Category: Stories In Focus

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Campus Stories In Focus

Student Led Fun Run Benefits Charity

Houghton College’s recreation department program planning class is hosting a 5K Fun Run on April 2. The race starts at 3 pm and the Field of Dreams. Sign in begins at 1:45 pm the day of the event. There is a suggested donation of $10 with the cash or check collected at the time of the event. All proceeds from this event are being donated to Allegany County Cancer Services (ACCS).

Events created through the program planning class start as assignments from assistant professor in the department of sport recreation and wellness Laura Alexeichik. She encourages them to be creative and to think about events that will appeal to what those in the Houghton community want or need. “Through this class my students are learning the details of creation, design, and the employment of events. It’s difficult to plan successful events,” Alexeichik said.

Bridget Dowling ‘17, a recreation equestrian performance major involved in the planning of this event, said, “The event planning process started with a group of students [in the program planning class] getting together and wanting to make a difference in Houghton’s local community.” When asked how the group came up with the charitable aspect of the event, fellow program planning classmate, Rebecca Rex ‘18, a recreation equine management major with minors in business, psychology and equine therapies, explained that they wanted to make the event more immediate to their participants. “The majority of our program planning class has had at least one family member, or close friend, battle cancer,” said Rex. “After looking at the charities in and around Allegany County we decided that ACCS would be best because it has established an intimate impact on the community.” Dowling agreed, adding that, “ACCS was the perfect charity to donate to because they are Allegany County based.”

Rex also sees this event as a way to cultivate her event planning skills. “This is for a great cause as well as allowing us to further our education,” she said. “The skills we have gained and sharpened through this course will allow us to be better professionals in our work fields.”

Other students in the program planning class have events coming up as well. These events include a Magic: The Gathering card tournament in Wellsville on April 1, a scavenger hunt called the “Highlander Hunt” on April 23 from 2-4 pm, and Boces Sports Spectacular on Friday, April 21. Boces Sports Spectacular has been an annual event where Houghton’s program planning class works with boce schools from all over Allegany County to engage kids from this area. There will be pony rides, canoeing, rock climbing, human bowling, and much more.

Alexeichik see this as a valuable experience for the students in her class. “I love seeing students grab ahold of these opportunities, taking what they learn in class and getting excited about planning events. Impacting the community.”

Rex and Dowling both hope for a good turnout on April 2. Dowling said, “It is open to everyone! You can walk, run, hop, skip or jump your way to the finish line!”

For more information and to register online go to www.houghton.edu/5k/.

 

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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

Student-Created Organization Encourages Interfaith Collaboration

Two years ago, Daniel Bellerose ’17 started an interfaith environmental project in Western New York. It was a way to connect faith groups in the area to the local environmental movement. His original intent for the project, he said, was to engage faith groups in the surrounding area, like those of Rochester and Buffalo, where there are diverse faith communities. Bellerose also created the organization as a way to use his major, International Development, and his minors, World Religions and Political Science, in a tangible way.

Sustainability coordinator, Brian Webb, has been a mentor to Bellerose for a few years. “Dan is passionate about creation care, sustainability, cultures, and people in general,” he said. “He very clearly sees and understands the dynamic interactions between humans and the environment, and has a sophisticated view about how to address environmental and human challenges together.”

Bellerose’s wife, Rachel Bellerose ’17, said, “Dan is the sort of person who’s always coming up with new ideas, new ways to be involved in the world. He doesn’t just dream about doing things, he does them.”

Today, the organization, now officially titled “The Global Symmetry Project,” is in the process of becoming an official nonprofit. It has also begun to expand out of Western New York, and into an international project. The central missions of the project are fostering dialogue, catalyzing action, and seeking justice. According to the project’s official statement, “We envision a world in which ‘Global Symmetry’ is possible. We seek to create symmetrical interfaith communities both in the ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ world.” The project also states, “To do this work, we partner faith communities in well-off areas to those in areas with a need for sanitation, good governance, or simply peace.”

According to Bellerose, the growth of the Global Symmetry project out of Houghton and into the international community began after spending four and a half months in Tanzania last spring. He experienced the effects of Christian development organizations, and felt lead to extend the reaches of the organization to interfaith development. He said, “What this basically means is that we work with communities from diverse faith backgrounds to create sustainable, holistic development.” The different ways in which this can be achieved are through economic or agricultural development projects, and urban or rural sustainability projects.

