Category: News

After 33 years, Michael Lastoria will be retiring from his position as Director of Counseling Services at the end of this semester. Lastoria has been vital to the growth of Houghton’s Counseling Center, as well as student support systems in general.

Lastoria was key in some of the integral parts of the Houghton campus as we know it. In the mid-eighties, Lastoria started what is now known as the Center for Academic Success and Advising (CASA) to support students with learning disabilities. Lastoria said, “obviously it was meeting a need,” and as part of the program’s growth it was transferred to its current management. Lastoria also drafted Houghton’s policies on sexual assault and sexual harassment. “That was also something that we did that I feel pretty good about,” said Lastoria, “Our sexual harassment policy and procedures I think had its beginning in the early nineties, and I played a major role in that.”

Lastoria described his relationship with the college as “a good marriage.” “The college invested in me along the way for those 33 years, and I think I gave back on that investment,” he said. An example of this is the family studies minor, “a popular minor,” said Lastoria, which was co-created by Lastoria after Houghton gave him support to pick up the specialty of marriage and family therapy at the University of Rochester. Lastoria said that while many people may disagree over the state of the college on LGBTQ concerns, he has “been instrumental in at least shaking the tree” in terms of how LGBTQ topics are approached in discourse on campus. It is a conversation familiar to Lastoria who has published various research over the years on the sexual behavior of college undergraduates including a 2013 study surveying 19 Christian campuses nationwide.

Cindy Hannigan, Administrative Assistant to VOCA and Counseling Center, who has known Lastoria for over six years said, “I think one of the great things Dr. Lastoria has been able to do in his time at the Counseling Center is to be the very human, likeable, and widely-known face of the Center.  He’s helped to make it a less intimidating place by getting to know so many students in classes, in chapels, in SPOT, on panels… really everywhere on campus.”

Wendy Baxter, who has worked in the Counseling Center for 19 years said, “It has been a really great experience working in this office…he’s really grown this center over the years.” Both Hannigan and Baxter cited Lastoria’s sense of humor as a contributor to, as Hannigan described it, creating a “very easy-going atmosphere” in the Counselling Center. Baxter said, “Mike just has a really fine way of interjecting humor into situations, and humor is important.”

Baxter said she appreciates “the professionalism, the availability, and the accessibility” with which Lastoria conducts himself. She said it has helped her grow as a therapist, and offering this accessibility to students and staff alike has been central to how he “has represented the counselling center well outside of this office.”

Next year Lastoria will continue to teach the classes he currently teaches and may continue some counseling, but retiring from his position as director will leave him working at about half-time. He said, “I still have energy to work and to contribute. Whether or not I do that at Houghton after next year that’s left open, but I’m certainly willing and desirous of doing that.”

Lastoria said he is looking forward to “that time expansion…not having to squeeze everything in at once,” and hopes to audit a few courses in theology, history, and art – some core liberal arts classes that he wasn’t exposed to in his undergraduate degree at Rutgers University in Ceramics Engineering.

Lastoria, who has travelled to Israel, London, Kenya, Tanzania, and Ecuador for the college, said he also looks forward to being able to take “short trips when [he] just feel[s] like it.” He hopes to play more golf which he described as his “passion” and looks forward to having time to do things like keeping up with yard work he currently tries to s

During the upcoming February break the baseball and softball teams will be taking their annual trip to Florida to kick off their seasons.

Since Houghton has hit almost record low temperatures, close to negative forty, both teams have been using the resources available in the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH). The KPFH provides an open space for both teams to move around and also batting cages to work on hitting, but it does not allow the typical outdoor experience of baseball.

“One of the biggest things I’m looking forward to is just getting outside,” said Brian Reitnour, head baseball coach. “Chances are that by the time we leave for Florida the snow will still be on the baseball field, so just getting back on a field will be great,” he said.

“Florida is a great opportunity for us to get our season going. It allows us to play in some warm sunshine, get a tan, and develop closer friendships with the team. Every year we come back a closer knit team,” said Seth Cornell ‘15, baseball captain.

