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Scotland Votes to Remain Part of UK

After a close vote last Thursday, Scottish citizens voted to remain a part of the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom, made of up of Northern Ireland, Wales, Scotland, and England, united with Scotland in 1603. In 1707, however, The Acts of Union united England and Scotland under one Crown and Parliament. Nearly splitting the population down the middle with a vote of 45-55, the population remains divided and the future of the nation somewhat uncertain.

DaniUpon the announcement of the vote according to an article in The Wall Street Journal, the crowd of divided supporters and oppositionists, gathered in Glasgow’s George Square, erupted in tension and disagreements. Though there were no injuries, authorities were forced to intervene arresting 11 citizens were on counts of public disorder offenses, including vandalism.

According to a CNN article, while many financial markets and governments around the world were reassured by the vote some were unsettled and unhappy about the results of the vote. The significant size of the independent movement, it’s large amount of supporters, and many dissatisfied opinions in regard to the vote in Scotland suggests that there could be another cry for independence within the next decade or two. This cry, according to The New York Times, gives Scottish citizens who want independence for the country a larger platform to press for greater powers and autonomy that British leaders promised during the campaign.

Alex Salmond, Scotland’s first minister and leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, announced his resignation, effective in November, shortly after the vote. Though he was proud of the pro-independence movement and its effectiveness, he said it was now time to hold British officials to their promises of greater autonomy for Scotland

UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, however said, “Like millions of other people, I am delighted.” Cameron added that this was an opportunity for the United Kingdom to make some changes and help ease the discontent among those who are unhappy with the current situation. Cameron said “a new and fair settlement” will be created for Scotland and the other countries in the United Kingdom.

Among the many supporters of the Scotland’s decision to stay part of the United Kingdom was Queen Elizabeth II. She said that the outcome will be met with a range of emotions, but is hopeful. She also said, “Now, as we move forward, we should remember that despite the range of views that have been expressed, we have in common an enduring love of Scotland, which is one of the things that helps to unite us all.”

One issue that is yet to be resolved, however, is Scotland’s stance on nuclear weapons. In his campaign for an independent Scotland, Salmond promised that if freed from British rule, Scotland would become a non-nuclear nation within five years of gaining independence. The location of the United Kingdom’s Trident nuclear submarine base in Scotland, which is due for potential renewal in upcoming years, is still the cause for much discussion. Had Scotland voted yes for their independence, plans for the removal of the Trident had been put in place. According to RT, a British news source, a former defence chief warned removing the UK’s Trident nuclear submarine base from an independent Scotland would “add a dangerous period of destabilization” to the UK’s “nuclear defense posture.” While the relocation of the case is very likely, it is causing a stir among British defense leaders due the astronomical price the relocation would cost the United Kingdom. If the need to relocate the Trident were to arise it could cost the nation upwards of billions of dollars and take at least a decade.

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SGA President: Katharine Lebrecque

With the new changes brought to SGA this fall, positions entail different responsibilities. Senior, Katharine Labrecque, serves as this year’s president, heading up the newly organized student government.

Labrecque has been involved in student government since her freshman year in high school. She served as secretary for four years and continued that role her first and sophomore year at Houghton for the class of 2015. Last year, she served as a senator for the political science department. This year she begins a different role, as president.

“There are a lot more responsibilities. It’s hard because I am overseeing the different officers, making sure they are carrying out their roles while also being supportive,” said Labrecque regarding the transition, “I like having a clear goal in mind and to write notes. But I do carry that into this role, I still take notes. And just being organized… that has been a strength.”

Her role is to oversee all of the executive council and to represent the student body: their needs and their voice. One of her biggest objectives is to make herself available to receive feedback from students.

“Whether that is from personal interaction with students in my classes or on the soccer team, a suggestion box, or just having people come in the office,” said Labrecque, “I think [my role is] just about the students and I don’t think that I am any more important than they are, but I am a way that they can get their voice heard to faculty, staff and to people who are in charge of the college.”

Through the reorganization of the cabinets, there are less members total. Without senators, the power of SGA is much more concentrated. Due to having a fewer amount of representatives, Labrecque has encouraged members to seek student input.

“It’s a whole new system set up and we are working on our constitution and bylaws and making sure that they align with the college policies,” said Labrecque, “A huge focus now is on the non-traditional students, in Buffalo, and what role we can have there.”

As a dual Political Science and International Development major, Labrecque’s interests of studies converge in her role. Although not knowing where she will end up, she knows how she has been called to act. Her involvement with SGA at Houghton is in line with her goals to prepare for the future.

“I definitely feel like God has put on my heart that I need to be a voice for people who are not heard,” said Labrecque, “And I feel that whatever it is, whether it is politics, which I am interested in, or for government agencies, specifically in development or public policy, that I can really advocate the people and make it about the people.”