Rachel Bellerose also went to Tanzania last spring. She said, “While we were in Tanzania, Dan started noticing a dissonance in how development organizations were focusing their contributions. Although Tanzania is a religiously diverse country, there tends to be a lot more aid going out to Christians than to Muslims or traditional religious groups.” She said Bellerose saw this as problematic, because the unequal aid could be a source of competition and ill feeling between religious groups. Thus, the Global Symmetry Project began.

Bellerose is currently in the first phase of organizational development. He said, “I just recently hired on my first round of interns, which includes people from all around the world, we had applicants from Moldova and Brazil.” Their website, on track to be up and running by July, is being created by Houghton alum Mason Wilkes ’16. The fundraising process is also set to begin in July, which includes raising the necessary funds to become a nonprofit and branding. The goal, according to Bellerose, is to begin development and sustainability projects in five years. These projects will likely take place in the United States and Tanzania.

For more information on the Global Symmetry Project, contact director@globalsymmetryproject.org.

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Campus Stories In Focus

Art Exhibition Features Student Work

The Annual Student Juried Art Exhibition, now on its 28th year, celebrates and showcases the art and talent of students not always seen in the public sphere.  The event celebrates the talent of students from all disciplines, from the visual arts to international development, giving them the opportunity to show their work to the wider college community. “I really love the student show,” said Emily Friesen ‘17. “It’s exciting for the students because you’re professionally showing your work to a wider audience.” Friesen, who works as a gallery assistant, also stated the show is one of her favorites of the year because so many people attend in support of their friends and family members. “It’s lovely to see the gallery so full,” she said.

Assistant professor of art/printmaking and director of exhibitions at the Ortlip Art Gallery, Alicia Taylor, also expressed excitement at the Student Exhibition. She stated that the design stage before the show is one of her favorite parts, and said, “The space with blank white walls at the start of every exhibition design becomes my canvas, and the students’ work becomes the language that I’m tasked with bringing together to form visual statements. The goal of the exhibit as a whole is to take these statements and string them together with very intentional methods to create a story that viewers can experience when walking through the space.” Taylor has been managing the Ortlip Gallery Exhibitions for the last three years.

The actual selection process of the show is in some ways intensive. A juror is chosen to judge the art, and he or she focuses on the quality, craftsmanship, and concept of the submissions. The process is impartial, says Taylor, each student’s name remaining anonymous as the juror examines the work.

On the part of students accepted to the exhibition, there is a presiding feeling of affirmation of their artistic abilities. Ellen McCutcheon ‘18 said, “I’m honored to see my art in the show. It’s really affirming as an artist to see my work on display.” This is McCutcheon’s first year in the exhibition, accepted for her submission of a small piece she painted while studying abroad in Tanzania.

Hannah Banks ‘18, who has submitted work to the show every year, said that her favorite part of the exhibition is, “getting to see my fellow artists’ work and seeing it in a gallery setting…

I think the collective student work compliments each other well.” You can see Banks’, McCutcheon’s, and other students’ work tomorrow , March 18, from 6 p.m.  to 8 p.m. Many of the pieces are also available for purchase.

 

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Stories In Focus

Professor “Connects Cultures” in Oman

Earlier this semester, Laura Alexeichik, assistant professor of sport, recreation, and wellness, spent three weeks in the Middle East working on a research project through Connecting Cultures. Alexeichik spent her time in Oman, located in the Arabian Peninsula, and bordering Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and United Arab Emirates.

Alexeichik graduated with her Ph.D. two years ago from Indiana University. Her dissertation focused on research she did with Connecting Cultures in Oman. Her trip to Oman this year was an opportunity to continue research looking at the impacts of participation within a culturally focused experiential learning experience.

According to their official website, Connecting Cultures is a unique educational program that gathers students from countries in Europe and the Arab world to promote intentional, face to face dialogue in short journeys through the desert of Oman. “This program brings youth that are 18-25 years old from all over Europe and the Arab world,” Alexeichik stated. “There are twenty participants: ten from Europe and ten from the Arab world.” She continued, “Connecting Cultures brings them together for a five day desert expedition that focuses on intentional discourse and dialogue towards building respect and mutual understanding.”

