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Purple And Gold Week 2016

Houghton’s annual Purple and Gold week will occur alongside Homecoming Week, October 3 through October 8. This year, first year students and transfers were assigned to either the Purple or Gold teams, while in previous years students could choose their teams. As per tradition, the two teams will compete in various events throughout the week.

puple-and-goldThe origin of Purple and Gold stems from Houghton’s early history. Before participating in intercollegiate athletics, Houghton students competed against each other for Team Purple or Team Gold. The Campus Activities Board (CAB) intents to bring back Purple and Gold Week’s competitive spirit with a host of new and time-honored activities. Laura Cunningham, Resident director of Gillette, stated “I think Purple and Gold Week has expanded since I started working at Houghton. Powderpuff football was a main event a few years ago, but I like that there are other events that happen throughout the week.  I think there is greater momentum leading up to Homecoming Weekend.”

CAB member, Kasey Cannister ‘17, stated “Our main goal is to keep making the rivalry between Purple and Gold Strong. The past few years the rivalry has went away. Purple and Gold existed but it was not as strong of a competition as it was in the past. Last year we tried to emphasize Purple vs. Gold and ensure that there was a competition every single day. This year we are trying to do that again.”

Some of the events that are planned are a lip sync battle, trivia night, pudding tug of war, a flag football game,and capture the flag. In addition to those events, throughout the week there will be “pop-up” Minute To Win It games during lunch, and a sidewalk chalk competition. Saturday will host  relay races in which alumni are  encouraged to participate. The culmination of Purple and Gold week will be on Saturday night with Purple and Gold SPOT.

SPOT is the variety show that occurs once a semester. The fall semester hosts, Travis Trotman ‘17 and Sarah Duttweiler ‘17, chose to focus SPOT on Purple and Gold week. Duttweiler stated, “I think as the SPOT Hosts this year, we really wanted to build on that historic competition and have people really create this dedication to their teams.” She continued, “We have been working hard to make sure it is a good show, that it will be interactive, and exciting. We have seen a lot of great acts try out so we are really positive about the show. Everyone should make sure they come out for the show, sporting their team colors.”

An event unique to Fall 2016 will be the Tree of Life celebration. The Tree of Life, the tree at the center of the Field of Dreams, was struck by lightning during a severe storm this summer. CAB has planned a bonfire at the stump of the Tree of Life. According to CAB Townhouse representative, Tess Taggart ‘18, the bonfire will be a kick-off event for the homecoming and Purple and Gold festivities.

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Campus News

Transit Offers Houghton-to-Wellsville Connection

Students can now enjoy an afternoon in Wellsville for a small fee by utilizing Wellsville’s ACCESS Allegany transit bus Houghton-to-Wellsville service.

The forty minute drive costs just 50 cents each way, and provides students with the opportunity to partake in an array of activities. Possible activities include eating a meal at one of the many restaurants in town, shopping at local stores, seeing a movie, or visiting the local library.

wellsvilleHoughton College is not affiliated with this new transit service nor does the college contribute any funds; the transit service was founded by and for the businesses in Wellsville.  Consequently, the bus does not only stop at Houghton College at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday afternoons.  In addition to this Thursday evening shuttle, the Service Area Four provides transportation from Houghton College at 3:38 p.m. and 5:50 p.m. going to  Belmont, Monday through Friday.  The bus also makes other stops throughout Houghton and Fillmore, including Subway and Dollar General.  The Service Area 4 schedule can be found at ardentnetwork.org,

Marc Smithers, Assistant Dean of Residence Life and Programming, predicts the variety of restaurants will be most successful with Houghton students.  He recommended The Duke House Tea Room and Bakery on 244 Main Street, which,  serves pastries, cakes, cookies, and more than forty kinds of loose leaf tea.  Among Smithers’ other recommendations were L’Italia, Beef Haus, and Texas Hot, which has “awesome milkshakes.”

Julia Chamberlain, ’18, who rode the transit to Wellsville the first Thursday it was offered, was also very complimentary of Texas Hot.  “They cook the food right in front of the window,” she recalled. “And they’re so fast.  We ordered, and three minutes later they brought the food out.”  She and a friend explored some of the other restaurants and shops on main street, including the David A. Howe Library, which Chamberlain described as “a big, Greek museum.”