Currently, Labrecque is lending her voice to Houghton students. Yet, beyond the population of Houghton, Labrecque is concerned with justice and advocacy on a broader scale.

“I feel like our politics, in the US, are very much separate, there is a lack of unity,” said Labrecque, “It has been frustrating to see that people are suffering because we can’t get along and we can’t make trade-offs.”

Labrecque’s passion to serve has allowed her to take on many roles. As president, Labrecque launches SGA into a new year structured by new organization. Perhaps students will respond to her vision of a refurbished SGA, sharing her passion for the voice of the individual, and creating the necessary dialog between the two.

“This is new for me. I want to make SGA something that is not a governing body, but a resource. It can be a way that we can communicate with students and let them know about the things that are going on in the world and on campus, just make it transparent.” said Labrecque, “I think there have been a lot of negative connotations attached to SGA and I want to rid that. I want to make it a place that people associate with this comfortable body of student leaders who are desired and work for the rest of the campus.”

Different ways to connect with Labrecque and other member of SGA include: looking for SGA members around campus, emailing SGA at sga@houghton.edu, sending a comment or sharing feedback through intra-campus mail marked SGA, scheduling a coffee date with the president, or visiting the office in the basement of the Campus Center and leaving a prayer request.

 

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SGA Restructures as Council

 

The Houghton Student Government Association (SGA) has eliminated senator positions in an effort to build a more efficient representative system. This new Council supplants the Senate. It comes as a reaction to the low enrollment that Houghton has seen over the past few years and decreased participation in the SGA.

Senior, Wynn Horton, executive officer of committees, explains, “Two years ago the Senate and Cabinet of the SGA were the two separate bodies that made up the SGA. This meant each class had 3 representatives, there were 8 general representatives, and then the additional Cabinet members. Last year, we attempted to more accurately represent the ‘representative districts’ on campus by adjusting to a system of dorm and academic department reps.

“After spending most of last year with numerous vacancies and poor efficiency in the Senate structure, they voted to attempt another restructuring – this time much smaller and more consolidated than before. This idea would eliminate the separate Senate and Cabinet structures and create an Executive Council comprised of six generally elected executive officers, four class-elected representatives, a vice president, and a president.”

AnthonyBurdo_SGAThe intent of this restructuring is to increase competition for positions by reducing the supply to match demand. A smaller council will be able to work more effectively because it will not have as much of a need for structural decorum. Members will be able to more easily work out solutions to class issues as well as make decisions on club funding and committees.

While eliminating the senatorial positions, the SGA has created several new and focused positions for the Council. This group oversees all classes through their respective class presidents as well as by direct means. As it stands, it consists of 12 positions: general president and vice President, one president for each class, as well as executive officers of finance, committees, spiritual life, communications, non-traditional students, and student life. Each class president oversees a class cabinet that works to help individual years and puts on class-wide events. The Council also oversees five council committees and 13 committees led by the SGA and the college.

Horton described the role of the SGA in coming years, “As the college grows and determines what form it shall take in the world of higher education, the student government must be prepared to assist in these changes as best they can. It was generally thought to be in the best interest to condense the empty positions and strengthen what remained. Structures will, as the college will, change with time. We can only hope that for now, we have made the decisions that will be the best for not only this student body, but for many to come.”

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Houghton Considers New Majors

Three new majors are in the process of being approved for Houghton, including engineering, data science, and social entrepreneurship. While the ultimate decisions on these have not been made, there has been a significant amount of research and thought involved.

FancherThe process of adding a new major to the academic program begins with a proposal, most time from faculty, but sometimes from alumni or current students. From there, the program is presented to the academic council and is then voted on by the faculty. If the program passes it then proceeds to New York State for approval.

In evaluating promising new academic fields for Houghton, Dean Linda Mills Woolsey explains that a program must “fit our mission and liberal arts character, attract students, and have a clear connection to vocation.”

The consideration for adding an engineering major at Houghton began about four years ago and was examined more thoroughly by former associate dean of natural science and mathematics, Keith Horn. Presently, a proposal is being prepared to gain approval towards the process of moving forward.

In describing what such a major would look like at Houghton, current associate dean of natural science and mathematics, Professor Mark Yuly, explains there is attention being given to “mainstream disciplines” such as electrical engineering and computer science engineering. Yuly believes that engineering would be a good fit to Houghton’s mission as it will “educate students to go out and transform the world” and goes on to say, “engineering is the twin of science, translating science into something that will help people.”

There is no specific timeline for the instating of an engineering program at Houghton. Woolsey said, “We will actively explore engineering until something tells us to stop.”

