Author: Alyssa Rogan

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Campus News

Earth Day Projects Planned

On April 23, Houghton College will celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day by hosting a string of events that will transpire throughout the day.

The first event is an outdoor chapel featuring Scott Saben. Saben is the executive director of Plant with Purpose, a nonprofit, Christian ministry that aims to spur on spiritual transformation by planting trees and advancing economies in developing countries. Saben is also the author of Tending to Eden, described by the publisher as “an invaluable resource for environmentally conscious congregations and community groups” that is a “practical guide for creation care.”

last year's Earth Day participants pose for a photo
In honor of Earth Day/Arbor Day, the Houghton community will plant trees, clean trails, and mulch.

Eco Reps member Brielle Kwarta ’19, expressed her anticipation for Earth Day, saying, “I am really excited to listen to his chapel talk and learning more about his work and his passion towards creation care…God created this beautiful Earth for us and it is our duty to protect it!” Dean Michael Jordan added, “I am hopeful that students get a better sense of how their love for God should translate to a love for and respect of creation!”

In addition to the outdoor chapel service, Webb, who is the coordinator for the entirety of the Earth Day/Arbor Day events, has organized volunteer projects throughout the day in order to “beautify the campus around us.” The projects include adding twelve trees to the apple orchard, cleaning up the trail after the recent, big storm, picking up trash, and mulching.

“The goal is to get people outside and enjoy God’s creation by actively taking care of what we have, what we’ve been blessed with,” commented Webb, “and to build community in the process.” Interested students can sign up for 2-hour time slots by following the link attached to Webb’s campus-wide email, sent on April 12.

According to the campus email, there will be a free picnic dinner on the quad, open to the public as well as Houghton students, staff, and faculty.

The picnic will also feature live music and the presentation of the “Caretaker of God’s Creation Award.” This award will be presented to the person “who actively incorporates creation care and Biblical earth stewardship into both their personal life and their participation in the Houghton College community.” Students, staff, and faculty are all eligible for this award.

Kwarta, along with other eco-reps leaders Tyler Cline ’19, Marissa Hollinger ’18, and Sarah Vande Brake ’19, will help “facilitate the discussion” during the informal discussion session with Saben. The discussion will take place in the Van Dyke Lounge in the evening. Saben will be answering questions about PWP, “environmental stewardship, economic development, and spiritual transformation,” according to the campus-wide email. Free coffee and tea will be provided.

According to Webb, PWP has planted 23 million trees over the course of two decades. “Plant With Purpose’s programs equip farming families around the world to increase farm yields, heal damaged ecosystems, improve nutrition, and increase household savings and opportunities,” the organization’s website states. “This integrated approach solves two major issues facing the world today: environmental degradation and rural poverty.” As a result, the organization seeks “to stand with the world’s most vulnerable.”

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Campus International News

Mayterm Opportunities Far and Farther

Marterm will be kicking off May 15, offering a wide array of opportunities for students interested in studying abroad. Among these options are East Meets West in the Balkans, ornithology in Texas, and art in Europe. Spearheaded by Profs. Meic Pearse, Eli Knapp, and Ted Murphy respectively, each professor is looking forward to embarking on these unique adventures with their students.

Although Professor Pearse describes the East Meets West program as “quite possibly the best honors program in the world,” he says it is equally “horrifying.” Since 2005, Professor Pearse has served as “fascist dictator” of the trip.

The objective of the East Meets West program, he explained, is to steep students in the culture of various civilizations throughout the globe, including the Catholic and Protestant West, the Orthodox East, and the Muslim world. His students study these civilizations through the lens of history, literature, political science, theology, and art history.

According to Pearse, one of the most valuable lessons Houghton students learn is how to blend in with the natives. Teaching the students how to dress and behave in public  helps defy the negative stereotypes that foreigners frequently have about American tourists. “It’s great PR for the U.S.,” Pearse explains. “Every year, somebody or other there will tell me: ‘This has improved my view of Americans.’”

Despite the myriad of experiences Pearse hopes his students will take home with them, he did not hesitate to outline the true primary objective of Mayterm. “Survival—it has been known,” he warned. “Take Mary Tyrrell ‘20, for instance…no, I mean seriously: please take her.” He then described the “fundamental misunderstanding among the students’ parents. They think my presence on Mayterm is to protect their little dahhlinks from the scary locals. On the contrary: I am there to protect the locals from the depredations of my students.” By the time the students return home, Pearse trusts the students will know better than to take another Pearse class.

