Author: Micah Cronin

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International News

Iran Nuclear Deal in Affect

With the Syrian refugee crisis’ constant evolution, news of the Iran nuclear deal, officially the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, has left the spotlight. Nonetheless, developments pertaining to the deal have not been put on hold.

The deal, signed on July 14 by Iran, China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, Germany, and the European Union, has been controversial in the United States Congress. According to CNN, Republican lawmakers are at best hesitant to endorse the deal, the common worry being that lifting sanctions on Iran will enable the state to continue funding terrorism.

MaryCroninAccording to Time, the basics of the deal are if Iran drastically reduces nuclear production infrastructure and facilities, eliminates its stores of nuclear-grade uranium, and subjects itself to inspections from the UN, the other signing nations in the agreement will lift their long standing economic sanctions. Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has come out in support of the deal to CBS and the Washington Post, saying that while the deal “is not perfect,” the U.S. has no choice but to “negotiate with other countries. We have to negotiate with Iran. And the alternative of not reaching an agreement, you know what it is? It’s war. Do we really want another war, a war with Iran?”

Republican presidential candidates, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, disagree. According to CNN, the two shared their opinions on the matter earlier this month on the campaign trail, this time on Capitol Hill.

Trump stated, “I’ve never seen something so incompetently negotiated — and I mean never.”

Cruz weighed in, saying, “If Senate Democrats decide that party loyalty matters more than national security and if Republican leadership decides that showboating is more important than stopping this deal, then the single most important issue in 2016 will be stopping Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon.”

Unfortunately for the deal’s detractors, the U.S. Senate failed to stop it from going into effect. The 60 day window Congress had to derail the operations of the nuclear deal closed as of Thursday, September 17. Three successive votes against the deal failed to reach the 60 vote threshold, the final failing in the closing hours of the workday, on Thursday. Even before the last vote, the Obama administration optimistically began carrying out its operations of the deal. According to the Washington Post, Obama and the State Department appointed Stephen Mull as senior diplomat charged with guaranteeing Tehran, Iran’s compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

House Speaker, John Boehner, still seems hopeful other legal action will possibly be used to block the deal, such as reinstating economic sanctions against Iran. Senate Majority Leader, Mitch McConnell, told the Washington Post the deal “likely will be revisited by the next commander-in-chief.”

Mechanisms of the Iran deal continue to kick in. On September 18, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said it would send its director general, General Yukiya Amano, to Iran to speak with top Iranian officials, the New York Times reported.

Questions from the IAEA over “ambiguities” in Iran’s assessment of past nuclear activities have been sent ahead of General Amano. According to the New York Times the IAEA is investigating whether Iran has made efforts to develop an atom bomb.

The outcome of these talks is crucial to the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action moving forward.

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Campus News

Bish Cut Leads to New Job Structures

In an effort to reach budget goals, Greg Bish’s position, Director of Student Programs and Student Leadership was cut. Bish’s former responsibilities were distributed among the Resident Directors of Shenawana Hall, Lambien Hall, Rothenbuhler Hall, and the Townhouses.

gbVice President of Student Life Doctor Robert Pool emphasized Bish’s position being cut “was due strictly to the need to find budget savings.” Previously, Bish also oversaw the Campus Activities Board (CAB), student clubs and organizations, event funding, and student led spiritual programs. Pool said, “We mourn the loss of an individual who was instrumental to our student’s [time at Houghton]…[Bish] fulfilled his role beyond expectations.” However, Pool noted, the ‘silver lining’ in Bish’s absence is there are now four individuals involved in student programming, allowing for more one on one interaction.

Marc Smithers remains the Assistant Dean of Residence Life and Student Programming. He said the fact that Resident Directors are now taking on student programming responsibilities simply adds another “level” to what they already do. “They’re simply adding on campus level programming to floor and hall programming,” said Smithers.

Resident Directors have always had additional positions in relation to their main job title. These positions have included tasks such as overseeing hall chaplains.

Jason Stephens, Resident Director of Shenawana Hall, is now the Assistant Director of Student Programs. He oversees “campus identity” events, such as SPOT. He is also the staff advisor for CAB.

