In 1999, Susan Heiss, former overseer of what is now CASA (Center for Academic Success and Advising) and Dan Moore, former head of the Audio Visual Department, started the Russian Mission Network Outreach. This ministry consisted of a group of several people who traveled to Russia for a few weeks visiting schools and orphanages as way to minister to the people there. That same year, Moore and Heiss decided to extend the program and provide an opportunity for Russian teachers and other professionals to visit Houghton’s campus. Those involved with this ministry have hosted and served over one hundred Russian visitors since its genesis in 1999.
Last week, six Russian women spent the week visiting Houghton as part of their three-and-a-half week visit through the Russian Mission Network Outreach, a ministry that was started in 1999 by Susan Heiss and Dan and Katherine Moore.
Last week, the opportunity came for six Russian women to spend time at Houghton as part of their three-and-a-half week visit in America. The women spent a few days sightseeing in New York City, then spent a week in Houghton, and will finish their visit in Jamestown, New York. This year is the 20th anniversary of the Russian dinner tradition, a dinner hosted by Levant Wesleyan Church in Jamestown.
While in Houghton, the group of women, which include two school teachers, two university professors, one medical doctor, and one interpreter, mostly observed classes, but also attended various campus events such as the student art exhibition and the college choir concert. The women also organized a presentation at Fillmore Central School, drank tea with President Mullen, and enjoyed a meal at the Maple Tree Inn.
Katherine Moore explained how this ministry intends to show our Russian guests “Christian America,” and Professor Laurie Dashnau considers the aim of this program to “expose [our Russian visitors] to a number of facets of American life and also give them a better understanding of the Christian faith in the context of what we hope will be warm and vibrant school and church communities.”
Lyudmila, who is one of the Russian school teachers, shared her appreciation for the kindness she experienced from the Houghton community. “The relationship between the United States and Russia is very tense,” she said. “People are people everywhere. We can see it here talking to people. Everyone is so friendly and that is the main idea: you are different, but at the same time, we are all the same. That is great.”
Dashnau explained how the women were able to participate in the classes they observed, and were intrigued by how many of the classes were not solely lecture-oriented, but discussion- and presentation-oriented, and “how that translated into papers and projects that are being written and simple opportunities to share in the classroom.” Many of the women had the opportunity to share about topics “ranging from the economic system in Russia to issues regarding international news.” Dashnau described how engaging with each other in these “types of conversation” is when “what we assume and what we hear is challenged and we mutually grow.”
Susan Heiss, and Dan and Katherine Moore, are what Dashnau referred to as the “life and breath of this ministry.” Because of their “long-term dedication,” Dashnau explained, “it is a very natural way for us to interact with those who have a keen interest in knowing what a small Christian liberal arts college looks like.”
This ministry provides the opportunity “to be missionaries right here at the college… To those coming from Russia, some of whom do profess the Christian faith, many of whom know a very little bit and are receptive, and some who have had very little exposure to it.” Dashnau concluded, “I think it’s vital, one, as a ministry right on our doorstep and two, as a way of showing how we love the Lord our God with all our heart and mind and soul.”
The parents of former Houghton College president Daniel Chamberlain funded the Chamberlain Lecture Series. According to official language from the Office of Spiritual Life, the lectures are for the purpose of keeping the challenge of missions before the Houghton community.For anyone interested in missions, this is a great opportunity to get practical advice from someone who is well acquainted with the missions field and has an academic background as well. The series is named in honor of the Chamberlain family.
This year for the Chamberlain Lecture Series, Houghton welcomes Dr. Stanley John. He will speak in chapel on March 21 and will also be giving a lecture in Library 323 at 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Daniel Chamberlain, the fourth president of Houghton College and predecessor to current president Dr. Shirley Mullen, was president from 1976 to 2006 and is the namesake of our current Chamberlain Center. According to his biography on the Houghton Highlander athletics site, where he is a member of the Hall of Honor, he oversaw much of the updated infrastructure of Houghton College. His educational background was also extensive, including a Master’s Degree from California State University in Los Angeles and a Doctor of Education from the University of Southern California. Currently Chamberlain is on the Board of Directors for the Wesleyan Bible Conference Association, a preaching assistant at Brooksville Wesleyan Church in Florida, and a member of the board of World Hope International.
