Author: Sophia Ross

When the beloved Tree of Life in Houghton’s Field of Dreams was struck down by lightning last summer, its demise was given tribute by Houghton community, alumni and students alike all over social media. In response to the loss, the class of 2017 has decided to make its class gift a tribute to the tree. According to an official letter sent by the class of 2017 cabinet to senior class members, their gift will be to plant a seedling from the original Tree of Life, and install rock benches for outdoor seating around the new tree.

Prior to the announcement, the senior class had the opportunity to vote between planting the seedling and placing a fire pit near the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex (KPAC).

“We came up with the idea by brainstorming things around campus that we have noticed which could be improved to be more useful to future students,” said class president Sarah Kopa ‘17, when asked how the cabinet determined these options.  “We also really wanted a gift that would have meaning to our class and the things we have experienced together. From there it was narrowed down based on what was possible both to implement on campus and was also affordable.”

Class gifts have been an on and off again tradition at Houghton. According to Daniel Noyes, Regional Director of Development, the first recorded class gift was the class of 1925’s gift of the memorial outside Fancher marking the birthplace of Willard J. Houghton. Other class gifts current students might recognize include the swing set by the Paine building, the Christmas tree outside the Campus Center, and the study abroad road sign outside of Chamberlain. For the class of 2017, the Tree of Life has seemed like a possibility for their class gift since the beginning of the academic year.

“From the very beginning of the Fall semester, the cabinet kept returning to the idea of the Tree of Life and how we could incorporate that into the senior gift,” said class cabinet secretary Teira Hawkins ‘17. “There were some ideas to use the wood from the original tree but the logistics and finances were much more intricate than a class could afford to do as a gift.” She continued, “Originally we had planned on buying a seedling to put in the area of the Tree of Life but when administration heard of our idea, they informed us that they actually had some of the original seedlings, which is fantastic because it would have so much more sentimental value, and would allow us to purchase more benches.”

According to Kopa, planting the Tree of Life seedling does connect directly to the class of 2017’s experience at Houghton.

“We were the last class to have the Tree of Life be a part of the majority of our time here,” said Kopa. “My hope was that the class would feel connected and united by our gift, and I think this gift accomplishes that.”

While the logistics for planting the seedling have yet to be confirmed, Kopa said that the rock benches have already arrived, and the cabinet hopes to place them after Easter Break. The cabinet also encouraged their class to help finance the gift through a pledged donation of $20.17. Seniors who give before May 1 will have their donation commemorated in the Commencement program.

While it may appear to many undergraduate students that research conferences are reserved for professors and graduate students only, one benefit of a Houghton College education is participating in these conferences as an undergraduate. On April 2, 2016, five Houghton physics majors presented their research at the Rochester Symposium for Physics Students (RSPS). The annual symposium, which took place at the University of Rochester this year, is specifically designed so that undergraduate physics students can present their research orally. Students from all over New York state attend and participate in the type of conference setting that they might not otherwise encounter until graduate school.

Research is a key element of Houghton’s physics program. Every student majoring in physics or applied physics takes on a research project, often starting the work in the second semester of their sophomore year and continuing until graduation. This research is typically done in tandem with physics professors and takes up approximately forty-five hours every semester, which is essentially the equivalent of a one-credit class. The end result of their work is a thesis between forty and sixty pages, as well as presenting orally at RSPS.

For the past sixteen years, Houghton students have given twelve to fifteen-minute talks on their project lab research at RSPS as a graduation requirement. According to Mark Yuly, professor of physics and associate dean for natural sciences and mathematics, the experience is one that will prove invaluable for these students as they prepare for their careers.

“It gives the students a real-world experience doing something they will be doing all the time as professional physicists or engineers – speaking in public,” he said. “They get lots of practice presenting their work here on campus in their classes, but this is a chance to present for the outside world.”

Kurt Aikens, assistant professor of physics, added that the benefits of this program are self-evident. “It provides them with the opportunity to deliver a quality talk on their individual research project,” he said. “We help them to do the research, prepare their talks, we give them feedback, and generally ensure that they are prepared to do well. All of this is important because the ability to communicate one’s work is essential—you can be the best scientist in the world but no one will understand your results or how you obtained them if you cannot speak and write.

This year, five graduating physics majors including Kyle Craft, Thomas Eckert, August Gula, Margaret Kirkland and Jonathon Yuly presented their research orally. Craft, along with Andrew Redman ‘17, also presented a poster.

