Category: Campus

The Houghton College women’s soccer team claimed their first ever National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) National Championship title, defeating Mississippi College, on Saturday, December 5 in Kissimmee, Florida.

In the championship game, Sarah Gabriele ‘16 scored Houghton’s lone goal with only 1.7 seconds left in the standard game, after a free kick. This brought the game to a tie sending the women into overtime.

The Highlanders fought for their title in double overtime and finally claimed it in a penalty shoot-out after a week of competing in the NCCAA National Tournament.

During the shoot-out, team members Gabriele, Meagan Barry ‘19, Torri Sperl ‘18, and Kristi Spotts ‘18 scored penalty kicks leading the team to victory.

Head coach David Lewis noted that the women have played in multiple National Tournaments reaching the Sweet 16, Elite 8, and last year the Final Four. However, this is the first time the women have appeared in the Championship Match.

“Every day we worked hard and were dedicated to achieving this goal. We played a lot of really strong competition all throughout the season that really prepared us for the NCCAA post-season,” said Gabriele.

Lewis commented, “This team has been eager to improve. They have not been content with the status quo, but have committed themselves to improve individually and corporately. Their improvement has been evident throughout the season. Their play and the subsequent results are a testament to their hard work.”

To qualify for this national tournament the women had to meet the standards set by the school to qualify for post-season. According to Harold ‘Skip’ Lord, Executive Director of Intercollegiate Athletics, this meant achieving a minimum 0.550 win/loss record and Top 10 in the national NCCAA rankings.

Additionally, they had to win the Midwest Region of the NCCAA. They achieved this by defeating Lancaster Bible College and Ohio Christian University.

“We are very proud of the great season that Coach Lewis and the women’s soccer team have put together. They have succeeded not only on the field, but in the classroom, on campus and most importantly in representing Christ in all they do,” said Lord.

Captain Jenny Zacchigna ‘17 commented, “It was easy to see how God was working within our team and blessing us continually as the week went on. The exciting finish to the final game was not only a product of hard work by the entire team and Coach Lewis, but a reminder that a team who plays to glorify Him can do amazing things.”

With their championship title, the Highlanders finished their season with a final record of 16-6-2. This is the first national title for a Houghton women’s team and the first for any Houghton team since men’s soccer claimed the NCCAA title in 1986.
“This has been my third year competing at nationals and there is really nothing like it. You just get to play soccer with your best friends every day in the warmth of Florida. It’s a great experience and blessing to get to play in the tournament, this year even more so because we accomplished what we set out to do,” said Captain Bailey Shattell ‘17.

Men’s and women’s basketball are off to a solid start this season. Men’s basketball is 3-1 overall and currently on a 3 game win streak in which they have scored above 90 points in each game they have won. Women’s basketball is 3-2 overall. Both teams brought in a strong recruiting class which has added both depth and a competitive advantage to their lineup.  Head women’s basketball coach, Alicia Mucher, said, “We are very happy with our season thus far-especially since we have eight newcomers [soon adding a transfer to our team in January].” Men’s basketball added four new players as well. “We have shown people that we are for real this year and surprised some teams,” said Brandon Camacho ‘16.

The road to success has not been easy for the Highlanders. Two weeks ago, men’s basketball was tested during their game against Oberlin College when the opposing team made a huge run late in the game in an attempt to come out of the game with a win. However, the Highlanders pulled through by making late runs in games against Wells College and Villa Maria College which were seemed to be out of reach. “The toughness and determination of this team has manifested itself each game in a different way by different players during crunch time and that is something that sets this team apart,” said head men’s basketball coach, Andrew Hannan. Before Thanksgiving break, women’s basketball returned to campus with a championship from an Oswego State tournament. This was the first tournament women’s basketball has won under Mucher. “We faced some pretty good programs while we were there, so it was awesome to see the girls hoist the trophy up after working so hard to win it,” said student assistant Taylor Button ‘16. Their first game against Hilbert College went to triple overtime and pulled out a win. “To go into OT (over time) at all and be victorious is hard, but to fight through three OT’s and win showed that we have an incredibly resilient group of players this year,” said Button.

