Category: Stories In Focus

During the school year, senior Jens Omdal is a political science major. During the summer, however, he is a professional circus performer working for the Aerial Trapeze Academy. Based in South Florida and Palm Beach, the Aerial Trapeze Academy are experts in the performing arts, presenting circus shows as well as teaching workshops in trapeze to the public. Omdal works as an aerialist and a juggler, specializing in tricks on the flying trapeze and fire juggling. “It’s something I enjoy,” says Omdal. “It’s definitely a challenge but it’s rewarding.”

Omdal began his training in the art of circus performance when he was 11 years old, when lessons were offered at a kid’s camp he attended. As he became more skilled, Omdal went on to work professionally with the circus as his summer job. When asked what initially attracted him to the trapeze, he responded, “I think it’s that I was scared of heights. It was a way of overcoming an obstacle.”

Omdal’s typical workday begins at eight in the morning, teaching students the mechanics of flying trapeze.  Some days are devoted to these classes, with each lesson lasting about an hour. If it’s a performance day, the afternoon is spent setting up for their evening show. Omdal remarks that the Academy’s schedule fluctuates fairly often. “Show times vary; in the summer there’s a lot of carnivals and festivals that want us to perform, so it’s possible we would perform every night for a week. Other times you go three weeks without a show. It depends on where the attractions are.”

When asked specifically about his job description, Omdal described himself not only as a performer, but also as a staff member. “The circus term for it is a Roustabout-someone who sets up the show. Everyone begins as a Roustabout; so you know how to set up the rig, change sets. If you can’t do that, then you’re not helpful to the show, and if you’re not helpful to the show then you are destructive. If all you are capable of is your own particular act, then you’re only good for five minutes.” As well as contributing to set up, Omdal performs a juggling act, starting with a few balls and then slowly increasing the difficulty level up to juggling fire. He also does an Adagio act, meaning an act showcasing an acrobatic partnership typically with a man as a stabilizing base while a woman performs flips and twists. Finally Omdal performs tricks with four other artists on the flying trapeze. These tricks include layouts, or forward moving backflips, and a plounge, which involves placing the trapeze bar behind your hamstrings and arching your body upside down. Acts on the flying trapeze require careful precision and planning. Omdal commented, “We have our tricks planned beforehand because we want our tricks to work together aesthetically as well as sequentially.”

Omdal could feasibly make his living working professionally as a performer and aerialist. When asked why he attends Houghton, he replied, “I desire an education, and Houghton is my outlet for that. A lot of people who perform in the circus make it their career and livelihood. But it’s a short-lived career because of the toll it takes on your body, after 15 or 20 years in the industry your body is well advanced.” Despite the risks involved, Omdal remains passionate about his role as performer, as well as its impact on his life. “Circus is a way of making art with our bodies.  We are creative in our own right. One thing the circus had taught me is that you have to commit. If you’re performing a trick on the trapeze and you don’t commit, you’re going to fall.”

Sodexo works hard to provide food that the students will enjoy and also will be able to work for students of all different backgrounds and lifestyles. Students need food that will give us the nourishment we need for stressful weeks, all-nighters, and the generally busy life of a typical Houghton student.

Growing up, a lot of kids are told to eat what is in front of them, and not complain, we’re not always allowed the luxury of being a picky eater. Here at Houghton, however, Sodexo cares about what we think of the food and what we want to eat, and they are willing to listen.

Houghton is fortunate to have a Food Advisory Committee (FAC). This committee is still relatively new. The FAC only started last year, but have already been able to make an impact and implement nutritious changes to the diet provided by Sodexo.

Essentially, the FAC works as a liaison between the student body and the Sodexo workers. They raise questions such as, is the food good, are the students enjoying it, is there one dish students like more than another, etc. These are all questions Sodexo needs feedback on, and the committee lets students voices be heard.

