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New Ortlip Gallery Exhibit Reunites Alumni to Share their Experience

Article by Elise Koelbl, with contributions from Josiah Wiedenheft

The Ortlip Gallery has had many interesting and unique creations from artists displayed in its hall before. This new exhibit is no exception. The Art Alumni Show: RECOLLECTIVE is an exhibit being shown from September 4th to October 3rd. This exhibit was organized by Houghton College graduate Joshua Duttweiler (‘15). 

RECOLLECTIVE is an exhibit built on experiencing familiar places with new perspectives. The artists involved are all Houghton graduates. Each one of them has some of their most recent art on display. Many of the artists have different talents and practices put into their work, ranging from photography to quilting, to painting and much more. These artists are breathing new life into the Ortlip Gallery as artists from over the years return to the campus that helped them develop such abilities. 

Joshua Duttweiler found himself inspired when he came to visit campus last spring, saying that it was his first in almost four years since graduating. When he arrived on campus to speak at the Fine Arts Seminar he was surprised when he realized that many current students had so much they wanted to learn from an experienced artist such as himself. 

“I was pleasantly surprised how much can happen in five years and how eager the students were to hear. It was this task of preparing a lecture about my journey that made me curious about where my fellow alumni were in theirs,” he says. It was moments such as this that made Duttweiler wonder if sharing knowledge and wisdom from beyond college experience would be beneficial to current students.

It was from this idea that RECOLLECTIVE was born. “I reached out to a variety of recent alumni artists that I knew had a current art/design practice,” explained Duttweiler, “I wanted to show a range of media as well as ideas about what life after Houghton can be.” He highlights that there isn’t really one overall message other than that “each of us takes our own path and we all have a lot to learn from each other.”

The artists that have their works on display are as listed: Merritt Becknell (‘15), Amy Coon (‘14), Joshua Duttweiler (‘15), Alex Hood (‘15), Natalie Moffitt (‘14), Hannah Jennings Murphy (‘13), Brady Robinson (‘15), Lindsey Seddon (‘13), and Laurissa Widrick (‘15). Each of these individuals provided not only artwork, but also short essays to the college and its students, collected together and available at the gallery. Both the artwork and the essays are also available online at the exhibition’s website www.recollective.site, which forms a “large component of the exhibition” due to the pandemic circumstances, allowing even those absent from campus a form of access.

Joshua Duttweiler had this to add: “This exhibition would not be possible without the support of Professor Alicia Taylor who gratefully allowed me to follow my initial curiosity last spring. Special thanks Professor Ryann Cooley for overseeing the final details and installation. And of course, thanks to the Art Department at Houghton College who have inspired our artistic endeavors past and present.” 

What are your thoughts on the RECOLLECTIVE exhibit? Impressed? Inspired? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!

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Campus News

Campus Changes Please, but Puzzle

Thanks to the pandemic restrictions that have been put in place, the Houghton campus has had to adapt physically in a number of ways. Yet, the campus isn’t the only thing that needed to adapt. Students also are being forced to confront the new changes on campus, and the response is slightly mixed.

The Dean of Students, Marc Smithers (‘08), headed the Emergency Management Team when the pandemic initially struck. Since then, the “Preparing a Residential Education Plan Team” (P.R.E.P. Team) has been made to handle the pandemic situation which Smithers is still a chair of. 

Speaking of chairs, in the words of Smithers there was a lot of thought put into the furniture around campus. As he says, “There was intentional social distancing of all furniture, we removed furniture from Java 101, [and for] the campus center we made sure that all the furniture would be conducive to social distancing.”

When asked about new classrooms Smithers explained that there are a lot of different spaces being used as classrooms which haven’t been utilized in the past, such as the Chapel and the south end of the Dinning Hall. But these classroom settings may change based on the needs of the students and professors.

The new patio seating area outside the CC. Credit: Evan Tsai

Interestingly, some of the largest changes, according to Smithers, are being done on the outside. “We specifically want to encourage people to be outside more. We created the outdoor patio space through a generous gift, and tried to put canopies up, but those quickly blew away. We’re doing all we can to encourage people to be outside.” During the planning phases of this semester Smithers explained that The P.R.E.P. Team considered adding “Ventilation” to The Big Three, but ultimately decided against it.