The environmentthe participants endure creates a level playing field. “They’re in the desert,” Alexeichik explained. “They’re hiking. They have no cell phones. They’re going to the bathroom outside. They are sleeping in tents or under the stars and they come to realize how powerful the environment is while having these conversations. You’re exposed.” She added, “Everyone is tired, hungry, or covered in sand and it neutralizes the participants by creating an uncomfortable environment for everyone. It allows them to have these real and raw conversations.”

The purpose of this program is to expose the stereotypes and assumptions these young people have by bringing them through an intentional curriculum. “One of the major parts of the curriculum is having conversations about what people value,” Alexeichik said. “They come to find that the values of people from the Arab world and from Europe are the same, that we hold the same values and we’re not so different.”

Although Alexeichik was not a participant or a facilitator, as an outsider she was still able to interact with the participants as she completed her research. Her research provides her with a unique perspective that can impact the influence she has in the Houghton community as a professor. Assistant professor of recreation and equestrian studies, Andrea Boon, anticipates the continued impact Alexeichik’s research will have on students. “We are excited about the depth of knowledge and experience Dr. Laura Alexeichik brings to the Sport, Recreation and Wellness department,” she said. “Her continued research and intercultural connections opens doors to cross cultural student engagement and encourages continued growth of our student’s worldviews.”

Cross-cultural engagement is necessary for breaking down stereotypes and assumptions, but it often doesn’t come without a cost. “We often have to come to grips with our own ways of thinking about others and be willing to expand our views and opinions about others,” Alexeichik shared. “If we limit the ways in which we think about people different from us we become a part of the problem, rather than the solution.”

 

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Arts Stories In Focus

Film Review: Get Out

We all have different thresholds for confrontation. For some, all they need are a few off-handed comments diminishing their favorite book or an uninformed insinuation that grains are the most important food group to go flying off the verbal handle. Yet for others, the benefit of the doubt will still remain intact even after the “local neighborhood chainsaw salesman” they let into the house has started swinging at them. “I’m sure it was just an accident.” It is in this relational ambiguity that Jordan Peele’s recently released film Get Out finds it’s home, and manages to unnerve the viewer in ways that are far deeper than its genre format may initially suggest. Paranoia runs rampant in the uncomfortable and the awkward, when people are just a few degrees away from understanding each other, but can’t quite connect. What people do to each other within this disconnect is what’s truly terrifying.

The film centers on Chris Washington, played by Daniel Kaluuya, who is black, and his girlfriend Rose Armitage, played by Allison Williams, who is white. Chris knows this shouldn’t be a big deal in modern society, but the desire to preface a relationship in such a way is often culturally expected even though distinguishing between “interracial relationships” and whatever painful phrase indicates a “same race relationship” can lead to strange confrontations. So when he leaves the city to visit his girlfriend’s family for the first time, he is prepared for the worst. While they are not nearly the prejudiced suburban family that he imagined living deep in the woods, he can’t help but feel that they interact with him in a way that’s quietly unsettling. When the groundskeeper and maid start behaving oddly, Chris begins to think that the family has planned something sinister for him.

It is incredibly difficult to talk about this movie to people who haven’t seen it. No matter how much you gush about its impeccable pacing, tremendous performances, and witty writing, it can’t be proven until it is seen. This film is bonkers, yet it manages to restrain itself and worm its way into your mind with silent, subconscious tension. It’s brilliant, and worth seeing if you have even the tiniest of stakes in the cinematic landscape of the modern world.

Get Out is delightfully clever, and from the film’s first moments it is clear that you are in the hands of a methodically constructed work of fiction. It knows its audience is intelligent, and treats them in kind, which is a refreshing experience from a low-budget horror film. When the pieces of the plot start fitting together and you think you are getting ahead of the story, characters will chime in to explain that they’ve made the same connections, just to remind you that the movie knows what it’s doing. This is usually the result when a brilliant writer and director are working in tandem, and in this case, both are Jordan Peele. While Peele showcased some of his directorial prowess on his often brilliant sketch show Key and Peele, this film proves that he can easily translate his skills to long-form drama while still keeping an air of wit and comic relief that is more than welcome when the tension starts growing unbearable. There has never been such an organic balance between dread and humor in a movie of this kind, and it is a genuinely wonderful experience to feel tonal balance shift back and forth with ease.

