Category: Stories In Focus

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Stories In Focus

After Houghton: Seniors Accepted to Graduate Programs

For those of us enveloped in the familiar “Houghton bubble,” the thought of life after college can easily get crushed under more immediate obligations: Assignments, exams, delicious oven-baked cookies in the dining hall.

Inevitably, the reality of life after Houghton must be acknowledged. As graduation rapidly approaches, many students contemplate leaving as they move on to the next step of furthering their education: graduate school.

Senior Ben Murphy is one such student, going to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for a PhD in English. His ultimate goal is to become an English professor, though while at school he hopes to focus on 20th century to contemporary American literature. “I want to study post-humanism. It has to do with science studies: how science and technology may change what it means to be human.” When asked about the application process, Murphy commented, “It’s not terribly expensive, but the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is necessary and that’s like 200 bucks…I spent a lot of time researching graduate programs…to get into the programs, you have to be really specific about the professors you want to work with in your personal statement.”

Outside of the English department, junior Rebekah Kimble is currently applying to schools in order to earn her PhD in history. For Kimble, this process has been extended and strenuous as Kimble admitted  “Right now the history job market is terrible. It’s completely flooded with people who have graduated and have a PhD.  Most of the programs I want to get in are only accepting 6-10 students into their entire history program. There are around 400 applicants per program, so I’m actually applying to 18 schools.”

However, this abysmally low acceptance rate has not deterred Kimble in the least. “I really love the subject, and I see it as an opportunity to be a Christian in a secular university… to be a witness without evangelizing per se, being an example without hitting people over the head with religion. Also, I just love researching. Going to graduate school enables me to research what I love and publish books.” Despite the current job market, Kimble has decided to pursue her passions.

Senior Abigail Bruxvoort will attend Northwestern University to procure her PhD in philosophy. Applying to a total of 11 schools, Bruxvoort described her application process: “I took the GRE last May, and I did some basic research on schools over the summer and created a list of schools to apply to. Then, in October and November I started preparing my writing sample, writing a statement of intent, and asking for letters of recommendation…The main difficulty with applying and visiting schools has been being a full time student in the midst of it all.”

When asked about her decision to go to graduate school, Bruxvoort replied, “Why am I going? Because I would happily spend the rest of my life in philosophy classrooms.”

While a PhD program may be what first comes to mind when it comes to talking about graduate school, some Houghton students have their eyes on different goals. Senior Jim Vitale anticipates working toward his Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. When asked about his future plans, Vitale responded, “I have been pursuing an interest in ministry on and off for almost eight years now, and my love for theology has only grown in my time at Houghton. I hope to use this degree to be ordained a Lutheran pastor and serve a church somewhere.”

Senior Caleb Johnson plans to attend George Mason University to further his studies in International Relations. “I’m an IR major and I love it. I want to join the Foreign Service. Graduate school will present me with opportunities and internships, and give me the experience I need to pass the Foreign Service test.”

From the science department, senior Esther Schow intends to enter Auburn University to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine.  Speaking about her passion for becoming a veterinarian, Schow commented, “I love caring in a tangible way that conjoins the academic side of science, with the emotional side of animal husbandry… since high school, I have known that I wanted to either become a doctor or veterinarian, so graduate school has always been something I assumed I would do.”

Applying for graduate school can be an arduous process which requires planning, research, time, and a moderate amount of cash, but for those with the desire, the opportunity to further their education and grab their goals is entirely worth the effort.

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Stories In Focus

House of Cards Returns with a Shocking Second Season

The smash hit political drama House of Cards came roaring back this year in its second season, continuing the story of Vice President Francis “Frank” Underwood’s lust for power.

The show takes it cue from Shakespeare’s Macbeth. Francis and his wife Claire do whatever is necessary to take control and gain power in Washington, D.C. The political drama has it all: violence, murder, sex, revenge, drug abuse, and political manipulation. The show is also an exposition of the relationships that occur outside the political realm. Relationships between characters blur from the Capitol Building to a small barbeque stand in the city, of which Frank is a frequent customer. All the characters have their demons and passions, leading their own lives to satisfy their own desires. But the many side-characters that exist in the show are merely pawns to Frank and Claire’s grand scheme to take control. And yet for all this excitement the show takes a very slow pace. Climaxes are slow to build and slow to diffuse.

