Author: Kathryn Moore

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Arts Stories In Focus

Musical Showcases Campus Talent

From March 16 to 18, Houghton Lyric Theater will present the musical I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. Unlike most musicals, the show does not follow a unified set of characters through the entire performance. Instead, every song is sung by new characters in a new situation. The arc follows the stages of love and relationship with another person. It begins with showcasing scenes portraying the beginning stages of dating, both the good and the bad.  Act One ends with marriage. Act Two goes on to demonstrate the struggles and blessings of marriage, old age, and looking for companionship after losing a loved one.

Amanda Cox, instructor of voice, is directing this year’s musical, and had only wonderful things to say regarding the four person cast. The performers in this show include Kingsley Kolek ’18, Shawn Passero ’18, Lauren Grifoni ’19, and Daniel Bussey ’20.

“The cast is just fantastic, versatile, and flexible,” Cox said. “I was amazed at how prepared they are, and how willing they are to push boundaries with the characters they are playing.”

This is not Cox’s first directing experience. Previously, she taught lyric theater and directed many shows in community theater as well. “Professor Cox is sweet, brilliant and hilarious,” said Grifoni. “She has given us lots of freedom for deciding aspects of our characters. She is also a really good dance choreographer and has taught me a lot about the tango.”

However, theater does not come without obstacle. Cox commented on  the costume changes needed  to be carefully planned and executed, as there are costume changes  for every performer in every scene. Grifoni and Passero talked about the difficulty of portraying different characters, and how that has pushed them as actors. Passero said, “Needing to have different voices, and sometimes different accents, throughout the show can get pretty challenging.” Grifoni added, “We all play a ton of different characters and it really has tested out acting. I get to play a nine year old girl, an elderly woman, and everyone in between.”

One acting exercise that has helped with this task has had the cast performing a song on stage while Cox held up cards with different emotions written on them. The performer would then have to portray each  emotion as it was held up throughout the song. Cox has challenged the students to think of each character as a brand new slate, and not to let any aspect of a different character bleed through between scenes as every scene is different than the last.

The student cast members all say that they have been touched by this show in one way or another. When anyone is performing as a character, they undergo the wonderful possibility of learning something about themselves.

“I find that with any show you will walk away with something you didn’t have before; whether that is a new outlook or  knowing that you just spent two hours laughing through an incredible experience,” Passero explained. Grifoni went further and shared, “What is cool about this show is that it shows that love can be complicated and that is a good thing. There are times when love is great and there are times when love causes you the worst kind of pain, but all of it is so rewarding. The nice thing about the musical is that it treats all of these concepts light-heartedly and is very satirical. It is relatable to anyone, no matter what age you are.”

I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change will be performed this weekend in the Recital Hall. Cox said, “This is a fantastic show. It is hilarious, touching, and I think that people will have an amazing time.”

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Campus Stories In Focus

Business Administration Professor and Houghton Alumn To Retire

Kenneth Bates, associate professor of business administration and chair of Houghton’s department of business and economics, was not planning to be a teacher when he was first working. In fact, he worked in business in Washington, D.C. for seventeen years after graduating from Houghton in 1971. He did not expect the phone call from his old college roommate alerting  him to an open position at Houghton College. Now, after 27 years of teaching for the college, he is retiring.

At first, Bates was not interested in the position for various reasons. Working at Houghton meant a significant pay cut, the possibility of needing more schooling himself, moving his entire family from the suburbs  into the rural country, and working at school where the denomination was different than his own. Bates thought the visit to campus would be a courteous gesture for his roommate, but this visit swept him from under his feet. However, Bates said, God answered all of the concerns that he had and kept calling him to Houghton College. Bates felt that he could, perhaps, be good at teaching and decided to follow God’s call.

Since answering this call, Bates has been praised as a business teacher by his students. Joseph Gilligan ‘17, a business major, said, “Professor Bates allowed me to take leadership roles right away at Houghton which provided me the opportunity to refine my leadership skills and understanding of business.  I owe him a debt of gratitude for allowing me to aggressively pursue my dreams.” Gilligan added that students who have taken a class led by  Bates will tell you that he truly cares for his students, is patient, is understanding, and is passionate about being Christ-like in his work.

Naomi Christensen, instructor of accounting and a colleague of Professor Bates, has been working with him for about two years. Also a Houghton graduate,  she was taught by Bates. “Professor Bates has been a huge help to getting me assimilated into being a professor,” she said. “Any time I have any questions he helps me. We are really going to miss him around here, he is leaving a very big hole.” She recalled a memory from her senior class year where Bates had said, “You may be the only one in the room that represents Jesus and you should take that [honor] very seriously.”