For this year’s Chamberlain Lectures, Houghton College welcomes Dr. Stanley John. Dr. John is the director and assistant professor of Missions and Intercultural Studies at Alliance Theological Seminary in Nyack, New York. Stanley received his master’s degree and doctorate at Asbury Theological Seminary. Stanley’s main focuses of study are migrant Christianity in the Arabian Gulf, global Pentecostalism, and World Christianity and transnational networks, according to his biography through Alliance. Stanley is a licensed minister in the Christian Missionary Alliance. He has traveled and spoken in multiple ministries including those in the Arabian Gulf, Canada, India, Kenya, Nepal, and the Ukraine and has spoken in multicultural churches domestically. He also is a member of the Board of Directors of India Gospel Ministries, a member of Lausanne Global Diaspora Network, and is a member of the United States Board of Directors of Langham Partnership. He is also the author of multiple books and journal articles you can find online. You can hear Dr. John speak in chapelon March 21. He will also be giving a lecture in Library 323 at 7:30 p.m. of the same day.
When Jessica Robinson ’18 first came to Houghton, she was mainly interested in pursuing an Art Education degree. Over the next four years, Robinson “accumulated majors” and is now graduating as a triple major in business administration, communications, and human resources.
Robinson holds a deep appreciation for how well she believes Houghton has prepared her to step into the professional world after graduation. “The business department is especially very intentional about real world experience and driving us to be the best that we can be.” As a native of south central Pennsylvania, Robinson plans to move back to that area in May, “work for a little bit, and then down the road get an MBA once I solidify what I want to do.”
Jessica Robinson ‘18 is a triple major in business administration, communication, and human resources. She looks forward to sharing her faith journey in chapel on March 23rd.
Robinson’s primary leadership role is serving as the senior RA for her staff, “which means I’m kind of the point person for other RAs for questions, and things like that.” She’s also serves as the president of SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) and holds multiple jobs around campus.
One thing that Robinson explained “really shaped my Houghton experience” was becoming an RA. She encourages other students to “not look past the opportunities God is giving you.” Robinson had told herself she would “never” become an RA, “and my mom says as soon as I say, ‘I’m never going to do something,’ God is like, ‘You sure? You sure about that?’”
After much encouragement from Krista Maroni, Robinson’s Resident Director at the time, she filled out her application and stepped into her role as an RA as a sophomore. Speaking from experience, Robinson said, “Take those opportunities and be open because college is all about shaping yourself, and you don’t know how you’re going to be shaped.”
Even though Robinson never saw herself stepping into this position when she came to Houghton, her role as an RA has “pushed me to interact with others because I’m an introvert and I kind of like just sitting by myself, but pushing myself to talk to others and get to know others has made my college experience more well-rounded because of all those people I’ve had the opportunity to meet or mentor through my position.” She has learned the importance of time management and what it takes to balance a heavy work load and meaningful relationships.
On March 23, Robinson will have the opportunity to share her faith journey in chapel which she explained “is a lot about my learning disability, which I wasn’t diagnosed with until 5th grade, but it’s a severe learning disability that I’ve had my entire life and will have my entire life.” Robinson described her struggle with learning how to speak and how to read, and how even though “I looked normal from the outside, internally it’s hard to function on an everyday basis.” Robinson is looking forward to sharing with the Houghton community how she’s seen God’s hand at work in her life in the past twenty years.
Last Tuesday evening, President Mullen hosted a meeting with prominent student leaders to address the college budget and other related concerns.
Mullen opened the meeting with a bold, yet contradictory, statement about the state of the school. “This is an amazing time to be at Houghton College,” she said. “But it’s also a very difficult time to be involved in higher education.” While Mullen emphasized that liberal arts colleges are the “kind of institution that both our church and our society need more than ever,” several challenges threaten the stability of universities across the nation—and Houghton is no exception.
The first of these challenges is financial. Mounting skepticism about the viability and worth of college degrees, along with alternatives to traditional undergraduate educations,
Last week, President Mullen shed some clarity on next year’s budget deficit, enrollment number goals, revenue targets, and challenges to higher education in the United States.
“Most private colleges actually do not charge students what the education costs,” Mullen explained. “That is especially acute at a place like Houghton,” she said, adding that 40% of Houghton students are eligible for federal Pell grants. “There is a $10,000 gap between what the average student pays to come here and what it actually costs to educate them.” During 2017, the college’s cost per student came to $32,865 while its net student revenue lagged at only $22,324.