In a way, House of Cards attempts to mimic real life. Unlike shows like 24, where the president is involved in gunfights and assassination attempts, House of Cards is more political, with gears slowly turning, plans slowly unraveling, paths crossing, and enemies slowly building ammunition. This is a show that takes patience, and pays off only a little at a time. Despite the plot’s sluggish unraveling, there are enough shocking scenes to keep the viewer asking for more. The first episode of Season 2 may be the most shocking thing you have ever seen on television. But you will have to experience that for yourself.

Courtesy of www.netflix.com
Courtesy of www.netflix.com

Season 2 picks up the show’s plot from where it left off at the end of Season 1. The first season follows Underwood’s ascension from Majority Whip in the House of Representatives to United States Vice President. At the end of Season 1, we are left wondering how characters will respond to Frank Underwood’s immoral behavior as well the fate of a number of characters whose lives hang in the balance. In Season 2, Underwood continues to strong-arm President Garret Walker to the chagrin of Raymond Tusk, the President’s billionaire best friend, in an effort to consolidate his influence within the White House. After Underwood wins over the president, Tusk seeks revenge by attacking the reputation of everybody Frank loves. Underwood is forced to control the damage of Tusk’s actions while still maintaining his own influence over President Walker and Congress.

The slow pace of House of Cards, has the advantage in allowing the viewer to see the development of each character. Francis, for example, is calculating, aware of his plan to seize power from the very beginning. He is ruthless, willing to do whatever it takes to further his own career. He plays whatever role he needs and there no limits to what he will do, and indeed, what he actually does. Claire is as calculating as her husband. She is Lady Macbeth, willing to sabotage anyone who stands in the way of her and her husband’s success. She is calm and seductive when she needs to be, but equally biting and harsh when the situation calls for it. Doug, Francis’ right-hand man, evokes a level of compassion that none of the other characters ever quite achieve. Among all of the backstabbing and power struggles, Doug appears to be the only one who is grappling with his own demons: alcoholism and sex. Yet his character is still guilty on some level in participating in his boss’s venomous power struggle and manipulation. Doug understands, however, that he is Frank’s pawn, and often tries to work that to his advantage.

But before you go and decide that all of this amoral power struggling is not for you, it is well worth noting the quality of the acting that Kevin Spacey, Robin Wright, Kate Mara, and the rest of the cast deliver. Spacey’s gentile southern accent will have you convinced that he was born with a southern drawl and raised to southern hospitality. The actors live into their characters so well, it will become hard for you to remember that these are actors, and not cogs in the political machine. If you decide to watch House of Cards for no other reason, do it for Spacey’s superb acting.

The show is not for the faint of heart, however. This is a Netflix original series, which means that it is barely regulated. The language is very strong, there are some instances of graphic violence, and some of the sex-scenes are borderline pornographic. Unlike Game of Thrones, however, there is no important information contained in those scenes of graphic sexuality so it is easy to skip them.

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Stories In Focus

The Lyric Theatre Presents: Children of Eden

Friday, April 11, marks the opening of the Lyric Theatre’s production of Children of Eden. Written by the critically acclaimed John Caird (Les Miserables) and composed by three-time Grammy and Academy award-winning Steven Schwartz (Godspell, The Prince of Egypt, and Wicked), Children of Eden is the book of Genesis retold through the format of a musical drama.

Children_of_EdenWhen asked what makes this particular production compelling, Director Mitchell Hutchings enthused, “I am excited to work with these students because of their commitment to a well-crafted end product,  many of these singers and actors have won prizes in their given discipline at very high levels.” Children of Eden remains popular with audience members worldwide, not only for the quality of the music, but also for the fun of seeing familiar biblical characters brought to life on stage.  Senior and Student Director, Aaron Young, commented, “It’s really a story about God’s faithfulness. The big question through the whole show is will God follow through? It’s heavy stuff to think about how Adam and Eve must’ve felt, but there’s also a lot of fun.”

