Category: Campus

Compiled as a mix of live and prerecorded events, both baccalaureate and commencement will take place this year—online. Next week, links to the events will be posted to the commencement website, and the ceremonies will stream at the times for which they were originally planned.

Baccalaureate, a worship service the night before graduation, will begin to stream Friday, May 8th, at 6:30 p.m. EST. The college choir will virtually perform “Anthems of Love” by Dan Forrest, under the direction of Dr. Daniel Black. This performance consists of several components–Dr. Black recorded conducting, accompanist Andrew Reith on the piano, and each choir member recorded singing separately. “Houghton’s AV department and Marcom [will] work together to assemble all of the videos,” says Dr. Black. “Choir members and anyone else will have a nice keepsake in the form of a video they can watch for decades to come.” In addition, Judy Congdon will be contributing recorded organ performances to both Baccalaureate and Commencement.

Rather than the usual longer address, three faculty members will speak during the service for about three minutes each. The senior class nominated Professors Sarah Derck (Bible), Peter Meilaender (political science), and Doug Gaerte (communication). “I feel very honored to be asked to do this, especially this year,” says Gaerte, who has spoken at Baccalaureate twice before. “I think it will be a very meaningful time of worship and reflection and being together as best we can in this moment. The baccalaureate service is a very special time in which we emphasize and affirm our connections as a community of faith.” Derck comments, “I’ve always enjoyed the Baccalaureate service in the past. Being a worship service, and one so heavily shaped by the experiences of the graduating class, it feels like a fitting acknowledgement of their contribution to our community during their time at Houghton… I love reflecting on the students’ growth in Christ during this service.” 

In addition to these professors, pastors Bill and Kristen Allen—parents of graduate Emily Allen, as well as Katie Allen (‘22)—will give a parental blessing. Andrew Cahill, custodial manager at Houghton, and Rev. Todd Glendenning, both parents of graduates, will give the opening and closing prayers. “It’s an honor to represent Houghton and the graduates this way,” says Cahill, father of Brennen Cahill (‘20), a fourth generation Houghton graduate. “I think I’ll be significantly less nervous doing it this way (on video) rather than just having one chance at it in front of 1500 people.”

“Covid-19 has uprooted the plans of all of Houghton’s seniors,” says Emily Allen (‘20), who finished her theology degree in December 2019 and went on to TA for the Honors in London program, which was sent home mid-semester. “I would implore Houghton to facilitate an in person meeting at a later date for our class to have a final reunion. Houghton has always been a place that emphasizes the importance of deep fellowship and community, and that convinces me that the move to virtual graduation is one which attempts to remain faithful to this commitment even amidst difficult restrictions.” Allen plans to attend Asbury Seminary in the fall. 

Commencement will stream beginning at 10:00 a.m. EST on Saturday, May 9th. Normally, graduates process around the quad, following a bagpiper, before entering the chapel for the ceremony. This year, Benjamin Havens (‘21) recorded bagpiper Alastair Hutton (‘10) on campus, and the recording will be played as the background for a slideshow, compiled of candid photos and videos of the senior class. A faculty member from each department will read the names of that department’s graduates as usual; seniors have been asked to submit photos of themselves to accompany each name as it is read.

Daniel Bussey (‘20), a vocal performance major, will sing “How It Ends,” a song from the musical Big Fish, which he will also be performing in a recorded senior recital. “It’s a piece about how life is a conglomeration of different things, but it all ends well. I think that’s an important message for us to hear right now,” says Bussey. 

The president of the graduating class, Alicia Cline (‘20), will present the class gift. The graduates will also hear from Dan Bates, who, according to President Mullen, “will give a word of commendation from the board of trustees.” President Mullen and Dean of the Faculty Paul Young will speak from the chapel stage, and Daryl Stevenson (‘70) will speak on behalf of the 50th reunion class, and present a gift to the Class of 2020. 

This year’s commencement speaker is Dr. Deborah Birx, the Coronavirus Response Coordinator for White House Coronavirus Task Force. She is also a 1976 Houghton graduate (the same class as President Mullen). She was scheduled to come speak this year before the coronavirus outbreak and her appointment to the task force, and is miraculously still able to speak despite the crisis. She will provide a prerecorded address.

