Houghton College Choir, the premiere choir ensemble on campus, will tour over February Break.The tour’s theme will recognize the introduction of congregational singing, which was popularized with the start of the Reformation.It will include church music in some capacity, including the hymns and spirituals “A Mighty Fortress,” “Praise to the Lord,” “Down in the River to Pray,” and “Soon It Will Be Done.”
Conductor Daniel Black commented for a tour press release that “This year’s program flows from the belief that our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.The pieces we will present are organized around characteristics of God, the ways he intervenes to rescue us from our sin, and the privilege we enjoy of being able to worship him.”
Students in the Houghton College Choir look forward to spending time together, positively representing the college, and and using their musical skills to glorify God.
“The first performance is always the most scary because at this point we’ve been working on 17 pieces since the beginning of the school year to take on the road, so now it’s like ‘Are you fully memorized?Have you done everything that you’ve been asked to do individually?’ and the performance the first night gets a lot of your nerves out,” said Carolynne Waddington ‘19, a choir member. She reflected, “That’s one of my favorite parts, because after that you’re like, ‘I’ve done this; I can do better because I’m not freaking out about not doing it.’”
Along the way, the choir will also visit Christian high schools to introduce students to Houghton’s music program.Waddington explained that the promotion effectively inspired students to come to Houghton and try out for College Choir.The group is by audition only, and all students must be at least sophomores to participate.
As a sophomore, Bethany Overbaugh will be touring with College Choir for the first time this year.She was excited for the time to bond as a group, pointing out the long bus ride and standing close together on risers as clear bonding opportunities.She cited rising inside jokes as an advantage of the trip. “Choir hashtags are a thing, so look out for that,” she said, before naming some of her favorites: “takethatlights,” “thanksmaurice,” and “#sinners,sinners,sinners.”
Both Waddington and Overbaugh named the opportunity for group bonding as a highlight of the trip.While the prospect of traveling on a bus for so long was less exciting, they looked forward to gathering a large number of music students together.
One of the expected sources of fun was in what would come of those assigned to “Entertainment” on the trip.After being sorted into different crews to perform tasks for the trip, some student groups will be responsible for providing entertainment in the form of silly updates on topics like “Weather” and “Celebrity Gossip.”
Other tasks include setting up, cleaning up, and checking the space.Waddington explained that it will be important to test out each new space they visit, as it will affect the situating of the risers, the placement of the chamber orchestra, and the way Dr. Black will conduct the performances.
Waddington summarized the trip as“Fifty people on a bus for a week, performing all of this music for the glory of God.”
Once again, SPOT is coming to the Wesley Chapel stage.Tomorrow at 10 p.m., students, faculty, and staff will take the stage to show off their talents and welcome laughs.
The hosts for this year’s spring show will be juniors Mason Sebian and Silas Philbrik.Their key focus, they report is to provide a heavy dose of humor. “We wanted to bring back the ‘classic’ SPOT feel and tie in as much humor as possible. Life’s too short to take everything too seriously all the time,” Sebian commented.He mentioned that the point of the show will be to take a break from everyday stresses and set aside time to “just be ridiculous.”
Long-time buddies Mason Sebian ‘19 and Silas Philbrick ‘19 will be hosting Spring SPOT tomorrow night at 10:00 p.m.
Similar to past SPOTs, the acts will consist of both videos and live acts.Sebian mentioned, however, that when judging auditions for this performance, they were intentional about finding acts from a variety of sources.“As far as acts go, we have a combination of videos and live acts mostly following our theme,” he said. “We tried to include ‘representatives’ from all parts of campus, including sports teams, Res Life, as well as faculty and staff.”
He also included a cryptic warning, saying that faculty and staff “have some surprises waiting for them.”
The theme this year is “On the SPOT,” punning on an old term for improv.“Since we were going for the light-hearted feel, we needed some inspiration and stumbled over the old show Whose Line is it Anyway? We pretty much laughed until we cried and couldn’t breathe. I was wheezing…it was wonderful,” Sebian reflected.