In an interesting coincidence, the musical’s opening falls closely behind the release of Noah, a film that has sparked controversy due to its deviation from the Old Testament text. Children of Eden is also a creative interpretation, and certain artistic licenses are taken. However, unlike Noah, those involved are producing the show with reference to their own Christian worldview. The message conveyed is ultimately one of the fidelity of God, or “Father” as he is named in Act One. Sophomore, Tim McGowan, who plays the role of Adam, remarked, “It’s not biblical Genesis,  it doesn’t claim to be either. I just came in with a really open mind.” Though Children of Eden strays from biblical accuracy, to focus on and rage about inconsistencies would be to miss the point.

Young observed, “Reading the script, a lot of the cast raised their eyebrows and were like ‘I don’t think that’s how God would do it.’ I think, if you stop and think about that phrase, that’s the adventure of the Christian life, figuring out who our God is. If we want to be empowered, gospel-bringing believers, we need to stop and understand other people’s worldviews.” The musical humanizes the characters in Genesis providing insight into their probable motivations, hopes, and fears which are not wholly present in the biblical text. The writers explored and read between the lines.

Children of Eden is director Mitchell Hutchings’s first musical production at Houghton College. When asked why he chose this particular show he said,“I saw Children of Eden while I was still a student at Western Carolina University, and I completely fell in love with it. I liked its theme, and I liked that it was willing to talk about some tough issues.”

When asked about the impact the musical has made on his life so far, Young enthused, “I can say this is one of the best musical experiences I’ve ever had. Working with the cast, with the chorus, I’m shocked at how well they’re getting along. I have sort of a ‘proud parent’ moment every rehearsal. Our faith unifies us, our love for music, our energy, so yeah, I would say we are a family.”

Children of Eden is a production that breathes new life into the Old Testament text, humanizing the characters of Genesis and providing insight into stories we’ve been told since Sunday School. It will be performed in Wesley Chapel, Friday and Saturday, April 11 and 12. Tickets are available for purchase in the Campus Center.

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Looking Back at the First Season of Veronica Mars

“Sarah, you have to watch this show.”

Like most fans of Veronica Mars, I heard about the show word-of-mouth.

“Really? What’s it about?”

“It’s about this girl who’s trying to solve the murder of her best friend. It’s really good. You should watch it.”

Courtesy of veronicamars.wikia.com
Courtesy of veronicamars.wikia.com

So began my high school obsession. Veronica Mars soon skyrocketed to become my favorite TV show as I powered through the 11th grade. Strong, relatable, female lead? Check. Clever dialogue? Check. Intriguing mystery arcs? Check. Neo-noir feel? Double check.

Admittedly, I was watching reruns of the series at that point. Though Veronica Mars reached high critical acclaim for its first season, which aired in 2004, its ratings were never quite able to keep up. The show was abruptly cancelled after its third season in 2007, without too much thunder.

But there was still a lingering rumble. For years afterwards, hardcore fans were pressuring Warner Brothers–who owned the Veronica rights–to make a feature-length movie. The film was finally realized last year when a Veronica Mars movie initiative on Kickstarter raised enough cash, in addition to shattering Kickstarter records. In less than 24 hours, the project reached its initial $2 million ask, but fans still kept donating. In the end, over 90,000 fans contributed to a total of $5.7 million to make the movie. Filming began shortly afterwards and the movie premiered on March 14 of this year, ten years after the first season’s premiere and six years after the final season’s cancellation.

I’ll admit it: I was not one of those 90,000+ fans. I never donated to the Kickstarter project, despite my younger self’s proud dedication to the show. Veronica and I used to be friends, a long time ago, but to be honest, I hadn’t thought of her lately at all. In many ways, I wanted to put my high school days behind me.

Nevertheless, the hype has brought me back; this semester I found myself powering through the first season all over again, nostalgically remembering what I liked about the show so much in the first place and what I still love about it now–years later.

The first season opens in the aftermath of a series of traumatic events that happened in the life of the teenage main character, Veronica Mars. It starts with the murder of her best friend Lilly Kane–daughter of billionaire software developer Jake Kane and sister of Veronica’s ex-boyfriend. When Veronica’s father, Sheriff Keith Mars, goes after Jake for Lilly’s murder, the town goes crazy and forces Keith out of office. The Mars family soon become outcasts and Veronica’s mother skips out of town shortly after. Keith gets a private investigator’s license and Veronica learns “the tricks of the trade” under her father’s tutelage. Throughout the season, she applies the skills she learns at her dad’s PI agency to solve Lilly’s murder.