In place of breakfast with the president, seniors will receive gift boxes from the college including their diploma covers and some fun surprises. And as there can’t be an in-person reception after the commencement ceremony, there will be virtual chat rooms so graduates can converse with their professors, family, and friends. “Each academic department will create a Zoom meeting,” says Michelle Miller, administrative assistant for the president’s office. “The Zoom meeting links will be sent to graduates, faculty and staff along with the PDF of both programs the week leading up to commencement. These virtual receptions will begin at noon, following commencement.”

“Graduation weekend is about four years of hard work and stepping out into a new future,” says Peter Meileander, the third professor asked to speak at Baccalaureate. “I am glad the college is making an effort to celebrate as best we can.”

The Houghton campus sits empty several weeks from the end of the spring semester. A pandemic viral respiratory illness, coronavirus disease 2019 (also known as 2019 novel coronavirus and abbreviated as COVID-19), has led to school and business closures across the U.S. and travel restrictions around the world.

Houghton students, faculty and staff are aware at this point how changing circumstances and rules have resulted in their seclusion away from the main campus. All instruction, as well as a variety of support services and student engagement opportunities, have moved to online formats. Here is the timeline of key events in New York State and within the Houghton community:

February 1, 2020: Houghton College publishes a Frequently Asked Questions page to address concerns about planned response to the novel coronavirus, of which no cases had been reported in New York State.¹

February 27, 2020: First meeting of Houghton’s Emergency Management Team.²

February 28, 2020: The Emergency Management Team emailed faculty to inform them that over February break (February 29 to March 8), they should begin considering how they might transition to online instruction.²

March 1, 2020: First case of COVID-19 in New York City confirmed by Governor Andrew Cuomo.³

March 4, 2020: Nine people who were in contact with one infected Westchester County, NY attorney test positive for the virus.³

March 6, 2020: Cuomo announces that 4,000 people across New York State are in “precautionary quarantine” (healthy people who recently traveled through affected countries), as well as “dozens” in mandatory isolation.³

March 9, 2020: Following Houghton’s February break, students who traveled to countries with a CDC3 rating (at that time, China, Italy, Iran, and South Korea) self-isolated away from main campus residences. The recommended quarantine period was 14 days.⁴

March 12, 2020: Cuomo bans all gatherings of 500 people or more, and says that facilities below a 500-person seated capacity should reduce occupancy by 50%.³

Houghton’s Emergency Management Team makes the decision to bring home all students studying abroad.²

March 13, 2020: On Friday morning, an email from Dean of Students Marc Smithers is sent with an attached letter from President Shirley Mullen, announcing that Houghton would be moving to online-only instruction starting Monday, March 23. All chapels are cancelled (as gatherings of over 500 people). The plan at this time is to have regularly scheduled classes March 16 through March 18, with students required to move out of college residences by noon on Thursday, March 19. All college-sponsored international travel, including Mayterms, is suspended through at least July 1, 2020.⁵

March 15, 2020: On Sunday evening, two Houghton students enter self-isolation– one who developed a cough after traveling internationally during February break, and that student’s roommate as a precaution. The ill student was tested for COVID-19.⁶

March 16, 2020: Early Monday morning, an email from President Mullen announces that all classes are cancelled due to infections in Allegany County and the one ill student being tested.⁷ Over the following few days, further emails urge students to leave campus as quickly as they can, while residence halls and dining services remain open for students unable to leave earlier than Thursday, March 19.

Cuomo, in coordination with CT and NJ governors Murphy and Lamont, orders restaurants to close except for take-out and delivery, and all gatherings over 50 people banned until further notice.³

March 17, 2020: College housing past March 19 is opened to some students: international students unable to travel to their home countries, students whose homes include people at high risk for coronavirus, and students whose home situations are “disruptive to their flourishing.”⁸

March 18, 2020: With 3,437 confirmed cases in New York State, Cuomo orders non-essential businesses to have at least 50% of employees work from home.³

March 20, 2020: An email from Marc Smithers and Dale Wright announces that room and board costs for the spring semester will be prorated; the costs of services not received will be credited to the accounts of returning students as discounts on next year’s charges.⁹

New York State reports 8,300 COVID-19 cases and 53 deaths.³

March 22, 2020: By 8pm on Sunday, all non-essential businesses in New York State are ordered to close.¹⁰ Non-essential gatherings “of any size for any reason” are banned.¹¹

In response to these restrictions, Houghton professors move out of their offices to work from home.²

New York State caseload reaches 16,278 (10,764 of these in New York City).³

March 23, 2020: On Monday, all classes resume in fully online formats.

