financial Board, said, “We go over the budget for every year and what is achieved financially. It’s a challenge for a liberal arts university to get students for the meeting of financial targets. We try to look ahead, where we will be in the future in regards to students, professors and facilities.”
The board also looks at and accepts audit reports, and reviews the financial progress in the fall and finish of the spring. 

Rev. Dr. Joseph Jennings, Chair of the Board of Trustees, explained, “We do have open seasons in which we invite resource people to the meetings . . . the vice president, representative from the student council, alumni board, the staff council and the faculty moderator.” 

Terms of board members are also reviewed and renewed during these meetings, along with the president’s term. One of the main decisions for the Board of Trustees’ meetings on Oct. 23-24, was the renewal of President Lewis’ contract for the next five years until 2028. 

Jennings said, “Dr. Lewis has worked tirelessly to help bring in a great incoming class this fall. We have every reason to think that we will continue to experience growth in enrollment . . . he and his team have made some great decisions and communicated the University’s mission with compelling clarity.”
The Board of Trustees’ vote for President Lewis’ contract renewal was unanimous, and they look forward to him continuing to serve Houghton. 

President Lewis notes, “The relationship between the board and the administration, especially the president, is a really important partnership . . . working together in partnership there’s so much you can accomplish together and we are tremendously blessed at Houghton to have that.” ★

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Social Division: Athletes and NARPs

Sports division graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Sophia Vernon ('26)

“[Athletes] are a clique because they all know each other,” stated Abigail Franz (’25), adding that “sometimes it feels like because I’m not on a sports team, I’m on a different level, and there is a divide.”

Franz exemplifies an overarching feeling of detachment and separation between non-athletes and the third of Houghton’s student body that plays a sport.

Franz, a biology major, explained that “the bio department is pretty overrun by sports people wanting to do exercise science.” She stated that her experiences with getting to know athletes individually have been positive; however, “it’s hard because of that initial divide.”

On the flip side, Arija Grant (’26), a Houghton Women’s Tennis player, explained that she has often felt excluded from on-campus events due to practice and game schedules, highlighting specifically an away tennis match she had on the same night as a homecoming dance.

Jana Newberry, the Director of Student Engagement, emphasized that “the distinction between athletes and non-athletes is natural” and that she does not “necessarily get mad at it.” Echoing student concerns, Newberry stated, “I have a problem with athletes feeling excluded from things,” pointing out that “there is too much distance.” She attributes this problem in part to both groups “not knowing what they don’t know about how to get plugged in” and a “lack of understanding and stereotypes.”

Newberry spoke on the natural divides arising from the lack of athletic representation and participation in the Campus Activities Board (CAB) events. She addressed that “sometimes the (CAB) events can be echo chambers,” with the same people attending events, lacking expansion to wider audiences. 

Enter Selah Kertz (’24), Tymber Wynn (’25) with Lander Nation. When asked about her experience with the social dynamics between athletes and non-athletes on campus, Kertz stated, “It feels really divided.” She related her experience during her semester on the track team of eating dinner with the team and sitting on the “sports side” of the dining hall, but that “looking from the other side (non-athlete perspective), it feels very separate.” She explained that this time on the track team assisted her in making athlete friends, stating, “I’m not sure I would have met a lot of the people I know without my previous connections to other athletes.”

Resulting from the lack of community and spirit between athletes and non-athletes, Kertz and Wynn started Lander Nation, a non-Houghton-affiliated group on campus that works through on-campus events, themes and representatives for each athletic team to foster school spirit and community. Kertz explained that she knows a lot of “NARPs” (non-athlete-regular-person), and Wynn, a Houghton Women’s Basketball player, knows a lot of athletes. The intention was to “bring NARPs in to participate in athletics,” as well as “bridging the gap and having actual school spirit.” 

