Category: News

By Anna Catherman

For the first time in a while, Houghton College alumni were invited to campus March 29-30 for the three-day Alumni and Family Weekend. With many events canceled or limited to current students over the past two years, Alumni and Family Weekend gave Houghton College a long-overdue opportunity to welcome back former students. The event was a smorgasbord of activity, kicking off with the Alumni Awards Chapel and continuing throughout the weekend with sports games, open houses, and more. Besides the specific alumni-focused events, the weekend was also show time for Houghton College Lyric Theatre’s production of The Pirates of Penzance.

Director of Alumni and Community Engagement Phyllis Gaerte shared that she was pleased with the turnout, despite the fact that it was hard to pin down an exact number of guests. “As we have seen with other events during the pandemic, pre-registrations were very low.  Guests are waiting until the last minute to decide whether or not to attend an event.  That being said, I observed a large number of guests on campus on Saturday – parents with their students and especially alumni athletes who came back to take part in athletic competitions.  We were especially privileged to have the alumni board and the athletics advisory board members on campus at the same time that weekend for meetings and to take part in honoring alumni award and athletic hall of honor recipients.”, she shared in written remarks with the STAR.

Athletics played a starring role in the weekend, with numerous home and away games played by the current Houghton sports teams and a total of six alumni games played. These included games of volleyball, basketball, field hockey, and volleyball. There was also a dedication for the new KidsZone space at the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex. Houghton Athletic alumni were invited back to campus via social media and mailings, and Dr. Matt Webb, Director of Athletics, was delighted with how many returned to play. In an email to the STAR, he noted his favorite part of the weekend was “[s]eeing the alumni just loving being back together and on the court/field etc. with each other again. The family atmosphere of our extended teams was evident. It was a great day!”

Dr. Douglas Gaerte shared how Houghton College’s alumni are well known for the enthusiasm they have for their alma mater. This was evidenced in the one-two punch that was the Alumni and Family Weekend followed swiftly by the One Day Giving Challenge on April 1. He was grateful that a weekend of reenaging former students preceded the challenge. 

Dr. Gaerte was one of the presenters at the Alumni Awards Chapel, which he highlighted as a favorite event of his. “I love it because it reminds me of what amazing alumni we have”, he said, adding how he’s constantly blown away by the ways they impact the church and their community. ★

By Victoria Hock

In an email to the Houghton College community on March 30th, President Lewis announced that Dr. David H. Davies (‘01) has been appointed as Houghton’s newest Provost. 

  Dr. Davies begins his time in the Provost role at Houghton with extensive experience in the field of higher education, with the campus-wide email mentioning that he has been serving as an associate professor and the director of the School of Music at Nazareth College since 2020. The email further highlights Dr. Davies’ time “as the Head of the Department of Music at Texas A&M University-Commerce, and on the faculties of Augustana College and Houghton’s Greatbatch School of Music.”

  When listing the many accomplishments of Dr. Davies, President Lewis further notes “As a leader in higher education administration, he is currently leading a faculty consisting of 65 full and part-time faculty, manages an academic course schedule consisting of over 400 sections in at least three distinct delivery models, oversees recruitment and retention efforts for his School, and established a Friends of Music giving society to increase financial giving.” President Lewis also includes that Dr. Davies “serves on the Board of Directors as the Chair of Region 6 for the National Association of Schools of Music, the Vice President of the Northeast Chapter of the College Music Society, a Board member of the New York Association of College Music Programs, and Board Member and Immediate Past President for the Christian Fellowship of Art Music Composers.” President Lewis further adds that the College Music Society has recently selected Dr. Davies as their Composition Program Chair at their 2023 International Conference, which will take place in “Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia”. 

   In a further email to the Houghton STAR, President Lewis describes Dr. Davies as an “answer” to his prayer that “we would identify a Christ-centered leader with the heart, background, and expertise needed to lead Houghton’s academic programs into our next chapter of academic excellence.”, further noting that Dr. Davies not only has the required qualifications for Houghton’s next Provost, but the preferred ones as well that the search committee identified. He also further commented on Dr. Davies’ connection to Houghton, saying “As a Houghton graduate and a former Houghton faculty member, Provost Davies has experienced and seen first-hand the impact of a Houghton education on the lives of students.”

    Jason Towers, the Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing at Houghton served as a member of the Provost search committee. While he mentioned that due being a newer member of the Houghton College administration, having started in “July of 2020”, he was not as familiar with Dr. Davies or his work as some other members of the search committee, he “quickly came to appreciate his experience, background, and general perspectives on Christian Higher Education.” Towers also commented on Dr. Davies’ knowledge of involving faculty in the process of recruiting future Houghton students, noting “In particular, as we continue to think together as a College about the important role faculty play in the student recruitment process, his own efforts at two different schools of music will help us continue that discussion in a productive and positive manner.”

      Near the end of his campus-wide email, President Lewis excitedly mentions Dr. Davies’ love for Jesus Christ, as well as his commitment to “Christian higher education, spreading the Gospel, and nurturing the Faith development of our students.” Therefore, he is “confident that, as Houghton’s next Provost, David will lead Houghton’s academic enterprise in a manner the glorifies God.” ★

By Marith Anderson

It’s that time of year again—Houghton’s Annual One Day Giving Challenge. Today, alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and students will be encouraged to contribute during this fundraising event and help support student scholarships, capital projects, as well as academic and co-curricular student experiences.