Some big changes also took place in regards to the fitness areas on campus. In an interview with Matthew Webb, the Director of Athletics, he said, “We have adjusted a lot, particularly relative to the use of our indoor facilities. Access to our indoor facilities is now more limited and we have a new “registration” system to allow access to our indoor facilities which is a brand new process for everyone.” Webb continued, “We were actually thinking at one point we might not be able to open at all [but] my staff did a LOT of work in putting together a plan so we can be open!”

Interestingly, one of the most controversial changes is in the way signs have been handled in the Campus Center. “We have a lot of signage around campus to point out to people what our expectations are,” Marc said, “and custodial helped us to identify where on campus those signs needed to go.”

Some student reactions have been less than enthusiastic though. “I think a lot of [the changes] are good, especially for safety of everyone,” Louis Schriver (‘22) explained, “but in the [Campus Center] doorways that come from the side from Roth Hill the first [door] is an entrance but the stairs there are UP ONLY. So if you’re actually following the traffic laws you need to walk into the building, walk to the other stairwell, and then go down, which is really annoying.” Demetri Court (‘24), a new London Honor’s student echoed these same concerns when he said, “I think most of the [measures] are making sense and are not too intrusive, but the signs on the doors – and on the stairs as well – I got big problems with.”

Overall, it seems like most changes have been met positively, as according to Smithers, “I have a lot of pride in our students and I think that that’s been affirmed most every day that I’ve seen students back on campus. I’m just very appreciative.” And, in the words of Regan DeWeese (‘23), “I’m proud of the policy they’ve put into place. I think they have a good sense of what they’re doing and I feel safe!” 

What are your thoughts on the changes around campus? Glad? Confused? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!

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Campus News

Deborah Birx to be Featured Speaker in Houghton College’s Virtual Commencement

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.”

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Campus News

Parade Honors Houghton’s Healthcare Personnel

The volunteer fire department participated in the parade.

In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, the Houghton community celebrated its local first responders and healthcare workers. On April 15, 2020, around seventy vehicles lined up to form a parade, whose route passed two healthcare facilities near the college: the Houghton Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (HNRC) and Houghton Universal Primary Care (UPC), both located on Luckey Drive.

The event was initiated by Patricia Barber, administrator at HNRC, who contacted the Allegany County Chamber of Commerce about showing appreciation for their employees. As a member of the Chamber of Commerce board, the college’s community engagement director Phyllis Gaerte led the coordination. According to Gaerte, Barber’s request cited employees’ “around the clock” work to protect HNRC residents: “They are a great bunch of staff members and I just want to show them that the community is behind them 100%.” The group of organizations involved in the event included Houghton College, Houghton Academy, 3 Bums Pizza, Houghton Wesleyan Church, and the Houghton Volunteer Fire Department.

The parade included personal vehicles decorated with signs and balloons, as well as emergency vehicles, the Houghton Academy school bus, and a college Highlanders bus. As vehicles lined up behind Houghton Wesleyan Church and the college facilities building next door, Gaerte observed that more people were arriving than initially expected. The final line that proceeded towards the healthcare facilities started at the entrance of Houghton Wesleyan and ended with many cars in the fire hall lot. Two police cars blocked traffic on Route 19 for several minutes so that the procession could safely move forward.

Parade participants got creative with their vehicle decoration.

In addition to the parade, healthcare workers were thanked with free pizzas, wings, and subs delivered by 3 Bums on the same day. 