While she agreed Wellsville restaurants will play a key role in the success of the Wellsville transit, it is unfortunate some attractions, such as Bowl-m-Over Lanes and the Wellsville Creative Arts Center are not open by the time the Thursday evening shuttle arrives.  “It’d be nice if they really laid out everything there was to do,” Chamberlain explained. “We were searching around a lot for what there was to do.” Another student agreed that the transit would benefit from more advertisement.

Smithers added the transit is perfect for those “looking to get off campus,” not only because the cost of gas will not be an issue, but because of the opportunity it presents for students to journey together, form closer friendships, make memories, or “go on dates with boo.”

In addition to having fun, off-campus options and boosting the business of Wellsville, the Ardent Solutions website cites several benefits of public transportation, such as its producing 1.1 million jobs annually.  Additionally, economic returns yield $4 for every $1 invested in public transportation.  

Not only does Houghton College have the chance to bolster the public transit economy, but Wellsville’s Chamber of Commerce is in conversation with Allegheny County about potential discounts for Houghton students to make the transit accessible and viable for Houghton students for years to come.

The Thursday evening shuttle leaves Houghton at 5:20 p.m. and returns at about 11:00 p.m.  

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Campus News

State of the College Address Given

On Monday September 19, President Mullen addressed the student body with a summary of her annual State of the College address at the Student Government Association (SGA) all-campus meeting. Mullen covered topics varying from the celebrations to the challenges the college has and will be facing in the coming year.

Traditionally, the State of the College address is given a week before the scholastic year begins. However, Mullen felt it was important to share this information with the student body, and thus provided a space on Monday night to address the students in a summarized and comprehendible fashion.

“I am overwhelmed by gladness of the ability to be in this place,” she stated. Mullen further exclaimed how this year marked the largest incoming student class the school has seen in awhile. Houghton, as Mullen stated, is unlike any other college institution. “To have an academic environment that cares deeply about both faith and academia, and is intentionally about their fusions, is often unheard of in higher education… Sometimes we’re so inside this place, that we often forget how special it is,” she said.

Mullen also addressed some of the challenges for the college, the first being the continuation of Houghton’s foundational economic model. Houghton was founded on the principle of affordability for all. However, this generosity comes at the expense of the budget. Mullen said, “It costs about $7,000 more dollars to educate the average Houghton student than what they actually pay.”  Though a huge risk, Mullen explained the deep desire the administration has to preserve these foundational values as best they can.

Cayleigh Pracht ‘17, Executive Officer of Communications, responded to the address by saying she “appreciated the time that President Mullen took out of her schedule to be with the students.” Mullen, as Pracht explained, “bridges the gap from administration to students in a tact and sincere way.”

Student body president, Joanna Friesen ‘17, also emphasized the importance of having the president involved in student activities. She commented, “It’s important to have and maintain a relationship with the president of the college…It allows the opportunity for both students and administration to be aware of the wider part of the college.”

In closing, President Mullen encouraged the student body to take advantage of their time at Houghton, and to “carry out the tasks that God has called each of us to.”

Though that does not guarantee an avoidance of storms, it guarantees a life of molding and growth in both students spiritual and academic walk.

 

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Guest Professional Speaks On Faith In Workplace

On Thursday, September 15, the first of five Guest Professional Dinners to be featured this semester took place in the South End dining hall. Omar Haedo, president of ELAN Solutions, Inc. spoke to a group of about 50 students about his career path as a health insurance expert and entrepreneur.

guestprof-speaker-omar-haedoThe Guest Professional Dinners have been sponsored by the Vocational Center and Career Advisement Office (VOCA) since the spring of 2014. The events have included speakers from various professions, many of them Houghton graduates. “The goal of the dinners is to expand students’ view of the working world,” said VOCA director Kim Pool. She said, “The [speakers] share the story of their vocational journey exposing students to real-life issues, [and] opportunities.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Haedo has had an extensive career in management, insurance sales, and employee benefits over a period of nearly 30 years. After studying for two years at Houghton College (‘83-’85), Haedo completed his education at the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico, graduating summa cum laude in 1987. With his varied resume behind him, Haedo now holds an executive position and claims expertise in his field.

Yet it was Haedo’s perspective on faith and work that made an impression on Robert Kuchar ‘17, who attended the dinner. Haedo, who was “very enthusiastic” spoke on “how to live a Christ-filled life in the context of the business field and entrepreneurship,” even including references to Scriptures which apply to the difficulties business professionals face on the job, Kuchar said.