Professor Knapp and his Ornithology students will be “exploring the nooks and crannies” of the Carlsbad caverns, the Rio Grande, and the Texan mountains. Other than “communing with nature,” he believes that “the most rewarding part of my Mayterm is helping students develop an interest in a subject (birds) that they can enjoy the rest of their lives.” He also commented that he enjoys getting to know his students and watch them get “ridiculously excited by the natural world.”

Lastly, art professors Ted Murphy, Gary Baxter, John Rhett, and Associate Professor Ryann Cooely will be travelling with students through Italy and Greece. They will specifically be exploring Athens, Venice, Florence, and Rome.

“Looking at art within a context is critical to understanding the significance of a piece,” explained Murphy. “Many of the works are still in the original setting…Nothing can prepare a student for the works of Michelangelo in the Vatican or the cycle of Frescoes by Raphael in the Stanza della Segnatura.”

Other than supervising daily excursions and arranging plans for lodging and transportation, the art professors will help students plan their time on free days.

Murphy reported his favorite aspects of the trip are getting to know his students, painting the region with the students who bring art supplies, enjoying the cultures of Rome and Tuscany, and having his wife, Nancy, along for the trip.

Additionally, Murphy stressed that the professors receive no extra pay for taking students on Mayterm. Rather, he explained of Mayterms that “we don’t teach them for the money—we teach them because they provide an outstanding opportunity for Houghton students to afford a special trip of life changing potential.” The longest standing study-abroad option at Houghton, the art department has been taking students to Europe since 1992.

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Arts Campus Stories In Focus

Celebrating Creative Excellence

From March 10 to April 6, the Ortlip Art Gallery, located in the Center for Fine Arts, is hosting its 29th annual Juried Student Exhibition.  The reception will take place on March 10 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. 

According to Alicia Taylor, Assistant Professor of Art, “This annual exhibition is an exciting opportunity to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of students at Houghton who work in visual art.” The Juried Student Exhibition is open every year to all Houghton students. This year, students must submit their work to Ortlip Art Gallery by either March 5 or 6, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. “There will be no exceptions to the deadline for submissions,” Taylor informed students. “All work must be finished and ready to hang in the gallery.”

a photo of the art gallery
From March 10 to April 6, the Ortlip Art Gallery is hosting its 29th annual Juried Student Exhibition. The reception for the event will take place on March 10 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.

One of the best components of the event is its unbiased nature. During the judging process, the juror is not provided with the name of the artists who are submitting work. “The juror’s role is to select the highest quality work for this public exhibition,” Taylor noted.

This year’s juror is Romy Hosford, a multimedia artist and professor at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. According to the college’s website, “Her photo/video based installation work can be described as storytelling through object, material and historical contexts; often dealing with perception, definition and expectation. In addition, it investigates the concept of memory—personal and cultural, remembering and forgetting.” A native of Rochester, she has been teaching at Roberts Wesleyan since 2011. To view her artwork, visit her website at www.romyhosford.com.

Seoyoung Je, ’19, assists Taylor by taking down previous art, patching the walls, matting and framing student submissions, and, finally, hanging the artwork. “The student juried show has a excitement of its own because of the number and the diversity of the submissions,” Je said. “It’s a challenge to decide where and how to place them so that it can still be powerful as an individual piece…It’s also interesting to find corresponding ideas run across different art works; this makes it easier for us to group them to a wall.” Je then described the joys of working with artwork “up close,” as it allows “a sense of ownership and pride” because “the time invested brings us closer and familiarizes us to the artwork as if they were our own.”

All pieces will compete for the chance to place in one of five awards: Best in show, 1st place, 2nd place, Honorable  Mention, and the Presidential and First Gentlemen’s purchase prize.  All winners will be announced on the reception night, March 10th.

According to the Houghton website, the mission of the Ortlip Art Gallery is to present “a diverse range of innovative exhibitions and educational programs offering insights into the work of established and emerging regional, national, and international artists and designers.”  Additionally, the gallery is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

For specific details and guidelines about the event, email Taylor at alicia.taylor@houghton.edu.

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Stories In Focus

Prayer Vigil: God Who Loves Us

On Oct. 29, Houghton Wesleyan Church began hosting the annual, three-week prayer vigil that serves as a spiritual backbone for the local community.