Gaerte’s invitation to the event, posted publicly on the Houghton Wesleyan Facebook page, advised adherence to social distancing regulations – specifically that all participants should remain in their vehicles at all times. Nonetheless, event attendees expressed appreciation for the opportunity to see friends in person, even if from a distance. (Familiar faces in the parade included Profs. Young, Gaerte, Zoller, and Freytag, women’s soccer coach Nikki Elsaesser, and Pastor Wes Oden, among many other community members.)College physician Dr. David Brubaker works at the UPC health center; he was unable to attend the event due to a class he was teaching, but thanked the college, Houghton Wesleyan, 3 Bums, and the Houghton VFD for “putting on this very thoughtful and encouraging event.” He added, “in the midst of a situation that has caused uncertainty and has required significant adjustments for everyone in the community, I’m thankful for the flexibility and support [UPC staff] have felt as we have navigated changes to our workflow. I’m grateful too for the ways in which people have embraced the efforts to slow the spread of the virus; I think it has made a big difference.” He also expressed gratitude towards members of the local health department, “who have been working tirelessly to care for the people of this county and to support local medical providers.”

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Campus News

Living Through History: Houghton Campus Closes due to COVID-19 Pandemic

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.
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News

Houghton Celebrates 3rd Annual MLK Day

This article was also contributed to by Riley Gastin

Houghton College celebrated their 3rd annual Martin Luther King Day on Monday, January 20th. This event was a day filled with guest speakers, a chapel service featuring the Houghton College gospel choir, breakout sessions highlighting Dr. King’s life and movement, a dinner catered by LaVerdad Cafe in Buffalo, and an evening of jazz provided by the Sonder Jazz Trio. Monday was a day to learn and celebrate the life of Dr. King. In the words of President Mullen, it is a way to “honor Martin Luther King Jr. and his role in our country’s history.”

Dean of the Chapel, Michael Jordan, revealed that it was once thought that an event like this would not be feasible. He stated that, “Initially, it was just like any other day. However, we knew we wanted to do something to celebrate, but we did not think we could due to requirements about how many days students were expected to attend classes.”

President Mullen was able to shed more light on why it was originally difficult to celebrate MLK Day. “We have not typically taken the day as a holiday—just as we don’t take Labor Day as a holiday in September. This is not because we don’t think these days are important in what they seek to honor, but because they typically come just as the semester is beginning…In the end, we thought it would be more appropriate to make the day a special day of programming on campus about the history and context of Martin Luther King’s legacy.”

One of the events was a performance from the Gospel Choir. This year, the choir is headed by Jordan Simmons (‘22). Simmons expressed enthusiasm about the event as a whole, stating that he liked how “different cultures are represented.” He then went on to express excitement regarding the Gospel Choir performance. He explained that when it came to song choice, they had a group of songs they could choose from, but “If there’s something the group wants to do, then we will try and do it.”

Johanna Florez (‘21), a member of the choir, explains that “The chosen songs reflect different angles of Christian and African-American experience. The spiritual ‘I’ve Been ‘Buked’ is about suffering as a Christian, and presumably as a slave, and also about maintaining faith through that. On the other end of the spectrum, ‘Hosanna’ is about praising God for how he’s blessed us. So our song choices reflect multiple aspects of having faith in difficult situations.”

Overall, the event was a success, and enjoyed by many. Plenty of unique learning sessions were found throughout campus, and in addition to learning, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was also a time for celebration, as Dean Jordan stated: “This isn’t just a day about learning, but a day about celebrating.”

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CAB Hosts CABob Night

As the first week of the spring semester drew to a close, many students chose to celebrate by gathering in the Gillette lounge for “CABob night.” This event featured a long table full of skewer-able snacks, a chocolate fountain, a Wii console, and a number of other board and card games. Students from across campus visited to enjoy the free food, as well as socialize in a relaxed environment. CABob night was conceived and produced by Houghton’s CAB team, which had planned this event back in the fall semester and had been prepping for it since returning to campus.

The Campus Activities Board, most often just referred to as CAB, is the Houghton organization responsible for planning and staging many of Houghton’s events. It consists of five students hired by Student Life and the Director of Student Engagement, AC Taylor (‘14). CAB typically produces one major event each month, in addition to the events on the first weekend of the school year and a handful of other smaller events. Regular events include the After Prism Party, which provides sweets and drinks for campus following the Prism event; Clue Night, in which participants must race to solve a mystery inspired by the board game Clue, in order to win a prize; Film Fest, in which student-made films are showcased and voted on by participants; and Midnight Breakfast, in which Houghton staff and faculty serve students food the hour before midnight on the last day of classes. CAB is also responsible for designing and running each year’s Purple and Gold Week. In addition, CAB produces the weekly Coffee House events that occur each Thursday in Java. Those who regularly attend athletics event may be familiar with CAB Club, the branch of CAB which runs a raffle for a free pizza roughly once a week at an athletics event. 