For those who are unfamiliar with the show, IMDb sums it up as “an American version of the popular British improvisational comedy show. Host Drew Carey, taking suggestions from the audience, assigns roles and scenarios to the comedian contestants, who must then improvise a skit on the spot.” Further lending itself to use as a SPOT theme, the show typically showcased visiting celebrities, similarly to how Sebian and Philbrick will highlight the talents of their peers.
When asked to reflect on what he was excited for when hosting SPOT, Sebian answered, “Honestly what I’m most looking forward to is the opportunity to allow myself to just be goofy with Silas. We bring out the inner 4-year-old troublemakers in each other and it has been an absolute blast incorporating that into some of our skits and style of hosting.”He added that there may be some form of “uncomfortable-awkwardness” as they go all out with their material, commenting, “I live for those moments and they’re ten times more enjoyable when it’s in front of people.”
Overall, the SPOT hosts expect a fun and funny show. “We figure we’d give everyone a break from their normal stressed-out lives and just be ridiculous-—which we do pretty well both individually and as a team!” Sebian explained.He remarked on how much he appreciated working with his long-time friend on the project and the chance to act ridiculous for the audience’s entertainment.“I love this dude like a brother and being able to be absolutely ridiculous with such a close friend – probably making fools of ourselves at times- will be one of the most important memories I’ll have during my time here at Houghton.”
Students will have the chance to create their own works of art this evening at 7 p.m. through CAB’s “Painting with a Twist” event, hosted by art major Abby Taylor ‘19.
“Painting with a Twist is an event I introduced to campus (with CAB)for the first time last semester,” Taylor explained.“I noticed how popular the ‘paint and sip’ places were becoming, and decided that it was the perfect event to bring to campus—minus the alcohol, of course.”
While every student leaves with their own completed canvas, the event is designed to be accessible to students of varying skill levels.“The whole part of painting with a twist is to go through a painting step by step so that everyone involved can follow the steps and paint something amazing,” Taylor said.“During the event, I stand up in front of the painters and I paint with them, step by step, so that they can easily see what I’m doing and replicate it on their own canvas. After a while, everyone has painted a full canvas and they always look amazing.”
Theresa Taggart ‘18, who attended Painting with a Twist, said of her experience, “Abby Taylor did an incredible job of not only putting together the event, but also leading it. She provided encouragement for all the people who came, and everyone felt welcome and walked away having learned something new. It was so unique!”
Looking back at the success, Taylor commented, “Last semester when we had the event, there were over 30 people at the event, and it was a blast.Everyone painted so well and I loved seeing the interaction and socialization that took place.”
Taylor credited the hard work of her entire CAB team.She expressed her excitement for the great work they have been doing this year, especially with all of the new events they have been able to bring to campus.Painting with a Twist was one of those new events and it proved itself beyond CAB’s expectations.Taylor said,“Painting with a Twist wasn’t supposed to be an every semester event, but it was such a success last semester that we wanted to do it again this spring. It is also a limited participation event, so we want to give more students an opportunity to paint.”The event today will be limited to the first 20 students who responded to the campus wide email.Students who participated in the past will not be able to sign up, because CAB wants to extend the opportunity to as many students as possible.
“I wanted to bring a low-key, quiet event to campus, and also appeal to the artsy sides of people. I’m also an art major, so I love any chance to share my love of art with other people,” explained Taylor.For past participant Stephanie Feliz ‘19, the event accomplished both goals.She said, “Painting with a Twist was an amazing event. After a long day of classes I got to distract myself a little bit and enjoy an amazing evening of de-stressing by painting, eating and listening to great music provided by the amazing Abby Taylor. I will definitely participate in more events like this if they are provided in the near future.”
Next weekend, a group of students will attend the second annual Activate: Sophomore Leadership Conference.
Kim Pool, Director of VOCA, explained, “The goal of the Conference is to help students identify their strengths and unique design and gain an understanding of how their gifts can be used in God’s Kingdom work, both while at Houghton and after they graduate.”
