Category: Campus

Categories
Campus News

Alumna Returns to Perform in Organ Recital

Jennifer Velázquez playing the organ - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

At 7:30 p.m. on this Friday Jan. 26, Houghton welcomes back alumna Jennifer Velázquez (‘91) to perform an organ recital in the Wesley Chapel. Velázquez’s husband also graduated in the Class of ‘91, and her daughter and son-in-law both graduated from Houghton with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in music.
Judy Congdon—Professor of Organ and Harpsichord, and Houghton’s Organist—speaks highly of Velázquez, “Jennifer is one of many, many very fine organists who have been trained at Houghton over the years. Jennifer is a gracious, lovely person and a musician of formidable talent. Though I was not her teacher I have watched her musical journey through the past several decades, and I consider her a treasured colleague and friend.” 

At eleven, Velázquez began learning to play the piano, and then started playing the organ at fourteen and really liked it. 

“I talked to my teacher about organ junior-senior year of high school,” Velázquez commented, “and ended up at Houghton.”
For 25 years, Velázquez was the Organist and Associate Director of Music and Worship at Independent Presbyterian Church (IPC) in Memphis, Tenn. She has previously performed at Houghton, and in England, Scotland, and Ukraine (for a mission trip). She now focuses on organ repertoire and performance.
Velázquez explained that she “Mostly plays music already written and will be playing One Piece by Dr. William T. Allen [in the upcoming recital].” 

Dr. Allen was a former Houghton Professor of Piano and Theory, and later a composer in residence.
The organ, a unique instrument with a rich history of being played in churches and concert halls, is both a keyboard and a wind instrument. This is due to the varying sized pipes that are grouped together on the instrument. 

 Benjamin VanTine (‘25), a current student studying organ explained, “The organ which is the oldest keyboard instrument is also a wind instrument, different knobs are used to achieve the desired sound. This is where the phrase ‘pull out all the stops’ comes from. An Organ has to be preset to create the wanted sound.”

Wesley Chapel’s organ was built in 1961-1962 by Walter Holtkamp Sr., who was one of the leading American organ builders of the mid-20th century. 

“Its many sounds are produced by 3153 individual pipes,” Professor Congdon shared, “the largest of which are 16’ long and the smallest only about the size of a drinking straw.  The pipes are controlled by a player seated at the 3-manual console . . . the recital will feature sounds from the hushed to the colorful to the robust and magnificent.” 

VanTine leaves off with, “[playing the organ is] a way of expressing what you want to be heard but you need to work to develop music abilities. Inner musical ability, which must be learned but often starts with inspiration or a gift from God.” 

Velázquez developed her gifts through rigorous training at Houghton, which prepared her for graduate school and her church work later on.

“[I am] very grateful the Lord brought me to Houghton,”  Velázquez stated.

All attendees of the recital have the opportunity to hear for themselves the sound Velázquez has developed over years of perfecting her art. ★

Categories
Campus News

Houghton Announces Spring 2024 Commencement Speaker

Commencement Speaker - Courtesy of Marketing and Communications
By Joshua Carpenter ('24)

Today, Dec. 1, Houghton administration announced that Dr. Wayne Schmidt was selected as the commencement speaker for the senior class of spring 2024.

President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. met Schmidt early in his presidency and has been working closely with him ever since. When the time came to select a commencement speaker for the Class of 2024, there was more that stood out to Lewis than Schmidt’s experience in pastoral ministry and higher education.

“In addition to being the capable leader of our Wesleyan movement in North America,” says Lewis, “[Schmidt] is a trusted friend and mentor … I thank God for his continued guidance and encouragement as a Christian leader, husband, and father.”

Serving as General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church since 2016, Schmidt has attended various Board Meetings over the years, which is how he met Provost David Davies.

“While we’ve not had extensive interaction,” says Davies, “I’ve found him to be a humble, Godly man with a clear heart for the students of Houghton University.”