When asked what lesson he wanted his students to remember, Bates said:

“We are all Christ’s ambassadors in this world. That means we are not citizens of this country, we are citizens of heaven. When an ambassador’s job is finished, they are called home and the fact that I am here today tells me that God has something more for me to do to influence others for His kingdom. The only reason I was able to wake up this morning is because God has something more for me to do.”

 

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Stories In Focus

Recent Alumni Start Building Careers at Houghton

Houghton College is dedicated to preparing their students for the workplace, and sometimes that workplace is the college itself. Recent graduates can apply for employment at the school after earning their degree to make an impressive addition to their resume. Zachary Palmer ‘16, Connor Vogan ‘15, and Jesse Carter ‘16 are three recent graduates who are now a part of the Houghton community in a different way, as an employee.

Photo by: Nate Moore
Photo by: Nate Moore

Vogan, a fourth generation Houghton alumni, originally came to Houghton because he was recruited for soccer. He always felt welcomed when he visited campus, and felt valued as a student. This was part of the reason he returned a year after graduating. Vogan graduated with a business degree, and decided to pursue his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Vogan worked a few different jobs, such as a startup company run by a friend, in addition to working in a coffee shop for t a year to save money to continue his academic pursuit Shortly before leaving for Rochester to start his schooling, Vogan received a message from Kim Pool asking if he would like a job at Houghton College. Pool thought the tasks of this particular title would be perfect for Vogan. Now the Enrollment Marketing Coordinator, Vogan is doing the work he always wanted, and is currently pursuing a MBA for.. According to Vogan, working at Houghton in the mornings has been ideal. He said, “I get what I want with a brand that I love and am invested in.” He feels poured into, spiritually, as an employee at Houghton.

Carter, a humanities major who graduated in May, originally came to Houghton as a student wanting to attend an academic-achieving Christian school. He had previously attended community college, transferring to Houghton in the Fall of 2014. Because Carter had less time at Houghton than most students, he wanted to stay for a longer period of time. He is now an admissions counselor for the upstate New York area. His favorite thing about the job is being able to go on high school visits and see the faces of students he speaks with over the phone. According to Carter, the most bizarre aspect of his new role is being able to call the professors he learned from just months ago by their first names.

Another Houghton graduate now employed at the school is Palmer. During his time at Houghton, Palmer was most appreciative of the professors would take time out of their day to “sit down for an hour and talk with you about life.” Palmer studied psychology while a student, and loved it. He and his wife are still looking for graduate schools, but have found that working at Houghton during their gap year was “the best choice since we have so many ties to the community.” Palmer enjoys working at Houghton, and said his college experience has prepared him to work diligently and have grace on himself.

To the current students looking towards graduation, Carter said, “Don’t worry as much as you are probably worrying now. There are people at this school who will help you. Don’t be afraid to take chances because you don’t know what opportunities will happen from the risks you take. Enjoy every moment with your senior class. This will be the last time you see all of your friends in this kind of setting, and that should not be taken for granted.”

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Stories In Focus

New RDs Take On Traditions and Values of Residence Halls

This fall, Houghton College welcomed two new Residence Directors (RDs). A.C. Taylor joined Shenawana Hall and Beth Phifer became a part of Lambein Hall. As RDs, Taylor and Phifer will oversee their respective residence halls and are each responsible for the maintenance and residents of that building. They will report to Marc Smithers, the Assistant Dean of Students for Residence Life and Programs. With their past experiences in Residence Life and shared enthusiasm for the job, both Phifer and Taylor are well prepared for their new positions.

img_3291img_3293Phifer has known of Houghton College for many years, with one of her favorite college professors having graduated from Houghton. Her undergraduate work focused on counseling, but Phifer said that she felt led by God to do work in Residence Life. That work is not unfamiliar to Phifer as she was a Resident Assistant during her undergraduate studies at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, and most recently she acted as an RD at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. Last year, she applied to Christian campuses with openings for an RD closer to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She wanted to work at a Christian establishment because she also received her education at a Christian liberal arts institution.

“In a Christian setting there is more freedom to help shape and develop students as followers in Christ,” Phifer said. She added that she is excited to talk about Jesus with her residents. Phifer plans to continue the work started by Krista Maroni, the previous RD of Lambein, in establishing a stronger sense of identity within the women’s dorm.