In addition, Mullen pointed out that several of the college’s core academic programs—such as equestrian studies, music, education, and STEM—are “all or nothing” programs that require a certain minimum investment to receive approval from the state. Houghton remains equally committed to affordability and academic quality. The college’s challenge, according to Mullen, lies in “deal[ing] with that budget reality without harming student experience.”
Mullen identified several distinctive qualities that “make [Houghton’s] issues a little more difficult than others.” The first of these is the highly polarizing “rural factor.” Incoming students often place Houghton’s rural environment in the top three factors for attending, while students who choose not to come to the college often cite its remote location as one of their top three reasons.
Ideological issues also complicate matters. “Houghton is in a very fascinating place on the political-theological spectrum,” Mullen added. “A lot of Christians to the right think we’re too liberal, and a lot of people who are a part of mainline Christianity see Houghton as too conservative. There’s a whole part of the Christian word that doesn’t want to be in a ‘liberal arts college,’ so we don’t necessarily fit the mold of the Christian colleges that are marketing themselves as the ‘true’ Christian colleges.”
Another challenge lies in swiftly changing demographics. “The traditional population that has come to Houghton is changing,” Mullen said. “A lot of colleges are feeling that change.” She added that the four biggest growing populations in higher education are international students, ethnic and racial minorities (particularly Hispanic and Latino), adult students, and part-time students.
Mullen confirmed that the working budget for the 2018-2019 year has a deficit of approximately $3 million. She specified that roughly $900,000 of that number consists of “wish list items” for the next academic term, that $500,000 was added to fortify Houghton’s financial aid program against the termination of federal Perkins loans, and $1.7 million is due to a large enrollment shortfall in previous years. “There’s been several years where the board has let us run a deficit budget,” Mullen explained. “It’s easy for me to look back and wish they hadn’t. You have to balance it at some point.
“We’re at a point right now where, to take Houghton forward, we need to come to terms with what seems to be the reality which we’re dealing with, and which has probably been here for several years,” she continued. “It’s not like suddenly something has gone horribly wrong. For a long time, people in higher education thought ‘next year is going to be different.’ The overwhelming majority of public and private colleges are dealing with this.”
Mullen added that, from the administration’s perspective, revenue diversification will be crucial over the next few years. She confirmed that Houghton will “continue having a strong residential undergraduate program,” but that the college is committed to expanding online course offerings and offsite degree programs like its current satellite campuses in Buffalo and Utica. These programs, according to Mullen, are well suited for “urban areas where there are students that want a Christian education, but don’t want to come to a rural area.”
This diversification of revenue streams is integral to the administration’s commitment to retaining core academic programs. “We are being careful not to fix our budget problems by cutting faculty and staff,” Mullen said, before reiterating the importance of extracurricular activities. “Every athletic team, music ensemble, and major is a revenue generator.”
Responding to Mullen’s comments, student body president Sergio Mata ‘19 expressed concern about whether the budget will still balance if next year’s enrollment numbers are not met. According to the annual Survey of Admissions Directors, only 34% of all colleges met their admissions goals in 2017. That number was down from 42% just two years prior. Mata also expressed a hope that the administration will hold to their promise of maintaining strong student experiences rather than cutting programs.
Responding to a student question about the resignation of Vincent Morris, Vice President of Finance, the President expressed regret for not being able to address the situation more fully.
“I can’t say a lot about any personnel decisions,” she said, referring to legal precedent that prevents academic institutions from making public statements that may damage a former employee’s prospects at another educational institution. “It’s a legal issue. People have the right to tell their own story, so the person can say whatever they want to say, but the college can’t. I feel like it’s better that way and fairer to the person.”
I have great appreciation for Vince and what he brought to the college,” she continued. “This is the hardest kind of thing because I can’t give my reasons for it. I do not make these decisions willingly…and the hardest thing is knowing the impact on students.”
Another student question focused on whether smaller programs, such as recreation and philosophy, will be rolled back to make room in the budget. “One of the biggest heartbreaks I have about liberal arts education is that we don’t have enough people going into those areas,” Mullen said. “We are committed to the humanities. I’ve had multiple discussions with the Academic Dean. We’ve got to find some way to think about the humanities that doesn’t just involve majors…A lot of colleges are just axing these programs because of numbers.
“We’re looking for people in English and history who can help to reenergize and rethink what we’re doing in these areas,” she continued. “The bar is higher now. What I’m trying desperately right now to do is to maintain a core. It’s foundational to education in general, whether or not people major in it.”
