Category: Stories In Focus

Though the senior class gift is not a consistent tradition in Houghton’s 132-year history, gifts to the college from previous classes are still recognizable and well-loved landmarks on campus today. The Luckey clock and bell system, the bridge between Rothenbuhler Hall and the Randall townhouses, the Rock – all of these were donated by a graduating class. On Wednesday, April 22, the Class of 2015 planted their gift, a Christmas tree, beside the Campus Center, intending that it, too, will enhance the Houghton experience for future students.

The history of senior class gifts at Houghton has slowly evolved over the years. Houghton’s first president, Dr. James S. Luckey, began the practice by asking graduating students to pledge a sum to give to the college within their first ten years of graduating. The Class of 1925 used their pledge money for the first class gift on record: the memorial outside Fancher marking the birthplace of Willard J. Houghton. Not every class that followed gave a gift, but several classes continued with practical gifts, such as hymnals (Class of ’37), clocks (Class of ’42), and campus benches (Class of ’48). By the 1990s, the tradition had changed so that class cabinets gave money from their budget surpluses rather than pledges. The system reverted back to pledges and donations in 2009, when Dan Noyes, Executive Director of Alumni Relations, and a group of students decided it was preferable for classes to use their budgets entirely for class activities. Now, cabinets encourage their classes to donate the amount of their class year; for example, the class of 2009 donated $20.09, and so on.

The process classes undertake to choose their gift has also changed. While previous senior class cabinet members made the final decision among themselves and the Alumni Relations Office, their role has shifted. Now, the group solicits ideas from their own class members, and collects practical options from which the entire senior class selects by voting.

“We want the class to feel like this is their gift,” said Noyes. “This process creates a good experience for everybody, and we get things we wouldn’t have even thought of, like this tree.”

The idea for the Christmas tree originated at the end of last semester in a conversation between Senior Class Cabinet President, Luke Lauer, and Director of Student Programs, Greg Bish. The idea further developed for Lauer in a conversation with a fellow class member, who mentioned that Christmas decorations were lacking. The class cabinet, currently composed of President Lauer, Social Chair Katie Szwejbka, and Treasurer Nathan Sircy, figured that a Christmas tree would fill this need as a focal point to be decorated for the Christmas season, while also acting as a landmark they could visit during reunions.

In February, the senior class voted for the Christmas tree and its decorations as their official class gift, and the cabinet proceeded to secure a location. With help from Grounds Supervisor Dennis Eerdman and Director of Community Relations Phyllis Gaerte, the cabinet chose a spot outside of the Campus Center, close enough to an electric outlet so that the tree can be lit at Christmas time. The tree, a ten-foot white fir, was planted Wednesday, Earth Day 2015.

The cabinet envisions future students leading a tradition associated with the tree. “What that looks like exactly, we’re not totally sure, but our goal is to make it some sort of class tradition for the seniors, because the seniors don’t really have a formal tradition,” said Lauer.

Szwejbka added, “I think there’s a lot of potential for this to be not just something the college takes care of, but something that the student body interacts with. I’d actually compare it to the Rock. The college could paint the Rock every couple weeks, but students take that initiative and they have fun with it. I’d love to see the tree function in the same way.”

Local Dance Studio Offers Opportunities for Aspiring Dancers of All Skill Levels

In September of 2011, after living in Houghton for only 8 months, Sarah Badger took over an empty studio on Route 19 and began Houghton Movement and Arts Center with 40 students. The building she currently occupies was previously owned by Sandy Charles who taught dance at her studio named “Pointe by Pointe”.

“We saw that dance needed to continue in Houghton. I started initially just thinking I would offer some private lessons to performers who wanted to keep up with dance. It just sort of occurred to me that this building could be put to really good use and I envisioned a way of bringing not just dance but other forms of recreation and performing arts to students in Houghton,” explained Badger, “This could really be a third space for performing arts that’s outside of the schools.”

Badger began her training at age four with dreams of being a professional dancer. When she was ten she switched to studying purely classical ballet. She trained at the Ballet San Antonio Academy and also attended a magnet High School for dance, the Northeast School of the Arts. She left Texas for New York City to go to Marymount University. She didn’t study dance in college, but danced professionally while training at the Ailey School. “My plan was always to stay in New York City and have a dance career there. When I married my husband he had not been to college yet and when I finished school he was really interested in attending a Christian liberal arts college. So, we ended up in Houghton.”

Badger felt frightened starting such a new enterprise. “I had never set out wanting to own a dance studio. I had always seen myself as a performer – maybe teaching a little down the line,” said Badger. She enjoyed her first teaching job in New York City. When the Badgers moved out to Houghton, Badger jumped on the opportunity to teach, “It was definitely a little bit scary, but I tend to see potential in things and want to make things as good as they can possibly be.”

The studio has done well in the rural setting. It is growing each year and branching out to offer new classes and more performances. Badger said,“People tend to think a dance studio is just for little girls, but we’re so much more than that. We have tons of adult programs. We’ve offered acting and voice classes in the past. We have adult dance classes and dance and fitness and theatre arts – things that can be enjoyed by a lot of different people.”