Most of the exposition is told via flashback sequences scattered throughout the season. This helps ground the viewer in some solid character development, particularly on the part of Veronica who, during the flashbacks, is portrayed as a preppy, popular pushover. When the dreamlike flashback ends, however, viewers are thrown sharply back into reality. Instead of a teen fairytale-esque Veronica, we see a spiky-haired outsider with a razor-sharp tongue and a hard-boiled attitude. It’s clear that Lilly’s death changed Veronica deeply–in some bad ways, but also some good.

Despite her tough exterior, however, Veronica is not immune to vulnerabilities. Throughout the season, Veronica solves one minor, standalone case per episode (whether it’s dognapping, school bomb threats, or rigged student council elections) alongside piecing together clues to several other cases that test her confidence and personal strength. The most prominent (and central) of these cases is her best friend’s murder, but throughout the series she also attempts to resolve her rape, her mother’s disappearance, and her true paternity.

Ultimately, the season turns on Veronica’s relationship with her dad–perhaps one of the most positive parent-child relationships ever portrayed on TV. As Veronica narrates in an early episode, “[My friends] gave me a choice. I could stand by my dad or I could stand by [my boyfriend] and my dead best friend’s family. I chose my dad. It’s a decision I live with everyday.” Whether her faith in her dad, and the sacrifices she made in sticking by him, will be rewarded is left unresolved until the final episode when Veronica solves the murder (not without a dangerous confrontation with the killer.)

All told, the first season of Veronica Mars is jam-packed with great character development, strong mystery arcs, and subtle nods to classic noir films. To date, it remains one of the most entertaining shows I’ve ever seen–and something I still love even seven years after I first watched the show. Hello again, Veronica, I’m glad we’re still friends.

 

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Houghton’s Literary Magazine Burns Bright

In an average week students regularly see the campus publications The Houghton Star and The Drawing Board strewn about. To break the monotony about twice a semester a different type of publication hits the stacks, Houghton’s literary magazine, The Lanthorn. With its debut volume hitting campus in May of 1932, The Lanthorn has been an outlet for student writers to showcase creative work outside of the writing classroom. Current Lanthorn editor Ben Murphy, senior, compares the Lanthorn to other non-academic functions around campus; “the student juried art show allows any student to put their work out there [and] Java provides a venue for people to play their own music. We do the same sort of thing, I think.”

academics-headerOften run on a low budget, the Lanthorn publishes a range of creative writing, both poetry and prose, and artwork as well. And while the Lanthorn may have obvious appeal to both English and Writing majors, the Lanthorn accepts and encourages work from all majors, a tradition they’ve strived to maintain.

With that in mind, the Lanthorn has served as a sort of jumping off point for writers to kick-start their careers. Current Academic Dean Linda Mills-Woolsey, vice president for academic affairs, and several of her editorial staff are all prime examples of writers that continue to benefit from their experience and involvement with the Lanthorn. Mills-Woolsey herself has published a range of work, mostly poetry, and a number of her group who first published in the Lanthorn went on to have writing careers.

Writing careers aside, the Lanthorn offers experience for those applying to graduate school and jobs outside of the professional writing sector; 2013 Lanthorn Editor alumna Hannah Hanover, added that “participation and publication in a college’s literary magazine or compilation is highly desirable when applying to graduate school, or even creative positions in the job market.”

While the Lanthorn has the potential to provide valuable professional experience for writers, according to Murphy, it provides an important outlet in offering anonymous publishing, “[it] allows for a safe space for emotions and narratives that may not jive with typical Houghton-friendly issues.” Moreover for students who, like Murphy, “think of words as [their] art,” the Lanthorn plays a major part in “providing a place for wordy-art.”

Like every longstanding publication, the Lanthorn has consistently undergone changes, and this year is no different. This year’s editors worked to “establish a recognizable symbol [marketing brand],” for the Lanthorn according to Murphy, and senior Abby Buckingham handling the design with the help of Caffeinated Creative Studios, in hopes to “better cement the magazine’s presence and identity in students’ minds,” according to Murphy.