Since this is the start of both teams’ seasons, players and coaches are very optimistic about the coming season and excited for the competition in Florida.

“This time of year is always exciting because it’s a fresh start. Our guys train year-round and they finally get a chance to compete,” said Reitnour. “We have 10 seniors on this team and our aspirations grow with each season. I’m looking forward to seeing how much we can accomplish,” he said.

Both teams seem to have a very busy schedule during the week. The softball team is scheduled to play ten games and will be playing teams such as Lydon State College, Hanover College, and Alma College. The baseball team is scheduled to play eight games against teams such as Cleary University, Concordia University, and Hanover College.

The baseball team plays every day but Sunday and the softball team plays every day but Wednesday and Sunday. The baseball team will be doing a worship service on Sunday and barbeque with the player’s families.

Last year the teams had the opportunity to see some Major League teams spring training, but this year they are going earlier, so they will not able to attend any games.

The baseball team will be traveling from Davenport and Haines City, Florida during the week and the softball team will be mainly in Clermont, FL.

“There is no better way to get our season going then going to Florida for a week of games and non-stop fellowship with the team,” said Cornell.

Tuesday, high school and college students as well as faculty and financial aid administrators from throughout the state participated in an advocacy at the New York state legislative building in Albany. Houghton students planned to attend, but were not able due to weather.

The purpose of this was to rally for an increase in NY  Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) funds. TAP helps thousands of college students who are residents of NY State pay for their educations. According to the NYS Higher Education Service, the maximum amount one can receive in TAP funds is $5,165. TAP is a grant, meaning it does not have to be paid back. With the rise in student debt in recent years, advocacy for more TAP aid has become important for many. Most Houghton students are NYS residents who rely at least in part on TAP, thus making this issue a pressing one for a significant portion of the Houghton community.

The group of Houghton students, which was to be led by Houghton grad Isabeau Higdon ’14, could not make the trip to Albany due to weather conditions. The group was made of students Chaz Ormond ’16, Sarah Schwec ’16, Michael Robrahn ’17, Grace Hollenceck ‘16, and Dani Eaton (’17). The students, all of whom receive or have received TAP, were encouraged to write letters to state legislators detailing NYS students’ reliance on TAP and the need for an increase in the maximum amount provided in place of the trip.

Ormond has high hopes for the outcome of NYS student advocacy. “First, it [TAP] has helped the majority of us, at Houghton College, to afford our education this far. Second, I have benefited [from TAP] because it allows me to have less of a student loan to worry about after I graduate. Though I do not receive the maximum amount, TAP has given me a significant amount that has aided in me paying my student bill for college. I would like to see an increase in the amount of money given to each student.”

Yet there is also the need for government costs to remain manageable too. Ormond noted “I understand that with the increasing student debt, there must be an increasing cost to the government to supply the finances to aid students’ education. Thus, I would suggest better budgeting. Many students are not able to pay back the loans they are given, or take an unnecessary amount of time to do so. I hope to see either an increase in aid, or a decrease in rising costs of tuition.” The latter suggestion continues to be an issue for colleges and universities, especially private institutions like Houghton.

Houghton successfully hosted their first indoor track meet, the Highlander Invitational, on January 24 at the Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPAC) with six schools and about 300 athletes in attendance. They also hosted the Highlander Open/Multi-Event Indoor Track and Field meet on January 30 and 31. The KPAC has an eight lane track, which allows for events to be finished quicker than on a standard six lane track. Senior, Enrico Sukhdeo, believes “[the KPAC] gives the college a lot of exposure for recruits.” Athletic Director, Skip Lord said, “Having this new facility will grow the track program’’ and “[we] intentionally kept this year’s meets smaller because it is the first time in new facility and [we] want to make sure that we are prepared to run them efficiently and smoothly and give people a good experience.”