One of the major ways through which the conference helps participants identify their gifts is by having them take Gallup’s CliftonStrengths, previously known as StrengthsFinder. The process asks participants to go through a series of statement pairs and identify more with one of two. According to Gallup, the test “measures your natural patterns of thinking, feeling and behaving.” From there, it assigns a combination of thirty-four strengths or “themes”. The service also includes reports that give some advice on how to best apply these themes and avoid the pitfalls often associated with them.
“I am hoping to gain and gather knowledge on how to be a better leader. I hope to learn more about myself and about my strengths so that I can better use them to be a more effective leader,” commented Ryan Burrichter ‘20, who will be attending the event. “Moreover, I hope to be able to meet and interact with other aspiring leaders who want to not only change the world but improve it for the better.”
Past participants appreciated the opportunity to interact with the speakers and new people from their class, especially about the content of the talks and what it meant to have the different strengths. They also remarked that the conference allowed them to test and apply their newly labeled strengths in a fun way that gave them a better understanding for how they could use them in the future.
Carolyn Case ‘19, who attended the first Activate conference last year, offered her reflections. “I learned how to work more effectively with people who are so different from me and I learned why we all work so differently. In a way, it helped me respect others more.” She also added that “having the conference in my sophomore year meant that I had been in college long enough to be comfortable in my own skin, but I also had the coming years to make use of what I’d learned.”
Students will travel to Asbury Camp and Retreat Center for the conference, which will take place from the 2nd to the 4th of February. “We intentionally hold the conference off campus to provide an environment free from daily campus distractions,” said Pool. “During the weekend, students will listen to talks, participate in a group project, and reflect on the results of the StrengthsFinder Assessment which they took prior to the weekend.”
This year’s keynote speaker, Dr. Scot McKnight, hails from Northern Seminary, where he serves as Chair of New Testament. According to his biography posted on their website, he is “a world-renowned speaker, writer, professor and equipper of the Church. He is a recognized authority on the historical Jesus, early Christianity, and the New Testament.” He maintains a leading Christian blog entitled “Jesus Creed” and is the author of over twenty-five books. His most recent publications include The King Jesus Gospel and The Blue Parakeet.
While the new trilogy certainly offers much of the humor and charming cheesiness of the original Star Wars movies, it is clear that the new writers are doing what they can to add a few more “deep questions” to our little space epic. For the most part, it seems safe to welcome them as fresh material to what could otherwise be an old story. Concerns arise, however, when they try to squeeze in a few too many.
The Force Awakens called viewers to root for the little guys, to believe in a few scrappy youngsters defying the Empire and even the rules of the Rebellion and the Jedi. A lot of the plot seemed to encourage the more individualistic “go with your gut” sort of approach to adventuring. Finn (John Boyega) is the lone stormtrooper to escape his ranks, Poe (Oscar Isaac) attempts risky and unorthodox military maneuvers to win important battles, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) manages to successfully wield the Force simply by giving it a go.
The Last Jedi, however, seems to pull back from that mindset. Finn now needs to stick with the Rebels, even if it means giving up his personal priorities of protecting Rey. His unapproved mission with new character Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) goes horribly sideways. Poe is scolded like a misbehaving school boy for not having more faith in the leadership hierarchy. Rey learns that to effectively use the Force, she first must understand its overall structure. Even Luke (Mark Hamill), who takes on the GandoWhile the new trilogy certainly offers much of the humor and charming cheesiness of the original Star Wars movies, it is clear that the new writers are doing what they can to add a few more “deep questions” to our little space epic. For the most part, it seems safe to welcome them as fresh material to what could otherwise be an old story. Concerns arise, however, when they try to squeeze in a few too many.
The Force Awakens called viewers to root for the little guys, to believe in a few scrappy youngsters defying the Empire and even the rules of the Rebellion and the Jedi. A lot of the plot seemed to encourage the more individualistic “go with your gut” approach to adventuring. Finn (John Boyega) is the lone stormtrooper to escape his ranks, Poe (Oscar Isaac) attempts risky and unorthodox military maneuvers to win important battles, and Rey (Daisy Ridley) manages to successfully wield the Force simply by giving it a go.