“There are three core values that Lambein embodies,” Phifer explained. “Those are compassion, courage, and wisdom.” She hopes to emphasize these three qualities throughout the year.

Taylor, who graduated from Houghton in 2014, is also thrilled to be an RD at Houghton. Like Phifer, Taylor worked in Residence Life as an RA when he was in college. His wife was looking to work in the admissions office at Houghton, so when a job opportunity as the RD of Shenawana Hall came up, Taylor applied.

“It is so great to be able to come back to Houghton and the amazing community that is,” he said. “As much of a buzzword as [community] is, it really is valid and unique. The kind of relationships among people that occur here really don’t happen everywhere.”

While a student and RA, Taylor lived in Rothenbuhler Hall. Even so, he is excited to work in Shenawana and experience the rich tradition of the building. He respects the culture and the identity that is Shenawana, and this year hopes to better understand the history and traditions that the dorm has to offer those who live there.

Both RDs expressed a desire to get to know their residents on a personal level.

“I am really excited to get to know each of my residents, although it is challenging to get to know every person,” said Phifer. “If my apartment is open please stop by, I really mean that. I want to highlight and bold that statement. I love opportunities to get to know people. I want to be there for them and be a person that they feel they can go to for support.”

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Stories In Focus

The Odyssey Reaches Houghton

Being a student at Houghton College now means having an opportunity to write and to grow as a communicator using a professional platform.

Ava Bergen ’17 defines the Odyssey as an “online aggregate.” “It is a media platform,” she said, “that takes the voices of millennials and allows [them] to discover and write about what [they] choose to. The Odyssey gives us the ability to put our thoughts out there for the world to see.”

OdysseySami Allen, the original managing editor for Houghton College, works in the Odyssey offices in New York and found Houghton College through the Instagram of Amy Abraham ’18. Allen, impressed with Abraham’s social media skills, contacted Abraham to ask if she would be interested in starting a branch at Houghton College. Abraham jumped at the opportunity and chose to become the social media director. The social media director helps writers boost the publicity of their articles, gives ideas to those who are struggling come up with article topics, and promotes the articles on social media outlets such as Facebook and Instagram.

Bergen was hired as editor-in-chief, a role that entails overseeing a team of about fifteen writers in order to help them grow as writers and communicators. The editor-in-chief is the first person that writers may seek for help or advice in regard to their articles. Bergen explains how the Odyssey is a bottom-up business model opposed to the typical top-down model. This means that the Odyssey’s focus is to encourage millennials to take on more responsibility and to have many opportunities open to them. As a student employee of the Odyssey, you have the option to be a writer in addition to working towards editing positions and dealing with social media promotions. Bergen reports to Houghton’s managing editor over Skype, emails and phone calls. The managing editor works in the Odyssey’s offices and is responsible for going over the weekly reports with the editors-in-chief of different campuses. These reports include the number of people that interacted with the various articles written by the students of Houghton College, and how the college staff can potentially increase these numbers.

The Odyssey hires millennials as writers in order to disband the idea that one needs vast experience to produce good work. The online platform believes that it is important for the voices of young adults to be heard. Houghton College has a team of fifteen writers who are responsible for putting out one article a week on the topic of their choice. This team was hired for an apparent love of writing, an evident desire to communicate, and a responsible work ethic with the self-motivation to consistently write. These writers do not necessarily need to be writing or English majors. According to Bergen, the Odyssey offers a unique opportunity for those who enjoy writing but rarely have a consistent outlet to show it.

“We have a student who is a physics major, which is someone whom you typically do not think of as a writer,” Bergen explained. “This company gives people the chance to try something new and discover a talent of writing that otherwise may not have been pursued.”

Kimberly Logee ‘17, the contributing editor of the Houghton Odyssey, helps aspiring writers better their work by editing articles and giving feedback. Logee gains great satisfaction from the editing process and helping individuals improve their writing. She says that Houghton students that write for the Odyssey are receiving a résumé-building experience, an opportunity to grow as a writer, and a chance to win some extra money if their article is the most shared for that particular week. Bergen also emphasized this opportunity that the Odyssey allows students.

“It is interesting—the power the internet gives to people,” Bergen said. “Millennials can reach a huge audience with the power of words due to the connections of social media. The Odyssey creates an intentional community of people producing excellent work that has the power to connect with and motivate the world.”