This movie is weird, sincerely odd, and it’s all the better for it. It is tightly plotted, scripted, directed, shot, marketed (but please avoid the trailer if you can), and is easily a masterwork of genre filmmaking. Go see this movie, you will not regret it. And if somehow you do, find a friend to talk it over with because part of Get Out’s design is that it is meant to be discussed, parsed, and obsessed over. If you have any desire to watch a movie from a perspective you haven’t experienced before and come out a changed person, albeit with a slight aversion to lacrosse sticks, hypnotism, and deer, you will not be disappointed.

 

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Campus Stories In Focus

SPCA Brings Puppies and Kittens to Campus

For the stressed college student far from home and the comfort of their own pets, sometimes the chance to cuddle a furry friend can be the difference between a good afternoon and a complete breakdown. Every few weeks, students at Houghton have just this opportunity. The psychology club has organized an event where students need only to take a trip to the main lounge in Gillette to be surrounded by puppies and kittens. This event began when members of the counseling center discovered a new Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) shelter being built in Belmont, and realized an opportunity to provide overstressed students with a few moments of relaxation.

The director of the counseling center, Bill Burrichter, was instrumental in the creation of this event. “We [the counselors] met with Linda, the director and president of the local SPCA,” he said. “She gave us  a tour of the new building, and we talked about ways in which we could partner together. So, it was simply a meeting where we expressed a desire to have animals on campus periodically for emotional support for students. She was pleased to help out whereas they like to have the animals socialized with people so that when they go to a forever-home they are familiar with safe and caring people.” Burrichter also added  once the new facility is completed, the counseling center hopes that students will be able to volunteer, helping to care for the animals as they await adoption.

Right away, the event became wildly popular. Kevin Biondolillo ‘17, a member of the psychology club, recalled its astounding success. “I believe the event began with a Stress Fair two years ago when the counseling center had a couple of puppies in their office with a five minute time slot per student in line. The line was over an hour long, so the counseling center knew students really wanted more animal events.” Biondolillo described how the event developed from the Stress Fair format into a circle of chairs and a pile of Bernese Mountain dog puppies, and from this into the event in Gillette lounge.

Burrichter cited the science behind how beneficial the opportunity to pet these animals is. He said, “We know from scientific research that the act of petting an animal can release Oxytocin (a neuropeptide or chemical in the brain) which produces a sense of calm, comfort and focus.  In addition, there is research that suggests that interacting with a pet can also release neurotransmitters such as dopamine and serotonin (that helps alleviate depressive or anxious symptoms).”

According to BestFriends.org, events like this also helps socialize the animals at the shelter, making them friendlier and more accustomed to being around humans in a loving environment. For shelter animals hoping to be adopted, this socialization is all too important. By being around humans, being pet, held, given treats, and played with, these shelter animals develop the ability to interact well with humans. It makes them less anxious around people and this in turn makes them more adoptable, giving them an opportunity to find a new permanent home.

For many students, going to the SPCA at Houghton events can turn a bad week into a fantastic one. Some are reminded of their own pets at home, and others are just glad of the opportunity to interact with these adorable, curious, furry creatures. There is significant work for the psychology club in organizing and cleaning up after the event, but for Kevin Biondolillo, it is absolutely worth it. “My favorite part is seeing the look on a student’s face when they first see a puppy, cat, or even rabbit,” he said. “More uninhibited joy and selfless affection is seen in that moment than I have seen at many other Houghton events.”

 

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Stories In Focus

Making Literature, Making Connections

This past February break, from March 2 to 4, Houghton students Sophia Ross ‘17 and Ava Bergen ‘17 presented at Taylor University’s Making Literature Conference. The conference, held every other year, invites undergraduates to submit fiction, poetry, and critical essays. If their work is accepted, students present in panels composed of three other students whose work resembles their own. This year’s conference drew students from Houghton, Hope College, Wheaton College, Taylor University, Anderson University, and several more schools. According to the conference’s official website, programming this year also included keynote academic speakers such as Tom Noyes (Houghton College alumni), Jessica Mesman Griffith, David Griffith, Grace Tiffany, Shari Wagner, and Amy Peterson, as well as a book fair hosted by Eighth Day Books.

