If you are a fan of Chris Hemsworth’s long, golden locks, then his newest movie might be a little bit of a disappointment for you.
You probably already know from the trailers that the mighty Thor loses his hair for a new ‘do, but Thor also loses something else from his past Avengers and standalone movies: his painful seriousness. Thor: Ragnarok is refreshing for movie-goers, providing many comedic quips as well as exciting action. Marvel seems to be learning from its funniest blockbuster, Guardians of the Galaxy, and letting Hemsworth’s humor shine through on the big screen.
After the dramatic reveal at the end of Thor: The Dark World, audiences might have expected Loki (Tom Hiddleston) to pose more of a threat as Odin—but this conflict was resolved relatively quickly. Thor and Loki spend little time on Earth in this film; they only stick around to have a quick chat with Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), as revealed in the end credit scene in Cumberbatch’s own feature film, and then to meet the real Odin (Anthony Hopkins). Soon, the action really starts to pick up when the Goddess of Death, Hela (Cate Blanchett), shows up on the scene and throws Thor and Loki off to a strange catch-all of a world, after managing to destroy Thor’s iconic hammer.
As if Thor weren’t already at an all-time low, he’s then pitted against his “friend from work” the Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) in a colosseum run by the Grandmaster, an eccentric dictator whose mannerisms are nailed perfectly by Jeff Goldblum. Thor needs to get back home to Asgard to prevent complete annihilation of the world— which is the actual definition of the Norse word “ragnarok”—so he gathers his limited crew of Loki, the Hulk, and dangerous Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson) to tussle with Hela before she grows too powerful.
Director Taika Waititi, a New Zealand native, had only tackled smaller indie films before he took the gig for Ragnarok back in 2015. Waititi is used to being a funny guy, especially considering that most of his previous works were highly based in comedy. So when Marvel reached out to him with the Ragnarok offer, he was initially a little hesitant. After all, this set would be significantly larger than anything he was used to—and there was this grey cloud hanging over the Thor franchise after less successful attempts at standalone movies.
“In a lot of my films,” Waititi said, “the biggest theme is family, making families out of those around you.” This mindset fits well into the Marvel cinematic universe, as many recent films also highlight this theme. Not only was Waititi on-theme for Marvel, but he was also fully capable of bringing a sense of fun back to the God of Thunder. Waititi managed to cultivatea comfortable and humorous atmosphere on his set, and his lighthearted efforts shine through into the film. Overall, Thor: Ragnarok may have been the end for Asgard, but it also represents the rebirth and redemption for the character of Thor and his franchise.
Thor: Ragnarok is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action and brief suggestive material. It runs 130 minutes.
The name picked up speed quickly thanks to a crowdsourcing method that boosted marketing for the college using a fun and unifying contest. Of course, the students were confident that if they played by the rules, sharing posts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter including their chosen name, things would work democratically. When Homecoming Week rolled around and the six finalists were named, one was missing. Where was Wal-Mart Johannson?
Presenters have the chance to present from any academic discipline, and undergraduates benefit not only from hearing a wide variety of topics, from the science of teeth-whitening to immigration policy, but also from engaging with other students within their own disciplines. “I’d really enjoyed meeting other students in my field and hearing what they were working on,” says Sophia Ross, who attended the 2016 Penn-York conference the fall of her Senior year at Houghton. 
Nicole Jennings ’19 echoed Strom’s statements. “We had a rocky start, but partway through the season we all came together and decided to play for God and for each other as a family, rather than for ourselves,” Jennings said. “This caused us as a team improve tremendously from the beginning of the season. We are playing games together as a unit, which contributes largely to our success!”
Within the culture of each athletic team, there is a unique emphasis placed on intentionally engaging faith with sport. Darcy Mitchell ’19, a member of the men’s soccer team, said that this integration is most clearly seen in the way that he and his teammates conduct themselves. “After every game, we ask the other team to gather with us to pray and thank God for the gifts and abilities that he has blessed us with,” he said. “That act alone is a witness to other teams and fans, and represents who we are truly playing for.”
Three years ago, Wagner was a student at the conservative Charles Finney School, a Protestant high school in Rochester. But as of September 12, he stands as the President of a newly christened Houghton club called Catholics on Campus. 
With a robust and extensive resume, which includes time spent as Assistant Professor of Psychology at Bryan, a BA in Psychology from Spring Arbor University, and an MA and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Detroit Mercy, Pettway was a valuable addition to the department. Her intensive focus on race and racism will also provide unique insights to students. Starting this semester, Pettway will teach a special topics class entitled “Psychology of Race and Racism.” 
Larissa Ries (Strappello), Instructor of Equestrian Studies and Equestrian Facility Manager, is looking forward to the many opportunities this new expansion will bring to the community. “The new arena will allow us to offer more events for the Equine community, such as clinics, shows, etc., providing more learning opportunities for our students. It will allow us to host events for organizations such as Pony Club and 4H. We have been approached by these organizations about using the facility, but have struggled to have the time and space with all of the programming we have going on for the college students,” she said. “Hosting more events will allow our college students to have more real life experience of planning and running equine events.”
Julia Chamberlain ‘18, a leader for GCF, said, “
Miranda Hayes ’19 applied for the chapel deacon position after being prompted by Houghton representatives from Campus Target, a missions organization based in Lima, New York. “I applied for this position because it was something that God had laid on my heart in the middle of my sophomore year,” she said. “After pushing it aside for a whole semester, pretending that I couldn’t hear the clear calling that he had put on my heart, I finally applied after speaking with a couple of Houghton representatives from Campus Target. They encouraged me and helped me to better understand that God will use my feelings of inadequacy through this experience. I’ve always had a passion for loving people, so the idea of being in a position that could open doors for me to invest in others sounded intriguing to me.”