For the time being, approximately ten students remain in college housing and continue receiving food from Metz, under the special provisions described on March 17. (This does not include any students being quarantined due to possible COVID-19 exposure.)²

March 25, 2020: An email from Betsy Sanford announces that New York State restrictions on gatherings over 50 people, lasting into May 2020, will prevent the Houghton College community from gathering in person for commencement and other end-of-year ceremonies. Virtual ceremonies on the previously planned dates are promised to celebrate class of 2020 graduates, the reunion class of 1970, senior student athletes, Hall of Honor athletes, and faculty and staff retirees. In-person celebrations will be rescheduled to other dates.¹²

March 26, 2020: New York State’s number of confirmed COVID-19 cases reaches 37,258 (21,393 in New York City).¹³

All four Houghton students who were being tested for COVID-19 receive negative results.¹⁴

1. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important: Response Plan and Frequently Asked Questions Concerning the Coronavirus.” February 1, 2020, 9:11pm.
2. Emails from Marc Smithers to the STAR, March 25-27, 2020.
3. NBCNewYork.com, https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local/timeline-tracking-the-spread-of-covid-19-in-tri-state/2313123/ (accessed March 26, 2020).
4. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important: Ongoing College Response to COVID-19.” March 9, 2020, 8:54am.
5. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Letter from President Mullen Concerning COVID-19 | Student Q&A at 11am and 12pm.” March 13, 2020, 9:10am.
6. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Further Information for Students, Staff, and Faculty Regarding COVID-19.” March 15, 2020, 9:59pm.
7. All-campus email from Shirley Mullen: “Updated memo to the community.” March 16, 2020, 7:44am.
8. All-campus email from Shirley Mullen: “Next Steps in our COVID-19 Journey.” March 17, 2020, 7:49am.
9. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Important Information Regarding Pro-Rated Room and Board Credits.” March 20, 2020, 5:16pm.
10. News12.com, http://www.news12.com/story/41924579/restrictions-on-gatherings-businesses-take-effect-as-ny-cases-surge-past-15000 (accessed March 26, 2020).
11. NYC Health, https://www1.nyc.gov/site/doh/covid/covid-19-main.page (accessed March 26, 2020).
12. All-campus email from Betsy Sanford: “Memo from President Mullen.” March 25, 2020, 10:16am.
13. New York Magazine, https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/new-york-coronavirus-cases-updates.html (accessed March 26, 2020).
14. All-campus email from Marc Smithers: “Final Update on COVID-19 Test Results.” March 26, 2020, 10:50am.

Less than three weeks into a new semester, Dean of Houghton College Buffalo and History professor Cameron Airhart has announced his retirement. This decision marks an end to a forty year career, more than thirty of which have been spent as part of the Houghton faculty. Airhart came to Alleghany County in 1987, and – until two weeks ago – was one of oldest members of staff, running only a few years behind Paul Young.

Originally a Northwestern graduate, Airhart began his studies with a BA and ended with a PhD in history from University of California Santa Barbara. He is a medieval scholar with a particular interest in St. Frances, something which influenced his teaching. “There was no topic in the arena of medieval European history,” recounts Dr. Benjamin Lipscomb, a former colleague and friend, “or in a whole lot of other areas where Cameron didn’t have something informed to say.” Students agree with this assessment, citing Airhart’s incredible knowledge of the period as a great asset. “He gave me some different ideas about what the Middle Ages were actually like,” remarked Katherine Stevick ’19, who took his Western Civ. course. Stevick is now pursuing a degree in Political Science.