Both men’s and women’s teams have been able to stay focused this season by creating attainable goals. Their goals for this season included making the Empire 8 conference tournament by being the top in the conference, competing in the Empire 8 conference championship game, having a certain number of rebounds more than the opposing team each game, getting to the free throw line, and limiting their turnovers. These goals drive these teams to work hard in all they do on and off the court by getting better and staying together. “Our theme this year is that we are ‘Responsible to the details…accountable to the mission’ and so far, this team has their eyes on the prize to achieve the goals we set and be successful in the mission,” said Button. “Our team is very encouraging, supportive, and uplifting whether you play the whole game or only get in for 30 seconds” said Hannah Manwaring ‘17. “We support one another on and off the court no matter what and put the team’s needs before our own.”

This year was also the first time the Houghton basketball programs did Moonlight Madness event, which was a great way for students to get to know the players on both teams and to watch them in action for the first time this season. There was a three-point contest, a scrimmage, and a contest where students and community members had the chance to compete for $20,000. “We really enjoyed the Moonlight Madness and the excitement that started on campus for the season. Also, the support at each of our home games so far has really been encouraging and we hope to see everybody keep coming out to the games,” said Camacho.

Houghton Student Enterprises (HSE) held its first annual League of Legends tournament on Saturday, November 21.  There were 20 students involved in this event, 16 of whom were present and four who played from a separate location. The event was a team tournament where students teamed up in teams of five to compete in a 5v5 double-elimination tournament.

Two of the teams that competed were communicating through earpieces to teammates that were unable to attend the tournament due to technical difficulties and distance.  Ryan Bowers ‘19, a competitor in this tournament, stated that he loved the location of Big Al’s, because of the easy access to food, refreshments, and the accessibility for spectators to watch and cheer on the gamers as they competed and strategized.  Justin Livergood ‘18, another competitor, stated that he liked the location because the teams were separated by appropriate distances so that the other teams would not be able to hear them strategizing before and during the match.
HSE is planning to continue this event next year, making it an annual activity.  HSE plans on making next year’s tournament a Riot, the company that made League of Legends. sanctioned tournament so they will provide in-game prizes.  HSE anticipates that the event will grow next year,  as they hope to include the gamers of the Houghton community, as well as more students. Bowers and Livergood both expressed they thought this tournament  “should definitely be held again.”

Houghton College partnered with local food pantries for a turkey drive, run by the Student Government Association (SGA) that ended on November 21, and raised $662.72.

While the drive fell far behind the goal of $1,750, the donations were still able to ensure many families in Allegany County enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal.

“The turkeys from this drive were distributed to food pantries in Fillmore, Rushford, and at the Houghton Wesleyan Church. A few turkeys were also donated to Wellspring Ministry,” said Ray Parlett, director of campus safety and security.

The Houghton Wesleyan Church food pantry received and distributed 49 turkeys. The church also gave out 50 bags of potatoes, and 60 desserts to go along with donated Thanksgiving meals, confirmed Patty Stalker, Administrative Assistant at the church.

“The families who came to receive turkeys were so appreciative,” commented Cindy Austin, member of the Houghton Wesleyan Church.

The turkey drive consisted of three forms of fundraising including a penny drive, a 5K Turkey Trot, and the purchasing of paper feathers from the dining hall. Of all the money raised, the dining hall fundraiser was the most successful, raising almost $300.

“The turkey drive has gone better in the past. We did not meet our goal, which is disappointing. However, we started what we hope will be a new tradition with the Turkey Trot,” commented Sarah Makosy, Executive Officer of Student Life.

“There were 25 competitors, varying from students, faculty, and community members,” commented Patrick Hager, head coach of the cross-country team. “With it being a small event, it was pretty easy for Sarah and I to coordinate registration and timing.”

He continued, “I would hope that in years to come it could be a much larger event, and we could contribute more turkeys to the community. I think the campus will rally around that.”

During the penny drive containers were labeled with four different costume options. Whichever costume raised the most money would be worn by Dean Jordan during the Turkey Trot. According to Makosy, the Baymax costume, from the movie Big Hero 6, was the winner.
“We definitely could’ve raised more money. But I’m happy that we were able to help out the Houghton community in this way,” commented Makosy.

Each year Houghton hosts the Christmas Craft and Art Fair, providing an opportunity for residents of Houghton and the surrounding area to present a wide array of products as part of the Christmas season. This year will be the fair’s twenty-ninth year, held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on December 9 and 10 in the Campus Center’s lower level and Van Dyk Lounge.