The Last Jedi, however, seems to pull back from that mindset. Finn now needs to stick with the Rebels, even if it means giving up his personal priorities of protecting Rey. His unapproved mission with new character Rose (Kelly Marie Tran) goes horribly sideways. Poe is scolded like a misbehaving schoolboy for not having more faith in the leadership hierarchy. Rey learns that to effectively use the Force, she first must understand its overall structure. Even Luke (Mark Hamill), who takes on the Gandolf type role of aged advisor, must return to the Jedi fold if he is to correct his mistakes.
For much of it, the two schools of thought operated in balance. Indeed, it was refreshing to have a film that didn’t just encourage rugged individualism as the solution for all problems. There were points, however, when their attempts to surprise the viewer made for a poor argument. For instance, we were apparently supposed to agree with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the end that Poe was foolish for distrusting the plans of Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern). As we watched, however, viewers joined Poe in asking “What plan?” With the lives of the entire Rebellion at stake, it is difficult to blame him for putting his confidence elsewhere. His plan fails and Holdo’s succeeds, but in a different Star Wars movie it could have easily been the reverse.
A bit later, Finn seems to have developed a plan that would marry independent thinking and concern for the group: sacrificing himself to destroy a deadly cannon. Instead of the heartbreaking loss of a charming character, however, we get Rose Tico’s moralizing about what they should and shouldn’t be fighting for. Thanks, Rose, but now the cannon’s going to kill all twelve of you instead of just Finn. It might have been a touching moment if it weren’t so tactically stupid and if viewers had actually had the chance to grow fond of Rose. Instead, it felt like the beginning of a forced romance that would clear Finn out of the suspected Kylo-Rey-Finn love triangle. Apparently the maneuver was necessary, because otherwise viewers would have to accept that a single, male character could maintain a strong, platonic relationship with a female character without resentment or jealousy towards her romantic entanglements. (There is also something uncomfortable in putting two strong representatives of racial minorities together so the two white leads can be together unhindered, if that is what they have planned).
Aside from its flaws in reasoning, the film brought several wonderful moments. Luke’s last scene was a stunning parallel to when we first saw his silhouette step up against the twin suns of Tatooine, with John William’s brilliant theme sweeping us into the story. Yoda’s opinions on passing along mistakes as well as successes was interesting, especially given previous movies’ obsession with refining and cleansing the use of the Force. The temporary alliance between Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey inspires all sorts of theories about what it really means to have balance in the Force.
Overall, it was a building movie. It is the middle film in a new trilogy and the writers needed to sneak in all the questions they hope to answer in the finale. So far as the plot goes, it was almost entirely set up for the next movie, but it was worth the watch to see the characters back again. The 2 hours, 32 minutes essentially provided a new playground for the new fan favorites to develop and complicate in preparation for their coming return. lf type role of aged advisor, must return to the Jedi fold if he is to correct his mistakes.
For much of it, the two schools of thought operated in balance. Indeed, it was refreshing to have a film that didn’t just encourage rugged individualism as the solution for all problems. There were points, however, when their attempts to surprise the viewer made for a poor argument. For instance, we were apparently supposed to agree with Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) in the end that Poe was foolish for distrusting the plans of Vice Admiral Holdo (Laura Dern). As we watched, however, viewers joined Poe in asking “What plan?” With the lives of the entire Rebellion at stake, it is difficult to blame him for putting his confidence elsewhere. His plan fails and Holdo’s succeeds, but in a different Star Wars movie it could have easily been the reverse.