Airhart’s legacy, however, extends far beyond his role as a venerated professor. He was instrumental in creating Houghton Honors and Houghton College Buffalo – programs that most students now consider established and integral parts of the college’s identity. “He put together an honors track when nothing of the kind existed anywhere at any Christian college,” said Lipscomb. “The idea of bringing together a cohort of students for an intense formative experience….that was an utterly novel idea.” From this first honors ideas came others, and under Airhart’s expertise as Director of Honors – a role he filled from 1996 to 2008 – the program expanded and multiplied. According to Lipscomb, this not only enriched student experiences but enrollment, significantly bringing up percentages. “Cameron is a force,” he commented. “His energy to make connections, to set up arrangements, to think and think and think about the creative and unexpected ways and to see the thing get done is something to behold.”

This is particularly true of the Houghton Buffalo program, which is based on helping students overcome obstacles: language constraints, citizenship issues, day jobs. Although Airhart did not found the One Symphony Campus, according to Dr. Ron Oakerson, he was integral in its current success. “The program located there evolved into one that is almost entirely dedicated to the education of refugees,” he remarked. “It is largely [due to] his [Airhart’s] vision and energy.” Before his departure, Airhart also took steps to expand the Buffalo program into other areas of the city, including a campus for ex-convicts and another for the African American community on the East side.

The same vision and energy that allowed Airhart to creatively approach program building also served him well as a teacher. “He was a very good storyteller,” recalls Stevick. “He made history seem alive… I really liked just listening to him lecture.” Lipscomb agreed, saying “it is possible… hard to say, and possibly alums from long ago would correct me…but he is the best pure lecturer I have ever heard.” Although Airhart had not taught a class on Houghton’s main campus for over four years – devoting his time to Buffalo instead – his legacy as a speaker remains intact.

Today Airhart is using those skills to pursue his own projects and spend more time with his children and grandchildren. His position in Buffalo has been temporarily filled by Rev. Steve Strand, who will serve as an interim dean until a permanent replacement can be hired.

A local beekeeper came to Houghton on September 10th, as part of a CAB event put on by Abigail Taylor. “During the semester, each CAB member plans and puts on a small event for campus, called a Pop Up,” explained Taylor. “We don’t advertise until the day of the event. When I was in the planning stages for my pop up theme, I came across the random fact that September is National Honey Month. I love honey, I love bees, and I am passionate about the ‘save the bees’ movement, so I thought this would be a cool idea.”

Taylor’s theme found a warm reception from students visiting the table. “I loved the event!” said senior Tyger Doell. “I was really happy to see that she was promoting something that’s really important. A lot of people don’t think of bees that often, so I’m really glad that they linked it to the important aspect of bees, instead of just talking about honey.”  

Helen Draper, another senior who stopped by the event, agreed with the need for more education surrounding bees. “They’re often overlooked,” she pointed out. “When people think of bees, they think of bee allergies or bee phobias. Even if you have those issues with bees, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be concerned about their prevalence, because they play a key role ecologically.” Statistics agree with Draper: a study from Cornell University, reported in The Ecologist and the USDA’s AgResearch magazine, found that honey bees contribute 14 billion dollars to agriculture in the US alone. While most of that money comes from boosts to crop harvesting through pollination, all of that work on the part of the bees results in a lot of honey.

While commercially farmed honey is available to students in the dining hall, Taylor wanted to offer something special at the event. “I invited a local honey producer from Fillmore, Wagoner’s Bees and Produce, because I wanted to have local honey available to buy,” she said. “Deb, from Wagoner’s, also had a lot of educational material on bees and why they are so important to our earth, so that was really interesting.”

The approachable beekeeper also educated students on some of the surprising uses of honey, including its antimicrobial and wound-healing properties. As surprising as Wagoner’s account of curing her husband’s staph infection with honey might sound, it’s not implausible. A study from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) confirms the antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of honey, as well as its merits for pain relief. “It’s a good staple to have in your cupboard, because it’s useful for so many things,” affirmed Draper.

Alongside the hard facts, Taylor kept a lighthearted spin on the event. “I designed four different button pin inserts that people could color and then wear,” she said, “and we had free honey stix for everyone that stopped by.” Doell appreciated the takeaway nature of the pins as a memento to keep the enthusiasm for honey and for bees fresh when September passes.