Near the end of her address, President Mullen urged students to speak boldly and bluntly with the administration about any concerns they may have. “We try very hard in the presidential staff to make decisions that will protect the student experience,” she said. “But I don’t know if the things we think are important about the student experience are the ones that students think are important.”
This is the third installment of an ongoing series that will investigate the Houghton Star archives.
If you would like to check out some old issues of the Star, they can be found in the periodicals stacks on the basement level of the Houghton Library.The full college archives, also located on the basement level, are open to the public from 1-4 p.m. every Fridayafternoon.
The included on this page was originally published roughly fifty years ago, in the March 8, 1968 issue of theHoughton Star.
Well, what place does student power have in the institution and administration of policy at Houghton College? Those who recall the title of last week’s column might approach anything that follows with a suspicion that student leaders are nothing more than pawns of both the administration and the students, moved by the will and whim of either in any given situation. The characteristic of Houghtonians to make constant appeals to authority, often in preference to individual thinking, demands an authoritarian political structure at all levels of College affairs. It is the juncture between the students body and the faculty and administration the student government must deal with this characteristic.
The second factor in politics at Houghton is a direct result of the constant upward look for easy answers. Political apathy and status quo satisfaction are viewed by most students as distinctly separate, the former representing the students and the latter representing the “powers that be.” I submit that satisfaction with the present state of affairs by those who administer and apathy about the possibilities are of like kind. Both are offspring of the intrinsic attitude at Houghton—contentment with the answers handed down from the levels above, regardless of the degree of discontentment from the levels beneath.
Political apathy in one form of another seems to be exhibited at times in the faculty by an unwillingness to realistically review and revise policies on campus that are obviously inconsistent with their enforcement. For example, there are many “rules” in our present Student Guide which are never enforced. Then why keep them? Why cannot the Houghton community, both students and faculty, revise the Guide in light of the kind of place we both desire—apart from the fear of what the “constituency” or the absent Board might say? The Senate has not been entirely neglectful in suggesting changes; but her representatives in the past and present have been mindful of this prevalent attitude under which these suggestions may be smothered.
Nor is the student body free from a lethargic attitude toward student government, including those in supposed positions of leadership. It is true that dissatisfaction with the status quo prevails among students it is also true that there is a great deal of security and satisfaction to be found in mere dissatisfaction. This is especially true the disgust can be displaced from the original issue to those who represent the issue to those in authority.
Student government at Houghton is bounded by the attitude we have discovered and have attempted to describe here. The accusation of political anemia can be lodged only in the context of an understanding of this basic problem—and the apathy which it effects on all levels of the College.
The flagship vocal ensemble of the Greatbatch School of Music, Houghton’s College Choir, recently returned from their 2018 Mid-Atlantic Tour and now offer all of Houghton the chance to hear their music.This exciting, well-rehearsed program will be performed at the College Choir’s Homecoming concert tomorrow, March 10, at 7:30 p.m. in the Wesley Chapel. The concert runs for about 90 minutes.
Houghton’s College Choir is an audition-only ensemble, open to sophomores and above.Dr. Daniel David Black, a Houghton graduate school alumni from Minnesota serves as manager and conductor for the choir. Dr. Black encourages students from all majors to participate in auditions, which generally happen at the end of each semester.Third-year graduate student and assistant conductor Jerome Bell managed this most recent tour.
In preparation for the tour and their other performances, the ensemble meets for 1 hour, 5 days a week to rehearse their demanding repertoire. The choir had a relatively short amount of time to learn, rehearse, and memorize the 17 advanced pieces they performed while on tour.
Despite the challenge, the choir’s repertoire was generally popular with the ensemble.Many appreciated the traditional, familiar component of the pieces, although they also pointed out where the music went beyond what could be found in any church.
Lauren Grifoni ’19, who sings soprano with the choir, stated, “The theme of the tour was congregational singing, so most of the pieces were arrangements of old hymn tunes. I really like it because a lot of the music was familiar to me; stuff I grew up with singing in church but also in a newer style.”
Many of those in the choir agreed that the tour was exhausting. Many of them joke about how they don’t get a spring break, but they still find it gratifying. It is worth noting that many of the vocalists are also participating in Lyric Theatre’s spring show Oklahoma!, taking place in just a few short weeks. This means that many of the choir members are memorizing lines for two large productions and participating in multiple rehearsals every day.