Grantwriter and Donor Communications Director Amanda (Shine ‘05) Zambrano acknowledges that the Challenge has been so successful in the past partly due to donation challenges prompted by generous donors. For example, this year, Student Scholarship Fund donations up to a predetermined amount will be matched dollar for dollar. Additionally, in honor of the year in which Houghton was founded, if a threshold of more than 1,833 donors is reached, additional funds will be awarded. Also, for the alumni class with the most donors, $25,000 will be endowed in a scholarship in their class name, helping to benefit students in the future.

“Special just for Houghton’s current students and their families is a challenge made by President Lewis and our First Lady, Mrs. Lewis,” continues Amanda Zambrano. “For every (current) Houghton student, parent, and grandparent who makes a gift, the Lewises will make a matching $19 gift to our Student Scholarship Fund. When three generations of the same family make a gift, the Lewises will give an EXTRA $19. The number 19 draws on scriptural reference to Joshua 1:9, celebrating our Fearless campaign.”

Houghton College’s Vice President for Advancement and External Engagement Karl Sisson reiterates the excitement and importance of the day, “With even more lead matching and challenge gifts this year, I continue to both awed and humbled by the generosity of the Houghton faithful. I am also grateful for the student leaders and ambassadors who are coming alongside us to help make this year’s One Day Giving Challenge even more fun and successful.”

On the day of the challenge, there will be a takeover on Houghton’s website and affiliated social media accounts. Students are also invited to attend and participate in activities being held in the Van Dyk Lounge between lunch and dinner, and there will be friendly competitions being held in the Kerr-Pegula Field House from 8-10pm.

Sisson also revisited today’s chapel announcement from President and Mrs. Lewis regarding the President’s challenge, which includes the aforementioned $19 gift-matching, as well as the naming of 5 things in President Lewis’ office.

Zambrano believes whole-heartedly that this event has great value. She shares, “The One Day Giving Challenge is such an inspiring day for Houghton College. Seeing the thousands of alumni, friends, employees, students and families who come together to support the Student Scholarship Fund is a profound reminder of the importance of the Kingdom work that happens on our campus. The energy and enthusiasm makes for a great day for us to come together as a community to love, support and care for the scholar-servants of today and tomorrow.”★

By Christian Welker

For the last few weeks, the halls of Roth have been consumed by bitter debate, all spurred by one question.

“What Should Replace the Roth Bridge?”

A large organization of students banded together to update the old design, meeting every Thursday to discuss solutions to the problem. Countless ideas were brought to the table, from slip n’ slides to a pair of carnival stunt cannons (complete with bike helmets, for safety), to a heated mat that would keep the bridge from icing over in Houghton winters (though this suggestion was laughed out of the meeting due to its ridiculousness), but in the all-hall vote that happened last week, the student’s voice rang loud and clear:

Roth Bridge will be replaced by a hanging tire swing.

The Assistant Resident Director of the dorm Micah Condie (‘23) will be heading up the process, donating his childhood swing from his old family home. Construction by a group of trained student professionals is scheduled to start later in April.

“Taking down the Bridge should be easy,” stated the head of construction Luke Schriver (‘24), “We’ll just have one of the residents jump up and down on it like twice or so, should crumble like a house of cards.”

After the bridge’s removal, the construction can begin. The Roth Rope will be suspended by a metal pole around the middle of the gap, students will take a running start, leap from one side, grab the rope, and be deposited relatively safely on the other side.

“Oh yeah we tested it,” said Science Extraordinaire Jon “The Engineering Department” Zdunski (‘23), “Around one in every ten students missed, so we already have a higher success rate than our current solution. We plan on taking the mattresses from Ghost Side and piling them up below the rope for the students that don’t make it across.”

Students are thrilled by the new plan, some already practicing their tarzan cry for when they need to rush to class. However, some have expressed concern over the amount of time it would take to construct the new Roth Rope. They worry about how long it would take before Roth Hill is accessible from the third floor entrance again. 

But the Student Geniuses have a plan for this as well. Taking a note from the outdoor renovations Lambein Hall had last semester, a single plank of wood will be laid across the gap for students to use between the bridge’s removal and the Rope’s opening.

When asked for his opinion, Dean of Students Marc Smithers said, “It’s amazing to see our community band together to solve problems and implement solutions. I’m very proud of the work this team is doing to improve our college.”

The Roth Rope Project is well into its planning stage, with several designs and blueprints already laid out. However, not everyone is happy with the direction the team is going.

“I really think that we should have done a slip n’ slide,” stated Isaiah Cornfeild (‘22), “There was going to be an inflatable elephant on one side spitting water onto the mat from its trunk, elephants are my favorite animal.”

Another student, Joey Schunemann (‘24), is quoted as saying, “When I was younger I grabbed onto a tire swing, but there was a snake inside of it. Snakes scare me, so I cried. I can’t relive that trauma again.”