This year’s craft fair is organized by Jessica Jennings, Houghton’s constituent planning and event specialist, to include a variety of vendors. “Each year has increased and we are at the largest number of vendors we’ve ever had.” Jennings explained. “The majority of vendors are from Allegany County, with some being staff, students and alumni of Houghton.” She noted that there are also “a few from the broader Western New York area.” While many vendors will have handmade products, she says also that “some vendors will be selling licensed products,” such as Jamberry nails or Tupperware.

Jennings indicates that overall “there is a really great variety of products” for this year’s fair. In addition to the licensed products there will be an array of ceramics, jewelry, décor, candles, skin care products, alpaca wool, and knitted items, as well as chocolate, maple syrup, and dog treats. Rachel Wright ‘16 and her sister Anna Wright ‘18 are selling original poetry which has been typed out on a typewriter, “Some of these pieces will be typed on some of my watercolors and pencil drawings. We will also do commissioned pieces, either by typing or drawing whatever our buyer would like.”

Members of the Houghton community can expect to see several familiar faces as vendors. Staff members Marshall Green and Susan Peterson will be present, as well as several Houghton alum including Naomi Woolsey and Grace Mangum. Current students Sarah Showers, Hannah Banks, Laura Stockdale, Rachel Wright, and Jill Magara will also be selling.

Vendor Stockdale ‘16 said, “I’m going to be selling handmade hats, gloves, and headbands that I knitted myself. I’ve been selling these plus scarves on the Houghton campus since around freshman or sophomore year on the Houghton Sells Facebook page and it’s gone really well. I’m taking part in the crafts fair in the hopes that I can expand my reach and number of customers.”

Magara ‘17, also a student vendor, is also looking to gain exposure by selling handmade items, “I decided to sell some of my pottery when someone approached me earlier this semester about buying a few of my pieces. A couple friends and I are setting up a table and I think it’ll be fun and also a great way to begin getting my name out there as a local artisan.”

Wright ‘16 agreed saying, “We wanted to participate in the craft fair because it’s a chance to make a little extra money and to get our work out there. Plus, it’s really fun to make work and sell it.”

In the midst of the busy Christmas season, Jennings notes the advantages of the craft and art fair. “There is a great variety of quality items at a wide range of prices,” she said. “So it’s a good opportunity to check off your Christmas list without leaving campus.” The Houghton community has a chance to celebrate Christmas while supporting the creative endeavors of the surrounding area.

While most of the Houghton College community retired home for holiday celebration over Thanksgiving Break last week, senior physics students Thomas Eckert and August Gula, and associate dean of natural sciences and mathematics Professor Mark Yuly travelled to Savannah, Georgia. The trio, together with faculty and students from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Geneseo attended the American Physical Society’s (APS) fifty-seventh annual meeting of the Division of Plasma Physics. Eckert and Gula presented their research, which they had worked on under Yuly, to hundreds of attendees, many of them distinguished scholars and physicists.

Eckert explained the students’ research was “part of a much larger project that spans over 20 years.” He said the goal of the project was the development of an efficient, time-and-cost-effective way to measure the areal density of an Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) reaction. The areal density is a parameter of ICF that must be above a certain threshold to have a reaction that releases more energy than is put in. “As one of the key goals of studying ICF is to have net-positive energy output which would allow us to use the reaction as a source of electrical power,” Eckert said. “Overcoming this threshold is important. While this value can be measured today, current measurement techniques lack the efficiency of our system.”

This research will likely impact efforts to creating clean, sustainable energy. It also may have applications in astronomy. “An ICF reaction is quite similar to the Gravitational Confinement Fusion that occurs in the core of a star,” Eckert said.

Eckert and Gula’s findings were presented in a poster presentation at the conference. A “poster presentation” is fairly self-explanatory: researchers, using visual aids, present their research to other professionals. There are usually many presenters gathered at a poster presentation, explaining and dialoguing with attendees as they pass by.

Aside from the honor of having their research selected for presentation, Gula and Eckert were recognized for an “Exceptional Undergraduate Poster Presentation” at the conference. Eckert said, “It was a big deal that we received that honor out of hundreds of submitted posters. We were given tickets to a banquet and we were asked to stand and be recognized for our accomplishment. It was a shining moment for both of us.”