Several of the pieces from the tour repertoire benefited from the addition of instruments.For the sake of efficiency, some students during the tour served as accompanists, in addition to singing in the choir.
When asked about this year’s tour and repertoire, music education major Michaella Alliperti ’19 exclaimed, “Tour was wonderful! It was just so wholesome and spiritually invigorating, as was the rep. We had a lot of time to reflect on what the words mean to us in relation to our lives. It was full of wonderful friendship and fellowship. Last year’s tour was great, but this year’s was even better.”
They traveled by bus through the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, and Ohio on their 14-stop tour. Each night, the choir stayed and fellowshipped with various families. The quality of these visits is often a highlight of the tour for the ensemble. When asked about these homestays, Kingsley Kolek ’18 said, “You just never know what you’re gonna get!”
When asked how he felt about tour, Derek Chase ’19 said, “As primarily an instrumentalist, it was exhausting yet rewarding to be on a vocal tour. Since this is Houghton, we all kind of knew each other already, but it was great to become closer friends with people you don’t know that well.”
Tonight, March 8, Campus Activities Board (CAB) is hosting its second annual Clue Night in Chamberlain.It features a real-life version of the board game invented by Anthony Ernest Pratt in 1944, where teams of 3-5 people attempt to solve a murder mystery.The first team to successfully crack the case will receive a prize.
The mystery will besolved much like it is in the board game. In short, there will be a list of potential characters, weapons, locations, and times for when the murder occurred. Participants can bring a team of 3-5 people or come solo to join a team.Upon arrival, they will receive a blank answer sheet with all of the possible combinations of solutions to the puzzle listed.
Just like in the traditional game, each character has a certain amount of knowledge.It’s the team’s job to find all the characters and eventually piece together the information until they are left with one character, place, time, and weapon.
In CAB’s rendition of the game, however, the characters will be hiding all over Chamberlain.Entourage Coordinator Abby Taylor ‘19 added, “It’s a lot of fun, teams are running around all over Chamberlain, characters are spooky and are hidden in sly spots!”
Taylor first heard of bringing the board game to life from a middle school that put together a similar event. She saw the opportunity for a CAB event and thought it could be a hit. After adapting it for college students, she added a Houghton twist to make the event more unique and enjoyable.
Last year was CAB’s first attempt this event. Since it went over so well, they decided to host a similar event this year. “It was very successful last year because we had a lot of students show up, and they all had really positive feedback and enjoyed their time being in the game,” Taylor said.
There is only one person on campus that knows the answer to the conundrum, and that’s Abby Taylor. Even the characters involved only know the information specific to them.CAB designed the event as a fun night worthy of taking a break from homework and getting lost in a puzzle.As an added bonus, there will be plenty of sparkling cider available in the atrium before the game starts, so guests can grab a quick glass before they start.
Taylor remarked, “I’m really excited that Clue night, an original idea and something totally new to campus, went over so well last year and that CAB is hosting it again. CAB loves bringing new and fun events to campus!”
As for any advice on how to crack the case, Taylor adds, “It’s both a game of strategy and luck. Asking the right questions gets you the right answers, and sometimes a team will just stumble across the right character at the right time and discover the exact information they need.”
More information on the event is located on CAB’s Facebook Page. Carefully examining the page may also give you a leg up on the competition. CAB invites all students to put on their thinking caps to head over to Chamberlain Center tonight.
This year’s musical is coming up.Next week, March 15 to the 17, Houghton Lyric Theatre will present Oklahoma!, concluding over two months of hard work and long rehearsals.The musical features the story of the wayward romance of cowboy Curly and farm girl Laurey amidst a rivalry between their family and friends.
“Audiences can look forward to gorgeous singing and fabulous choreography—there are some big dance numbers, choreographed by Professor Rebekah Brennan! We will have a fantastic pit orchestra, conducted by Dr. Armenio Suzano,” said Amanda Cox, Lyric Theatre director.
In addition to her excitement for the musical itself, Cox commented on her time working with the other people involved in its production.“Working on Oklahoma! has been a wonderful experience,” she said.“It is a large, lavish and fun musical, and the cast and crew have had so much fun putting it together.”
Oklahoma! will arrive at Wesley Chapel at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday the 15, Friday the 16, and Saturday the 17.