Before he was elected General Superintendent, Schmidt served as the chief administrative officer of Wesley Seminary at Indiana University from 2010-2016. In 1979, he co-founded Kentwood Community Church (KCC) in the Grand Rapids, Michigan Area, first serving as a co-founding pastor and then as a senior pastor until 2009. His contributions to KCC include leadership in planting the church, as well as 10 other daughter churches across his tenure.

“With a career in both academic and church environments,” says Davies, “and a lifetime commitment to our sponsoring denomination, he is well suited to serve as Houghton’s commencement speaker.”

When asked what he would like to say to the senior class, Schmidt says, “I believe God honors a heart of humility with abundant measures of His grace. Being humble and hungry (lifelong learner) leads to fullness of life.”

For more information on Dr. Schmidt, visit his blog on the Wesleyan Church’s official website where he discusses what he has learned from 40 years of ministry. ★

Categories
Campus News

Naughty vs. Nice Professors

Naughty & Nice Pie Chart - Courtesy of Christian Welker
By Juliana Schmidt ('25)

The results are in for the Naughty or Nice Professor Poll!

Professor Kevin Dibble of the Music department, Professor Don Wilcox of the Biology department, and Professor Hannah Kim of the Psychology department tied in third place for the Nicest professors. 

Freshman Kareena Ulfig comments on how kind Professor Kim is to her students. “She’s so sweet and thinks everyone’s ideas are worth mentioning.” 

Junior Olivia Carr adds, “She understands and asks about you daily and always incorporates our lives in class.” 

Professor Poythress took the poll (wait, was that allowed?) and wrote of  Professor Wilcox: “Prof Wilcox is the sweetest, kindest, and most eager guy to help!” 

In second place for the Nicest professor is Professor Craig Whitmore, who is the Assistant Professor of Education. 

Freshman Elizabeth Borchers comments, “[he’s e]nergetic, always willing to help and hands out minimal homework!”

In first place for the nicest professor is, unsurprisingly, Dr. Douglas Gaerte! He is a Professor of Communications at Houghton.

Senior Cody Johnson says, “Dr. Garte answers my emails faster than Santa.” 

“He is always the first to ask how you are doing, and he notices if you look upset.” Freshman Madeline Bailey states. 

Sophomore Warren Torraca says the reason he voted for Dr. Garte was because of his, “Demeanor and care for his students. He will just listen for hours or teach for hours or just talk for hours.” 

With the Nicest out of the way, time to find out who’s on the Naughty List this year!

In second place for the Naughtiest professors is Professor Kevin Dibble, making him the only professor on both the Naughty and Nice list.

Torraca says, “Oh he’s great. He just goes off on tangents and occasionally makes unhinged comments.”

Tied for first place are professors Benjamin Wheaton and Sarah Massey, although no one was brave enough to say why.

While he ultimately did not make the list, one of the funniest comments received from the poll is about Professor Jonathan Case.

Junior Faith Coolbeth states that Dr. Case deserves to be on the Naughty list because “He tried to show an episode of South Park!”

Maybe next year Dr. Case.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Poll, and a big thanks to all of the Professors. Whether Naughty or Nice, we appreciate all the work you do for Houghton. Thanks for taking part in this light-hearted competition. ★

Categories
Campus News

Christmas Prism

Christmas Prism Photo - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

Houghton’s Christmas Prism will be held on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Highway Wesleyan Church, and on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. in the John & Charles Wesley Chapel. After Saturday’s performance, there will be a After Prism Party in Van Dyk Lounge at 9:30 p.m.

The concert showcases several of Houghton’s music ensembles such as the Men’s and Women’s Choir, Symphony Orchestra and soloists. 

The ensembles have been preparing for months, and are looking forward to seeing their work come together. 

Freshman Zoe Zachery (‘27) expressed excitement for her first choir concert at Houghton. While she’s excited, she explained how it is also nerve-wracking due to Prism’s commendable reputation. 

Zachery stated, “The most challenging part of preparing for prism is the memorization of all the songs that we are performing … it’s kind of nerve racking but I know that I’m prepared. It’s just the fact that prism is such a big concert and it’s really important to people.” 