“The vigil has now become a part of the rhythm of our church,” commented Pastor Wes Oden, explaining that the event began in 2009 because of the congregation’s “desire…to be a church and community more open to God.”  Every year, the vigil has a different theme, often coinciding with the sermon series for the month or the conversations embarked upon in the church’s small groups.  According to the October 2017 Houghton Wesleyan newsletter, this year’s theme is “God Who Loves Us.”  The inspiration for this year’s theme was drawn from passages in the Minor Prophets books, particularly Malachi and Amos.  “[I]t’s not an investment in sacrifice,” continues the newsletter, “it’s an investment in gaining a greater understanding of who God is.”

In order to be a part of the prayer vigil, participants must sign up on the church website for a one-hour time slot, either individually or with a group.  A variety of resources are provided for visitors, such as a Bible, a prayer journal, a prayer guide, a kneeling bench, musical instruments, and whiteboards.  The church has also fostered a creative, open space for visitors.  The quilts and paintings, for example, invite visitors to engage in quiet contemplation.  

Nikki Garns, ’18 added that Houghton Wesleyan has three prayer rooms available, each decorated for different purposes.  The room with the kneeling bench she describes as “formal.”  The “creative room” is the room that contains the prayer aids, and the “relaxed room” is most likely appropriate for children because of its “lighter atmosphere.”

This year will be Garns’ fourth year participating in the 24-hour prayer vigil.  She signs up with her soccer and track teams as a substitution for practice in the late afternoon or early evening.  “It’s so cool to be in there with my teammates,” exclaims Garns.  She loves that she has the opportunity to hear about their struggles and lift up her teammates in prayer.  On a larger scale, she enjoys that she has had the privilege of seeing not just her teammates participate in the prayer vigil, but Houghton students and members of the community as well.  Amidst the “busyness of campus,” she realizes that spending an hour in prayer is an intentional way of slowing down her day and “bringing God into that.”

Other than slowing down the rhythm of her busy weekday, the prayer vigil has allowed her to contemplate how setting this time aside has changed her prayer life.  She says, “It opens my mind to there being different levels of prayer.  Initially, when I came into college, it was about bowing my head, but there are so many other elements that are a part of it.  The prayer vigil allowed me to see all those different elements at work.”

Bethany Kuiken, ’18, agreed, saying that the prayer vigil is “refreshing” and that “being in those small rooms opens my eyes to the privilege it is to approach the throne.  It never ceases to amaze me that ordinary people like us can approach the throne at any time, at any state we’re in.”  The prayer vigil even inspired Kuiken and her housemates to refurbish their downstairs closet into a prayer closet.

Oden also commented on how his “understanding of prayer has been enlarged and deepened through these events.”  He believes that “Prayer is more than speaking words to God or even sitting quietly before God.  It is that, but it’s more.  It’s singing.  It’s writing poetry.  It’s silence.  It’s lamenting…There is something about taking an hour or multiple hours to think about God that can’t help but change you.”

 

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Stories In Focus

Many Voices: Faculty Publications

As part of their continuing commitment to scholastic excellence and research, four Houghton College faculty members have recently stepped into the publishing world: Brian Webb, Sunshine Sullivan, Jonathan Case, and Terence Paige.

Houghton’s Sustainability Coordinator, Brian Webb, published an article in August’s issue of the Journal of Geoscience Education. As part of his research process, Webb conducted research on the Houghton campus during February of 2015, distributing surveys to measure student attitudes before and after a lecture by evangelical Christian climate advocate Katharine Hayhoe. The general consensus of climate education is that it usually “polarizes” people toward one view or the other, and that very few people fall in the middle of the spectrum of beliefs about climate. However, the results of the pre- and post-lecture surveys revealed that several Houghton students adopted beliefs more sympathetic to climate concerns.  

This was Webb’s first major publication. In the future, he would like to do a follow-up study on campus “testing the variable of [Hayhoe’s] Christian identity to determine if that particular factor has an influence on the effectiveness of her communication.” Christians in general are much less likely to believe climate change is a serious concern, so Webb suspected that Hayhoe’s Christian background may have given her “extra credibility.”  

A paper written by Dr. Sunshine Sullivan, associate professor of Education and Chair of the Education Department, was also published in the fall edition of the International Christian Community for Teacher Education journal (ICCTE). She was prompted to write this article after attending ICCTE’s conference as a keynote speaker in 2016. She described the ICCTE conference as a chance for Christian teachers to come together and share research that they are doing, but also express how “faith supports us in that work.” While it is “very collaborative,” teachers “also try to challenge each other.” As a result, the ICCTE felt much like a “retreat” for Dr. Sullivan.

