Category: Campus

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.

As students have returned to campus and classes are in full swing, the Student Government Association (SGA) is getting ready for the executive and Freshman cabinet elections in mid-September. In addition to the usual Freshmen cabinet elections, two executive seats are open for election.

The first position available in the executive cabinet is the Executive Officer of Diversity and Inclusion, a relatively new addition to the SGA cabinet which was occupied last year by Shaphan Hestick. Previously the SGA executive cabinet consisted of a President, Vice president, Treasurer, and Secretary, and the SGA hopes that seeing new positions and a larger cabinet will show how the organization is growing and trying to express the voice of each member of the student body.  The Executive Officer of Diversity and Inclusion position is available because Hestick is currently running for Student Body President. He spoke fondly of the previous executive position he held, and asserts that the position “takes care of affinity groups for the sake of their affinity.”

On September 17th at 7pm there will be a campus wide Q&A with the SGA executive cabinet and the running candidates. This will be an opportunity to ask the candidates questions about what they are hoping to accomplish with their position, as well as to voice any concerns that students feel could be addressed by the SGA. On September 18th ballots will be sent out and counted, with results to follow.

Students who are interested in running for executive cabinets or the Freshman class cabinet can pick up a petition from the SGA office and begin getting signatures from their fellow classmates. For executive cabinets members they must have a GPA of 3.0 and receive 75 signatures while those running for the Freshman class cabinet only need 50 signatures. Petitions are due by September 14th at 5pm and once collected candidates will need to write and give a speech at the Q&A on September 17th. Current President Hannah Sievers is available for questions, and stresses her excitement in adding new members to an already strong and enthusiastic group of leaders. Students should reach out to the SGA or Dr. Bill Burrichter if they have any questions about the organization or what they can do to be a part of the SGA.  

As the semester winds down, the valedictory lectures will soon be coming to an end.  Professor Fisher recently addressed his audience and Professor Oakerson will give the semester’s last lecture next Thursday.

Last Thursday, Professor Carlton Fisher from the Philosophy department offered his thoughts on the implications of God’s foreknowledge—or lack thereof—in his lecture, memorably titled God’s March Madness Bracket:  Did God pick UMBC to beat Virginia?

“I will claim that God does not know much about the distant contingent future,” warned Fisher in his description. “I will argue that such knowledge is possible only if God controls all the details of the creation, which he does not. I will argue that for God’s purposes in sovereignly governing the creation such knowledge would be useless. Then I will take a step too far and suggest that there might be facts—facts about us—that God does not know.”

Following his lecture, Fisher offered a few parting words of wisdom to the Houghton community.  To faculty, he advised they “focus on mission, not on survival.”  As to students, he would tell them to “take the best courses you can.”

“Prof. Fisher is one of the outstanding teachers and thinkers we’ve had the privilege to count among the Houghton faculty,” said Morgan Smith, a junior majoring in Philosophy and Bible. “He does an excellent job of making potentially obscure philosophical ideas both accessible and valuable to students, and he demonstrates an enduringly wise and generous interest in student’s personal journeys and well-being.”

Early in his lecture, Fisher related his primary question back to an experience all people share, their first interactions with philosophical questions.  Throughout the lecture, he often made connections or comparisons to popular culture, outside the context of philosophy.  The most obvious example, of course, being in the title of the lecture.

“He’s [also] got a wonderful sense of humor,” remarked Smith.  “Prof. Fisher will be sorely missed.”

Following Fisher’s address, the only remaining valedictory lecture will be from political pcience professor Ron Oakerson.

When asked about the kind of professor attendees can expect at the faculty lecture, junior Katherine Stevick described him as“a kind, challenging professor and a great storyteller.”

Stevick went on to comment on his general approach to teaching.“I’ve been very fortunate to take a couple of classes with him before he retires—he’s put me onto all sorts of new authors and ideas that I would never have encountered otherwise,” she explained.  “He has a knack for creating these wonderful classes—the Sierra Leone Mayterm, the Buffalo-focused urban development class and in the past, the Adirondack studies program—which integrate classroom concepts and “real world” experiences or field trips.”

Those interested in attending Oakerson’s lecture should know that it will be next Thursday, April 26 at 4:25 in Library 323.

It’s that time of year again. Until midnight this evening, students and supporters alike will have the opportunity to participate in Houghton’s largest capital campaign of the year, the One Day Giving Challenge.

In past years, successful One Day Giving Challenges have brought in hundreds of thousands of dollars for student scholarships, building projects, and other important initiatives. What’s different about this year? “The stakes have been raised,” said Karl Sisson, Houghton’s Vice President for Advancement and External Relations. That means there are more money and prizes in the mix—and more chances to make a difference in the lives of fellow students.