Sophomore Anthony Fry (‘26), a member of the Houghton Choir, reiterated Zachery’s statement, specifically noting that the most challenging moment for him was memorizing a song in Haitian Creole.

A member of the Women’s Choir, Sophomore Elizabeth Wertz (‘26), is looking forward to showcasing the hard work all the ensembles have put in. 

Wertz said, “The song I’m looking forward to most is called ‘What Strangers Are These?’. This song really builds and it tells an incredible story.”

Senior Kaitlin Kleinau (‘24) appreciated the efforts of her choir director, Dr. Kevin Dibble, to keep their heads in the right place before performance. 

Kleinau wrote, “Dr. Dibble always reminds his ensembles, during prayer and devotional time right before the concert, to be present, spiritually and emotionally. The audience before us will never be the same group again, and our peers will be ever-changing. However, God is with us in this moment, and we simply have to make music for Him. If we can reach one soul because of our worship, then all praise be to God.”

Wertz hoped that the audience would not only enjoy the concert but take away something valuable. 

“I hope,” Wertz wrote, “that the audience will be able to see God’s glory from our performance and realize that nothing is possible without Him. He is the reason for our successes, and He is the one that should be praised.” ★

Categories
Campus Stories In Focus

Willard J. Houghton Library

Library Second Floor - Courtesy of Christian Welker
By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Willard J. Houghton Library comprises about 200,000 physical books and an online database with roughly 50,000 journals and 600,000 ebooks. The library is not just limited to research materials, as there is a childrens and young adult library in the basement and a collection of movies and players on the main floor. There are several study rooms and reading rooms throughout the library with an archival room in the basement. 

Susannah Denham (‘26) remarked, “The library space itself is a great place to study or relax with coloring books and puzzles.” 

Houghton’s library contains archives of the Houghton STAR, other periodicals and The Boulder, Houghton’s yearbook. In addition, the Music Library in the Center for the Arts  contains over 11,000 scores, a collection of music reference works, composer works and a collection of musical sound recordings. 

The Director of Libraries and Information Resources, David Stevick stated, “The goal is to create a welcoming space to study . . . to provide research help at the desk and online and sometimes teach workshops or in classes.” 

Academic departments, who assist with the development of research collection, partner with library staff. Photographic equipment that can be used for digital and photography classes. Professors can request materials to be held for their classes, which students can then pursue. Students can go into the library to find assistance or look for these resources on their own both in person and online on the databases. 

Doyin Adenuga, the Electronic Resources Librarian, explained, “When it comes to online resources, part of it is ensuring the access to the journals and maintaining the library website by updating information on the home page.” 

However, if there are articles or books that are not available at Houghton’s library, students can make a request through the interlibrary loan which can request materials from several other library databases.

Anna Catherman (‘26)  stated, “Interlibrary loan has been picking up . . . you can request anything and the librarians will do their best to find it.” 

Currently, the main project is converting the Woolsey Library in Chamberlain into the basement of the main library. These books will be added to the children’s and young adult books already in the Children Literature Room. 

Ciciley Haslem (‘25) explained that “each book now needs to be processed, stickered with the identification and call number, stamped and given a due date slip.” 

This move allows all young adult and children’s books to be in one location but to also keep better track of when the books are checked out. This will help students if they are looking for a particular book. This also helps limit duplication and allows for new books to potentially be brought into the library. 

Anna Catherman (‘26) encouraged everyone to, “Come in, we are there as resources . . . It makes us so happy when someone checks out a book for fun.” ★

Categories
Campus News

Thanksgiving At Houghton

Thanksgiving fall graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Olivia Kleinau ('23)

On Oct. 9, Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated at Houghton University, Rothenfeast occurred on Nov. 11, and Gillette Thanksgiving will be hosted on Nov. 18 in the KPAC.

“Canadian thanksgiving is attached to the harvest celebration in Canada,” Ethan McCarthy (‘25) shared, “since our harvest starts earlier [than] it generally does in the states. It became a national holiday in 1879 as a way to thank God for the harvest. It happens the second Monday of October.”