Kuchar went to several Guest Professional Dinners before, beginning in his freshman year. “The motivation to attend this particular dinner was getting extra credit for Financial Accounting,” he admitted. However he said, “I would recommend the dinners to anyone who has an interest in meeting people who have gained real world experience and desires to share the lessons they learned.” Kuchar continued, “Even if you are not a business or accounting major.”

On student feedback regarding the Guest Professional Dinners, Pool noted, “We have heard from students that [the dinners] have helped them think about careers that weren’t on their radar and that they have provided them with ideas of where they can put their skills and knowledge to use.”

Professionals with stories of trial and faith have also been a hit with students. “We have also heard that it is helpful to hear real life stories that include bumps and snags along the way, yet hearing the recurring message of how God has been faithful in each [speaker’s] life,” Pool said.

Of course, the opportunity for personal connection is also appreciated by students. Kuchar left the dinner in high spirits, saying, “[Haedo] was very encouraging to me as we discussed my interest in video production. Both his message and chatting with him afterward gave me more of an interest in the possibility of doing a video production startup and insights into how my faith plays into that.”

Pool encouraged students to attend at least one of the remaining five Guest Professional Dinners: “Log in to Handshake to check out the line-up and register!”

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New Majors See Success

Courtesy of hcap.artstor.org

Houghton College’s mission statement states that Houghton College seeks to prepare students for the changing world of the twenty-first century.  The Director of Admission, Ryan Spear  said, “In order to do this we need to ensure that our existing programs go through a careful review process and any new programs are considered thoughtfully.”  In just this past year Houghton College has added Data Science, Music Industry, and Sport, Recreation and Wellness Management as majors. In  May, Justin Bullard walked at graduation as Houghton College’s first student to earn their degree in Inclusive Adolescent Education, which was recently added as well.  Engineering will be another major added in the next few years. . Jack Connell, Dean of the College and Vice President of Academic Affairs, stated that Houghton College is currently waiting to hear back from New York State regarding the approval of Engineering. This will determine whether the program will be offered in the Fall of 2017, or in the Fall of 2018.

Spear  sees  these new majors as an opportunity to attract more students and provide desired programs Spear stated, “It is important that Houghton College as an institution walks the fine line between offering programs in line with the needs of the world and the demands of the student without risking chasing after ’fad’ programs, like forensic science or video-game design.  There is nothing wrong with those programs, but often these programs often can be little more than gimmicks to attract students and lack necessary substance.”  He referred to the “Houghton way” of offering new programs to consist of finding the best way to offer new programs that fit with the school’s mission of being a rigorously academic, Christian liberal-arts college and will sustain demand in  the foreseeable future.

In their first official year of approval, Houghton saw six students enroll in the data science program; three in sport, recreation and wellness management, and 11 in the music industry program.  In fact, the 11 students to enroll this year in music industry made this first year program the largest of the music programs being sought after by incoming students.  And despite  engineering still in the process of being approved, Houghton saw 12 students enroll this year with an interest in physics and possibly engineering.  This is the highest number in the past few years.  Inclusive adolescent education is a little farther along in the process.  Professor of education,  Sunshine Sullivan, said  “There have been many prospective students that I have spoken to that have responded positively in having inclusive adolescent education as an option here at Houghton.”

Nic Loew ’18   will be one of the first students with the opportunity to graduate with a data science degree.  He said, “Data is so much of life in today’s society. No matter one’s major or interest, whether Business, Biology, Athletics, Music, etc., there is a need to understand how to use and interpret data in the most productive way.”

As Houghton College looks to grow with the changing world,the addition of these new majors will prove to be a tenable strategy to  attract more students as well as providing students with the necessary knowledge and experience to “lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world,” as Houghton College’s mission statement states.

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Professor Hosts Constitution Day Presentation

Courtesy of houghton.edu

On Tuesday, September 20, professor of political science, Peter Meilander, hosted a presentation with Christen Price entitled “Transgender Rights, Religious Liberty, and Higher Education: The Story of California Senate Bill 1146” in honor of Constitution Day, which happened on September 17.

Price, an attorney with Alliance Defending Freedom, first, explained The California Senate Bill 1146, and then provided an opportunity for questions from those who attended the presentation.

Constitution Day, according to constitutionday.com, “…commemorates the formation and signing of the U.S. Constitution by thirty-nine brave men on September 17, 1787, recognizing all who, are born in the U.S. or by naturalization, have become citizens.” All educational institutions that receive federal funding are required to observe Constitution Day.

