Author: Genevieve Hartman

Lately I’ve been thinking about why we are here. Why choose a Christian education? What does a Houghton education have to offer us that other schools do not? Finally, is it worth the cost?

My short answer is “Yes, it’s worth the cost.” Real shocker, I’m sure. This may sound a little obvious, coming from a person who spent a few years being homeschooled, went to a private Christian middle and  high school, and then ended up here. What else am I going to say, right?

Well, it’s not that simple. I have seen a lot of things that turn me off in all the Christian institutions that I’ve attended. There are major flaws in all of them, and I can think of reasons for anyone in my shoes to say, “It’s not worth it” and walk away. I think a lot of people at Houghton have at some point thought those very words. So why do I still think it’s worth it?

For one, you will find flaws in every single institution, whether Christian or secular. Being a Christian institution doesn’t make Houghton automatically better, but does mean that it should be different. It means that our school and other Christian institutions should foster a culture of grace. I have seen so many people in leadership positions at Houghton and in other Christian schools react to mistakes in an extremely merciful way. When problems come up, as they undoubtedly will, having administrators and leaders that model a forgiving, graceful attitude makes a huge difference.   

To provide some more context, I’m a junior education major. This means that I’ve spent a lot of time in many different high schools, most of them secular.  The teachers I have observed have a range of different mindsets. The first time I saw a group of teachers complaining about their students to each other during lunch made a big impression on me. Pro tip: avoid being the only person in the room that isn’t trash-talking students, because it is very uncomfortable. That experience has helped me to better appreciate the amazing teachers and professors that I’ve had at Houghton.

This has also solidified in my mind the importance of carrying my faith into the places I go. Certainly, not every secular public school has a negative attitude toward students, nor is  this attitude completely removed from Christian schools. Everyone has their bad days. But the attitude of teachers will influence the students.  Thankfully, in my experience, Christian school teachers and professors have not shown that same destructive attitude.  At a college like Houghton, it is vital to foster a positive and encouraging attitude. I’ve seen a lot of amazing examples of this in my time here, and I believe it stems from shared faith and values. The community created by our Christian faith is a big reason that education at Houghton is so meaningful to me.

These two examples that I mentioned—a culture of forgiveness and an encouraging, Christ-centered environment—are built not only by teachers, but also by the students. Especially since we live on campus, we play a vital role in cultivating these important parts of our community. We can each be more understanding when problems arise. We can be encouraging rather than always focusing on the negatives. We can remember how privileged we are to be here. I know there are many things to argue, to debate, and to question. But if you ask me whether a Christian education is worth it, I’ll say yes every time. I hope that you’ll do the same.

Gena is a junior majoring in adolescent education and English with an art minor.

January 21 saw a great deal of protesters. Cities across America and across the globe blocked off their streets for huge crowds to march in peaceful protest. People from all walks of life, with countless different views, joined together to seek equality and justice for women, and for the world.

A march such as this one should cause us to take a step back and examine ourselves. It should help us to look at the people protesting, and listen to the voices that speak peacefully, but insistently. We should ask ourselves why so many thousands of people feel the need to leave their homes and participate in a peaceful protest. Rather than immediate dismissal of the march as a whole, we should listen with open minds that seek to understand the messages being conveyed.

Photos of the march show numerous people, many of whom are holding signs with a variety of slogans on them. Some supported women’s health, some sought equal pay, some protested the language used by the newly-inaugurated President. The people walking side by side were championing a variety of different causes, but they were standing together, and were stronger for it. This march is a powerful display of people uniting for justice and equality, and I think they have a strong case backing them up. For all the protests of the past, there is still a great deal of injustice in our world. I might not agree with every voice that rises from the crowd of protesters, but I certainly agree with some. I won’t ignore all of the voices because I disagree with some of the people who participated in the Women’s March.

What will the world do in response to this global show of solidarity? I often feel that no matter how many people protest, nothing will change. Maybe some will listen, but this protest has the potential to be superficially noticed and handily ignored. Yet no matter how hard it is to remember on some occasions, history shows us that change is slow, but still possible. It is the small steps of change that eventually bring us miles from where we were. We can make the small step of listening a little more closely. We can be a part of the change that can occur in the world, in America, and in our own college.

This is not a perfect place, and it is not enough for us to go blindly on, failing to notice the hurts that exist where we are. What we can do, and are called to do as Christians, is hear the words of the people around us, who have voiced their concerns and fears. We can be more willing to show grace to each other, and more willing to listen to the worries of those around us. Houghton may not have had a Women’s March on the quad, but nevertheless, the voices protesting injustice will become clearer when, instead of ignoring them, we choose to listen.

This isn’t a solution, of course. Listening will not magically solve the many problems that are being faced. This is simply a reminder to have minds and hearts that are willing to look at things from different points of view. It would be arrogant to imagine that we can fix everything ourselves. What we can do is to think a little harder about the social justice questions that are being raised, and care a little more deeply for the people around us.