Houghton University celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving with all Canadian students who wish to join. McCarthy explained that it’s a positive way to have staff and students come together to celebrate, it especially helps to break barriers down between them.

Rothenfeast is a tradition started for the residents of the men’s dorm Rothenbuhler to share a thanksgiving meal. 

Andrew Hotchkiss (‘24), an RA of Roth, explained that Rothenfeast is an opportunity for the men to gather and have, “a time focused on giving thanks, it helps all residents remember what they are blessed with, including each other. This helps the community grow together even more.” 

Although Hotchkiss isn’t entirely sure how the tradition got started, he stated, “my freshman year it was treated like an old tradition so I imagine it has been around for a long time.”

In terms of preparation, Hotchkiss explained that it is a straightforward process, “We have people register on campus groups, then we send a list to Mets and they do a meal exchange for those people.” 

When it comes to activities, Hotchkiss added, “We usually have board games, some video games, and an outdoor game like flag football or ultimate frisbee. It is an opportunity for the guys of Roth to get together and show thanks for everything this community has to offer, education, friends, and Christ-centered interactions.”

However, Rothenfeast is not just for the residents of Roth.     

“The Custodians of the dorm,” Hotchkiss explained, “Are invited to the meal since they do so much good work for all of us in the dorms.”

Jenna Strahan (‘24), an RA of Gillette, explained that Gillette Thanksgiving is a “tradition done for many years where we get together for a space and have dinner together. In the past there’s been activities, we’re not just eating a meal, also playing games and spending quality time together.”

Strahan also said this is a great way to be together during a busy semester and that it helps to reconnect people. 

The RA’s have met to discuss the preparation process and also how to best accommodate everyone. Similarly to Hotchkiss, Strahan’s favorite part of the thanksgiving gathering is the community. 

Strahan shared, “My favorite part is the community aspect of it people choosing to be with one another and have those connections shared over a meal.” ★

Categories
Campus News

Lyric Theatre’s Our Town

Our Town Cast and Crew - Courtesy of Andrew Reith
By Jiana Martin ('26)

Tonight, Friday, on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m., the Lyric Theatre will hold its second performance of Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” in the CFA Recital Hall. A third and final performance will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

“I’ve enjoyed the whole process and it’s been an honor to do it,” Professor Cox reflected.

The play “Our Town” has already been done at Houghton a couple of times, however, this was Professor Cox’s first interaction with it in any capacity. 

“I’ve wanted to do Our Town my whole life,” Professor Cox enthusiastically expressed, “it’s a gorgeous play and it needs to be done.” 

The two-and-a-half-hour production follows the lives and families of the people in a small New Hampshire town called Grover’s Corners during the early 1900s. Specifically, the storyline focuses on George Gibbs (played by Senior Jonathan Hutmire), and Emily Webb (played by Junior Lydia Rech) as they grow up together.

“George is a boy whose thoughts are mostly occupied by baseball, agriculture, and Emily Webb,” Hutmire described. 

Within three acts, the audience watches the daily life, marriage, and death of these characters.

“This play highlights the beautiful moments that we’ve all experienced in everyday life, and it encourages us never to take these moments for granted,” explained Rech. 

Both Hutmire and Rech loved bringing this beautiful story to life. It has allowed them to get to know their fellow cast and crew members, and to create beautiful on-stage scenes with them.

“I simply love seeing and creating genuine moments on the stage,” Hutmire commented.

Professor Cox appreciated how vulnerable all of the students were willing to be with their emotions in order to bring themselves into their characters. She also admired the connection, genuine care and support they always have for one another. 

“I am also so, so grateful for the chance I’ve had to learn from Professor Cox’s experience. I really appreciate how she takes the time to continually tell us that we are not loved simply for what we do or how well we perform, but for who we are – children of God,” Rech thoughtfully said.

Hutmire, Rech and Professor Cox are excited to share the story of Grover’s Corners. Every personality and type of person in the town is represented, so they hope this thought-provoking play will connect the audience to the characters. 

“There are so many little themes, nuances, and messages that we can glean from this story,” Rech added.