Krista Maroni, Resident Director of Lambien, is now the Assistant Director of Student Organizations. No longer working in the Admissions office, she will be working closely with club advisors, and students looking to start a new club. Her goal is to keep clubs and activities thriving, as well as get new students involved at Houghton.  She also will work overseeing international student programs such as Interconnect and the host family program.

JL Miller, Resident Director of the Townhouses, is the Assistant Director of Campus Ministries. He is the acting liaison for Christian Life Funding. This affects student programs and events such as Mercy Seat and The Cry. Miller also oversees event club funding, such as Paddle Sports and the Drawing Board.

Laura Cunningham’s role has been somewhat less affected by the administrative changes. According to Smithers, this is due to her position as Resident Director of Gillette Hall, the largest dorm on campus. However, Cunningham will be more involved with service opportunities this year, as the Assistant Director for Service Opportunities. One of these opportunities include a potential service trip to Buffalo during October Break.

Along with these changes, Maroni added, “We’ve [Student Life Staff] changed the role a bit by limiting the student programs involvement in non-student related events to maintain healthier boundaries for student leaders.”

Maroni added these changes aim to present a “unified message” to students by connecting Residence Life and Student Programming. She said, “In the past these messages has been a little disconnected or competing. It’s also convenient that we have a lot of control over the calendar so we will try and find more balance for students between activities, hall events and other commitments students are pulled between. This change gives us one more avenue to create a great student experience”.

Smithers agrees. He said he is “excited to see how this [new arrangement] will help students become more involved” during their time at Houghton.

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Opinions

“You Just Need to Pray More”

One of my favorite Christian bloggers is beginning a review series on Tim LaHaye’s (author of the Left Behind series) book How to Win Over Depression, a self-help manual popular in conservative evangelical circles.

LaHaye’s work is a reflection of common misconceptions that Christians often hold about people with depression. With chapter titles such as “Self-Pity and Depression,” followed by “How to Overcome Self Pity” and even “Depression and the Occult”, LaHaye promotes the idea that depression stems from an individual’s character flaws. In the introduction he even states: he is “certain that most depression (is) caused primarily by sin, a faulty thinking pattern, or some failure on the part of the individual to claim the promises of God.”

MaryCroninThis lie cannot be tolerated any longer.

Depression is not brought on by a character flaw, failing to love Jesus enough, or not having memorized enough Bible “promises”.

Rather, depression is one of those awful things that happens for reasons we cannot always explain. Depression is like a tornado, and just as a tornado may destroy a homeless shelter yet leave a crack house standing, sometimes good, loving, kind people, including Christians, are chemically imbalanced or experiencing major life difficulties. The jerks who deserve to be depressed are probably out skipping in a sunny field somewhere.

Even Christians who understand this may still cling to another destructive idea: that depression is a hindrance to faith. For a Christian to be useful to the Kingdom, depression must be “dealt with” ASAP.

Yet when I read the Scriptures what I am presented with is quite different. Instead I see Job and Naomi, two people who suffered tremendously yet found the love of God in the midst of long term despair.

In two sudden series of tragedies, Job lost his family, his wealth, and his physical and emotional health. He went from being a respectable man to being a horribly disfigured nobody. His friends who sought to care for Job found him on the ground, self-harming with a sharp piece of pottery. (Job 2:8)

Contrary to what many would assume of a depressed person, Job the wallowing, depressed cutter came face to face with God. He asked Yahweh deep questions and received profound answers in return. While many flip to the end and think that Job’s redemption came when his heirs, belongings, and health were restored, the actual redemption Job experienced happened in his hold-nothing-back dialogue with God. This communion with God occurred when Job was in the depths, screaming to the heavens “Why?” and cutting his arms.

Anyone who feels like a spiritual failure because of stumbling into self-harm should read the story of Job and take heart.

M.Cronin-quoteThen there is Naomi, who suffered through famine, the death of her husband and sons, poverty, and the infertility of her daughters in law. Upon her return to Bethlehem, Naomi declared that Yahweh had turned his back on her and that she was bitter as hell for it.

Praise God that Naomi had a friend (Ruth) who resolved never to leave her, who sacrificed her future for her well being. Notice that Ruth did not exhort Naomi to claim the promises of God or pray to be delivered from self-pity.