Eckert, who will begin a Ph.D. program in nuclear physics at the University of Rochester this fall, agrees that conferences like RSPS are a unique opportunity for Houghton students to gain experience. In addition to RSPS, Eckert has attended two international conferences as an undergraduate hosted by the American Physical Society (APS) Division of Plasma Physics.

“By going to conferences, you see first hand how important it is to talk about your work in an effective manner,” said Eckert. “If you can’t explain it simply enough for those outside of our field to understand it, you don’t really understand your work. And if you can’t do that, funding is harder to come by since the people you interact with most likely won’t have physics degrees.”

In a job market that places an emphasis on practical experience, symposiums and conferences like RSPS are more and more attractive on a resume. Participating in these events as undergraduates allows students not only to represent Houghton and to add to their personal resumes, but to begin building skills that will prove useful in the years to come.

After four years of Houghton College’s only official college theatrical productions being musical theater and lyric theater, the college is putting on a dramatic play directed by a professional director. Over three performances from February 5th to 7th, Houghton students will present Henrik Ibsen’s play A Doll House in the Rosemary Tysinger Auditorium at Houghton Academy.

The idea to organize an official college play originated in a discussion between faculty in the English, Writing, and Communications departments last year. Together, the faculty members wrote a proposal to use revenue from the Van Gordon Chair–the endowed chair shared by their departments–to hire a professional director and provide resources needed for a play. Once the proposal was approved, they advertised for a professional director, and ultimately hired Kevin Leary.

Leary is a professional actor and director who has performed in four national musical theater tours, and has directed several shows at the Lancaster Opera House. He is currently employed by the University of Buffalo as the assistant to the director in their arts management program, but saw Houghton as an outside opportunity.

“I knew that they were looking for something in a Christian context,” said Leary of applying for the position. “I don’t think that only means Jesus plays. It’s more about the social dynamic of plays, which could be a foray into a wider discussion about themes in a Christian context that the play has already dealt with. Theater exists for social justice and for the concerns of larger society in general.”

Leary and Houghton faculty members worked to choose a play that reflected these values, and would also challenge students. The play they chose, Ibsen’s A Doll House, was originally published and performed in 1879 in Norway. It follows the character of Nora Helmer – a woman who grew up depending entirely on her father, and now depends upon her husband, Torvald. The action centers on the fallout after another character discovers that Nora once engaged in fraud without Torvald’s knowledge in order to save his life. The play’s exploration of gender roles was considered revolutionary at the time, and remains a staple in the study of modern and contemporary drama.

“It’s a classic play, and one of my personal favorites,” said Douglas Gaerte, professor and chair of the Communications department, who was involved in the decision. “The ending is ambiguous enough that I think it can inspire some interesting discussion.”

Leary held auditions following Thanksgiving break, and assembled a cast that features four female and three male students. He also held interviews for a creative team of students, which includes a production assistant and marketing director, a dramaturge, an assistant director, and a stage manager. Once all of these roles were filled, he held three rehearsals the week before finals, and then officially began rehearsals at the start of the spring semester. While the majority of the cast has had little theater experience, Leary has worked diligently with them to develop their characters in an honest way.

“Kevin hasn’t been pandering to us because we’re inexperienced,” said junior Jakin Rintelman, who plays the character of Krogstad. “He’s been making sure that we’re on the ball and that we’re doing our best. He tells us to really live as the characters rather than simply pretend to be them.”

Assistant director Colleen Shannon, a junior with past theater experience, also praised Leary’s directing style as collaborative and challenging.

“He brings a professional, yet completely open and welcoming atmosphere,” she said. “He’s all about discovering those golden moments that are compelling. He really brings the best out of people.”

Students involved with the play have also expressed that this experience has been a valuable learning experience for them, whether or not they plan to go into theater as a profession.

“I’m learning how to utilize criticism to further my role as an actor, and how to listen to people around me effectively,” said junior Ava Bergen, who plays Mrs. Linde in the show.

With only four weeks of rehearsals, the cast and creative team of A Doll House have devoted a significant amount of time to creating a production not only for Houghton community members, but also for an audience that extends farther away. According to Leary, the team hopes to reach people as far as Geneseo and Olean. He believes it is an important play for this community to see, not just because it is a source of entertainment – which it is – but also because of its message.

“It’s such a pertinent story,” said Leary. “A hundred years later we’re still dealing with women’s rights and minority rights in a male-dominated white society.”

A Doll House runs at Houghton Academy February 5th and 6th at 7:30 p.m., and February 7th at 2:00 p.m. Tickets cost $10 for adults and $5 for children, students, and seniors.