Nevertheless, the project is well on its way. Students should expect to start swinging into fun on the Roth Rope by the start of the upcoming fall semester.★

This article is dedicated to all the students who tried to hurry down Roth Bridge on a snowy day.

By Owen Hardiman

The Houghton Highlander Shop and Printing Press is excitedly preparing to run a new line of Houghton apparel. The designer: critically acclaimed communication extraordinaire and sweater vest aficionado Dr. Douglas Gaerte. The new line, Gaerte Gear, will be hitting the racks of the Campus Store later this month.

In an exclusive interview conducted by the STAR, Dr. Gaerte shared how he has become such a prominent influencer in sweater vest culture. “Mr. Rogers always had a sweater on when he was in his neighborhood. Like many kids are prone to do, I wanted to dress like my hero.” He additionally discussed the historically practical usage of vests. “Vests often provide a form of protection. The life vest protects us from drowning. The bullet proof vest protects us from, well, bullets. In high school, my sweater vests protected me from dating.”

Dr. Gaerte also shared with the STAR some insights into his steadfast passion for this unique form of apparel. “The sweater vest is such an iconic look,” Dr. Gaerte remarked. “It communicates both ‘I’m a professional’ and yet I am also approachable all at the same time. In that way, I think it’s the classic look for Houghton College.”

The announcement about Dr. Gaerte’s new fashion line has created an intense furor across campus, and that excitement is particularly marked among his colleagues in the Communication Department. Proficient designer and donut enthusiast Professor Murphy energetically shared her thoughts on the new line, stating that she has noticed Dr. Gaerte’s special talent for dressing people ever since he lent her one of his iconic sweater vests for a photoshoot in the Mac Lab. “That was when I realized: Doug Gaerte has a gift for working with textiles. Since then, it’s only become more and more obvious that Doug has a gift for communicating through fashion, so I’m incredibly excited that his line will soon be coming to the campus store—students are going to love it!”

Professor Murphy also noted that “fashion design seems like a very natural extension of Doug’s passion for effective communication… We say a lot with what we choose to wear, and the sweater vest is an iconic, timeless statement. I’m delighted to see him take the wealth of experience he has in making fashion statements and using it to design clothing that can speak on so many levels to so many people.” 

Many Houghton students have also expressed a strong zeal regarding the upcoming release of Gaerte Gear. Communication student Emma Norby (‘24) commented, “Dr. Gaerte will surely have a thriving side job designing sweater vests because of his motivation for everyone to wear one. He promoted his business in my interpersonal communication class the other day and stated ‘they are dressy yet movable!’ (arms flapping when stated).”

What can fashionistas and sweater vest fanatics expect to see in this upcoming line? Dr. Gaerte has kept most of the new line close to his sweater-vest-clad-chest but has teased his fans with some details, including hints about zipper front fleece vests. “I wanted to take some creative risks, so I decided to expand the Gaerte Gear sweater family with the more sporty fleece vest look. What I love most about this new line is what it communicates to the casual observer—that the wearer is a professional committed to doing his or her job well, but lurking just beneath the surface is a rugged adventurer just waiting to burst out and hit the trail for new horizons. There’s an edginess, or hint of danger and risk with the fleece zipper front that just can’t be replicated in the traditional argyle sweater vest. Hopefully this expansion of the vest look will bring more people into the Gaerte Gear family.” Dr. Gaerte assured the STAR that there are still places he will not go in his design. “Gaerte Gear will never promote the quilted puffy vest. It’s too artificial looking, and no one wants to look like the Michelin tire man.”

Professor Murphy has also teased fans with her insider knowledge of the new designs, stating “I’m actually already on the pre-order list for the Rosewood variety of his “Modern Argyle” line. I’ve had a chance to see the mock-ups, and they’re absolute genius. If I had to describe them, I’d say they’re somehow both runway fresh and comfortably classic. (But like, both, at the same time.)”

When asked for a comment, Helena Oden of the Houghton Highlander Shop and Printing Press described the eagerness and delight the campus store felt about the upcoming line. “We are very proud to be the sole distributor of Gaerte Gear so all of campus has the opportunity to look as stylish as Dr. Gaerte. Keep an eye out for his latest designs by following us on Instagram!”

In times of partisanship and uncertainty, Dr. Gaerte concluded his interview with the STAR discussing the larger impacts of sweater vest culture. “I think we would have fewer wars if world leaders wore more sweater vests. It’s those dark uncomfortable suits that make people angry. A sweater vest says ‘Hey, come give me a hug. Let’s go get coffee, and we can settle our geo-political differences over a donut.’”

In an unprecedented marketing move, Gaerte Gear will only be available at the Houghton Highlander Shop during a select set of hours on Sundays. Unfortunately, STAR reporters were unable to discover when these hours are as the campus store appears to be closed every Sunday. “It’s a cutting edge marketing strategy,” says almost-business-minor Sarah Mertzlufft (‘22). “The girls who get it, get it. The girls who don’t, don’t.” To find out more about Gaerte Gear, students simply must loiter in the campus center all day Sunday hoping to catch a vested customer slipping out of the campus store after hours.★