The FAC is made up primarily of students, but is headed by a Sodexo employee. Last year it was headed by general manager Tina Powers, who worked hard to meet the students’ needs. It was her idea to put up the opinions board where students could write suggestions or complaints in order to be heard. Powers  would read and respond to every single one, no matter how inane the suggestion or complaint might be.

This year, though the leadership of the committee has changed, but its attitudes of service to the students has not. The committee is now is headed by new general manager Kathie Guyler. The board gathers once a month to discuss the issues going on in the dining hall, such as foods students really like, foods students disliked, the rearranging of some food stations, and various other topics. One of the issues faced last year was the removal of napkin holders on tables, which surprisingly created far more discontent than they thought it would. These are all decisions the committee deliberates and decides on in the hopes of making a better situation for all.

Junior Melissa Maclean has been a member of the committee since it began. She said she joined due to her interest in nutrition, and loves being a part of it because it means she “has a say and can advocate for health on campus.”

The committee has only met once so far this semester, but there is room in the committee for more people to join this year. If you are interested in nutrition, in advocating for health, and for making an impact, then the FAC is a great place to start.

As the season changes and the natural beauty of Houghton’s campus is transformed by autumn, one group on campus is working to ensure that the Houghton community cares for this vibrant area. The Eco Reps, the college’s student organization for sustainability and creation care, are now preparing for a full year of encouraging students to engage with the environment surrounding them.

The group, created by Sustainability Coordinator Brian Webb, started in the fall of 2013 as a way to engage students in environmental issues. There was previously a Creation Care Club at the college, but it never drew in large groups of students. Its lack of popularity motivated Webb to approach the concept of a student organization in a different way. Unlike a regular campus club, Eco Reps is a function of the Office of Sustainability. This allows for continuity year-to-year through Webb’s direct involvement in facilitating the organization, as well as for the use of the sustainability budget to aid in financing Eco Reps programming.

“This way there’s a synergy between students’ ideas and the sustainability goals that the college has put together,” said Webb.

Last year, members of the Eco Reps planned a coffeehouse campfire event in the woods, organized a Faith and Sustainability panel, and started the process for two long-term projects. One of these projects seeks to reform the college’s lack of institutional policy to use sustainably sourced paper, which Eco Rep Coordinator, senior Lauren Bechtel, is continuing to discuss with the administration. Another project will  attempt to raise funds to install an apple orchard in the green space between Steese Cottage and the tennis courts. While both Bechtel and her co-leader, Eco Rep Coordinator and junior Daniel Bellerose, look forward to pursuing these initiatives, their main goal for the year can be summed up in one word: awareness.

“Overall, the purpose is awareness,” said Bechtel. “Awareness of how you can make more sustainable decisions on an individual level, but also how we can work together as a community to be wise with what we’ve been given.”

In order to accomplish this objective, as well as to ensure that Eco Reps become a recognizable name on campus, the organization has put more emphasis on planning events to engage the Houghton community. As part of the Young Evangelicals for Climate Action fellowship program, Bechtel and Bellerose participated in a weeklong training program last August that readied them to take leadership positions this year.

“We were able to write down goals and build a solid concrete foundation to move into the school year with,” said Bellerose. “Our big goal for this year is to reach out to every discipline.”

To connect with every department, major, and campus group may seem like an intimidating task, but the Eco Reps are prepared for the challenge. Bechtel and Bellerose have set up monthly themes that will culminate in one event per month. For example, September’s theme “Get Outside” will end with a Trail Mixer this coming Saturday, September 26 in which the Eco Reps will provide free trail mix and guided walks through Houghton’s trails. Other events will include a panel on Faith and Sustainability to offer some philosophical and theological motivations for caring about the environment, and an Arts and Environment Expo next semester.

“Studies have shown that when it comes to environmental issues, people don’t respond to facts,” said Bechtel. “People respond to personal experiences or their previous background, whether that’s religious or political or geographical locations. We’re hoping to communicate the need for action on environmental issues in a way that’s not necessarily based on fact and reason, but on experience and how we perceive reality.”