Along with this redesign, the Lanthorn has shifted towards encouraging more prose works. “Some years the Lanthorn has been very poetry heavy,” said Murphy, who sees the turn towards prose reflecting his own work as a fiction writer, and added, “I imagine this sort of thing will shift along with whoever is the current editor.” As far as design goes, Hanover mentioned that she and her staff worked to “[bring] back a larger, fuller format for the bi-annual Lanthorn, complete with vibrant color photos and art.” Additionally, a special trend with the Candle has been publishing a “special feature” edition, last year’s featured staff writing and art, and this spring’s featured only flash fiction and haikus.

An enduring Houghton tradition, the next hurdle the Lanthorn faces is the digital age. As the number of college newspapers publishing online continues to rise, the question of the power of print lingers. Murphy weighed the pros and cons, saying, “I think the benefit to print is that we can leave them lying around campus for people to peruse and then leave behind…Also because the edition is selective (we publish probably around 30% of what we receive) I think the quality of work and satisfaction gained from getting in would certainly go out the window,” and on the other hand, “I think there could be something said for a digital version or counterpart of the publication, though it would take a more tech and design savvy editor than myself.”

With the technology debate unsettled, the Lanthorn will no doubt continue its tradition of publishing student work and serving as a true creative outlet for writers campus-wide.

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Solanas’ Upside Down Wows with Cinematography, Ultimately Disappoints

Last week was a medium-to-heavy stressful haze of completing one project only to realize that I had another due. My roommate and I decided it was high time we just give up and find a potentially emotionally taxing movie to watch in order to have an excuse for the release of our tears of desperation. We settled on Upside Down, a 2012 release written and directed by Juan Solanas. We chose Upside Down for a two reasons. First, because of its stars. The movie features Jim Sturgess of Across the Universe and 21 fame, and Kirsten Dunst, who is quite possibly my most favorite actress. Our second reason was the intriguing premise.

Courtesy of impawards.com
Courtesy of impawards.com

Solanas crafted a world in which two planets rotate together mere yards apart, each with their own separate gravity. Matter from one planet maintains its own gravity on the other planet, thus making it impossible for humans to walk on the opposite planet. The planets are connected by a skyscraper housing TransWorld, a company that governs interplanetary contact and commerce. “Up Above” is the affluent planet. “Down Below” is the impoverished planet. As my roommate put it, “This is a very obvious metaphor for the Global North and South.”

As you might expect, Sturgess and Dunst play Adam and Eden, citizens of Down Below and Up Above, respectively, who meet by chance on twin mountaintops and fall in love. And so unfolds a classic forbidden love story, following the struggles of two people separated by class, distance, and in this case, gravity.

For the first half of the movie, all was well. The dual worlds kept the otherwise mundane plotline interesting. The cinematography was beyond stunning. Picture for yourself the possibilities: simultaneous sunsets and sunrises, mirrored horizons, the stark and beautiful contrasts between the gleaming Above and the ashen Below. All of these images and more were fantastically represented in this imaginative landscape. It was truly stunning to watch. The score, too, was amazing. Instrumentals by a variety of composers accompanied the cinematography. It was almost enough to watch the movie just for those two elements. Almost.

Unfortunately, as the movie progressed, several faults became more and more obvious. Dunst’s considerable talents were wasted in a role that reduced her to little more than the damsel in distress. Eden’s scenes were short and all but one or two were merely flirtatious conversations with Adam. Sturgess plays a lovably optimistic Adam, however, who was the main focus: a visionary inventor blindly using his skills to pursue the ever-elusive Eden rather than to improve the standard of living in his police-state planet.

Various plot holes grew and grew until they basically bottomed out during the clearly rushed conclusion. It’s not too much of a spoiler to say that somehow, miraculously, the star-crossed lovers are finally brought together through an unexplained turn of events. The film concludes with glossy pans of an economically balanced future, with children from both Above and Below happily playing together on the same plane. This change is apparently sparked by the romance between Adam and Eden, although the hows and whys of it are never delved into.

Overall, Upside Down would have worked much better as a short story rather than a feature-length film. While I give the actors involved props for making their performances memorable even with limited material, I don’t suggest watching this film unless you are just really, really, really into cinematography.