As Christians we believe that in Christ’s life, death, and resurrection, there is no part of the human experience that Jesus has not been through and overcome. I am not claiming that Jesus experienced depression, though it is certainly possible. In the Passion narrative, Jesus cried out to God, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34)

At this moment, God knew how it was to feel abandoned by God.

If God has felt the full weight of hopelessness and abandonment, then to say that depression is a hindrance to God is just wrong. Depression will not keep one from God because God was there, is there, and will be there.

Therefore, I encourage all of those at Houghton who suffer from bouts of depression to take shelter in the empathy and compassion of God.

I ask all those at Houghton who know someone with depression to be a witness to that love and compassion in word and deed.

Categories
News

Middle States Accreditation Visit Report

The reaccreditation visit from the Middle States Commission of Higher Education two weeks ago seems to have gone as expected, according to President Shirley Mullen and Linda Mills Woolsey, vice president of academic affairs and dean of the college.

Accreditation4RGBAccording to Mills Woolsey, the team which visited Houghton included a chief financial officer (CFO), expert faculty members of other institutions, a college president, and a librarian. The purpose of the CFO on the team was to inspect how well resources are allocated in accordance with Houghton’s strategic plans.

Mills Woolsey added that the main question the commission addressed was, “Does the report [from the self study Houghton undertook last year in preparation for re-accreditation] reflect reality?” The team was presented with supporting documents, as well as meetings with various deans, students, the Academic Effectiveness committee, and those who conduct the tenure process. “The team looks for consistency,” Mills Woolsey stated. “They were positive about our campus and the thoroughness [of the self-study.]”

“There were no surprises,” Mullen stated. “And that’s what you want when your institution is being re-accredited.”

According to Mullen, the commission will send Houghton College a finalized report on the institution in June. In the meantime, Houghton will have an opportunity to address any concerns in the draft report. The visiting team fully expects to support reaccreditation.

In regard to areas the team pointed to for potential improvement, Mullen said, “The team agreed with the self-study team that we need to improve on internal communication, as well as broadcasting successful outcomes of a Houghton education for every major.”

“[Houghton] also needs to be more intentional about helping the whole campus know that admissions is everyone’s job,” said Mullen. “[Finally] as soon as possible Houghton must clarify its new directions in adult and online education.”

Mullen also shared that the team was impressed with the Christian liberal arts tradition at Houghton. One team member stated that this was “a treasure” that Houghton must continue to cultivate. Part of this “treasure” was the way Houghton combines commitment to Christ and openness to strong questions. Mullen considered this to be “a witness to what a Christian liberal arts education can be.”

The strengths pointed out by the commission in the draft report included uniform high quality throughout campus, faculty, and staff. Mullen stated Houghton has also done a good job, in the eyes of the team, of integrating curricular and co-curricular aspects of campus life.The team was impressed with the pervasiveness of the arts on campus, as well as the quality of athletic opportunities for students.

The team was also impressed in their interactions with students. Though the team did meet with a few current students, overall the commission was struck by the friendliness and quality of Houghton undergraduates, according to Mills Woolsey. She added, however, “visitors are always impressed with our students.”

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News

Student Juried Exhibition Opens

Last Wednesday, March 18, the 26th Annual Student Juried Exhibition opened in the Ortlip Gallery. On March 27, the gallery will hold a reception at the exhibition from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The exhibition will be open from March 18 until April 16.

Alicia Taylor, Director of Exhibitions for the Ortlip Gallery, stated “The exhibition will feature work by current Houghton students in a variety of media… [including] photography, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, fiber and textiles, book arts, and ceramics.” The works will be juried by an outside artist and curator, Sharon McConnell. McConnell is the Director of the Fosdick-Nelson Gallery at Alfred University.

According to senior, Merritt Becknell, a juror for such an exhibition evaluates entries and decides which pieces will be featured beforehand, rather than judging them at the exhibition. Becknell is among one of the artists who will be featured in the exhibition.