“Last year we had a dollar-for-dollar matching challenge for the Student Scholarship Fund that went up to $185,000,” Sisson said,” and we ended up raising over $500,000 for the Scholarship Fund.” At the time of writing, the 2018 dollar-for-dollar matching challenge sat at $245,000, edging out last year’s challenge by $60,000. All gifts made to the Scholarship Fund go directly into student financial awards.

Don’t think you’ll be able to manage more than a dollar? According to Sisson, even the smallest gifts are still quite valuable. “We have another $200,000 in gifts that will be made to something other to the Student Scholarship Fund” if 1883 donors make a gift during the 24-hour period, Sisson explained. If successfully raised, most of those additional funds will be dedicated to IMPACT campaign projects like the Paine Science Center capital fund and various endowments. “In addition,” Sisson added, “a new $25,000 endowed scholarship will be created in the name of the alumni class with the greatest number of donors on Friday.”

This year, however, current students and parents will have an exciting extra incentive to donate to the scholarship fund. “President Mullen and her husband, Dr. Mills, are issuing a challenge to current students and parents,” Sisson said. “For any amount that is donated by a current student or parent, they’re going to make a $15 gift to the Student Scholarship Fund. There is no ceiling to that commitment. We’re hoping to raise several thousand dollars just because students are actively participating in the challenge,” Sisson added.                                                                                                                                          

The Student Government Association, together with a variety of student leaders from across campus, will be turning the main floor of the Campus Center into a One Day Giving Challenge headquarters—or, as Sisson said, “basically a party.” According to Sisson, the event will feature “a ton of giveaways and gifts.” He specified that “students will be able to get everything from Mountain Dew to gift cards to Poblano’s cash” for making a donation of any amount. “It’s going to be a really fun atmosphere.”                                                                                                                                  

“It starts midnight on Friday morning and goes until midnight on Saturday morning,” Sisson said. “Last year we raised over $800,000 total over 24 hours. We definitely have the ability to eclipse that this year.”

The event offers a valuable opportunity for students to support their classmates and friends, even if they only have a few dollars to spare. “The Student Scholarship Fund goes right back into students, so that is our priority,” Sisson shared. “What we need students to do is to advocate and encourage others,” Sisson urged. “We’d like them to encourage their friends, parents, and grandparents to help reach these pretty lofty goals we have set this year.” Students who wish to donate can navigate to www.houghton.edu/makeagift.

On April 23, Houghton College will celebrate Earth Day and Arbor Day by hosting a string of events that will transpire throughout the day.

The first event is an outdoor chapel featuring Scott Saben. Saben is the executive director of Plant with Purpose, a nonprofit, Christian ministry that aims to spur on spiritual transformation by planting trees and advancing economies in developing countries. Saben is also the author of Tending to Eden, described by the publisher as “an invaluable resource for environmentally conscious congregations and community groups” that is a “practical guide for creation care.”

Eco Reps member Brielle Kwarta ’19, expressed her anticipation for Earth Day, saying, “I am really excited to listen to his chapel talk and learning more about his work and his passion towards creation care…God created this beautiful Earth for us and it is our duty to protect it!” Dean Michael Jordan added, “I am hopeful that students get a better sense of how their love for God should translate to a love for and respect of creation!”

In addition to the outdoor chapel service, Webb, who is the coordinator for the entirety of the Earth Day/Arbor Day events, has organized volunteer projects throughout the day in order to “beautify the campus around us.” The projects include adding twelve trees to the apple orchard, cleaning up the trail after the recent, big storm, picking up trash, and mulching.

“The goal is to get people outside and enjoy God’s creation by actively taking care of what we have, what we’ve been blessed with,” commented Webb, “and to build community in the process.” Interested students can sign up for 2-hour time slots by following the link attached to Webb’s campus-wide email, sent on April 12.

According to the campus email, there will be a free picnic dinner on the quad, open to the public as well as Houghton students, staff, and faculty.

The picnic will also feature live music and the presentation of the “Caretaker of God’s Creation Award.” This award will be presented to the person “who actively incorporates creation care and Biblical earth stewardship into both their personal life and their participation in the Houghton College community.” Students, staff, and faculty are all eligible for this award.

Kwarta, along with other eco-reps leaders Tyler Cline ’19, Marissa Hollinger ’18, and Sarah Vande Brake ’19, will help “facilitate the discussion” during the informal discussion session with Saben. The discussion will take place in the Van Dyke Lounge in the evening. Saben will be answering questions about PWP, “environmental stewardship, economic development, and spiritual transformation,” according to the campus-wide email. Free coffee and tea will be provided.

According to Webb, PWP has planted 23 million trees over the course of two decades. “Plant With Purpose’s programs equip farming families around the world to increase farm yields, heal damaged ecosystems, improve nutrition, and increase household savings and opportunities,” the organization’s website states. “This integrated approach solves two major issues facing the world today: environmental degradation and rural poverty.” As a result, the organization seeks “to stand with the world’s most vulnerable.”