A bit later and Finn seems to have developed a plan that would marry independent thinking and concern for the group: sacrificing himself to destroy a deadly cannon. Instead of the heartbreaking loss of a charming character, however, we get Rose Tico’s moralizing about what they should and shouldn’t be fighting for. Thanks, Rose, but now the cannon’s going to kill all twelve of you instead of just Finn. It might have been a touching moment if it weren’t so tactically stupid and if viewers had actually had the chance to grow fond of Rose. Instead, it felt like the beginning of a forced romance that would clear Finn out of the suspected Kylo-Rey-Finn love triangle. Apparently the maneuver was necessary, because otherwise viewers would have to accept that a single, male character could maintain a strong, platonic relationship with a female character without resentment or jealousy towards her romantic entanglements. (There is also something uncomfortable in putting two strong representatives of racial minorities together so the two white leads can be together unhindered, if that is what they have planned)
Aside from its flaws in reasoning, the film brought several wonderful moments. Luke’s last scene was a stunning parallel to when we first saw his silhouette step up against the twin suns of Tatooine, with John William’s brilliant theme sweeping us into the story. Yoda’s opinions on passing along mistakes as well as successes was interesting, especially given previous movies’ obsession with refining and cleansing the use of the Force. The temporary alliance between Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and Rey inspires all sorts of theories about what it really means to have balance in the Force.
Overall, it was a building movie. It is the middle film in a new trilogy and the writers needed to sneak in all the questions they hope to answer in the finale. So far as the plot goes, it was almost entirely set up for the next movie, but it was worth the watch to see the characters back again. The 2 hours, 32 minutes essentially provided a new playground for the new fan favorites to develop and complicate in preparation for their coming return.
Houghton alumna Nancy Petrillo is the first artist to featured as part of the Steuben Artist Series in Wellsville. Her work is currently on display at the Steuben Trust and will be for the rest of the month. Petrillo is a member of the Allegany Artisans, which means her studio has been a part of a tour of local artists and craftspeople for the past five years. As for her art, the Wellsville Daily Reporter attributed an “understated elegance to [the work’s] softly patterned white, aqua and blue pottery”.
“The infinite beauty and design found in nature is probably the greatest influence on my work,” Petrillo commented. “It’s great to have a camera in my pocket at all times now to record a color combination or pattern found in the sky or on an insect while I’m out walking or playing with my grandchildren.”
One of Petrillo’s goals when creating her pottery was to marry the elegance of china “with the functionality of more practical, durable wheel-thrown pottery”. She recalled her grandmother’s teacup and saucer collection. As a child, she appreciated their delicacy and detail, but noticed they did not function for the everyday. “I don’t remember those cups ever being used. In fact, I don’t think my grandmother was a tea drinker,” said Petrillo. She continued to express that she designs her work so it won’t “be so fragile that it never leaves the china cabinet.” On her website, A Stone’s Throw Pottery, Petrillo said that when her family first returned to the United States, she wanted to make “a proper dinnerware set”. Today, Petrillo has a cupboard full of cups she made, which her family uses every day.
Petrillo’s work on display in Wellsville has a texture influenced both by her former slab work, her wheel-thrown forms, and some clay addition. She remarked on the new method, “It’s a bit time-consuming but I enjoy the decorative process, as well as, developing a method to produce these results. I am always finding new fabric scraps or other objects to tryout new textures with this process.” When reflecting on how she began gathering objects for the process, she said she began by “coming home with stones, seed pods, leaves and other bits of natural world.“ Petrillo made it to be porcelain clay because she found it “gives more clarity and brilliance to the glaze colors.” While she is always working from her past success, Petrillo explained that her experimentation with different materials and methods means her work is ever changing.
While at Houghton, Petrillo was an art major with a concentration in ceramics. She added that learning the process of ceramics inspired her to form her own ideas. Between her graduation in 1985 and opening her studio in 2007, Petrillo served in Nigeria and Senegal as a missionary alongside her husband. It was there that she raised a family, but also learned about local pottery methods. While she was able to work on some pieces, she could never fire and finish her work. “I didn’t mind considering it as a time of practice and really never thought one day I would have the opportunity to design my own studio and continue my ceramic work,” commented Petrillo.
Petrillo’s work will soon be available for purchase in the Campus Store. It also finds its way to a few gift shops and recently some of the large summer art festivals in the Buffalo and Rochester area.