The presentation, hosted via Skype, largely discussed religious freedom in regards to California Senate Bill 1146 (SB 1146). The bill was introduced by California senator, Ricardo Lara, on February 18, 2016 and was passed in Senate on August 30, 2016. Once passing the Senate, it went on to the Assembly of Higher Education Committee where it was also passed.

According to Price, “…in its worst form, SB 1146 amended the education code to add the disclosure provisions…” Some of these disclosures, described by Price early on in the discussion and included, “…requiring students to sign a statement of faith, maintaining sex segregated dorms or shower facilities that are based on biological sex rather than gender identity, or expecting community members to comply with Christian standards for sexual morality…”

The bill, which can be accessed at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, reads, “This bill would require an institution that has an exemption from either the Equity in Higher Education Act or Title IX to make specified disclosures to the institution’s current and prospective students, faculty members, and employees, and to the Student Aid Commission, concerning the institution’s basis for having the exemption.”

In attendance were individuals such as president of the college, Shirley Mullen; vice president of student life, Rob Pool; counselor, Nancy Murphy; director of the counseling center, Bill Burter; residence director of Rothenbehler  Jon Craton; former director or counseling services, Michael Lasatoria; and dean of the college, Samuel “Jack” Connell.

In addition to the vast amount of faculty and staff in attendance, there were also students present. Joshua Bergart ’19 said he went to educate himself, “It’s one of those areas that is kind of a blind spot for me, not that I don’t have certain opinions about it, but I’m kind of ignorant about what the rest of the church believes and why, so I’m curious about that.”

 

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Campus News Sports

Fall Sports Off to Strong Start

A few weeks into the fall semester, and athletics are off to a good start. Both the women’s tennis team and field hockey team have seen improvements in their season and are fighting hard in competition.

According to Charlie Ellis, head coach of the tennis team, the team is a close-knit group which has a high level of respect for each other and the teams they compete against. It’s been a good season and although they have had some difficulties with illnesses and the high demands of the classroom, the team is holding together very well.

“The girls are an extremely humble group,” said Ellis. “It’s enjoyable to work with them because they really do care about the team and their reputation deeply.”

Ellis emphasized the positive culture his team has created between every player, “These girls enjoy each other’s company regardless of ability. They push each other everyday and work to help each other instead of trying to compete within their team.”

As a coach, Ellis likes to observe the girls who are not typically in the front line up. Their goal is to push the players at the top in practice everyday. “They always do a great job pushing and fighting to reach the top,” said Ellis. He explained how those girls have to work hard because they always have to be ready to be called upon to play in a game.

As a team, “They don’t press and get outside of what they are capable of doing and they don’t embarrass themselves. They make sure the other team has to play and really fight for their points. Even if a team beats us, they have to spend a long time fighting for it,” said Ellis.

Women’s tennis is a new team, just started 4 years ago by their current coach. Ellis attributes their success to the girls’ commitment to improving their tennis game. As a coach, he focuses on the skill sets of his athletes and seeing individual and team improvement each week and year.

Ellis said, “We are more focused on measuring the physical success of tennis skills compared to winning or losing. The skills of our team are better this year for sure.”

The team looks forward to their home match against Alfred University on Tuesday, October 4th. Ellis said, “It’s always a pretty even competition and it’s nice to enjoy a conference match with a team right down the road.”

Also showing success, with a 4-2 record, the field hockey team is one to look out for this season. According to Elizabeth Modesto ‘18, “This year’s team is primarily upperclassmen who have been playing with each other for several years. We’ve also gained some solid key players.”

Captain Kelsie Ashley ‘17 said, “Our team is unique in that we have a larger roster than years past. Even with some new players, our previously young team has transitioned into a veteran squad.”

Modesto commended their strong season to the team’s connectivity on and off the field. This strength is witnessed in their successful passing patterns up the field and their constant communication.

One of the team’s main goals for their season is to push each other to their full potential and raise the overall standard of play.  According to Ashley this is something they talk about regularly as a team.

Moving forward into a busy season, Ashley, Modesto, and their team look forward to more challenging conference games as well as continued growth in their learning and weakness on the field.

Field Hockey plays at home on October 8th and looks forward to redeeming themselves to Washington & Jefferson College after a tough loss last year.

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Houghton Welcomes Increase in First-Year Enrollment

Enrollment for the 2016-2017 year has shown significant changes in the make-up of the incoming class. Most notably, the ratio of incoming males to female is the most evenly balanced it has been in several years. Houghton’s director of admission Ryan Spear disclosed a 43% male to 57% female ratio, with 133 incoming males and 174 incoming females.