The next big CAB event this semester will be the Game Show, held in the Wesley Chapel January 31st. According to the CAB member taking point on this event, Angelica Robinson (‘22), it will be run in the style of Family Feud, where “teams will compete to win prizes that appeal to all sorts of people.” CAB is also in the process of preparing more events later in the semester, including Clue Night, Roller Skating, and Film Fest. 

Despite CAB’s frequent interaction with the student body, it is one of Houghton’s more nebulous organizations. Even for CAB members it required some research to discover exactly how CAB fits into the larger scheme of Houghton organizations. It’s similar to a typical club, in that it is almost entirely student-run and student-driven, but its members are selected by Student Life and paid a stipend at the end of each semester. However, it’s not fully a part of Student Life either, as it is technically a student association and it operates with minimal oversight. Ultimately, CAB is its own unique organization. “It stands between two worlds,” as described by AC Taylor, who is the only faculty member of Student Life who directly interacts with CAB. It provides students with the ability to work with faculty and the college’s resources in order to provide the campus with interesting, community-building events.

However, CAB didn’t always fill this niche in Student Life. AC Taylor described CAB as originally serving as the umbrella name for all student-driven parts of Student Life, performing the function that the Student Programs Office does now. This included the Student Government Association and all other clubs. However, elements of this organization that specifically designed and produced campus events were separated and combined into their own, specific organization, creating the CAB we have today. Now, CAB works independently from other parts of Student Programs and primarily produces events with the sole purpose of engaging students and fostering a sense of community.

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Center for Sustainability Enjoys Major Renovations to Office

Sustainability Intern Honus Wagner (‘20) reads in the new Center for Sustainability space.

This semester, the Center for Sustainability that is located in Chamberlain Center overwent massive renovations. The room, which can be found on the third floor of the building, has more space than it had before, additional and more comfortable seating, a brand-new counter area, and will “have tea available for students anytime,” according to Brian Webb, Houghton College’s Sustainability Director. Additionally, you can sign out movies or books about sustainability from the Center.

One of the problems with the old center, according to EcoReps intern Mary Chichester (‘22), was that “there was nowhere to sit.” With a more spacious room and couches that come “from SGA” (Student Government Association), Mary says that the EcoReps “want people to come in, sit down, and chat.” Furthering this sentiment, Webb comments that “we want to create a place where students feel welcome.” He adds that  “you can come in and we’ll chat about sustainability, or you can just come in and say ‘hi’, have some tea, or study.” Owen Hardiman (‘22), a student who attended the Center for Sustainability’s open house last Friday, says that the new space “feels open and really nice. There’s lots of sunlight.”

When talking about the importance of the renovations, Webb says that “visibility is the key piece…having a space where students are constantly walking by is an important visual cue that makes it obvious that this is something that the institution values.”

Funding for the project came primarily from the Center’s “normal operating budget,” per Webb.

The Center for Sustainability is open until “3:30 on most days,” according to Webb, and “students are welcome to come in anytime.”

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New Clubs Draw Participants, Older Ones Struggle

Many clubs on campus have been created since the beginning of last semester and seen success in acquiring members, yet some of the older clubs on campus are currently struggling to stay afloat. 

The Gospel Choir is a returning club that originally formed 9 years ago before being reformed last year. Contrary to what one might expect, the majority of club members are non-music majors. According to the president of the club, Jordan Simmons (‘22), the biggest challenge in starting the club came from “learning how to teach a group of people in a field I’m not familiar with.” Gospel Choir was featured in the MLK Chapel service and according to an anonymous source, “They did a superb job”.

One of the other new clubs on campus is the Disc Golf club, currently being headed by President Zachary Paris (‘20). “The club right now is just a group of people who love the game and when the weather is permitting,” Paris says, “The difficulty [we] faced was the weather and being able to get out and play.” The club has managed to acquire a passionate following of disc golfers.