 

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GCF to Put on Faculty and Staff Talent Show

On Friday, March 28th in the Recital Hall, Global Christian Fellowship will be hosting a Faculty and Staff Talent Show. Designed as a fundraiser for GCF missions, the talent show will feature varied acts from multiple disciplines in an effort to raise money for GCF-sponsored mission trips this upcoming summer. Free chai will be provided and there will be baked goods available for purchase, courtesy of the women’s basketball team.

unnamed (21)The event will be emceed by Paul Shea, adjunct professor of missions, who according to Bobby Mauger, GCF’s fundraiser and the driving force behind the show, is “going to open up with something wild” that will set the tone for the rest of the night. Although the show will feature a number of differing acts, including Ben Hegeman, adjunct professor of intercultural studies, performing impersonations of other professors, Mauger said that the primary emphasis of the show will be musical. “It’s a mix of some mostly serious musical talent and then some seriously funny musical talent.” Among those mentioned were a Mo-town group headlined by Michael Lastoria, director of counseling services, and a humorous opera selection sung by Amanda Cox, instructor of voice. Mauger was particularly laudatory of the musical styling of Steve Dunmire, Houghton’s director of church relations. “I think if people don’t know who he is, they’re going to want to know who he is after they hear him sing,” he comments.

The Faculty and Staff Talent Show has been in development for GCF as a fundraiser for quite some time, having false-started with the project last year after hearing of a similar event that Houghton alum Julian Cook was putting together. It was nearly cancelled this semester with the announcement of the campus-wide talent show, Houghton’s Got Talent, but when the event was called off, it made room for GCF to create their own.

All of this is borne out of an effort to get students to interact with missions and create awareness for some of the projects that GCF are involved in. “I’ve had a bunch of conversations with students around campus that are interested in doing missions,” said Houghton junior Olivia Neveu, GCF’s prayer coordinator. “How can we put ourselves out there more so that people are aware of it, so that people who are interested can get involved?”

In the past, GCF has raised money by selling chai during homecoming and selling t-shirts, but now, they are going for something bigger. “It started off by imagining what event would really just create a buzz,” said Mauger. “I’m hoping that it will catch on and be done more.”

With the creation of this event, the GCF cabinet decided that a more personal approach would be required. Together they decided which faculty they wanted to be a part of it and then distributed them among their cabinet members to approach them. Paul Young, professor of psychology, who will be singing at the event with his family, said that there was not an audition process, but that he received a personal invitation from Cindy Austin, admission counselor. Proceeds from ticket sales and the bake-sale will be placed in GCF’s mission fund and distributed primarily among Houghton sports teams and individuals doing internships with One Mission Society.

Tickets for the talent show are available for pre-sale for $3 and will be $5 at the door.

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Houghton Alumna’s Blog Reaches Thousands

The blog has over 400,000 hits. The Facebook page has over 50,000 likes. Countless have been touched by the story of Ben Sauer, “a little boy waiting on a miracle.”

When her four year-old son Ben was diagnosed with Stage IV Glioblastoma, a rare cancer typically found in adults, Houghton alumna Mindy Sauer took to the web to blog about the journey of her little boy and the vitality of her faith. From her point of view, the mission of her blog was simple. As she wrote in one of her blog posts, “For whatever reason, God is using our circumstances to draw people to Him. So many stories, just like this one, of people being drawn to God because of how they’ve seen Him throughout our story. The world does not revolve around us. We are just one piece of the puzzle. And people are watching to see how God will move.”

Blue4Ben_Joshua_DuttweilerThe prognosis for surviving glioblastoma is not a good one. Indeed, the doctors told Mindy Sauer and her husband that Ben’s chances of survival rests, at best, at about three percent. Nevertheless, as Mindy Sauer wrote on her blog, the Sauer family has chosen not to respond in resignation, but instead to rely on God “who has a higher purpose for our ‘mighty’ Benjamin and that He will work a miracle in his life.”

Writing at bensauer.blogspot.com, Mindy Sauer has been busy communicating the story of her family through stories that are visceral, raw, and honest. She writes about a family vacation in Orlando, where a native western New York family discarded its winter coats for swimsuits; a chance for the Sauers to take a break from reality. She tells stories of Ben, of “mini-miracles,” of instances in her life (both now and in the past) where she felt truly touched by God.