14141790_10153664391021916_8906889124382565243_nThe physical impact of the shift is immediately seen in regards to housing, as Marc Smithers, Assistant Dean of students for residence life, observed. “Roth and Shen are essentially at capacity this year,” he noted. Spear, observed the increase in male enrollment, while acknowledging the “disappointing” corresponding shift. “Female enrollment is down or flat,” he explained, comparing this year’s number of 174 to a previous three-year average of 185. Spear nonetheless positively noted “three years of growth among first year enrollments” overall, with numbers creeping up from 223, 238, 244, to this year’s 247.

Although Spear cannot immediately identify the reason(s) for the shift in this year’s enrollment, he explained three areas he is exploring. Spear noted the possibility of simply a “larger male application pool,” possibly related to Houghton’s first year using the common application, as well its own online application. He also mentions the draw of athletics, which he says are “trending toward greater parity,” with the male-female ratio at “about fifty-fifty” for this year’s enrollment.

Spear also intends to explore the draw of various academic programs, and noted the increasing cultural emphasis by incoming students on specific academic programs. “People more than ever want proof that they’re getting a valuable experience,” he said. “The first thing they want to know- is my program strong?” He noted various male-female ratios among departments for this year’s enrollment, such as female dominated adolescent education and biology, male dominated accounting and political science, and parity within physics. Yet Spear is unwilling to draw any immediate conclusions. He emphasized, “I don’t like simple explanations,” and noted the complexity of changes, such as this year’s enrollment.

Next year’s enrollment numbers and ratios cannot be predicted, but Spear and Smithers noted the questions that this year’s enrollment raises. “Is this a trend? Do we have the capacity?” are among these questions, Spear said. He noted various manifestations of the “bump” in male enrollment, such as Shen’s show room being “eliminated” to be used for actual housing. “We’re trying to figure out what to do next year if we have a similar kind of enrollment,” Smithers said, and noted “housing is the biggest thing because we have limited bed numbers to make available.” “It’s a good problem,” he emphasized. “I can speak for the RDs that it’s very exciting to have full residence halls,” Smithers said. He reflected on positive interactions with the incoming class, and stated, “In terms of residence halls, this can only be a huge benefit to us.”

 

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Houghton Highlanders Welcome Three New Coaches to Athletic Department

This school year, Houghton will welcome three new coaches to campus. Two of the three coaches are Houghton college alumni. Corky McMullen ’07, took over as the new head coach for the men’s basketball and Andrew Lundeen ’09 was appointed as the new head men’s lacrosse coach. The women’s softball coach, Katie Sinclair, is an alumni of St. Bonaventure. “All three coaches are enthusiastic, passionate, committed to Christ, understand the ‘student-athlete’ concept, and understand what we are doing in terms of sports ministry” said Head Athletic Director Skip Lord.  

McMullen, who graduated with a degree degree in physical education, played basketball under Coach Brad Zargess, who is now the athletic director at Quincy College in Massachusetts. McMullen said, “Houghton is a special place to me because of the impact it had on my life.” He was recruited out of high school to play basketball for Houghton,  but didn’t give it a chance. After a successful athletic and academic year at Lockhaven University in Pennsylvania, he felt something was missing in his life and visited Houghton, which he said changed his life. McMullen said, “The people were so warm and welcoming, unlike any other college visit I had ever been on.”

Upon graduating, he spent a number of years as a member of the coaching staff at various institutions, such as Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Hofstra University, and Rutgers University. He worked in various roles such as player development and scouting. McMullen, whose father coached high school for 35 years and currently coaches at the college level, said his father impacted his passion for coaching. “I always knew I wanted to coach. I saw the impact that he had on the players’ lives and saw a lot of his players come back 10, 15, 20 years down the road and thank him, which was really meaningful for me” said McMullen. His coaching philosophy, which is centered on people and relationships, is part of the reason Johnathon Stowe ‘17 thinks McMullen will do well in Houghton.  “I believe he is a great fit for Houghton, his strong spiritual leadership is needed here, and I like the way he cares for his players,” Stowe said.