Following the conference, Dr. Sullivan was asked to “reconfigure [the] talk into [a] paper” so that it could be published in the ICCTE journal. “I was thinking about how God walks beside me,” commented Dr. Sullivan, reflecting on what had spurred her to write the article. While she felt that God affirmed her calling as a teacher, there were issues she was combating in the classroom and knew she needed to address. In her article, she sought to bridge the gaps that may exist among teachers, students, and faculty, describing this as the “in-between spaces” in “teacherly life.”

In May, New Testament professor Dr. Terence Paige published a book entitled 1 & 2 Thessalonians: A Commentary in the Wesleyan Tradition. It was published as part of the New Beacon Bible Commentary series. A Houghton press release described Dr. Paige’s book as “a comprehensive work that offers verse-by-verse explanations of the two early Christian writings” and “helps to clarify Scripture’s meaning by guiding the reader through sociological, religious and cultural issues the original readers faced, in addition to the usual attention to literary and theological features that affect the interpretation of the texts.”

Webb and Sullivan both confirmed that the publication process “is consistent” across the board. First, one must write the article according to the journal’s length guidelines before submitting. Then, if accepted, the writer will add editorial comments based off the comments received from the journal’s editors. Lastly, the writer’s work is copyedited and published. The entire publishing process for journal articles typically takes a few months.

Despite the vulnerability inherent in publishing, Dr. Sullivan said that she “enjoys conversations that come from having work published.”  She is thankful that the criticism from peers and editors has allowed her to grow as a writer.

 

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Campus News

President Mullen Receives Award

This September, Buffalo Business First honored President Mullen, along with ninety-nine other woman, with a position on this year’s “Women of Influence” list.

According to the organization’s website, the women chosen for the list “have demonstrated an incredible dedication to their organizations, their families and to the City of Buffalo.” In 2006, President Mullen became the fifth president and first woman to assume the office of the presidency at Houghton College. A recent Houghton press release states that the women named for this honor “are fostering change in their communities and Western New York.”

When asked about which of her contributions have been the most gratifying for her, President Mullen responded that she was “most grateful for anything that has been done to make Houghton a more inviting place for students to discover their gifts, realize their full God-given potential, and imagine where their gifts might be connected to places of effectiveness and service around the world.”  She adds that success is measured by what others judge success to be, and that “everything is a team effort.”

Despite being named for an honor that showcases powerful and influential women of Western New York, President Mullen noted that she does not think about being a woman in power “much at all.” Instead, she emphasized her own commitment to “trying to do what I believe God has asked me to do.”

“The only time I link this to ‘being a woman’ is when I remember that others are still sometimes getting used to the idea of women being in this kind of role,” she said. “Sometimes we have to help others become comfortable with our being in the places we are in.” Mullen stressed how important it is for women to pursue God’s calling, not because they have something to prove, but because “God has gifted them in particular ways.”

Her statement addressed the truth about what it means to be a strong woman. “A ‘strong woman’ is someone who can face the circumstances of one’s life—including the challenges—with ruthless honesty, with self awareness, and with a deep desire to use one’s gifts to make a difference for others,” said President Mullen. She added that grit, resilience, and humility are necessary traits for those in leadership, and noted that “doing good for the people whom we have been entrusted to lead” is crucial.

Several other college presidents received the honor alongside Mullen: Cynthia Zane of Hilbert College, Virginia Horvath of SUNY Fredonia, Katherine Conway-Turner of SUNY Buffalo State, and Lorrie Clemo of D’Youville College. Kim Pegula, who gifted Houghton College with $12 million in 2011 in order to build the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, was also given a place on the list.

President Mullen also believes that, rather than pursuing positions of leadership, women and men alike should “seek to develop the gifts God has given [them]. Learn to know yourself—your strengths and your weaknesses.  Learn to be comfortable with criticism.  Do the tasks before you with all your heart—and let the long term take care of itself.”

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Stories In Focus

Summer Ministry Team Recap

This past summer, two teams of four Houghton students served on Summer Ministry Team, Houghton’s outreach program aimed at middle and high school students. From mid-June to mid-August, the Summer Ministry Teams visited various camps throughout the Northeast, although they also traveled as far as Michigan and Maryland. While their primary goal was to connect with campers and share the message of the Gospel, they often coordinated camp events and represented Houghton College. This involved handing out free T-shirts to campers and speaking with them about their own Houghton experience.