Not surprisingly, friends of the Sauer family have created a campaign, “Blue4Ben,” to show support and be a center for charitable donations to help offset the family’s medical bills. Thanks in part to Mindy Sauer’s writing and heart-tugging stories, Blue4Ben has gained awareness not just in the region, but around the world. Various colleges, the city of Buffalo companies, Jet Blue airlines, along with many others have all participated in Blue4Ben and gave generous donations to the family. Flicking through the Facebook album “Going blue4ben,” one can see schools, soldiers, newsrooms, businesses, and even Donald Trump arrayed in blue–an obvious indicator of the traction that this campaign has received.

Even Houghton has been swept in the wave of blue. On Tuesday, March 14, the Houghton students, faculty, and community members were asked to wear blue to raise awareness. Anthony Petrillo, Houghton Academy’s network administrator, explained that the Academy also began involvement in the campaign. Over the past week a video about Ben’s story was shown in chapel to create awareness. The video was followed by a ticket sale allowing students to dress down for a day from their normal school uniforms. Proceeds from the ticket sale went directly to the Sauer family to help offset medical costs.

Bruce Brenneman, former Houghton professor and family friend to the Sauers, spoke highly of the Sauer’s love for their children and faithfulness in God through these difficult times. “It’s a heart-warming story and the strongest thing about it is that even in the midst of such tragedy they’ve been able to speak so strongly of their faith and the fact that Ben is a gift to them,” said Brenneman, “It’s impacted hundreds and hundreds.”

For those interested in learning more about Ben and the Blue4Ben campaign, visit Mindy Sauer’s blog at bensauer.blogspot.com or her website, blue4ben.com. As she says on her blog, the greatest way that you can begin to help is through prayer for Ben. Bracelets are also being sold through her website. Additionally, bracelets will be available in the CAB office starting today. Those seeking additional ways to create more involvement on campus can contact Greg Bish at greg.bish@houghton.edu.

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Science Honors Tackles Climate Change

In Paine 212, there are 11 students working to analyze and learn more about climate change. They are the selected members of Houghton College Science Honors.

This year’s Science Honors Program is centered around learning about climate change while collecting data to add to the compendium of research on the topic. At the same time, students also study the humanities through the lens of science.

Science_Honors_2_Rachel.McClatcheyThe course incorporates two foci of research, the primary being to design and build a radiosonde. A radiosonde is a box of sensors that records atmospheric data and sends it by radio to students on the ground. It will be attached to a weather balloon and sent into the upper atmosphere when the students launch this May.

The secondary focus is researching the effect of climatic variation on fish. Using chillers, the students will alter the temperature of their aquaria to simulate forecasted climate change. They will then measure cortisol levels in the fish compared to the water temperature. This will attempt to measure the survivability of fish in the altered climatic state of the future.

Students will also record the rate of melting of the ice at local lakes over the next few weeks. “This is the beginning of a long data set that we will be trying to collect. A lot of people are doing this all over the world,” explained biology professor Dr. Wolfe, “We’ll also be taking representative shrubs and trees on campus and we’ll be measuring when they start to leaf out and flower.”

To tackle the task of building a radiosonde, the students have split into three groups. These being so named Sparkles, Maple Leaf, and The Flying Monkeys. Each has its own hypothesis it is looking to test. Team Sparkles is working to find out how the amount of UV radiation absorbed by the ozone layer affects temperature in the stratosphere. Team Maple Leaf is collecting data on how the concentration of carbon dioxide changes as altitude increases. The Flying Monkeys is researching the levels of infrared light that is absorbed by the atmosphere at each altitude.

Each group will build their own system to attach to a weather balloon. They will be programmed to record data relevant to what the students are testing and send it to them while in flight.

When they are not investigating the science of climate change, the students of Science Honors have been able to take trips relevant to their studies. Last semester, they took a trip to Canandaigua Lake to study glacial recession, took a boat cruise, and ate grape pies on the way back home. They went ice fishing on Cuba Lake earlier this semester. Right before spring break, they visited the oldest fish hatchery in the western hemisphere in Caledonia, NY.

These trips are designed to grow the students’ understanding of science and the world around them, but they also serve to unite them in a bond of camaraderie. “I will never forget the day in Science Honors on our way home from Canandaigua Lake when Dr. Wolfe bought us grape pies. We sat in the grass surrounding a Dollar General parking lot and chatted together as we ate our dessert. The adventures that we encounter on field trips: priceless!” said honors student Olivia Morse.