Overall, Taylor was pleased with the turnout. “It was a pretty easy event, very low key, but we got a lot of good feedback and people enjoyed learning more about bees!” she said. “And a lot of people walked away with yummy local honey, so that’s definitely a plus. It was a unique thing to do on campus, and I got to buy balloons shaped like bees.”

 

Hikers, fear no more: the Houghton trails can now be explored with the aid of a map. Although it is a longstanding feature of the college’s wild surroundings, the Houghton trail system remained in dire need of an updated map until the fall of 2017. As the semester progressed, Eco Reps and student Elijah Tangenberg ‘20 converged on the same idea: a GIS survey of the trails to provide a satellite-based map available to students and the public. While Eco Reps’ first GIS project involved mapping the domestic and wild trees around campus, they also wanted to create a visual of the seven miles of walking paths on Houghton property.  Fortunately for the organization, Tangenberg had recently developed a web app housing a satellite survey of the trails as an extracurricular project for REC 227 in the fall semester.

Tangenberg took on the project as a combination of service and learning, wanting to refine his skills with GIS (Geographic Information Systems) while simultaneously providing a resource to the campus. “I had worked with GIS before, and I’m probably going to continue working with it,” said Tangenberg. He described the technology as “a very ubiquitous tool that people use for virtually anything that has to do with where data is on a map.” His current project is helping to design ARC-GIS Hub, a data-sharing tool for a non-profit in his home state of California. “I’m interested in water management,” he explained, “and it’s one of the primary water-management tools out there – and understanding GIS is just a major asset no matter what you’re planning on doing with geography, or design, or environmental policy.” Despite this, he noted, “It’s very rare to have a lot of undergrad involvement in GIS, and most of the time it’s in the context of landscape design, or real estate – there’s not a lot of environmental focus.”

While Tangenberg notes significant improvements in GIS since the days when the trails were originally designed and mapped by a team including Coach Bob Smalley and Doris Nielsen (of Nielsen Center fame), the technology originated in the 1960’s and was used to map the original trails with reasonable accuracy. However, the old map no longer gives a very good picture of what you would find on a hike in the Houghton forest. “Over time, the trail system kind of evolved,” explains Tangenberg, “And over time we actually experienced a period of trail loss.” The T-shaped intersection between the Connector Trail and Devil’s Back used to be a four-way stop, for instance, with the Connector Trail making another loop on the opposite side. This is the version of the trails recorded in Smalley’s original map. “If you go there today,” says Tangenberg, “There’s a good chance you’ll get lost, because that trail simply doesn’t exist anymore.”

Tangenberg hopes the up-to-date map will allow students to hike the trails with confidence and responsibility. “Mabel’s trail, in my mind, is one of the trails that I would want to see more used,” he specifies, “because it’s just not on the beaten path for a lot of people. It’s usually a trail that people get lost on . . . but it’s a beautiful trail.” According to Tangenberg, Mabel’s trail was named for Doris Nielsen, “as a little signature on her role in the project”. Tangenberg also hopes to see the map used in the maintenance and stewardship of the trails and in encouraging student accountability and engagement. “The one thing I would emphasize is that the trail system is there to be used,” affirms Tangenberg, “and with the trail map, it’s now much easier for somebody to navigate it and to interact with it better. And that’s the whole reason why it exists in the first place. You can go out, learn about our area, walk around with friends, stay out overnight, use it as a retreat space and as a space to reconnect with your vocation in God.”

As of this summer, students and faculty can use the new Houghton app to stay up-to-date on campus events and access a variety of resources.

Jared Hobson, a junior majoring in Communication, lead the creation of the app over the summer. Hobson’s initial team – including Elliot Spicer, Mallory Moore, Lauren Couturier, Olivia Flint, and Katharine Meyer (all currently juniors) – conceived the project during VOCA’s Sophomore Leadership conference in February 2018.c. “When we were creating the app we really just wanted it to be a resource for students especially to be able to be more connected on campus,” Hobson says.

The app is available on the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store. Upon downloading it, users may select their role as either “Current Student”, “Faculty & Staff”, or “Visitor”. They are then prompted to create an account using their Houghton email address, set up a profile with basic information, and complete a Welcome Survey indicating their interests. Users may link their Google Calendar and contacts to the app. After completing these sections, users continue to the full contents of the app.