Notable attendees to the conference included Masaaki Yamada, recipient of the APS Maxwell Prize for Plasma Physics. His pioneering contributions to the field of laboratory plasma astrophysics, according to the APS website. Another well-regarded member of the physics community, Richard Rhodes, was in attendance. Rhodes is the author of the acclaimed work, The Making of the Atomic Bomb.

Besides these distinguished scholars, Eckert said there were “loads” of other interesting and brilliant scientists at the conference. He expressed his enthusiasm over the networking opportunities he took advantage of. “This conference was one of the most rewarding experiences  

of my time as an undergraduate,” he said, noting how the contacts he made will likely impact his career for many years to come.

Eckert stated, “For me, I am weaker in mathematical and theoretical knowledge, but I find my strength is in experimentation and presentation of my work. For that reason, showing a poster at a research conference is something I feel right at home doing.” He continued, “One of the great things about Houghton Physics, however, is that no matter where your strengths lay, you are able to pursue opportunities tailored to your aptitude.”

The men and women’s cross country teams both ran at the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) Championships on Saturday at the Field of Dreams. This is the second time Houghton has hosted the NCCAA national championship.

Competing on their home course, the women earned a tenth place finish among 21 teams competing in the Division 1 event, while the men finished fifteenth out of 18 division one teams.

The lead runner for the Houghton women was junior, Joanna Friesen, who finished twenty-eighth overall in 19:27 for the 5K course. A total of 142 athletes competed in this race.

“For the women, this was their best race of the season. Six of the seven girls had season bests,” said Head Coach Patrick Hager. “Our team really embraced competing at home for the national championships.”

On the men’s team, Cory McCarty ‘17, ran the top time for the Highlanders, finishing the 8K in 27:29.6, which earned him sixty fifth place out of 135 competitors. Matthew Gostomski ‘16 was not far behind as he finished with a time of 27:34.7 earning himself seventieth place. 135 athletes competed in the men’s race.

“Starting out last year’s season, we had four guys on the team, and only one of them competed at nationals. This year we’ve progressed and competed with 11 guys on the team,” said men’s captain Aaron Eisenhardt ‘17. “As a men’s team we were able to qualify for nationals and our team unity is much deeper this year. I’m looking forward to next year. Since we are only losing two seniors the team will be very similar to this year’s.”

Women’s captain Friesen said, “Running the home course is an advantage, in spite of Houghton November weather. I ran on the course; I know its terrain and characteristics. I’ve run the course backwards and forwards countless times, that is a distinct advantage over the competition.”

Along with Houghton, 47 teams traveled from states all across the country to compete in the national event including teams from Washington, California, Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Florida, Kansas, etc.

Teams were hosted on the course as well as around campus. 10 schools were housed both in the flats or dorms and several teams ate in the dining hall.

On Friday evening all cross country athletes were invited to a celebratory banquet in the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.  “It was a good time for everyone to be together in a formal setting, with some awards given out. It really set the tone for the meet and helped get people excited,” said Hager.

With such a large event being hosted on campus, several departments were highly involved in the planning. All athletic administration was involved as well as Sodexo for catering services, Becca Crouch for housing, Ray Parlett for security, and the grounds crew for preparing the course. In the months leading up to the competition, the departments would meet to work on planning every two weeks.

“It’s very special to host such a large meet and get to see so many other runners on campus in the days leading up to the meet. It is a momentous way to finish the season,” said Friesen. “The season has been long and full of hard work and effort – it’s hard to believe that it’s all over.”
The Cedarville University men and women won the NCCAA Championship race for division one and the Maranatha Baptist University men and Moody Bible Institute women won division two.

This Saturday, November 21, Houghton’s music program will put on a concert performed by the Jazz Ensemble. “The concert will be a collection of standard tunes of the jazz repertoire, and also some contemporary jazz pieces by modern composers,” said dean of the school of music, Armenio Suzano. The concert will also feature compositions by Houghton student Marc LeGrand, performed by the combo ensemble. Big band, the other ensemble within the overall Jazz Ensemble will “be performing more well-known works,” music student Danielle “DJ” Bees ‘17 said.