StudentJuried_RGBCash prizes for exceptional pieces will also be a part of the exhibition. Some of the awards and prizes announced at the show include the Best in Show-Ortlip award, the Paul Maxwell Memorial Award, the Presidential Purchase, the First Gentlemen’s purchase, the Java 101 award, and the Bob and Rosalyn Danner Award. Senior, Amanda Irwin, a student leader of the exhibition  said while there is no theme, the exhibition is an “opportunity for students to exhibit and receive recognition for the thought and creative process of their work. “

The general student population gets some exposure to artwork created by their fellow students in The Lanthorn, The Candle, and in STAR features such as “Artist of the Week.” However, according to Irwin, this is a great opportunity to get up close and personal with high achieving work made by other students.

Taylor added, “The installation and layout of this exhibition will be student led by the Ortlip Gallery assistants who are thrilled to work toward a powerful show, giving voice and recognition to the strong ideas and processes addressed in the works selected.” A few of the gallery assistants, such as senior Alex Hood, will have work featured in the exhibition.

Junior Rachel Wright, who has pieces featured in the exhibition, noted “I’ve submitted work for the past few years, but the juror varies every year so you never know if you’re going to get work in. It’s pretty exciting either way, and it gives us a chance to experience a little bit of what the professional art world is like by framing and preparing our pieces the way we would if we were submitting them to a gallery.”

The exhibition is open to the general public for viewing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m, Monday through Saturday in the Ortlip Gallery.

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Campus News

Houghton to be Visited for Reaccreditation

Next week, Houghton College will be toured by its accrediting institution for the once-a-decade re-accreditation visit. The process for re-accreditation began in the 2012-2013 academic year and will most likely come to fruition in the next several weeks.

Accreditation2RGBThe Middle States Commission for Higher Education (MSCHE) is the regional body, part of a much larger national composite, which accredits Houghton College and most of the other accredited institutions in the Middle Atlantic states. According to President Shirley Mullen, accreditation is like “a seal of approval from your peers.”Accreditation is also as if a group of your respected peers said, “We see that you are doing what you say you’re doing.” She noted, “The way we validate higher education institutions is uniquely American. We do it on a peer-based system, while other developed states often conduct accreditation through the federal government.”

“There are fourteen standards by which the MCHSE evaluates an institution,” said Mullen, regarding the process of re-accreditation. “In preparation, Houghton does its own self-study of how we are doing on each of those standards.” The standards include things like “Mission and Goals,” “Institutional Resources,” “Student Admissions and Retention,” and the like. The self study for this round of accreditation began in 2012.

Students play a significant role in the self-study. According to Linda Mills-Woolsey, vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college, “The college is always trying to keep tabs on what we are doing, so we gather data every year. Students help us by participating in surveys like NSSE and by filling out IDEA forms…during the 2012-2013 school year we began to plan for our review, appointing Dr. Paul Young to form a steering committee in consultation with President Mullen … to supervise the self-study. In 13-14 groups made up of faculty, staff, and students conducted the studies needed for the report.”

Accreditation4RGBDr. Paul Young, associate dean for social sciences and psychology professor, added student involvement in the study made it “a better process and document.”

This could have several tangible, practical effect for typical Houghton students.

Young stated, “Studying at an accredited institution, which Houghton has been since 1935, opens doors not only to financial aid but also to graduate and professional schools.” Graduate and professional schools generally place greater weight upon the quality of a candidate’s education if he or she attended an accredited undergraduate school.

President Mullen expanded on this point, saying, “Pell and Tap grants may only be spent at accredited institutions.” In this way, the state and federal governments issuing these funds may know that “their money is being spent well.”

Woolsey added, “employers and graduate schools are more likely to trust the quality of a degree from an accredited institution. Accreditation can also be important when we are asking donors to invest in us or seeking grants from regional and national foundations.” These grants directly impact Houghton students.

President Mullen, who has served as the chair of review committees for other institutions seeking re-accreditation, noted that she believes the “Mission and Goals” standard is that which the quality of the proceeding 13 standards flow out of. “I would be most concerned about an institution which did not have a clear mission” by which it acted upon, she said. She also said she believed the area in which Houghton has improved since its last re-accreditation is in assessment of student learning. She was quick to note, however, that she believes Houghton is doing very well in all the areas by which the college will be evaluated.

There is evidence of this, as Houghton has had no problem with re-accreditation by MSCHE since it was first accredited in 1935. “I want students to know that this is a normal process that every accredited institution must undergo every ten years, and that we have never had a problem in re-accreditation,” stated President Mullen.