“I did not realize what I was getting myself into,” admits Theresa Patnala ’19, who represented Team Gold. As a native of India who grew up working with children of lower castes, Patnala was eager to participate in a ministry opportunity in the States as well. However, what began as simply a summer job ended as a life-changing experience. Patnala recalls times of spiritual exhaustion as she encountered teens with broken lives.  

Chris Henderson ’19, of Team Purple, shares Patnala’s perspective, confessing that “the hardest thing is hearing about all of the terrible things that the kids have to go through. A lot of campers struggled with their home life, their self-image, and a lot of anxiety and depression.” In addition to the spiritual exhaustion, Andrew Sherman ’19, of Team Gold, adds that the SMT was also physically exhausting because “you’re never alone.” Between traveling on days off and constantly working with the campers, SMT often felt like a “24/7 job.”

Despite the physical, spiritual, and emotional demands of SMT, however, Patnala, Henderson, and Sherman all express deep appreciation for having participated, especially in describing how it helped them to grow. Henderson reflects, “On SMT I feel like God reopened my eyes to His goodness and his power to transform the lives of His people. I saw a lot of things left at the altar this summer, and I had a lot of talks with my campers where they opened up for the first time about something, or they decided not to let their past define them anymore. That was moving for me.” Consequently, these emotional and heartbreaking conversations with campers created “a new reliance on God” in Henderson. All SMT members agree that the spiritual growth far outweighed the constant exhaustion.

Patnala’s growth during SMT involved leaving her comfort zone by sharing her testimony that she had rarely told prior to SMT. In addition, she was anxious that her being a person of color would hinder her from connecting with campers. However, when God “broke down walls,” her “personality just came out” because “sharing your testimony brings so much healing.” Although she realized that “we are not the fixers of the world,” there is great value in crying with and praying over campers in order to comfort them.

Sherman shared that there were many “times where I felt like God was affirming me” because God was “preparing me for leadership” and “spiritual disciplines” such as early morning prayer.  Sherman was very intentional about “doing the things that I’m recommending other people to do,” stressing the importance of practicing what one preaches.  

All three SMT members affirm Houghton College for having given them the opportunity to represent both Jesus Christ and Houghton College. Sherman appreciates that “Houghton has a really good vision for how we can be preparing people to bring Christ into the world,” adding that Houghton’s positive feedback from camp management makes him proud to be a Houghton student.  Henderson agrees, saying, “If anyone ever gets the chance to be a part of it, they should absolutely jump at the chance.”

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Campus News

KPFH Hosts Regional Basketball Tournament

The Kerr-Pegula Field House will host the Western New York 3 on 3 Basketball Tournament tomorrow. The tournament is a daylong event in which teams, organized by age and gender, will compete in at least three games.  According to the website, both male and female teams are divided into the following age groups: 11-14, and 15-18; 19-34, and 35 and over for the adult division. Each team includes between three and four players. Additionally, up to ten individuals were invited to sign up for slam dunk and three point shooting contests.

Harold “Skip” Lord, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, explained this is the “first time” Houghton College has hosted the WNY 3 on 3 Tournament.  He said, “It is unique in that most of these kinds of events are hosted outdoors in the summer in a kind of street ball format. Holding it in the field house will allow us to start before any of the other outdoor tournaments happen. We are hoping it will eventually grow into a fairly large and popular event.”

Because of this is the first time Houghton has hosted an event such as this, there is no verdict regarding how the tournament will stack up to the popularity of other 3 on 3 tournaments, such as the summer Gus Macker Tournament in Olean, New York.  However, Marshall Green, KPAC Facilities Marketing and Scheduling Coordinator, stated, of the 66 teams that are registered, the 14-18 boys and girls make up the largest age group.

 Adult participants may win cash prizes at the tournament. The tournament website stated whichever men’s and women’s teams of the Elite Division win first place will receive trophies and $400 cash.  Additionally, trophies and $100 cash will be awarded to the winners of the slam dunk and 3-point contests.  However, any participants in high school are ineligible and cannot win cash prizes.