Natalie Kyvik ‘20 remarked on the relationships she built with her fellow cast members, saying “The Oklahoma! cast is one big family, and I think people are going to see that close-knit bond reflected through our performance, making it an all the more special experience.” These friendships were especially impactful given her background as a science major, which typically separated her from the musical side of campus.Kyvik said, “At first it seemed like it would be a collision of worlds, but I have come to realize just how at home I feel whenever I step into a rehearsal.”
Junior Lauren Grifoni expressed her excitement that students from all backgrounds and experience levels were involved in the program.While the scale of Oklahoma! made it the more exciting, Grifoni explained it also presented its own set of difficulties.“I think the greatest challenge in this show is the size of the production. We have a large cast, a full set, elaborate costuming and an orchestra so it’s a lot to put together,” she noted.“There is also a lot of more advanced choreography than we’ve done in previous productions which is really exciting.”
In order to bring the production to where it is, the cast has had to work a lot as individuals, in addition to as a group.“We all have the responsibility of bringing our characters to life and taking on the responsibility to learn our roles to the best of our ability,” Grifoni said, then added, “It’s a lot of work outside of rehearsal as well.”
Sometimes the cast had to be inventive for how they fit in their unofficial rehearsals. “During College Choir tour, a bunch of us actually sat in the back of the tour bus and ran lines together so we wouldn’t get too rusty,” recalled Michaella Aliperti ’19.“It’s really cool to be doing this with my friends, and to be a part of something bigger than myself.
Despite the time commitment, Derek Chase ‘19 was excited for his role in the musical. “Playing the villain, I have to maintain the creepy aura that makes it,” he commented. “However, I’m the kind of person who just wants to have fun and laugh, So it’s a fun challenge for me!”Chase also mentioned that he’s appreciated the opportunity to “do some boxing and knife fighting and all the kinds of things childhood me was obsessed with.”
Everyone will have the chance to see how it will all come together next week at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel.Students interested in attending can purchase tickets for the discounted price of $8.
“We’ve been putting in so many hours of rehearsals we can’t wait to share it with everyone,” said Grifoni.“There are many surprises in store, but I won’t spoil any! You have to come see for yourself.”
Last month, the library reinstated an old tradition: asking faculty members to recommend a list of books, which are displayed in the library with annotated bookmarks tucked into their pages. The first of these book lists, which will be on display at the library until mid-March, was created by Professor of Art Ted Murphy.
“There’s nothing like walking into the library and seeing Professor Murphy’s face staring back at you from bookmarks,” said Matt Young ’18. Librarian Brad Wilber, who graduated from Houghton in 1991, said the Faculty Picks display is something he remembers from his time as a student. Murphy approached Wilber recently and suggested that the library revive this old tradition, saying that he had “enjoyed seeing what colleagues thought were books formative to their thinking and education.” Wilber responded with his own suggestion: that Murphy compile the first book list. Wilber said he hopes Murphy’s selections “will be something students and community members will gravitate toward.” The next Faculty Picks display will be compiled by President Shirley Mullen.
The Houghton library has reinstated an old tradition: having faculty members recommend a list of books, which are displayed with annotated bookmarks tucked into their pages. Professor Ted Murphy is the first to share his list.
Some students have already found the Faculty Picks display to be a useful guide. Young noted that books lists “provide insight into the intellectual and emotional lives of people we admire or respect.” Wilber agreed, saying that the exercise of reading Murphy’s book list “has made me feel closer to him.” Tyler Stetson ’20 was also appreciative of the display, saying “I think the faculty recommendations at the library is an awesome idea, especially since there is a bookmark in each book explaining why the professor found it particularly worthwhile. This program shows that developing expertise such as Houghton faculty possess requires reading broadly and deeply.” Even though some students may not have the time in their schedules for extra reading during the semester, Wilber said he has noticed many students reading every annotated bookmark in the display. The annotations can also be viewed on the library’s website, a feature created by Librarian Doyin Adenuga.
Many of the books Murphy chose are philosophical in nature, ranging from works by Fyodor Dostoyevsky to Cormac McCarthy. Murphy said he enjoys reading books lists himself: “I like them as guides,” he said. Anthony Burgess’list titled “The 99 Best Novels in English Since 1939” introduced Murphy to “authors [he] still finds unfamiliar to many serious readers of literature.” He noted significant examples: Olivia Manning, Brian Moore, Budd Schulberg, and Angus Wilson. A self-described “generalist,” Murphy was grateful to become familiar with the work of these writers.