Woolsey, speaking of the upcoming visit (the week of March 15) said, “The MSCHE visitors will be very interested in what students have to say about the quality of their education and their experience at Houghton. If they are like past campus visitors, I am confident that they will find the quality of our students the best testimony to our effectiveness in carrying out our mission.”

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News

Students Advocate for TAP Funds in Albany

Tuesday, high school and college students as well as faculty and financial aid administrators from throughout the state participated in an advocacy at the New York state legislative building in Albany. Houghton students planned to attend, but were not able due to weather.

The purpose of this was to rally for an increase in NY  Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funds. TAP helps thousands of college students who are residents of NY State pay for their educations. According to the NYS Higher Education Service, the maximum amount one can receive in TAP funds is $5,165. TAP is a grant, meaning it does not have to be paid back. With the rise in student debt in recent years, advocacy for more TAP aid has become important for many. Most Houghton students are NYS residents who rely at least in part on TAP, thus making this issue a pressing one for a significant portion of the Houghton community.

NYSED_Building_Night_2The group of Houghton students, which was to be led by Houghton grad Isabeau Higdon ’14, could not make the trip to Albany due to weather conditions. The group was made of students Chaz Ormond ’16, Sarah Schwec ’16, Michael Robrahn ’17, Grace Hollenceck ‘16, and Dani Eaton (’17). The students, all of whom receive or have received TAP, were encouraged to write letters to state legislators detailing NYS students’ reliance on TAP and the need for an increase in the maximum amount provided in place of the trip.

Ormond has high hopes for the outcome of NYS student advocacy. “First, it [TAP] has helped the majority of us, at Houghton College, to afford our education this far. Second, I have benefited [from TAP] because it allows me to have less of a student loan to worry about after I graduate. Though I do not receive the maximum amount, TAP has given me a significant amount that has aided in me paying my student bill for college. I would like to see an increase in the amount of money given to each student.”

Yet there is also the need for government costs to remain manageable too. Ormond noted “I understand that with the increasing student debt, there must be an increasing cost to the government to supply the finances to aid students’ education. Thus, I would suggest better budgeting. Many students are not able to pay back the loans they are given, or take an unnecessary amount of time to do so. I hope to see either an increase in aid, or a decrease in rising costs of tuition.” The latter suggestion continues to be an issue for colleges and universities, especially private institutions like Houghton.

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News

Olympic Gold Medalist Trains in KPFH

Olympic Pole Vaulter and gold medalist, Jenn Suhr, began training in the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH) on weekday afternoons. According to Athletic Director, Harold ‘Skip’ Lord, Rick Suhr, Suhr’s husband and coach, called the athletic department in late September asking about the KPFH as a possible place for his wife and him to train. After multiple contacts, the Suhrs offered to be present for the homecoming ceremonies at the KPFH, including the ribbon cutting ceremony. The couple wanted to support the new facility, as well as the sport as a whole.

Jenn Suhr Front PageAccording to Lord, Suhr’s ties to Houghton go back to her high school years. Originally a basketball player, Suhr did not participate in track and field until her senior year. She had been recruited by Lord to play for Houghton when he was the head women’s basketball coach, but instead played basketball games in a Roberts Wesleyan uniform on multiple occasions at the Neilsen Physical Education Center.

Shortly after, she  began setting national records in track and field, improving over time until she reached her current status. At  the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, China, Suhr won the gold medal in pole vault. Then in 2012 Olympics, which took place in London, England, she received the gold medal in pole vault. Suhr also holds the world indoor record for pole vault, as well as five indoor and four outdoor pole vault records.  In addition to being a two-time olympian, Surh also anticipates a third trip to the 2016 Olympic games.

Suhr and Mr. Suhr  live in Rochester, but come to the KPFH about twice a week to train. As there are numerous field house complexes in the Rochester area, such as at Brockport University, Roberts Wesleyan, RIT, and the University of Rochester, Suhr choosing to train at the KPFH compliments the facility in many ways.  Lord said, “This [the KPFH] is as nice as any one of them, if not nicer.”