Grant explained how easy it is for athletes to feel excluded from school events and isolated to teams, stating that “there is a divide because of how much intentional time you spend with your team” and that “it’s obvious you’re going to get closer with people you spend so much time with.” In troubleshooting the problem, Grant pointed out, “Houghton does a pretty good job emphasizing music and art, but there could be better advertising (for athletic events) on campus.” She concluded that “athletes could be encouraged to support other areas, and it could go both ways.” ★

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Campus News

Grad School Fair 2023

Grad School Fair photo - Courtesy of Casey Conklin
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

Houghton’s Grad School Fair for the Fall 2023 semester was on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Van Dyk Lounge.

The Grad School Fair gives all students the opportunity to speak to representatives from different graduate programs.

Senior Kayleigh Verspoor (‘24), who is considering online grad school for a master’s in education, attended the fair and saw a good variety of schools represented.

Verspoor said, “There were options for programs exclusively online, exclusively in person and hybrid programs. Additionally there were programs available for a wide variety of content areas such as education, the health care fields, counseling and many others.”

Senior Abigail Pixley (‘24) found last year’s Grad School Fair helpful in deciding what schools she wanted to apply for. Last week she was able to speak to the different representatives from the schools she applied to, and got an even better sense of what the schools are like.

Senior Lillian Turner (‘25) said that she was already thinking about staying at Houghton to get her MBA, but going to the Grad School Fair helped solidify that decision and made her more confident that she was choosing the right option.

Turner also appreciated that some of the representatives she met spoke from personal experience, since many are currently, or had been in, the program they were representing.

Verspoor commented that it would be helpful in the future for Grad School Fairs to categorize the schools in a list or organize the tables based on the programs. 

“For example,” Verspoor explained, “there were a lot of schools representing healthcare programs exclusively which are irrelevant to me, but I didn’t know that until I walked by their booth and talked to the representative.”

One small criticism that was fairly common among students was the time the Grad School Fair took place. 

“The timing of [the Grad School Fair] was right in the middle of classes,” Turner said, “everyone has classes around lunchtime. And it was throughout the entire lunch block, so people who wanted to go probably wouldn’t be able to make it. I could barely make it as a worker. I think maybe having it after classes would be more helpful.

Verspoor said, “Sometimes in attending events such as these we become more aware of opportunities we didn’t even know existed and it broadens our minds to think of new and diverse possibilities for the future.” 

Pixley had the same mindset, expressing how beneficial it can be for students to get their name into the graduate school system.

All three recommend for students to attend future Grad School Fairs, even if they aren’t planning to go onto graduate school. ★

Categories
Columns

An Echo in the Darkness

Written By: Julia Collins (’26)

Last month, we left off reading A Voice in the Wind, Francine Rivers’ first book of the Mark of the Lion series. This week, we will be looking at the second book in the trilogy, An Echo in the Darkness!

Hadassah, a young Christian girl from Jerusalem sold into slavery in Rome, has survived a brutal attack after being betrayed by her master, Julia Valerian. Hadassah was rescued by a doctor, Alexander, who she begins to assist in his medical jobs. Personality wise, Hadassah is the same, but since the attack, she has scarring on her face that makes her almost unrecognizable (I say “almost” because she IS recognized- more on that later). Julia, meanwhile, is sick- actually, more than sick, terminally ill from an STD. She is in a relationship with a man who doesn’t love her, and she is neglected by her friends. No one likes her, and she keeps getting sicker. But then she meets a servant who loves her and cares for her. What Julia doesn’t realize is that this servant is Hadassah! Although Hadassah was recognized by Julia’s now-Christian mother, Phoebe, Julia does not know that her new servant was the girl she had sent off to be killed! 

Meanwhile, Hadassah’s almost-boyfriend/crush, Marcus Valerian, thinks she’s dead, and he is heartbroken. To get closer to the memory of Hadassah, he goes to Jerusalem, and is eventually converted to Christianity. He eventually goes back to Rome after sensing that God wants him to go see Julia and forgive her for sending Hadassah to be killed. However, Marcus struggles with how to forgive. With his mother being sick, he blames Julia for not being with her. When he and Julia finally see each other again, things are bad. Can the two of them get along again?

The ending of this book, which I will not reveal myself, is a good wrap-up on the lives of Hadassah and the Valerians. The journey that the four main characters go through shows early Christianity, and how it impacted people’s lives in unexpected ways and through interesting people. ★