Audiences can expect to be charmed by the characters, to laugh, to cry and to be reminded of the many things to be grateful for in their lives. ★

Categories
Campus Stories In Focus

Inside the Board of Trustees

By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Houghton University Board of Trustees is a group of volunteers, mostly composed of alumni, who form the chief policy-making government for the university. 

The board is broken up into nine committees: Advancement, Academic Affairs, Audit, Enrollment, Finance, Investment, Student Life, Trustee and the Executive committee, which is composed of the chairs of the other committees, the board chair and the board secretary. 

James Eckert and John Lee, both board members, explained the Board of Trustees’ undertaking as, less reacting, more planning and student focused. 

The board’s role is to support Houghton’s president, and the president works with the university’s administration to keep the school running smoothly. In addition, there is a responsibility for the board to represent the Wesleyan Church, which Houghton University is affiliated with.

Rev. Johanna Rugh, an ex officio board member and the Executive Director Education Clergy Development of the Wesleyan Church, stated, “Giving support to the president, administration, business and building maintenance is a combined effort between the president and board.”  

While the board checks in with President Wayne D. Lewis Jr. on what the administration is doing, they do not have the ability to directly intervene with decisions made by the administration and the president.

President Lewis stated, “One of the phrases that gets used a lot is boards should have their noses in and their fingers out. Which means they should be asking questions, they should be making sure the [p]resident and administration are doing what they’re supposed to do but they should not have their fingers on the actual admission and management of the university.”

However, if the board believes the president is not meeting what needs to be done for the university, they can remove them. 

Many of the concerns arising during board meetings are in relation to building maintenance, the number of professors and the ups and downs of student enrollment. 

Gary Larder, Chairman of the Financial Board, said, “We go over the budget for every year and what is achieved financially. It’s a challenge for a liberal arts university to get students for the meeting of financial targets. We try to look ahead, where we will be in the future in regards to students, professors and facilities.”
The board also looks at and accepts audit reports, and reviews the financial progress in the fall and finish of the spring. 

Rev. Dr. Joseph Jennings, Chair of the Board of Trustees, explained, “We do have open seasons in which we invite resource people to the meetings . . . the vice president, representative from the student council, alumni board, the staff council and the faculty moderator.” 

Terms of board members are also reviewed and renewed during these meetings, along with the president’s term. One of the main decisions for the Board of Trustees’ meetings on Oct. 23-24, was the renewal of President Lewis’ contract for the next five years until 2028. 

Jennings said, “Dr. Lewis has worked tirelessly to help bring in a great incoming class this fall. We have every reason to think that we will continue to experience growth in enrollment . . . he and his team have made some great decisions and communicated the University’s mission with compelling clarity.”
The Board of Trustees’ vote for President Lewis’ contract renewal was unanimous, and they look forward to him continuing to serve Houghton. 

President Lewis notes, “The relationship between the board and the administration, especially the president, is a really important partnership . . . working together in partnership there’s so much you can accomplish together and we are tremendously blessed at Houghton to have that.” ★

Categories
Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Social Division: Athletes and NARPs

Sports division graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Sophia Vernon ('26)

“[Athletes] are a clique because they all know each other,” stated Abigail Franz (’25), adding that “sometimes it feels like because I’m not on a sports team, I’m on a different level, and there is a divide.”

Franz exemplifies an overarching feeling of detachment and separation between non-athletes and the third of Houghton’s student body that plays a sport.

Franz, a biology major, explained that “the bio department is pretty overrun by sports people wanting to do exercise science.” She stated that her experiences with getting to know athletes individually have been positive; however, “it’s hard because of that initial divide.”

On the flip side, Arija Grant (’26), a Houghton Women’s Tennis player, explained that she has often felt excluded from on-campus events due to practice and game schedules, highlighting specifically an away tennis match she had on the same night as a homecoming dance.