Many of the clubs formed last semester have been doing quite well. The PB&J Club, for instance, has seen reasonable success since its conception. For those unaware of the premise of the club, as club President Billy McCrae (‘23) describes it as “a service club meant to help solve the hunger problem that exists in the world specifically targeting the impoverished in Buffalo.” As the name suggests, the club makes peanut butter and jelly sandwiches during its meetings which are then distributed throughout the Buffalo area. As of January 18th, the club has already made a total of 2,874 sandwiches, making a record amount of 504 in a single meeting. Despite this success, the club is still in search of drivers to help transport sandwiches to Buffalo.

The American Sign Language club, which formed last semester has also seen progress in its endeavor to teach sign language to members. In an interview with the president of the club, Maria Simonin (‘23), she explained, “It’s awesome! Teaching such an important language to other people is amazing, [however,] it was hard preparing lectures and making sure people followed all the rules ASL has.” Regardless, the club has already learned the basics of the language and are now “preparing Christian signed songs [for] multiple campus events,” as Simonin says.

Another club formed last semester is Campus Advocates for Peace and Justice (CAPJ) which is being led by president Olivia Flint (‘20). Flint says CAPJ was formed “to both teach and empower students to communicate with their representatives on issues that they care about.” So far the club has sent letters and phone calls to Tom Reed about the so-called Muslim ban and plan on eventually lobbying to Reed in person.

On the other hand, The Gadfly Society (also known as the philosophy club) has been struggling with attendance. The Gadfly Society is the longest running club on campus, however meetings have only been ranging at about three to four attendees. In the words of club president Anna Judd (‘21), “From what I understand, a lot of clubs have been struggling with attendance recently. We got a few new sign-ups at the activities fair [but] the spring fair is a lot smaller than the fall one.” Judd went on to say, “The Gadfly Society is intended not just for philosophy students. Meetings are very relaxed; we sit down over tea and have a conversation, jumping off from a particular topic, but letting the discussion flow where it flows.” 

As Maria Simonin put it, “I saw a lot of interesting clubs [at the fair] that I will definitely try to find time to attend!”

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Student Life Debuts Initiative to Promote Intentional Residential Communities

The Randall Townhouses will become centers for student engagement communities.

The Office of Student Life is introducing the Randall Student Engagement Community, an initiative to combine student interests with intentional community living. “It can be the things that you already do. If you’re in a club that already does these things, it just adds a live-in aspect to it,” said AC Taylor (‘14), Director of Student Engagement. Students select a focus area under which they can clarify their specific interest within the overarching theme, or focus.

Focus areas include but are not limited to:

  • Creation Care
  • Engaging the Arts
  • Spiritual Formation
  • Global Engagement
  • Vocation & Calling
  • Athletics & Wellness
  • Other

Students will be expected to engage in their topic inside and outside of their house. Once a semester, each house will engage the community in some way, either putting on a themed event, or putting up a table in the campus center or posters across campus. Funding will be provided for each group for that purpose. Taylor notes, “It’s not like ‘Here, figure it out,’ it’s ‘We have money for you to do your programming.’” Taylor also pointed out that the Randall houses will cost less than regular townhouses next year.

The students will live in the Randall Townhouses, but a group of students does not have to fit in a single townhouse–it can be smaller or bigger–and it can include both men and women. The members of the group can be split into two or more townhouses depending on the group’s size and gender ratio. As stated on the application page, “Students can apply as individuals, roommate pairs, half filled houses, or full 8 person houses. Those without full houses would be able to select other incomplete houses to form a full house with multiple themes.”

There have been similar themed living arrangements at Houghton in the past, including themed townhouses, and a Sustainability House; that group lived in Brown House, the brick house behind Luckey Building. At another time, a group of women lived together in a set-aside group of rooms in Gillette. “Part of the problem you can see right there in the statistics, it was mostly women,” said Paul Young, our academic dean, “so this new approach is designed to be flexible for that, but with definite hopes of having more men and women involved.”

Applications are now open for the Randall Student Engagement Community and can be found under the Student Programs tab on the Houghton College website.