The Jazz Ensemble is directed by Ken Crane, an adjunct professor whose position at Houghton is entirely devoted to jazz. Suzano noted that the Jazz Ensemble, directed by Crane, “Has existed for many years now, and it has created a very special niche for the performance of a highly specialized repertoire.” Jazz Ensemble members Elizabeth Ibarra ‘17 and Bees commended Crane as a good teacher. “He will correct you if you’re wrong, he’s not afraid to, But he will give you compliments if they’re due.” said Bees. Ibarra echoed this, “It’s a tough love type of thing.” Both students noted, “We all like him.”

Both Ibarra and Bees, expressed their enthusiasm to become part of the jazz ensemble. Ibarra, who had performed jazz in middle and high school, said she “took the one chance I had” to do jazz this semester. Both enjoy the jazz ensemble as something unique, different from their other experiences within the music program.  Bees noted that she likes “how much fun the music is to play. It’s not as much pressure as in other ensembles.” She explained, “It’s a bit more free. There’s wiggle room.” Ibarra described it also as a growing experience. “I’m getting much better at allowing myself to improvise,” she said. She explained, “I have a set way of playing, a set style,” but jazz is “breaking me out of my musical box.”

Both Ibarra and Bees noted “not a lot of people know about the jazz ensemble.” Suzano commends the ensemble in that “they execute their music in the highest possible level of quality and excellence,” and expressed his hopes and enthusiasm for the concert. “This will be an opportunity for Houghton students and for the community to enjoy an evening with music that is truly American and an incredible representative of the best the American spirit of creativity and ingenuity can provide,” he said

“When we refer to ‘the biblical approach to economics’ or the biblical response to politics’ or ‘biblical womanhood,’ we’re using the Bible as a weapon disguised as an adjective,” writes author Rachel Held Evans in her book, Faith Unraveled: How A Girl Who Knew All The Answers Learned To Ask The Questions. Evans, following the release of her third book, Searching for Sunday, recently traveled from her hometown in Dayton, Tennessee to Eastern University (EU) in St. Davids, PA to deliver two lectures on October 29 and 30. Three Houghton students, Annetta Snell ’18, Mary Cronin ’17, and Melissa Bell ’17 trekked to the Philadelphia suburb to attend. The trio was hosted by sophomore Resident Assistant Alyssa Welty.

Held Evan’s invitation was prompted by the university’s ongoing conversation regarding human sexuality and gender, according to Amy Perez, EU’s Director of Advising and First-Year Programs. Perez added that she pushed for this year’s freshman class to read Faith Unraveled, which details Held Evans’ encounter with doubts regarding conservative evangelicalism. This struggle resonates with many Christians in their thirties or younger. Welty said that when she read Faith Unraveled, she “felt right at home.” Describing herself as a Christian often “stuck at the crossroads,” she stated that she felt privileged to hear Held Evans speak.

The Thursday evening lecture was titled “The Misuse of Power in Gender Relations”, and focused on patriarchal movements within evangelicalism that have silenced movements. During her lecture, Held Evans described an occurrence in her childhood, when she was told it was too bad she was a girl, as she could have been a good preacher. Held Evans deconstructed this and other claims, focusing on biblical heroines like Ruth and Deborah who “broke rules”. She also focused on Proverbs chapter 31, which is used by many evangelicals to define “biblical womanhood,” of which, according to Held Evans, there is no such thing.

The second lecture on Friday morning was attended by community members as well as the entire EU class of 2019. This lecture focused on Held Evan’s broader experience with doubt, and asked the question of whether doubt is good for a Christian, or the first step down a slippery slope. Bell said after hearing the lecture, “Held Evans emphasized that it was okay to doubt. Her writing and lectures really resonated with me, because as a theology major I am presented with different thoughts on God and theology all the time. It was comforting to hear from one of my role models that doubting is not just allowed, but beneficial to my spiritual growth.”

Snell, a longtime fan of Held Evans’ work, first “stumbled onto” her writing in high school. Snell said she held doubts similar to Evans,’ and found it “incredible to find

someone who was honest and brave enough to talk about her journey, welcoming other people to join her in conversation about life and Christianity.” Snell would encourage all who have the chance to read her books or her blog (rachelheldevans.com). “Just do it,” she urges.