This coming Wednesday to Friday will be Houghton’s annual Faith and Justice Symposium. The theme this year is “Racial Justice: Called to Love”. Brian Webb, Sustainability Coordinator, explained, “We address an important topic that challenges us as Christians to respond to issues of injustice in our society. Past symposia have addressed immigration and refugees, environmental justice, war and conflict, global poverty, and human trafficking. By highlighting these critical issues, Houghton is able to bring attention to issues that affect our world in major ways, but are often overlooked in our day to day reality.”
The symposium began in 2011 to encourage discussion around “key issues, opportunities, and challenges”, according to the school website. “Each year the symposium brings leading thinkers from across the country to lecture, dialogue, and explore around a central topic,” said Brian Webb. “This year’s theme of “Racial Justice: Called to Love” will challenge our community to explore how we might advance racial justice within our campus, our church, and our society. Students will learn how to approach this complex issue within the context of our Christian faith, while exploring what it looks like to have an authentic Christian response to injustice in the world today.”
A full itinerary of this year’s symposium is available on the school website. Wednesday will feature primarily guest chapel speaker Mark Charles, with an after chapel lunch and an evening “Talkback” session providing opportunities for discussion. Sojourner’s magazine said of Charles, who has connections to both Dutch and Navajo heritage, that he “seeks to understand the complexities of American history regarding race, culture, and faith in order to help forge a path of healing and reconciliation for the nation. He partners with numerous organizations to assist them in respectfully approaching, including, and working with native communities.”
On Thursday evening, there will be a showing of the film Hidden Figures and time afterwards for discussion. Friday, the final day of the symposium, will begin at chapel with Micky ScottBey Jones, the Director of Healing Justice at Faith Matters Network and an Associate Fellow for Racial Justice with Evangelicals for Social Action. “Micky facilitates conferences, trainings and online conversations while exploring a variety of topics including self-care in community, healing justice, intersectionality, faith-rooted activism, revolutionary friendship, race & justice, and theology from the margins. She loves to curate contemplative and dialogic spaces and activities.” There will be two workshops in the afternoon and a coffeehouse in the evening. The “Engaging the Arts” coffeehouse will feature an art auction, participatory art, and spoken-word poetry.
“One of the goals of the Faith and Justice Symposium is to keep the idea in front of our community that our faith is not just a mystical encounter with God, nor just a set of ideas to be believed, but that our encounter with God and our beliefs should shape us to be people who seek justice in the world,” commented Dean of the Chapel Michael Jordan. “ Faith and justice need to be intertwined.” He went on to say, “Obviously, that question of what justice is and who experiences it and how are very difficult questions, and we deal with them throughout the year in many different ways. But the Faith and Justice symposium is one way of focusing very specifically on this question.”
The Houghton Promise, a new initiative to communicate Houghton’s standards and ideals, will be coming into effect this year.
The initiative’s five tenets seek to practically apply Houghton’s mission statement: to provide “an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.” As Ryan Spear, Houghton’s Director of Admission, explained, “We wanted to package that mission statement into very concise, understandable benefits.” The five benefits outlined in the promise are affordability, academic quality, authentic spiritual formation, acceleration, and accountability.
The first tenet of the Houghton Promise refers to Affordability. New to incoming students next year will be the Impact scholarship, which will provide students with $10,000 in scholarships over the course of four years. “Finances don’t need to be a barrier to come to a place like Houghton,” said Ryan Spear, Director of Admission. “Students don’t have to choose between cost and quality. They’re going to get both here. A lot of people are making short-sighted decisions when they go to college, one of the most important decisions of they’ll make.” He commented later, “If all you want is an education, frankly, go somewhere else. You can get that cheaper, but I mean cheaper in every sense of the word.” He explained that at Houghton “it’s more about preparing the right kind of people and less about handing someone a certificate that’s simply just a permission slip for a job.”