Jana Newberry, the Director of Student Engagement, emphasized that “the distinction between athletes and non-athletes is natural” and that she does not “necessarily get mad at it.” Echoing student concerns, Newberry stated, “I have a problem with athletes feeling excluded from things,” pointing out that “there is too much distance.” She attributes this problem in part to both groups “not knowing what they don’t know about how to get plugged in” and a “lack of understanding and stereotypes.”

Newberry spoke on the natural divides arising from the lack of athletic representation and participation in the Campus Activities Board (CAB) events. She addressed that “sometimes the (CAB) events can be echo chambers,” with the same people attending events, lacking expansion to wider audiences. 

Enter Selah Kertz (’24), Tymber Wynn (’25) with Lander Nation. When asked about her experience with the social dynamics between athletes and non-athletes on campus, Kertz stated, “It feels really divided.” She related her experience during her semester on the track team of eating dinner with the team and sitting on the “sports side” of the dining hall, but that “looking from the other side (non-athlete perspective), it feels very separate.” She explained that this time on the track team assisted her in making athlete friends, stating, “I’m not sure I would have met a lot of the people I know without my previous connections to other athletes.”

Resulting from the lack of community and spirit between athletes and non-athletes, Kertz and Wynn started Lander Nation, a non-Houghton-affiliated group on campus that works through on-campus events, themes and representatives for each athletic team to foster school spirit and community. Kertz explained that she knows a lot of “NARPs” (non-athlete-regular-person), and Wynn, a Houghton Women’s Basketball player, knows a lot of athletes. The intention was to “bring NARPs in to participate in athletics,” as well as “bridging the gap and having actual school spirit.” 

Grant explained how easy it is for athletes to feel excluded from school events and isolated to teams, stating that “there is a divide because of how much intentional time you spend with your team” and that “it’s obvious you’re going to get closer with people you spend so much time with.” In troubleshooting the problem, Grant pointed out, “Houghton does a pretty good job emphasizing music and art, but there could be better advertising (for athletic events) on campus.” She concluded that “athletes could be encouraged to support other areas, and it could go both ways.” ★

Categories
Campus News

Grad School Fair 2023

Grad School Fair photo - Courtesy of Casey Conklin
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

Houghton’s Grad School Fair for the Fall 2023 semester was on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Van Dyk Lounge.

The Grad School Fair gives all students the opportunity to speak to representatives from different graduate programs.

Senior Kayleigh Verspoor (‘24), who is considering online grad school for a master’s in education, attended the fair and saw a good variety of schools represented.

Verspoor said, “There were options for programs exclusively online, exclusively in person and hybrid programs. Additionally there were programs available for a wide variety of content areas such as education, the health care fields, counseling and many others.”

Senior Abigail Pixley (‘24) found last year’s Grad School Fair helpful in deciding what schools she wanted to apply for. Last week she was able to speak to the different representatives from the schools she applied to, and got an even better sense of what the schools are like.

Senior Lillian Turner (‘25) said that she was already thinking about staying at Houghton to get her MBA, but going to the Grad School Fair helped solidify that decision and made her more confident that she was choosing the right option.

Turner also appreciated that some of the representatives she met spoke from personal experience, since many are currently, or had been in, the program they were representing.

Verspoor commented that it would be helpful in the future for Grad School Fairs to categorize the schools in a list or organize the tables based on the programs. 

“For example,” Verspoor explained, “there were a lot of schools representing healthcare programs exclusively which are irrelevant to me, but I didn’t know that until I walked by their booth and talked to the representative.”

One small criticism that was fairly common among students was the time the Grad School Fair took place. 

“The timing of [the Grad School Fair] was right in the middle of classes,” Turner said, “everyone has classes around lunchtime. And it was throughout the entire lunch block, so people who wanted to go probably wouldn’t be able to make it. I could barely make it as a worker. I think maybe having it after classes would be more helpful.

Verspoor said, “Sometimes in attending events such as these we become more aware of opportunities we didn’t even know existed and it broadens our minds to think of new and diverse possibilities for the future.” 

Pixley had the same mindset, expressing how beneficial it can be for students to get their name into the graduate school system.

All three recommend for students to attend future Grad School Fairs, even if they aren’t planning to go onto graduate school. ★