Now in its third year, the Eco Reps program has grown to fifty-two official members. Thirty students attended this year’s first meeting, and all of them signed up to help plan this year’s activities and events. Webb is thrilled with the enthusiasm.

“It’s an answer to many years of prayer, for me,” said Webb. “Now, finally, large numbers of students are engaging with this and understanding how creation care interacts with our faith.”  

Thanks to the undertaking of Webb and this group of conscientious students, the Eco Reps are primed for another year of engaging in their own understanding of creation care. The Houghton community at large is set to benefit from their continuing efforts.

Purple and Gold Week is coming! Students who have participated in this event before may think this article is being run a semester early, but in fact, it is not. Starting this year, Purple and Gold week will be moved from spring to fall semester in order to coincide with Homecoming Week.

Jason Stephens, Resident Director of Shenawana Hall, said the motivation behind the change is twofold. “Residence Life felt like it would be great to move this week up to Homecoming so alumni can participate in Purple and Gold activities. We want students to begin to build that affinity towards Houghton, and what better way than to have friendly competition that can incorporate alumni, faculty, staff, and current students.”

This year, students can look forward to some new events, alongside the well-known Campus Activity Board (CAB) Coffee House, SPOT, and the homecoming dance. Every night at 6 p.m., CAB will be hosting events outside the Campus Center, including Powder Puff, Ultimate Frisbee, Glow in the Dark Capture the Flag, Pudding Tug-O-War, and Whipped Cream Twister. Additionally, the SGA will be doing lunch activities, which will include minute-to-win-it style competitions.  

Coordinators of this year’s Purple and Gold Week have also decided to re-establish an old Houghton tradition. In the past, students were assigned either purple or gold at the beginning of their first year and stayed on that team for the remainder of their time at Houghton. Kasey Cannister of CAB said, “It was a really big rivalry and every student took the competition seriously…This year’s freshman have been assigned a color and returning students will be asked to choose a color.” Returning students will choose their team during the first event of Purple and Gold Week: the T-shirt pick up, which will take place after chapel on September 28. Team sizes are limited to the number of shirts available.

For those wondering what will replace Purple and Gold Week during the dreary month of February, rest assured Residence Life has another plan in the works. A new week called “Hall Brawl” is being planned. Although details of the event are not yet completely clear, CAB representatives said that—as the name suggests—it will be a competition between Gillette, Lambein, Roth, and Shen. For students living in the townhouses or off-campus, Kasey Cannister says, “Our plan right now is that [they] will still be encouraged to compete. They will simply join the dorm they used to live in.”  

As the week comes to a close, the Advancement Office will host a Fall Festival, which has been a tradition for the past 7 years. On Saturday, October 3, there will be live music playing from the chapel steps from 10:30-11:30 a.m., a tent with game booths run by student organizations and the alumni board, a bounce house, and refreshments which will include cider, doughnuts, and popcorn. Phyllis Gaerte, Alumni Engagement Director, said there will be an inauguration for the first annual Purple and Gold Week of the fall semester. She also said she is thrilled with the level of excitement and participation that students have brought to this year’s event. Students are invited to participate in all the events that are taking place during this semester’s reimagined Purple and Gold Week.

The business department welcomed new faculty members, Pil Joon Kim and Naomi Christensen, this fall. Kim will serve as the Assistant Professor of Business Administration and Christensen as Instructor of Accounting. Christensen was a member of the 2008 Houghton class. She graduated as a Business and Accounting major and was involved in track and field. Many of the current business professors also taught her when she was a student at Houghton. As a student, Christensen enjoyed how “down to earth” her professors were and how they made studying business practical and applicable to daily life. She hopes to implement some of these same principles as she gives her students hands on learning that will prepare them for experiences in the field of accounting.