One of the developments the studio has made in the past year is the creation of Genesee Dance Theater. This is a semi-professional dance company, meaning that a fraction of their dancers are not professionals – students, teenagers, community members – who are working alongside local professional dancers. This past December they put on a well-received performance of the Nutcracker, a performance they plan on continuing annually. Ultimately, the goal of the company is to put on two to three annual performances in Western New York.

The college, though not exclusively connected to the studio, has a good mutual relationship. Kayleen Norcutt ‘16 has taught classes at the studio and dances there regularly and said, “Most students I talk to are surprised when they discover that there is a dance studio in Houghton. I found it about a year before I began college, and was in contact with Badger throughout that year regarding job and dance opportunities. It was certainly a deciding factor in attending Houghton.”

Kara Bartholomew has been teaching classes for the past two semesters. “Dancing has taught me how to meet people at different spots in their lives. Throughout my years of teaching I have encounter many students at all different levels,” said Kara.

The studio is now at a transition point. With her husband Graham graduating from Houghton this semester, he is looking to work in his field which might require them to move. The couple wants to stay local, but aren’t certain where they will end up. Because of this, Badger doesn’t want to commit to owning the studio for another full year. Rachel Phillips, a former instructor for Badger, owns a studio in Fillmore called STEPS. HMAC will merge with STEPS under the ownership of Phillips. Badger says very little is going to change and that she will stay on staff as a ballet teacher and consultant.

Badger sees the studio as a place where students can deeply develop their skills whether they are looking to dance professionally or just to keep up their training and health. She encourages all of her students to follow their dreams, “If a student comes to me and they really want to be a professional dancer, I’m not going to laugh at them and say ‘That’s not possible because you live in Houghton or you live in Allegany County’.”

When Lois Ross first joined the Houghton faculty in fall of 2008, she wasn’t anticipating that within two years the accounting major would be cut. Ross, associate professor of accounting, is and has been the only accounting professor at Houghton since her arrival at the college. Once the major was cut, Ross got right to work to bring it back.

Through an immense amount of research and work, Ross helped reframe the justification for having an accounting major. Kenneth Bates, associate professor of business administration, said that because of Ross, “We were able to make a strong, irrefutable case as to why the college needed to bring the accounting major back.”

Ross’s dedication and determination did not go to waste. The following fall, the major was reinstated. “She breathed life into a program that had died,” said Bates, “Since then it has grown leaps and bounds.”

Bates and Ross are longtime acquaintances, both attended Houghton and were only a couple years apart. He was a busboy at the old dining hall that used to be in the basement of Gillette, and she was a waitress, and that’s where the friendship was born. They kept in touch over the years and when a position opened up for an accounting professor at Houghton, Bates notified Ross and suggested that she interview for it. She did, of course, and they went from being classmates to colleagues.

Aside from being known as the person to bring back the accounting major, Ross is also known for her humor. “When I first met Professor Ross, I thought she was unapproachable, but once I got to know her, I found out that she was actually pretty funny,” said senior, Kevin Miranda, and accounting major who came to Houghton the year that the major had it’s revival. “I appreciate her sense of humor,” said Bates “She has brought levity to situations that have been too serious.”

Most people view accounting as tedious. “I had this misconception that accounting was uninteresting and that accountants didn’t have a lot of personality,” said Miranda. However, over the years Ross has proved just the opposite to him. “She makes accounting more interesting, especially once you get past the introductory classes,” said Miranda “She relates some of her own experiences to her teachings, rather than just teaching from the textbook.”

The students at Houghton, in particular the accounting students, are what have made the biggest impact on Ross. “Getting to know the students and prepare them as Christians in the business world has been really neat,” said Ross. Being the only accounting professor and advisor to many, she has developed close relationships with those students. “I’m excited when I think about some of these students graduating because I am thinking what an impact they are going to have and how the Lord is going to use them,” said Ross. “I will miss the interaction with them definitely.”

The students have enjoyed interacting with her as well. “I have heard regularly how much her advisees enjoy getting to know her outside of the classroom,” said Bates. He continued, “She has a cheerful personality and maintains an even keel.” Miranda added that Ross creates a better learning environment because of her willingness to help students understand the material. “You get the sense that she cares,” he said. “She is always available to help and genuinely wants to help. She is very personable and easy to talk to.”

Ross has dabbled in a lot of different things during her career. After receiving her B.A. at Houghton, she went on to get her M.A. at California State at Los Angeles then proceeded to get her M.B.A. from SUNY Buffalo. Ross worked in both public and private accounting firms, taught at the high school level, and received CPA credentials. Her last stop in her career was Houghton, where she said she was “happy to meld my two interests together, teaching and accounting.”

What does Ross plan to do come fall when she doesn’t need to report back to campus? “Decompress,” she said laughingly. After her eight years of teaching at Houghton, she is ready to leave the work behind, but not the people. “I will miss the students and my colleagues, but I wont miss the work,” chuckled Ross.

Ross also plans to spend time with her family, go away to Florida for a month, and tend to her vegetable garden.