Another student, Ruthanna Wantz, said, “One of the most unexpected fun things about being in Science Honors has been hanging out with prospectives when they come for the interview weekends. And hearing the stories of the upperclassmen who were in Science Honors before.”

Though challenging, the students enjoy accomplishing tasks that get them closer to their goals. Said student Jordan Scott, “Science Honors has been a very enjoyable experience thus far. I have made 10 great new friends and developed relationships with three professors from different science disciplines that I never imagined I would have had when coming to college. This program has helped me further my thinking in all aspects of science and created a unique culture for learning through experience with assistance from professors and peers.”

The students have been very successful in working in a new and more flexible scientific environment. Guided by professors rather than fed knowledge, they are beginning to emulate the methods they will use when working as scientists in the future. Dr. Brandon Hoffman applauds their efforts, “It has been great to see the students getting excited about their projects. Some have charged far ahead, downloading manuals and developing systems they believe will be helpful to their project.”

The students have been recording their scientific adventures and discoveries in a blog at balloon2014.blogspot.com. They encourage all who have an interest in science to follow them as they prepare to launch their balloons during Mayterm this year.

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Stories In Focus

Faces Behind the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex

If you have walked by the Kerr-Pegula Complex construction site in the past few days, you will have noticed a great deal of work has been done on the project in the past few months. Each day progress continues to be made from the finishing touches being put on the softball field, to the more major construction underway on the field house.

Athletic_ComplexLess visible are the faces behind the project that include the contractors, architects, and construction workers from companies outside of Houghton who are working long hours in tandem to reach their goal: a completed and open-for-business athletic complex.

Harold Lord, executive director of athletics, explained that bi-weekly OACM (Owner, Architect, Construction Manager) meetings are held to keep everyone up to date on the project. Lord, who has been heavily involved in the complex during all of its stages, discussed the major progress in construction, ensuring a finished complex by this coming summer.

In addition to Lord’s involvement, Keystone Associates architect Kenneth Gay has served in the role of senior architect for the construction of the complex. In charge of the architecture, engineering, and surveying, his company has been there since the beginning stages which included meetings with the owner, selecting locations, and drawing up designs, and they will see the project through until the end.

For Gay, the Houghton community is no stranger, having his wife and daughters as both alumni and current Houghton students. During a phone interview Gay explained, “We’ve been coming to Houghton from 1983 to now, so for me to have a project at Houghton is neat; it’s a unique community.”

“In the end, Houghton is going to be proud, the donors are going to be proud, and I know that our office is going to be proud,” expressed Gay. “It’s a great project with so many elements that fit with our company.”

Mike Norton, owners’ representative from Pike Company, has also put in a lot of work on the complex. “I represent Houghton College in the project,” Norton explained. When describing his job, he explained he works as the representative of the complex. This means overseeing the site and making sure everything is being done as it is supposed to be. Apart from these responsibilities, he participates in numerous meetings discussing the complex, as well as supervising the pay schedules.

Growing up in Hornell, Norton is familiar with the area; as is Pike Company, a fifth generation, family business, located in Rochester, NY. When discussing the project with Norton he simply replied, “Every project is kind of exciting in its own little way because what it means to its owner.” “What I like about this business is when its done you can step back and say I was a part of that and it stays for many years,” said Norton.

Apart from the planning and supervising, LeChase Construction Company is responsible for the actual building of the complex. They are the general contractors, having numerous employees working long hours in often not-so-friendly weather conditions. Recently, LeChase workers have been busy putting up the steel, roofing and siding, and even beginning stages on the second floor. LeChase is also involved in the hiring of subcontractors for other work including things like electric and plumbing.

Other Houghton staff involved in the project includes Phyllis Gaerte and Jason Mucher, who aid in design; Robert Pool, vice president of student life; and Dale Wright, chief business officer.

“The Houghton team has been very focused on making sure that this building responded to a bunch of different needs and uses; not just athletics but campus wide and community wide,” said Gay. The field house will be a future home not only to athletic events, but also youth events, concerts, graduation, and many other things.