Before returning to Houghton as a faculty member, Christensen worked at a certified public accountant firm for three years. Later, she applied her work experience to a job with The Seed Company, a Wycliffe Bible Translators affiliated program. She worked out of Texas assisting in translation projects by creating budgets, business plans, and assessing partners overseas. As a field business analyst, she has traveled with The Seed Company to Nigeria, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea. Christensen mentioned the importance of learning to speak the language of business and to present it with integrity. She hopes that this semester will provide her with opportunities to explore what it looks like to integrate ethics and accounting. This fall, Christensen is teaching Financial Accounting and Auditing.

Kim agrees, “It is important to execute ethical norms when performing financial transactions.” Moreover, Kim believes that finance should be a field that Christians study in order to encourage the financial system to serve its intended purpose. Kim mentioned that the focus on financial studies should be “learning ways to mitigate unfair financial damages caused by conventional financial systems, rather than solely to gain wealth.” As an advocate for justice in the financial world, Kim reinforces Houghton’s goal to develop Christian leaders in many different fields of study. Before coming to Houghton this year, Kim taught at a large public university and a smaller private university. He expressed that he is looking forward to working at Houghton because a smaller scale school encourages individual attention for each student. Before teaching, Kim was a student at the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. During his masters and doctoral programs, Kim studied and researched many different subjects including corporate finance, fixed income, investment, and asset pricing, to name a few. Currently, he hopes to expand his research in financial markets. This includes topics such as security, bond, foreign currency, derivatives, and financial interest. Kim stated, “It is my duty as a financial professional to teach students to stay within the system and directly engage in the management of wealth which God has entrusted to them in a way that is honoring to him.” This fall, Kim is teaching Business Communication, Entrepreneurship, Financial Management, and Security Analysis & Portfolio Management.

This year’s Christian Life Emphasis Week (CLEW) was graced with the teachings of key speaker and public intellectual, Doctor Richard J. Mouw. In settings such as chapel, lunch discussions, night sessions, and a coffeehouse Q and A, the theologian and philosopher exhibited the wisdom, grace, and humility he taught. Engaging and bright, Mouw spoke to the heart of Christian engagement with culture, pushing students to more deeply consider how their faith interacts with the world around them and how they can express love to those they disagree with.

The celebration of CLEW during the first week of classes is a long standing tradition at Houghton College. It originated as a two week revival which invigorated the campus at the beginning of the new semester.

In recent years CLEW has served as a half week focused on realignment of priorities. Michael Jordan, Dean of the Chapel, said of CLEW, “It’s a way to set our minds on the things most important and to say as a community that our walk with Christ is important to us.”

During the week Mouw focused on awareness and thoughtful reaction to current events. This attention complimented Dean Jordan’s “Beyond the Bubble” semester-long, worship theme that aims to cultivate an internal, Christ-like foundation from which to react from.

Mouw’s sermons flowed cohesively with the undercurrent of “Convicted Civility” which is the idea that Christians should be people of great convictions who hold to those convictions while exhibiting all kindness and civility. In short, the way with which we interact with the world is as important as the ideas we bring to it.

During the coffeehouse chat Mouw shared about a time he spoke on NPR to a gay right’s activist.  He treated the activist with respect and love asking, “Why are you hurt by and scared of people like me and how can we change that?” Later in the show someone called in on air and accused Mouw of bigotry. The activist responded to the caller defending Mouw. It is possible to disagree with someone and show them palpable love despite that difference.

Daniel Bellerose, a Junior International Development major, was struck by Mouw’s stance. He said of Mouw, “He is conservative and I am liberal, but I get along great with him. He doesn’t attack with his beliefs. Instead he strives for common understanding on both sides. He is teaching and exemplifying the key to bipartisan action and inter-party peace.”