Houghton students were made aware of the conference by Laurie Dashnau, professor of English. Houghton students have attended the conference in the past, but there was no trip planned to attend the conference this year. Even so, Dashnau invited students to submit papers. Bergen and Ross were informed of their acceptance in early February, and made travel plans accordingly so that they could attend.

Bergen, a double major in English and communication, presented her critical essay, “A Malleable Sense of Justice: Robin Hood’s Enduring Appeal to English Readers” and a collection of poems entitled “Transit.” In her essay, Bergen analyzes the use of Robin Hood as an English hero in different works over time. She researched his role in the texts “A Gest of Robyn Hoode” and the “Little Red Robin” by Vivian Matthews and Alick Manley, and argued that the character continued to be appealing to English readers due to his malleable sense of justice and military successes. She wrote the essay while studying at Oxford University in the Fall of 2016 as part of the Best Semester program. Her collection of poems, meanwhile, focus on the theme of “times of transition, times of uncertainty, and, above all, time spent in motion.”

Ross, a double major in English and writing, presented a fictional short story titled “Gone Places.” The piece takes place on a bus travelling through a snowstorm. There are only two passengers, and both are heading to a nursing home. One passenger is going to visit her dying grandmother and the other passenger is a nurse. The story centers on the relationship between the passenger and her grandmother, which Ross said is loosely based on her own relationship with her grandmother, who suffered from dementia during the last seven years of her life. Ross began the story during her sophomore year in Writing Fiction, a class taught by Lori Huth, assistant professor of creative writing. She came back to the work last semester and revised it for her graduate school applications.

While attending the conference meant working through half of their February break, both students agreed that it was worthwhile.

“I’m glad I attended,” said Ross. “This was my third time presenting at a conference as an undergraduate, which is fairly uncommon for students in the arts and humanities at Houghton. I’m very grateful for the opportunity to connect with students from other schools in my discipline, as well as professionals like Tom Noyes and Jessica Mesman Griffith.” She continued, “I always find it refreshing to see the context in which I’m working. It helps me remember that there is a big world of writers out there.”

Bergen, too, enjoyed the networking aspect of the conference as a source of inspiration.

“Having the opportunity to connect with writers and artists from other schools was wonderful,” she said. “There was also an encouraging underlying message from the pros: failure is inevitable. To be a writer is to entertain rejection. To persist, and continue writing, despite this is life-giving.”

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Campus Stories In Focus

Finding Solace In Silence and Scripture

In Saône-et-Loire, Burgundy, France, one will find an ecumenical monastery called the Taizé (pronounced tah-zeh) Community, made up of Catholics and Protestants living together in a community structured around prayer. According to the Taizé Community’s official website, their existence “is a ‘parable of community’ that wants its life to be a sign of reconciliation between divided Christians and between separated peoples.” Taizé services are solemn, and filled with repetitive music and silent prayer.

Although Houghton, New York is far from Southern France, Taizé-style worship services have arrived on campus. Lindsey Holt ’18, a chapel deacon, has been in charge of putting together these reflective worship services. She said, “I felt like these types of services would be a welcome addition to Houghton’s opportunities for worship.” Lindsey learned about the Taizé Community when she was in high school. “I had the opportunity to go for a week, which is why these services are so meaningful to me,” she said.

The Taizé services on campus consist of 60 minutes of prayer, repetitive singing, acoustic music, and scripture reading. Michael Jordan, dean of the chapel, also helps to plan these services. He said, “The Taizé services are carefully planned with particular choruses mixed in with Scripture readings, especially the psalms, and silent prayer.”

This silent prayer is described by Holt as the most striking part of the service. “In the middle there is 10 minutes of silent prayer,” she said. “I think that having silent prayer for such a long period of time is important, because in most cases we don’t have enough silence in our lives”.