Jenn SuhrThe advantages of Suhr’s presence include increased visibility and publicity of the KPFH. Now that Houghton can now advertise hosting an Olympian on campus, Lord thinks filling up the building for both high school and collegiate indoor track and field events may be easier. “Prospective Houghton students still in high school, especially those we bring in for track meets, may be more drawn to the college because of this,” Lord stated. It is hoped high school track athletes visiting campus will be as impressed with the KPFH as Suhr is.  Lord added, “This is a very good field house for a NCAA division three school.”

Increased visibility for the KPFH is a primary goal for the Athletic Department. Though, as Lord remarked, Houghton is still “learning how to get the word out” and use the facilities to the maximum benefit of the students and institution. The hope is with the events and visibility of the KPFH, it will expose prospective students to Houghton, create a stream of revenue for the college, and stimulate both the local economy and the surrounding community.

Current students can look forward to the possibility that Suhr may enter  some inter-collegiate indoor track meets as an open, unattached competitor. Houghton pole vaulter, Judith Marklin, thinks it would be intimidating to compete with Suhr, but also would motivate her to be a better competitor, “I think that when you compete with people that are a lot better than you it really pushes you in so many different ways and seeing how she trains and just looking at her, herself, how much conditioning and strength training has to go into everything and how she really has to touch on all aspects.” She said, “ It’s not just focusing on pole vault technique, but everything. Seeing how to really focus on on all different aspects of your life , spiritually included, in order to become a good athlete, and then being able to compete against someone like that, you also have to step up your game and take into consideration all the different things you’re doing.”

Marklin also thinks competing with Suhr would also help people to get to know Suhr as person, not just an athlete, “I think a lot of times we like to put people that have achieved that amount of excellence on pedestals and not really see them as humans, but I think in competition you really get to see people’s strengths and weaknesses, so I think it’d be a good opportunity to see that in some ways we are just like Jenn.”

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News

Houghton Hosts First Indoor Home Meet

Houghton successfully hosted their first indoor track meet, the Highlander Invitational, on January 24 at the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPAC) with six schools and about 300 athletes in attendance. They also hosted the Highlander Open/Multi-Event Indoor Track and Field meet on January 30 and 31. The KPAC has an eight lane track, which allows for events to be finished quicker than on a standard six lane track. Senior, Enrico Sukhdeo, believes “[the KPAC] gives the college a lot of exposure for recruits.” Athletic Director, Skip Lord said, “Having this new facility will grow the track program’’ and “[we] intentionally kept this year’s meets smaller because it is the first time in new facility and [we] want to make sure that we are prepared to run them efficiently and smoothly and give people a good experience.”

Head coach, Patrick Hager said, “We had talked all week to the team about the fact that their performances might increase just based on the fact that they’re at home.”  Many fans supported their fellow Highlanders at the Highlander Invitational, who competed exceptionally well as a team earning 13 indoor wins, ten personal bests, four second places, and three NCCAA national qualifiers. The Highlander athletes that have qualified for NCCAA nationals are Marshall Brady in the long jump (6.16 meters), Nikki Garns in 800 meter run (2:26:49), and Cara Davenport in the 5000 meter run (20:03:31). Sophomore, Marshall Brady said, “It’s a tremendous blessing to have the KPAC” and  “everyone got a chance to invite their friends and to compete not only for themselves but for the sake of others.” Notable performances came from Jordan Cady, who finished second in the triple jump (12.47 meters), Enrico Sukhdeo who took third in the 60 meter dash (7:34), and Andrea Melhorn who took second and third in the shot put (10.17 meters) and weight (13.42 meters). Senior, Andrea Melhorn, believes the KPAC is the “start of something new, something good” and “the growth that’s gonna come from it is really exciting.”

Some colleges in attendances at the Highlander Open/Multi-Event Indoor were Mansfield University, Alfred University, Alfred State, and Messiah College. On Friday and Saturday there was a heptathlon, a seven event contest,  and a pentathlon, a five event contest. Senior, Savannah Doviak, set a new school record in the 300 meter run with a time of 44:43, which was almost one second faster than the previous record. Doviak, said, “Each week we set the bar higher and have higher expectations for ourselves” and  “[the KPAC] is a big deal for the track team and Houghton.”