The app organizes information and resources that students are likely to want to pull up quickly. It includes a dashboard of upcoming events in categories users have expressed interest in, a campus map, a separate trails map, building hours, the academic calendar, a faculty and staff directory, and shortcuts to other resources like Moodle and Student Self Service.

The app works using software from Involvio. Involvio’s website allows app administrators to quickly revise the information visible to users, without users needing to update the app to see it. The team now responsible for the maintenance of the app includes Hobson, AC Taylor in Student Life, and Betsy Rutledge in the Admissions Office. Hobson spends several hours each week ensuring that the app remains “something that is always current for students.”

In the first few weeks of the app’s availability, student feedback has been largely positive.

They note the results of the app team’s work to keep information updated. “I do love the app and I like that they keep improving it. It is very helpful to have and I use it regularly,” says Sarah Evans, a first-year student. Hope Barnes, a sophomore, also comments on how “practical and user-friendly” the app is.

Despite the praise, portions of the app have yet to reach the full potential envisioned by its creators. While the app includes the ability to create groups, which can be home to dorm events, team announcements, or club discussions, Barnes says, “The one downside to the app is that I don’t think many people know about it, making the group chat function pretty pointless at the moment.” Becca Loomis, the ARD and current senior who created the Gillette Hall group, also notes the need for a larger user base to take advantage of the groups feature. “The more people who get the app and use it,” she says, “the more useful it will be.” Hobson agrees that this feature is as useful as students make it for themselves. “We especially want clubs to be signing up and creating groups,” he says. As they do, users will be able to easily scroll through a list of all the clubs meeting on campus, fulfilling the app’s major goals of accessibility, awareness, and involvement.

Going forward, the app team hopes to more seamlessly integrate students’ class schedules so that as they view events, the app can automatically warn them of conflicts. In the meantime, Hobson says, “I’m really excited because I’m hoping that it opens people’s eyes to the idea that there is so much to do on campus and there are so many ways to get involved.”

Houghton College is currently without a Vice President of Student life. New and returning students alike may be wondering what that role entails, what happened to the last VP, and what comes next.

The role of the VP of Student Life is to ensure students are recognized at the highest level of administrative affairs. While decisions are ultimately left to the President of Student Life, the VP advocates for what is best for students in everything non-academic, this includes everything from athletics and club activities, to finances and housing.

Dr. Robert Pool was Houghton’s acting VP of Student Life from 2013 to 2018. While here, Dr. Pool was a key factor in several major decisions. He was very much involved in Houghton’s transition to a NCAA III division school, as well as the construction of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex and expanding the Athletic footprint of Houghton College. Dr. Pool strongly believed in supporting students, whether it be through the counseling centre or otherwise.

This year, Dr. Pool accepted a position at Ashland University in Ohio as VP of Student Life after receiving the offer several times. “Dr. Pool left unwillingly,” said Dr. Burrichter. “He felt a strong connection to Houghton, but had felt God calling him to Ashland U. It took a lot of consideration on his part, but Dr. Pool left on pleasant terms with Houghton. Some people didn’t like him, some did; that didn’t play a role in his decision to leave. Any administrative role will garner frustration by constituents.”

Dr.  Pool began his position at Ashland University on July 1st, 2018. Dr. Burrichter has taken his place as an Interim VP of Student Life from July 1st, until December 31st while a new Vice President is found. Due to Dr. Burrichter’s role as Director of Counseling, he will not oversee student conduct to avoid a conflict of interest. Instead, Marc Smithers will be fulfilling that role until a new Vice President is found.

On the search committee for a new Vice President of Student Life sits Dr. Michael Jordan, Shehan Rodrigo ’19 and Emily Allen ’20. Their goal is to find a new VP of Student life for the 2019 spring semester. “It’s important that the candidate who is ultimately selected is one who embodies Houghton’s mission as a Christ-centered, liberal arts institution,” Emily Allen stated, “There are also some students on the committee who will be able to voice our opinions throughout the hiring process. Especially since the person who fills the position will have such vital interaction with students.”

The committee’s first meeting is Thursday, September 13, 2018.