Murphy reflected on the idea of the book list, observing that lists claiming to contain the best novels are “not looked upon well today in college literature.” He explained that there is “far too much hegemony at stake and the exclusivity of voice is a serious risk.” He then concluded lightly, “But I am a painter. I don’t have to worry about what I read in terms of the academy. No one is concerned that I don’t read enough in their particular ilk.”
Murphy made it clear that to him, reading is both a passion and a serious commitment. He spoke of the formative power books have in our lives, highlighting their ability to connect us to others. “Books, like all art, are conduits to other lives, he said. Further, he expressed that “Books have a life of their own…books branch out and connect you to the authors that inspired the novel you just read.”
Reading, however, does not come easily for Murphy. He explained that he reads very slowly, and said that “from what I have investigated I can be pretty sure I have dyslexia. A great many of the conditions clearly describe my struggles early on in learning to read.” Murphy reads about 30 pages a day, which “most of my students can do in a half hour. Me…it takes hours.” He said that his slow reading pace does have its benefits: “I tend to recall well what I have read. Ernesto Sabato’s El Tunnel, which I read 40 years ago, is still clear enough in my memory I feel confident I could take a quiz on it.” Murphy reads between 35 and 50 books each year, “but it requires a big commitment.”
This commitment has proved invaluable. “Reading has saved me,” Murphy said. “I am who I am in many ways because of the ideas books have exposed me to. I am lucky to have a job where I am essentially paid to read,” he said. For college-aged adults at a formative time of life, Murphy encouraged an exercise suggested by one of the writers on his list, Borges. “The first important thing an adult should do is establish a personal library. Buying a home and a car are typically what we think of as adults…Borges said it is the books you have brought into your life,” Murphy said.“I hope a few people will read some of what I have been most inspired by.”
From March 10 to April 6, the Ortlip Art Gallery, located in the Center for Fine Arts, is hosting its 29th annual Juried Student Exhibition.The reception will take place on March 10 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
According to Alicia Taylor, Assistant Professor of Art, “This annual exhibition is an exciting opportunity to recognize and celebrate the hard work and dedication of students at Houghton who work in visual art.” The Juried Student Exhibition is open every year to all Houghton students. This year, students must submit their work to Ortlip Art Gallery by either March 5 or 6, between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. “There will be no exceptions to the deadline for submissions,” Taylor informed students. “All work must be finished and ready to hang in the gallery.”
From March 10 to April 6, the Ortlip Art Gallery is hosting its 29th annual Juried Student Exhibition. The reception for the event will take place on March 10 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
One of the best components of the event is its unbiased nature. During the judging process, the juror is not provided with the name of the artists who are submitting work. “The juror’s role is to select the highest quality work for this public exhibition,” Taylor noted.
This year’s juror is Romy Hosford, a multimedia artist and professor at Roberts Wesleyan College in Rochester, NY. According to the college’s website, “Her photo/video based installation work can be described as storytelling through object, material and historical contexts; often dealing with perception, definition and expectation. In addition, it investigates the concept of memory—personal and cultural, remembering and forgetting.” A native of Rochester, she has been teaching at Roberts Wesleyan since 2011. To view her artwork, visit her website at www.romyhosford.com.
Seoyoung Je, ’19, assists Taylor by taking down previous art, patching the walls, matting and framing student submissions, and, finally, hanging the artwork. “The student juried show has a excitement of its own because of the number and the diversity of the submissions,” Je said. “It’s a challenge to decide where and how to place them so that it can still be powerful as an individual piece…It’s also interesting to find corresponding ideas run across different art works; this makes it easier for us to group them to a wall.” Je then described the joys of working with artwork “up close,” as it allows “a sense of ownership and pride” because “the time invested brings us closer and familiarizes us to the artwork as if they were our own.”
All pieces will compete for the chance to place in one of five awards: Best in show, 1st place, 2nd place, HonorableMention, and the Presidential and First Gentlemen’s purchase prize.All winners will be announced on the reception night, March 10th.
According to the Houghton website, the mission of the Ortlip Art Gallery is to present “a diverse range of innovative exhibitions and educational programs offering insights into the work of established and emerging regional, national, and international artists and designers.”Additionally, the gallery is open to the public Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For specific details and guidelines about the event, email Taylor at alicia.taylor@houghton.edu.
