Category: Campus

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.

From March 16-30 of 2016 a group of 15-18 students will travel to Vienna, one of the Western world’s oldest and most historically influential cities. Dr. Peter Meilaender, who has traveled to Vienna several times and speaks fluent German, stated that he is excited to lead students through the Innenstadt (the oldest and most central part of Vienna which was once occupied by the Roman Empire). He said, “The old part of the city is really very compact, so you could walk across it on foot in under an hour. Around every corner there’s some new, remarkable building…there are churches everywhere.” The compact nature of the central city will provide a good opportunity to see its most crucial landmarks within a relatively constricted amount of time.

The timeframe of the trip will allow students to experience Vienna during one of its most significant festivals: Holy Week, leading up to Easter Sunday. The vast number of Baroque churches will be filled with thousands of people celebrating the Resurrection, which will provide insight into the importance that many European cities still place on these religious holidays. Dr. Meilaender stated, “A high Catholic mass in a great cathedral on a major festival is an experience not to be missed.”

Students will certainly be getting a great deal out of the two credits which the course requires. In addition to staying in one of the West’s most beautiful cities for two weeks, students will be studying the art, history, literature, and architecture which make Vienna so unique. The crux of the course will focus on the period leading up to World War One, which was extremely tumultuous for all of Europe. However, Dr. Meilaender said that out of this culture breakdown arose an “outburst in creativity” which accounts for much of the artistic traditions that came from Vienna during this time. Artists such as Gustav Klimt, most famous for his painting “The Kiss,” lived and worked in the city during the early 1900s, and are upheld as the originators of the modern style of art.

While in Vienna, students will be expected to attend class for three hours in the morning  after which they will be free to roam the city for as long as they like. Vienna has a wide variety of coffee shops, museums, and churches, all of which are world renowned. Navigating the city should not prove too difficult because of its compactness and communicating with the locals should be equally promising as many people speak English. Dr. Meilaender said, “You can just wander around and constantly see amazing things, more than we could possibly fit into two weeks.” Perhaps, then, this Spring’s trip to Vienna will lead to a love for the city which will bring students back again.

Up until the second or last week of the season, all fall sports teams had a chance at post-season in the Empire 8 conference. However, only men’s soccer, seeded third and women’s soccer, seeded fourth, have qualified to compete in the Empire 8 playoffs. Today, the men’s soccer team will play Stevens Institute of Technology at Ithaca and the women’s soccer team plays Stevens at Stevens. Last weekend, Houghton hosted the Empire 8 Championships for cross country where 17 of the 21 Highlanders who competed ran their fastest races. Head Cross Country Coach Patrick Hager said, “They did all they could do. They performed their best and the results take care of themselves.”

Unfortunately, women’s field hockey, women’s volleyball, and women’s tennis didn’t make it to the playoff round,  which cut their successful seasons short. Women’s tennis were 6-7 overall and had started their season undefeated. Field Hockey finished 8-9 overall, better than last year, and were in contention until the last weekend. They needed to win their game against Washington Jefferson College and for Utica College to lose in order to get seeded fourth in their conference. Reflecting on the season, junior Kelsie Ashley said, “We had a really great season” and that “[She’s] excited to see what next year holds.” Volleyball (20-11 overall) lost a couple keys matches against Elmira and Stevens. Although they had the same conference record (5-3) as Elmira and Stevens, they were unable to make it into the playoffs. Senior Captain Hattie Burgher said, “Our team has finished in the top four of the conference for the past three years and this year we beat rivals that haven’t been beat for four or five years.” Burgher said, “Although we aren’t continuing on, I am still extremely proud of what our team has accomplished this year and years past.”

The only team that qualified for the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA) championship is men’s and women’s cross country. Houghton will be hosting the national championships in two weeks where both the men’s and women’s team will each have seven runners competing.

The NCCAA has put several new qualifications in place to determine whether a team can make it to the National Christian Tournament for their sport. Previously, a team had to have a .500 record, meaning they had the same number of wins and losses to qualify.  Executive director of athletics, Harold “Skip” Lord, said, “Part of the reason for applying to NCCAA was to have post season opportunities for our teams.”

Essentially, if a team finishes in first place for Empire 8 or makes it to Empire 8 playoffs and wins it, then they qualify for the NCCAA. However, if a team doesn’t satisfy any of these requirements, Houghton decided that they will determine a team’s “national caliber” through other criteria. Some of these criteria include if the team has  a 55% win loss record, if they make it to the finals of the Empire 8 conference tournament, or if the team was in the top 10 final National Christian college pool. If a team has a strong season, but doesn’t qualify for Empire 8 playoffs, they are still able to continue their season if they satisfy two of the three previous guidelines.

This is the second year Houghton has been able to compete in the Empire 8 playoffs. Athletic Director “Skip” Lord said, “This was the best overall start for the year since we made the move to NCAA.” Houghton is in its fourth year of provisional status from the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) to the National College Athletic Association (NCAA) and is hoping to have full membership in NCAA next year.