Academic Quality, in addition to indicating a general commitment to excellence, emphasizes hands-on opportunities, such as internships and experiences abroad. “The academic quality portion of the Houghton Promise reflects the kind of experience that we have always provided our students,” commented Dean Jack Connell. “We have always made high-impact learning practices like global engagement and student/faculty research a top priority. So we don’t have to change our academic programming to fulfill the Houghton Promise; that component of the Houghton Promise is simply an effort to communicate more clearly who we already are.” Spears added, “Something that’s unique about Houghton that not many schools have is really the ability to take your learning and do something with it, so not just sitting in a lecture hall and filling out a scantron, but actually doing a project, something substantial”
The next element, Authentic Spiritual Formation, works towards “creating rhythms of faith and life” at Houghton. “It’s not just more church. It’s not like we’re going to keep you safe from the devil,” Spears clarified. “It’s about creating a living, learning community where Christian life is infused in all that we do.” Contrary to avoiding difficult topics, Spears described Houghton as a place where “we invite dialogue and questions. We really want students to try all their ideas out while they are here, to really wrestle with them. Because it’s not keeping you safe for four years and then hopefully transferring you to another safe pocket for the rest of your life. It’s about preparing you for what’s out there.”
Acceleration emphasizes students’ opportunity to graduate early. “We already had some pathways for students to complete a degree in an accelerated fashion, what we’re calling three year options,” Spears said. “We’re moving that front and center.” He went on to explain that the focus will still be on giving students a complete education, meaning the accelerated program will not fit for all majors. Spears added, “The point of college is to be prepared for the future, not to graduate fast.” For programs where there is room to graduate early, however, the opportunity will be offered more clearly to students.
One of the biggest changes the Houghton Promise will introduce falls under the final point, Accountability. Advertising materials explain that, “If you are not employed in your chosen field or accepted into graduate school when you graduate from Houghton, you can come back for a bonus year without paying any tuition.” The extra year would offer a year to add new qualifications and become more marketable to employers or graduate schools. “Houghton cares about its students,” Spear said. “We care about what happens to you after you graduate.”
When asked for the reason behind the new angle, Spear explained, “We knew we wanted to do something big this year… As different people brought ideas to the table, they started to coalesce into a central package to make sure people knew it’s not just any one thing that makes Houghton special, as anyone who goes here knows.” While the new Excelsior grant added urgency to the update, a major motivation was to find a statement that fit with what Houghton is. “For a lot of people, the college decision is not made conceptually,” Spears commented, “It’s often more of the feeling that God’s pulling their heart in one way or that they belong. So we wanted this program to hit people in a way that would show them ‘Wow, this place is serious about who they are and what they’re prepared to deliver.”
This year’s spring theatre production will be Woyzeck. The performance will be based on a play by Georg Buchner, but its script will by adapted by Ryan Stevenson. Stevenson, a visiting artist-in-residence will also serve as director for the production.
“A hapless soldier loses his wife, his wits, his dignity, and his life,” explained Professor Rebekah Brennan, the producer. “A play about power and its abuses in war, work, medicine, and love, Woyzeck was left unfinished when its author died, at the age of 23, in 1836. It remained unperformed until 1913; the newly-discovered play galvanized a generation of playwrights and directors and helped create modern theater. The text’s open-endedness, flexibility, and fundamental strangeness have continued to inspire innovative stagings, creative adaptations, and original retellings. This is one of them.”
Earlier this year, The Old Vic hosted a production of Woyzeck that featured John Boyega, “Finn” from the new Star Wars films, as the title character, as reported in The Telegraph. Several films have also been produced based on the film, including one as recently as 2013.
According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, “Büchner based Woyzeck on an account of an actual murder case in which a soldier killed his mistress in a jealous frenzy and was subsequently the object of medical controversy regarding his sanity. Büchner did not organize the work into acts, and there is no definitive text of the play. The events, rather than appearing in definite chronological sequence, are presented as a series of related occurrences.” The article explained also that the play features naturalist and Expressionist elements.
Brennan said that Ryan Stevenson,”a seasoned actor and director of both stage and film”, is looking forward to directing his adaptation of the classic story. He hopes to find a cast that will “help delve further into adaption and to create a theatre piece that reflects his cast and their strengths”. She referenced also his passion for His “the inspiration and growth of his cast members throughout their show’s run” and creating a relatable production. She added, “Mr. Stevenson’s energy and creativity have inspired many, and he is excited to bring something new to the Houghton College campus.”