Women’s softball coach, Sinclair, graduated from St. Bonaventure University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and a minor in sports management. While there, she played softball and started working with players through clinics and camps to refine their skills. “I fell in love with helping people get better and reach their goals athletically,” said Sinclair. Her first year, with the help of two of her teammates, she started Bonnies Athletes for Christ. Similar to Fellowship for Christian Athletes (FCA), it started with five student athletes having weekly bible studies. It eventually grew into about 25-30 athletes, and in her senior year became a chapter of FCA. Last summer, she coached on a travel team out of Binghamton, New York, where she the focus was on-field coaching and running through game situations. Taylor Sile ‘19, believes these skills will be an asset to the team. “I believe that Coach Katie will push each and every member of the team to new levels of play and I am very excited to see our growth” said Sile.

Lastly, the men’s head lacrosse coach, Lundeen has been living in southern Maryland teaching  middle school social studies teacher for seven years, while service as the assistant men’s lacrosse coach and offensive coordinator at the College of Southern Maryland (CSMD). Although he never played lacrosse at the collegiate level, he has coached at all levels. Lundeen also has experience with lacrosse as a new program, as he worked closely with  head coach for the CSMD started the lacrosse program for the school. While Lundeen is currently at CSMD, he will become a full time coach on campus for the first week of October. Lundeen is excited to join Houghton and stated, “As the coach, I am excited about leading the members of the men’s lacrosse team as they grow physically, mentally and spiritually during their four years at Houghton.” Paul Chapman ‘17, is also excited for Lundeen to start coaching,  “I truly believe he will be successful as the new head coach. We are all beyond excited to get this new era of Houghton lacrosse underway.”

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Longtime History Professor to Retire in the Spring

Professor of history, William Doezema, who came to Houghton College in forty years ago, will be retiring in the spring of 2017.

Eliza Burdick-Risser ‘18, took Recent American History, 1920 to Present, with Doezema. Burdick-Risser recalled a semester of history made vivid through Doezema’s rich teaching. “You walk into Professor Doezema’s class at eight o’clock on a Tuesday morning,” she said. “You sit down, and he starts with discussion questions on the reading from the night before.” However, the resemblance to a predictable lecture stops there.

“He was really good at providing examples of what happened, because he experienced a lot of this stuff. He was able to tell us about the Cold War, and what it was truly and honestly like to grow up during that time period,”she said. Burdick-Risser stated Doezema’s teaching gave the students in the class a greater tie to history, as well as a broader perspective on major events. “At twenty years old you haven’t experienced,  a Cold War,” she said. “And most stuff that has happened, we haven’t even had a say or a vote in it.”

Doezema joined Houghton College’s history department in 1979, and has been teaching  at Houghton for almost forty years. In addition to teaching, he enjoys historical research, as well as presenting and publishing scholarly work on a variety of subjects ranging from the Salem witch trials to China’s Taiping Rebellion.

The history department’s small size allows for close working relationships between faculty. “Teaching in an area of academia I love and learning much from colleagues inside and outside my department have been incalculable privileges,” Doezema said. He added, “I’ve been struck over the years by how much we complement one another.”

Those colleagues seem to agree. Meic Pearse, a fellow professor of history, described the small, tight-knit department as a blessing, “[W]e all get along so well together; departmental meetings are mostly punctuated by funny stories and laughter.”

Professor of history, David Howard, was one of the faculty members who interviewed Doezema for his teaching position years ago and said Doezema is “a wonderful colleague; absolutely a person you can count on.” According to Howard, Doezema’s presence, in conjunction with Houghton’s other history professors, has helped to balance and strengthen the department. In addition to maintaining a warm dynamic with fellow professors, Doezema said,  “The most satisfying side of teaching … has been helping struggling students develop confidence in strengths they scarcely realized they possessed.”

Burdick-Risser said she appreciates the way Doezema drew connections between the past and the present, and navigated those topics in a way that allowed students to reach their own conclusions about politically-charged issues. “He never made it a thing of ‘Democrat versus Republican’ … I found that really nice. It was just history for what it was” stated Burdick-Risser.

Pearse affirmed this sentiment and stated the world needs “non-mythologized, non-romanticized, non-ideological history.” Otherwise, “All we do is delude ourselves and confirm our own prejudices, and fail to understand our own place in the world, or why others act as they do—and so fail to anticipate what is likely to happen next.”“[A]s one historian has put it,” says Doezema, “history is ‘an act of self-consciousness.’ History can make us all more discerning Christians.”

Howard said, if Doezema decided to leave Houghton after retiring in the spring he will be missed. He said, “There are very few people I’ll miss as much as Bill.”