Lord stated the men’s and women’s basketball teams will help run the event. “We couldn’t do it without them,” he said. “It will have a positive impact on our ability to hit our KPAC missional revenue goals. ”Green added, “Houghton is very excited to be hosting the first annual WNY 3-on-3 Indoor Basketball Tournament. This is an amazing opportunity to get players together of all ages and skill levels from throughout the Upstate region. With the size and scope of our venue, we will be able to host upwards of 200 teams so I am expecting some extreme basketball talent to show up.”

 

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Campus News

Online Courses Attract Residential Students

Residential students of Houghton can now take up to two online classes per semester (not including summer courses), according to  Marlene Collins-Blair, Associate Dean of Distance Education. She  explained that “up to 49% of a main campus degree can be earned online—a maximum of around 60 credits,” due to New York State regulations.

She continued, “Online education is one of the largest and fastest growing segments of higher education. Last year, there were approximately 3.5 million students in the United States working toward their degree online. The projection is that this number will increase to 5 million by 2020.”  The draw to online courses lies in the fact that they are “flexible, convenient, and often cheaper than face-to-face courses,” she said. Online courses also expedite the graduation process, with summer courses available, according to Collins-Blair.  

Resultantly, online courses have reached a new popularity with younger students.  As Collins-Blair explained, online courses were originally popular with non-traditional, adult-aged students; recent research, however, has proven that “the mean age of undergraduate online students decreased from 34 years old in 2012 to 29 in 2016. The mean age of graduate online students decreased from 35 years old in 2012 to 33 in 2016.”

For those hesitant to believe that online courses are not as credible or high-quality, Collins-Blair ensures students that “Houghton College students receive the same quality of instruction regardless of the delivery format, and that the learning outcomes for online courses remain consistent with those of the on-campus counterparts, if they exist.”  According to the Houghton College website, online students can attain Bachelors’s degrees in science or business administration.  Programs include human resource management, integrated marketing and communication, management, leadership development, or psychology.  Students may also attain an Associate’s Degree in Arts.

Director of Admission, Ryan Spear, weighed in and stated, “With every opportunity comes caution. There is something, dare I say ‘magical’ about learning in the classroom setting. Students should consider the ‘opportunity cost’ of swapping an online course for something they could take residentially and consider the pros/cons of what they want out of their educational experience.”  Spear added that, despite the traditional classroom setting, students have a great opportunity to continue their “post-college learning” process, thanks to online classes.

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Campus News

Gospel Choir Hits The Road

On February 12, the Houghton College gospel choir will travel to Rochester,  and join the Browncroft Community Church worship team for all three of their services.  In the past, the School of Music and the Houghton Symphony Orchestra have collaborated with Browncroft’s worship team to orchestrate events such as the annual Christmas Prism Concert.  “This is an excellent way to bring our visions and our goals into fruition,” commented Jerome Bell, Leader and Director of gospel choir.  Browncroft’s worship pastor, Jason Harris, will be leading worship.

The gospel choir, created in the late 90’s, features a variety of African-American music.  Students who are a part of gospel choir have the opportunity to learn about the deep, passionate genre of gospel music.  Practice, though said to be managed efficiently and productively, is considerably casual, the choir learns not by music, but my listening along until the words are memorized.  

 Currently there are almost forty members, but gospel choir is open to anyone who is interested, with practice taking place every Sunday night from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m, and occasionally Thursday night for an hour.  Certain occasions, such as the Homecoming college concert have yielded an additional thirty plus members.  The number of members is also contingent on points of the semester. For example, members during the spring semester are less frequent.

“Gospel Choir means so many different things to so many different people,” exclaimed Bell. “What I like most about it is the community.  People of different ethnic, racial, and social backgrounds can come together and worship the same God.”  Bell further explained that the gospel choir spends time in prayer and in the Word during rehearsals, making for a very inviting and Christ-centered atmosphere.  “Most importantly, we get ‘turnt for Jesus,’” said Bell

Travis Trotman ‘17, Assistant Director and leader of gospel choir, agreed. He stated,, “There is just something about this choir that screams community, love and great friendships. Another thing I like about gospel choir is the openness you have when you worship. Regardless of the song that we sing I always find that we as a group are always moving, extending our hands to the Lord or keeping a beat to the rhythm of the music.”

“It’s so authentic,” added soprano member, Olivia Flint, ’20.  “It’s the most passionate, authentic worship that I’ve ever been a part of.  Jerome upholds this great foundation of what real worship should be like.  God calls all of his people to worship—every tongue should worship him.”