Head coach, Patrick Hager said, “We had talked all week to the team about the fact that their performances might increase just based on the fact that they’re at home.”  Many fans supported their fellow Highlanders at the Highlander Invitational, who competed exceptionally well as a team earning 13 indoor wins, ten personal bests, four second places, and three NCCAA national qualifiers. The Highlander athletes that have qualified for NCCAA nationals are Marshall Brady in the long jump (6.16 meters), Nikki Garns in 800 meter run (2:26:49), and Cara Davenport in the 5000 meter run (20:03:31). Sophomore, Marshall Brady said, “It’s a tremendous blessing to have the KPAC” and  “everyone got a chance to invite their friends and to compete not only for themselves but for the sake of others.” Notable performances came from Jordan Cady, who finished second in the triple jump (12.47 meters), Enrico Sukhdeo who took third in the 60 meter dash (7:34), and Andrea Melhorn who took second and third in the shot put (10.17 meters) and weight (13.42 meters). Senior, Andrea Melhorn, believes the KPAC is the “start of something new, something good” and “the growth that’s gonna come from it is really exciting.”

Some colleges in attendances at the Highlander Open/Multi-Event Indoor were Mansfield University, Alfred University, Alfred State, and Messiah College. On Friday and Saturday there was a heptathlon, a seven event contest,  and a pentathlon, a five event contest. Senior, Savannah Doviak, set a new school record in the 300 meter run with a time of 44:43, which was almost one second faster than the previous record. Doviak, said, “Each week we set the bar higher and have higher expectations for ourselves” and  “[the KPAC] is a big deal for the track team and Houghton.”

Both men and women accomplished the track and field team’s second goal of the meet, to get one facility best. Nikki Garns won the 600 meter run in 1:41:98 and the 4×200 meter relay team of Doviak, Nikki Garns, Kate Taggart, and Fiona Daloia won the race in 1:50:72. For the men, Jordan Cady took first in the long jump with 5.90 meters, giving the men their first win in the new facility and Jon Lewis finished in fifth place in the 600 meter run (1:29:00). The success of the meet could benefit Houghton in addition ways, such as an increase in enrollment. Doviak said, “[I] talked to recruits who said that after seeing the meet and the facility that they put Houghton as their first choice.”

The track and field team has several  goals for their season, some of which include a team GPA of 3.0 or higher, to be Empire 8 Conference Champions at Houghton, and to make it to the NCCAA finals. Hager said, “I want [athletes] to perform [their] best at the end of the season.” The women’s goal is to place fourth in the Empire 8 Conference, and the men’s is to get a certain amount of points to qualify for the Men’s National Meet. On February 14, Houghton is hosting the Empire 8 Conference Championships, fellow students are encouraged to show attend and show support.

Last summer, the state of New York made changes to the Title IX policy regarding sexual assault and harassment. Title IX, a federal law under the Department of Education, was enacted in 1972 and states “No person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program receiving Federal financial assistance.”

At the collegiate level, this means the revision of policies and procedures to ensure that reasonable efforts are made to prevent sexual violence and to respond to reports promptly and effectively. As a result of the new guidelines, Houghton College is in the process of revising the sexual harassment and assault policy in order to promote a healthier, safer environment for all students and faculty.

Houghton College’s Title IX Coordinator, Nancy Murphy, described Title IX as a law that is “critical for assuring that people of all genders are equipped to thrive in learning communities that are free of discrimination and violence.” The prevention of sexual harassment is very important because a college campus is an environment where many young people are not reporting cases of assault or abuse. Even when they are reporting, there are often times when college administrators fall short of the goal of taking care of the victim and holding the perpetrator accountable.

Previously under this law, Houghton’s sexual harassment policy was based on a “No means No” approach where investigation into an alleged sexual assault focused on whether or not the victim verbally said or behaved in a way that communicated a “no” in denial of sexual consent. However, Murphy stated, “many sexual assaults occur in the absence of a ‘no’ but without a ‘yes’”. She referred to the difficulty institutions are having determining whether or not a verbal “no” was stated by a sexual assault victim and, as a result, New York made a necessary adaptation.