Mouw’s idea of convicted civility is reminiscent of a book and movie that was popular several years ago. Donald Miller’s Blue Like Jazz tells the story of nonreligious thoughts of Christian spirituality. The pivot point of the memoir occurs when the college, which is passionately anti-Christian, is recovering from a reckless weekend of campus-wide chaos including heavy drug and alcohol use. Don and his Christian friends build a confession booth in the middle of their campus with a sign that says, “CONFESS YOUR SINS.” However, there is a twist. When the students come into the booth the Christian inside is the one confessing. Miller writes,

“We are going to confess to them.  We are going to confess that, as followers of Jesus, we have not been very loving; we have been bitter, and for that we are sorry.  We will apologize for the Crusades, we will apologize for those televangelists who steal people’s money, we will apologize for neglecting the poor and the lonely, we will ask them to forgive us, and we will tell them that in our selfishness we have misrepresented Jesus on this campus.  We will tell people who come into the booth that Jesus loves them.”

The novel and Mouw’s sermons bring light to a deep need in the world for mutual respect, love, and humility. Being Christ-like in hard conversations means remembering that we are all human beings with thoughts, feelings, and experiences that have shaped us for better or worse. It means loving one another even through disagreements and debates. It means holding strongly to our convictions, but sharing them with tenderness.

As a Christ-centered college, part of the Houghton community is engaging in spiritual life together. This year Dean of the Chapel Michael Jordan is hoping to revitalize spiritual practice on campus by providing new channels to come together in worship.

When asked about these changes, Jordan replied, “Well, some of it’s new, some of it’s just tweaking what we did before. This semester I moved morning prayer earlier (7:30am) so it doesn’t conflict with classes at all.” What was known as evening prayer last year is now communion at 3:45 pm in the 3rd Floor Library. Jordan discusses his reasoning for the time and building adjustments: “I moved evening prayer out of the basement prayer chapel, I wanted it to be a little more integrated with the academic stuff that we do. It’s before people have left, before faculty have gone home so they can still participate.” The decision to shift from an evening prayer service to a daily communion service is one motivated by Jordan’s passion for Christian practice. “Changing evening prayer to communion was a desire to integrate ritual more into our life together…practicing it every day says communion is really important here, without making it something where everyone is forced to come.”

Student Government Chaplain Melissa Maclean (’17) and Chapel Deacon David Gordon (’16) are both students working alongside Jordan to engage students in spiritual life on campus. As chaplain, Maclean acts as a liaison between students and faculty in spiritual life, as well as plans events that serve to bring them together. She’s currently working on United, a night of worship with our sister college Roberts Wesleyan. “I’m hoping to have a night of prayer, worship, and communion with Roberts. We’ve never done anything like this, which is crazy. I think putting everything aside and coming together with other parts of the body of Christ is critical…Half the worship team will be from Roberts, and the other half will be made up of Houghton students.” United will be held in the recital hall October 23.

As a chapel deacon, Gordon is part of a small group of students who meet every two weeks with Jordan. Though Houghton has had a chapel deacon program in the past, its role was adapted as Jordan “decided to re-envision [the program] as a sort of personal mentoring, with an eye towards vocation.” Each chapel deacon is in charge of one substantial project/event for the year that ties into spiritual life on campus, as well as having additional responsibilities, such as leading prayer or reading scripture in chapel. Gordon tributes the chapel deacon program as a way for him to engage with spiritual life more directly, “Becoming involved in liturgical life on campus is definitely something I have a passion for. I’ve seen the effects it can have to really bring peace to those who need it.”

Jordan is adamant in his belief that shared practices, in spiritual life as well as liturgical life, contribute to a community on a foundational level. “I think there are limitations in saying that our shared belief holds us together; shared practices can form a more coherent base for life together.”
As a collegiate community of faith, we are offered the chance for spiritual cultivation; to be rooted in spiritual practice. Jordan urges us to thoughtfully engage with the unique environment Houghton provides:  “If you are serious about wanting to become the kind of person who is appropriately opinionated and convicted, and at the same time open to the views of others, not made anxious by people who disagree with you, corporate worship is a strategy you can use to become that kind of person. So, neglect chapel at your peril.”