“Mr. Stevenson is looking for all levels of theatre experience, so if you’ve never been on stage before but have always wanted to try it, this is the show for you,” Professor Brennan commented. “Students are encouraged to sign up for a slot, however, walk-in auditions are welcome.” Additionally, anyone participating can take the course for 1 credit or opt out of taking it for credit entirely. She added that any students interested in auditioning should email her if they would like further information. Audition forms are also available over email or in person at the audition.
Professor Brennan emphasized that students uninterested in acting are still welcome to participate. “We will be in need of a stage manager, set builders, costume/prop director, help with tech, make-up and other aspects of theatre production,” she commented. Professor Brennan explained that students involved outside of acting will also have the opportunity to take the course for credit if they choose.
Auditions will take place in the Greatbatch School of Music’s Recital Hall on Monday, December 4 from 7:40 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Tuesday, December 5 from 7:10 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Rehearsals for the play will start on Monday, January 8. The performances of Woyzeck will be held at Houghton Academy Tysinger Auditorium the second weekend in February.
Senior Andrew Hutton ‘18 recently returned from a bagpiping competition, where he placed among musicians from around the world. The Scottish Piping Society of London hosted the event. Their news page stated that “2017 saw a record number of over 100 amateur and professional pipers converge on London to take part in a number of ceol mor and ceol beag competitions.”.
Hutton placed 3rd in the C-grade March,Strathspey, and Reel event. His instructor, Bruce Gandy “was the aggregate winner of the Premier-Grade events, and also gains an invitation to the 2018 Glenfiddich,”
according to the the website Pipes and Drums. The Scottish Piping Society of London named Gandy the overall champion piper and awarded him the Londonderry Cup. Hutton explained he weekly receives lessons over Skype from Gandy, who resides in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
The competition began at 8:30 in the morning and concluded with an awards ceremony around 7:00 p.m., according to Hutton. He also explained that “The Scottish Piping Society of London annual solo piping contest is considered the largest in the world with approximately 100 pipers from around the world.”
Preparation for the contest began far before boarding the plane to England. “Each competitor submits a certain number of tunes weeks prior to the competition,” said Hutton. “The judges select the tune and the competitor is then given this information minutes before they are set to play. Usually you get a couple minutes to tune the instrument before playing the selected piece.” Ultimately, it is the judges’ decision which piece the competitor will perform. “Last week I competed in the C grade, which is the opening professional grade.”
This isn’t the first time Hutton has experienced success in bagpiping competitions. “I won the Nicol-Brown Amateur Piping Competition in October 2016 in Scotia, NY and one of the prizes was airfare to compete at the London contest,” said Hutton. Houghton reported last year that he received the honor after placing first in the Piobaireachd event and 6/8 March categories and second for March, Strathspey, and Reel, the event in which he would place third for his London competition.
His experience with the instrument itself dates much farther back. “I started playing the pipes when I was 8,” said Hutton. “My brother started before me when he was 15 and was inspired to take up the instrument after our grandmother, who always wanted her grandsons to play.“
“The infinite beauty and design found in nature is probably the greatest influence on my work,” Petrillo commented. “It’s great to have a camera in my pocket at all times now to record a color combination or pattern found in the sky or on an insect while I’m out walking or playing with my grandchildren.”
The symposium began in 2011 to encourage discussion around “key issues, opportunities, and challenges”, according to the school website. “Each year the symposium brings leading thinkers from across the country to lecture, dialogue, and explore around a central topic,” said Brian Webb. “This year’s theme of “Racial Justice: Called to Love” will challenge our community to explore how we might advance racial justice within our campus, our church, and our society. Students will learn how to approach this complex issue within the context of our Christian faith, while exploring what it looks like to have an authentic Christian response to injustice in the world today.”
Hutton placed 3rd in the C-grade March,Strathspey, and Reel event. His instructor, Bruce Gandy “