The new motto for the Title IX policy is “Yes means Yes.” This motto places responsibility on the accused assaulter to state why he/she thought the sexual behavior was consensual. The changed policy challenges the assaulter to prove the words or actions that were present for him/her to believe he/she was wrongfully accused. The major reason for the policy change is often due to the inability of assault victims to speak or take action for themselves under the circumstances they are in. Victims are frequently unable to give their consent due to incapacitation by fear, age, or alcohol.

However, since Houghton College is an institution that requires students to abstain from alcohol, Murphy asked, “What does this have to do with Houghton College?” She answered, “Though the number of assaults against Houghton students is arguably much lower than that of many college populations, our students do experience sexual assault, sometimes here on campus and sometimes off-campus. It is important that we as a community are educated about sexual assault for the primary purpose of prevention, but also to make sure that victims receive sensitive and helpful follow-up care and that student perpetrators of sexual assault are held accountable.”

There are debates on whether or not this new change will be more beneficial in helping victims of sexual assault and harassment and Murphy believes, “There are elements both good and bad.” If we abide by the “Yes means Yes” policy, then it may be favoring the victim’s rights more that the perpetrator’s rights. But with the old policy too much pressure was placed on the victim and it often resolved in a lack of action being taken.

SGA’s Executive Officer of Student Life, Jared Cram, said “I’m interested to see how this will pan out on a campus like Houghton where some of these issues may not be as obvious or prevalent. I’m part of the committee on Harassment Policy and Prevention and we had a lot of training on what to do in certain situations. It seems like they’re doing a very good job of making sure the victim is cared for above all else.”

One of the ways the college will inform students, faculty, and staff on the new policies is through a campus-wide survey that is due to come out in Fall of 2015. This survey will measure the rate of sexual assault on campus, how aware students are of current policies and procedures, and the likelihood that they would feel comfortable reporting sexual assault.

This past week, the announcement was made that Professors Lori Huth, Dr. John Rowley, and Dr. Jamie Potter would be receiving tenure. Tenure provides job security for the faculty member, who has typically served six years, subject to the guidelines of Houghton’s Statement of Community Responsibility and Doctrinal Statement. Specifically for Houghton, tenured faculty members need to have an earned degree in a field related to their teaching and show strength in integration of faith with learning and practice, teaching, scholarship and service to the college.

Despite popular belief, tenure is not job security for life no matter what the faculty member does, but a guarantee of full due process in evaluations of performance and behavior.

The process to attain tenure is a lengthy one. Over the course of the six years served, multiple people and committees review the faculty members’ applications, teachings, scholarship and service. Everyone from faculty peers to President Mullen is involved in the process.

Relief that the strenuous and rigorous process is over is the general consensus of the three professors. “The application process itself is a lot of work,” says Huth. She said achieving tenure “requires many years of working hard on all components of being a good faculty member.” Linda Mills Woolsey, Dean of the College, praised the creative writing professor stating  “Ms. Huth brings high standards to writing teaching and some of her students have been winning national awards.”

Rowley, Professor of Chemistry, feels receiving tenure validates his vocation, which is to “teach students to be excellent scientists in a Christian context.” Woolsey said Rowley has “provided leadership for Science Honors and strong service to the Chemistry program.” Although he feels now he does not need to worry about proving himself, Rowley wants to debunk the popular myth that professors become lazy after receiving tenure. “I think tenure results in greater responsibility on the part of faculty,” said Rowley.

For Potter, she doesn’t want her position to make her complacent. “There are a lot of things I want to achieve in the department,” stated the biology professor. She feels having tenure will give her more confidence to “take the advancements” that she wants to take. Along with Rowley, Potter has made contributions to Science Honors and “has done a great deal to build and support Pre-Health Professions,” says Woolsey.

Both the Rank and Tenure Committee and the Academic Affairs Committee of the Boards were “Impressed by the achievements of these faculty,” according to Woolsey. Huth, Rowley, and Potter “Have shown a strong commitment to teaching and to serving students.”