The consideration of a data science major at Houghton began about a year ago when Carmen McKell, an alumna psychology major, was contacted by the president’s office about an unrelated matter. McKell later connected with President Shirley Mullen about her and her husband’s specialty consulting firm that focuses on analytical science. She expressed that her liberal arts education prepared her for her profession. This began the curiosity of what such a program would look like at Houghton.

After researching similar programs around the country, it was discovered that data science was almost nonexistent in undergraduate programs and even less prominent at Christian colleges. Department chair of business and economics, Professor Ken Bates, said that interestingly enough “there is a specific demand for students with data science training.” Presently, there is a working group of faculty exploring the field of data science.

Bates says the possible social entrepreneurship major stemmed from hearing students explain their uncertainty in what they wanted to pursue after Houghton, but recognizing they wanted to help people. Such a major would satisfy the interest in serving others as well as provide a practical degree that would result in a job. Bates explains that social entrepreneurship is the “merging of starting a business and doing helpful things with that business.  The service provided meets people’s needs and finds traction in a specific focus.”

Both data science and social entrepreneurship are expected to be offered as majors as of Fall 2016.  However, various classes in these particular areas of study are expected to be offered.

As boundaries are becoming blurred between various fields of study, Woolsey believes that it is now more important than ever to foster a liberal arts education that creates connections between such fields. Woolsey adds that the most exciting thing for her in this process is the “widening opportunity for our students, as well as seeing the faculty becoming enthusiastic for new projects and programs.”

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17 Students Enroll at Buffalo Satellite Campus

The addition of a satellite campus in Buffalo is one of the hanges that have happened recently at Houghton. This campus provides an opportunity to receive a 2-year Associate of the Arts Degree through Houghton College. Upon graduation, students are granted automatic admission into the bachelor’s program at Houghton’s main campus, should they choose to accept.

BuffaloSkyline 2Currently, there are 17 students enrolled, representing five different areas of the world. Several of the students are refugees who have been living in Buffalo for less than six years, from places like Burma, Thailand, Congo, and elsewhere, according to Dean of Extension Studies, Scott McClelland. Many of these students are first generation students who are learning English during their pursuit of higher education.

Both Houghton’s Buffalo program and Houghton itself, McClelland says, were created as a means to provide an education about the broader world in a Christian environment. McClelland quoted the mission of Houghton Buffalo as “…providing our educational distinctive to students who are economically diverse.”

This education being provided is as diverse as the students themselves. According to Houghton Buffalo’s page on the Houghton College website, courses are offered in fine arts, theology, mathematics, and others, all in Buffalo. These courses are taught by a combination of current full-time professors, and local Adjunct professors who are familiar with the Buffalo area.

In addition to professors, there are other Houghton members and alumni assisting in the start of program. Director of CASA, Mark Hunter works closely with the students to help them with their English vocabulary skills, while professor Laurie Dashnau offers the services of the Writing Center to Buffalo students on Fridays. Three recent Houghton alumni, Amanda Wojcinksi, Elizabeth Wallace, and Roxanne Kehr also provide daily tutoring sessions through the AmeriCorps program. Programs such as tutoring sessions and other programs help the students transition into their new life as they move between two cultural contexts every day.

The Buffalo area, particularly within church populations, has already recognized Houghton as a college community for providing tutoring services and service learning opportunities in the region. With the development of the new Houghton Buffalo program, members of the Buffalo community have an opportunity to be reached in a way they have not experienced before.  McClelland says, “Now we have become neighbors, with an educational site to help urban students as Houghton students. The difference is huge.”

The program also looks to make sure that Houghton Buffalo students aware they are part of a larger college community in addition to the Buffalo community. Students will be making three trips to Houghton’s main campus this semester, where one of the courses is being taught. Looking toward the future, McClelland also says that he hopes to establish some sort of video conferencing to help tie the colleges together.

Video conferencing is just one of the ways that McClelland hopes to integrate the two campuses in the future. As Buffalo students come to Houghton to be a part of the larger community, McClelland would like Houghton students to know that they have an opportunity to be part of the revival in Buffalo as well by participating in the semester at Buffalo program that the college offers.

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After a Two Year Decline, the Incoming Class is Up 10% From Last Year

After two straight years of decline in enrollment, Houghton’s numbers have risen again. “We are back up,” said Eric Currie, Vice President for Enrollment Management.

There are 302 new students this fall, more than a ten percent increase compared to last year’s incoming class of 277. Of those 302 students, 50 are transfers and 26 are international. China, Cameroon, Nigeria, Uganda, and Venezuela are just a few of the countries represented by the new students at Houghton.