Both men and women accomplished the track and field team’s second goal of the meet, to get one facility best. Nikki Garns won the 600 meter run in 1:41:98 and the 4×200 meter relay team of Doviak, Nikki Garns, Kate Taggart, and Fiona Daloia won the race in 1:50:72. For the men, Jordan Cady took first in the long jump with 5.90 meters, giving the men their first win in the new facility and Jon Lewis finished in fifth place in the 600 meter run (1:29:00). The success of the meet could benefit Houghton in addition ways, such as an increase in enrollment. Doviak said, “[I] talked to recruits who said that after seeing the meet and the facility that they put Houghton as their first choice.”

The track and field team has several  goals for their season, some of which include a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, to be Empire 8 Conference Champions at Houghton, and to make it to the NCCAA finals. Hager said, “I want [athletes] to perform [their] best at the end of the season.” The women’s goal is to place fourth in the Empire 8 Conference, and the men’s is to get a certain amount of points to qualify for the Men’s National Meet. On February 14, Houghton is hosting the Empire 8 Conference Championships, fellow students are encouraged to show attend and show support.

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News

Potential Plans for Nielsen Explore Wellness

With the opening of the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH) this past fall, the future of the Nielsen Physical Education Center (NPEC) is in question. Athletic Director, Harold “Skip” Lord, said the KPFH is an “enhancement” rather than a replacement for the NPEC. Although the Nielsen was a replacement for the old Bedford gym, which sat between the Campus Center and Gillette until the late 1970s, the intention for how each of the two current athletic facilities will be used is much different. Lord stated that the KPFH is an “enhancement,” not a replacement.

NeilsonThe NPEC still sees quite a bit of use, though it is not as crowded as it has been in previous years. The building still houses the training and sports medicine staff, physical education classes, as well as men’s and women’s basketball and women’s volleyball. Varsity spring sports teams also may use the NPEC due to weather conditions, though this would occur only if the KPFH was unavailable.

Lord also observed that before the KPFH was open, crowding from spring and winter sports practices often squeezed out non-varsity athlete students looking to use the NPEC. This was due to the fact that Houghton has added more athletic teams since becoming an NCAA Division lll institution. The existence of the KPFH serves to allow for a spreading out of indoor winter sports and outdoor spring sports as well as track and field (which is both indoor and outdoor). This allows for more traditional practice times and more time for recreational and intramural use of both facilities. Lord emphasized the KPFH and the NPEC “are Houghton College facilities”and all students have priority, not just athletic teams.

Lord stated this semester offers a wider variety of intramurals, with the future possibility of indoor ultimate frisbee in the KPFH.

The new arrangement is beneficial to current student-athletes. Emily Cronin, a member of both the women’s basketball and softball teams, said, “As a basketball player it is nice having all of the spring and most of the fall sports down at the KPFH because we have better practice times, and the gym (Nielsen) is available more often.”

Melissa Bell, a member of the track and field team, agreed stating, “Practice times are more consistent.” Bell also believes the dual use of both facilities has had a positive effect on the health habits of students,  “I think the addition of KPAC has encouraged more students to work out…because they (NPEC and KPFH) are less crowded.”

According to Lord, the NPEC fitness center and weight room will remain open for the remainder of the year, and the decision to keep them in operation will be evaluated based on how often they are used.

Plans for the NPEC, which are still on the drawing board, include creating a wellness center at the location. “Wellness involves the whole person,” stated Rob Pool, Vice President of Student Life. The whole person refers to one’s academics, spirituality, mental health, and fitness. “Each of those aspects are really just available …  á la carte  currently” Pool added. A wellness program would be an intentional integration of every aspect of wellness. Though nothing has been decided, Pool stated that Houghton is “seriously looking” for funding for such a program.

With all the emphasis on wellness and fitness, as well as two facilities in which to practice them, Lord spoke to the overall fitness level of the Houghton College community stating, “According to our wellness and fitness professors, we are below average [in physical fitness]”.

Lord hopes that the added space the KPFH adds to both facilities will encourage community fitness. “People need to find something they enjoy doing, so that they can stay fit,” he said. One thing he hopes will help is “easily being able to find an open racquetball court, use a treadmill, or have a basketball court to play 3-on-3 with friends.”