The music of the Taizé worship is intentionally much different from a typical chapel service. Rather than high energy worship music, the songs are usually a simple refrain sung over and over again. The accompaniment, usually piano, violin or guitar, is also simple. According to Holt, this is because “the worshiper is more comfortable with the music, and so able to focus less on singing, and move into deeper meditation on the truth of the words being sung.” Jordan also commented that he thought this style was very important. He said, “It takes seriously our need for stillness”.

The reflective, quiet services of Taizé at Houghton began during the fall semester. Holt planned two services on campus. One took place in the evening, and one during chapel. This semester so far, only one Taizé service has happened, taking place at the end of January. Usually, there are about 20 to 30 people in attendance.

All are welcome to attend and take part in the Taizé Community on campus. “There is a way in which you go to Taizé scattered, but leave gathered—ready to reflect Christ’s love to the world with confidence, fearlessness and joy,” said Jordan. At its core, Taizé strives to be a quiet, peaceful reflective space for one to go and worship in a relaxed and solemn way.  Jordan’s final comments on Taizé were of its necessity on campus. He said, “[The services] provide a very different and very helpful form of worship for over-busy, over-anxious, over-tired college students”.

Taizé takes place in the Wesley Chapel, and the next service is scheduled for the month of March.

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

1 in 1,000: Basketball Player Scores Career Milestone

On Saturday, February 18, basketball player Phil Pellegrino ‘17 scored his 1,000th point in his final career game. This lofty accomplishment was a highlight of Phil’s successful basketball career as a college player.

Pellegrino said he is humbled by this accomplishment, which was achieved through hours of hard work and dedication. “It is an unreal feeling. I have been playing basketball since I was a young kid. All I ever watched on TV was college basketball and I remember wanting to be just like them,” he said. “Scoring the 1,000th point was the icing on the cake for my dream to play college basketball. It makes all of the countless hours spent in the gym worthwhile.”

Pellegrino has been faithfully supported by his teammates and coaches who have encouraged him in this endeavor. “My coaches and teammates are family,” he said. “I love each and every one of them from all my years of playing at Houghton.” He emphasized the importance of camaraderie on the team, and stated, “I couldn’t have achieved this accomplishment if it wasn’t for my teammates. The coaching staff has always been supportive of me, and pushed me to be the best basketball player and man that I could be.”

Corky McMullen, head men’s basketball coach, expressed his appreciation for Phil’s contribution to the team both on and off the court. “Phil has been a joy to coach,” said McMullen. “He has really brought into the new system that we put in place. It’s difficult to get a new coaching staff for your senior year, and he has made our job easy.” He continued, “On the floor he gives us instant offense, and always puts his teammates before himself. Off the floor, he is a man of high integrity and leads our underclassmen by example. It has been an honor coaching this young man.”

Pellegrino’s teammate, Jordan Scott ’17 echoed Coach McMullen’s appreciation. “Phil’s accomplishment reflects his hard work, but more importantly his attitude towards his accomplishment reflects his selflessness,” Scott said. “He rarely discussed the possibility of getting 1,000 points during the year.” He added that Pellegrino was more focused on winning and team success than with this personal accomplishment coming as a result of their playing. “He always put the team before himself and it was refreshing to have him as an unselfish leader for our team.”

On the court, Pellegrino is a player that can be relied on for his dynamic offense. “As a team, we looked to him as a primary scoring option, which is reflected in his 1,000 career points,” Scott ’17 said. “Transitioning to a new offense with a new coach made it difficult, but as the point guard I knew I could trust Phil to score, and I could look for him as an option when facilitating the ball. I am very proud of what Phil has done on the court, but more proud to call Phil a friend for life as a result of the bond we share from being teammates here at Houghton.”

Houghton’s mission in athletics is “excellence for the glory of God.” According to his coach, Pellegrino’s career accomplishment aligns with the mission Houghton strives to implement on and off the court. “Scoring 1,000 points is no easy feat at any level,” said McMullen. “Striving for excellence is all that we do on and off the court. Your identity is not made by wins and losses or scoring 1,000 points. Your identity is in Jesus Christ. Phil is a perfect example of that model. He is a noble servant leader first, and a basketball player second.”

Although his career is almost at its end, Pellegrino expressed that he is grateful for the opportunities he has had on the team. “I am so thankful to be part of the Houghton basketball program,” he said. “I have no regrets leaving the game I love.”