In order to bring numbers up this semester the admissions team, alongside the marketing and the communications offices, thought of new ways to advertise Houghton College. “We started with updating the branding of the college,” said Ryan Spear, Associate Director of Admission. Through things like the “Rethink” campaign, Spear said the admissions team wanted to challenge prospective students to reconsider their education and what it means to them.

In an effort to reach out to prospective students, the admissions team made appearances this summer at events such as Soulfest, Creation, and Kingdom Bound. Also, the addition of new sports teams and the Kerr-Pegula athletic facility assisted in the increase in numbers of enrollment.

JoshDuttweiler_AdmissionsAdmissions attempted to emphasize the personalization of the application process, to which Currie and Spear attribute the success of incoming new students. Things such as personalized acceptance letters and arranging a perspective’s visitation day in an attempt to accommodate their interests are a few things that “set Houghton apart from other schools,” said Spear.

Even though it is time consuming to personalize so much of the prospective student process, it is certainly worth it to Spear. Prospective students ranked Houghton very high in personal communication. “My acceptance letter was really sweet and personal, it included things from my application and mentioned my recommendations which was cool,” said freshman, Erica Barney.

Admissions counselors helped incoming students to prepare and eager to attend Houghton. Barney said that her admissions counselor was “really sweet and right off the bat and was talking to me about what to look forward to when I came to Houghton.”

It wasn’t always easy getting potential students to enroll though, Currie said economics was the largest struggle this past year. In a survey taken by prospective students, the majority said the greatest barrier of being unable to attend Houghton was finances. Spear said fear of loans and affordability of  tuition kept potential students from applying to Houghton.

Now Houghton has a partnership with the Loan Repayment Assistance Program foundation (LRAP) to help out with those financial issues. Spear said that the LRAP serves as a “safety net for students.” This program covers up to 100% of all federal, private, and Parent PLUS loans at no cost to the student or parent. Spear said, “It addresses people’s financial confidence and allows students to pursue their calling right away.”

Admissions is hoping to meet their stretch goal of 315 enrolling new students in the fall of 2015 and is already preparing for next year, Currie said,“We are already in full swing.” Admissions recently ran their first email campaign and have already started to receive applications from prospective students. Spear said admissions staff will continue the personalization that is so well known of the college.

Admissions is reaching out to the largest number of students ever, visiting over 150 college fairs and 225 high schools this fall. Though that is likely to draw in many perspectives, the admissions team is trying not to get ahead of themselves. “We are trying to be realistic on what we can attain,” said Currie.

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Ebola Persists, The U.S. Fights Back

During his visit to the headquarters of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Tuesday, President Obama announced a new course of action the U.S. will take in the fight against the Ebola outbreak in West Africa. This plan comes after complaints from those on the frontlines in the fight against the virus that there has been an inadequate response by the U.S. and other able nations. The World Health Organization (WHO), local governments, and aid groups all in agreeance the epidemic is currently out of hand. In his speech on Tuesday, Obama described it as “spiraling out of control.”

CoryBrautigamThe new plan will be an estimated $763 million expansion of the current aid from the U.S., according to USA Today. A training program will be set up in order to train 500 health care workers a week. Medecins Sans Frontieres  (French for “Doctors Without Borders”) called medical staff the greatest need by far at present. Along with the training program, the U.S. will also be building 17 new Ebola treatment centers, as all Ebola treatment centers are currently full. As soon as new treatment centers open they are immediately filled, according to the WHO.

Obama has committed 3,000 additional military personnel to be sent to Liberia to carry out the aid efforts. According to CNN, the Liberian leadership requested the help of the U.S. military with civilian efforts in Liberia. Major General Darryl Williams, the commander of the U.S. Army Africa, will be leading the effort from Monrovia, the Liberian capital. Operation United Assistance, the name assigned to this effort, will also involve what Obama is calling an “air bridge”, making medical supplies and health care workers more accessible to the region.

Officials say this is not a U.S. takeover of the aid effort, but instead it is an example other countries should follow. According to The Wall Street Journal, the U.S. are to host an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council this upcoming week to seek commitments from other nations and generate an effective plan for moving forward in the fight against Ebola.

On Tuesday, Obama addressed the fact that the response from the international community needs to be prompt, saying, “We can save lives. But we have to act fast.” U.S. officials have acknowledged Obama’s announcement on Tuesday is a reflection of the fact that there is currently not enough being done in the effort against the virus. The hope is that this surge of aid from the U.S. will be a turning point in the Ebola epidemic. During Obama’s announcement, he stated how we fight the disease is “not a mystery,” and called for a global response to follow the lead of the U.S. The WHO estimates it will take $1 billion to get ahead of the virus and control it.

Laurie Garrett, a global health and infectious disease expert at the Council on Foreign Relations said, “To get ahead of the virus, we need to have a massive presence on the ground yesterday.” Whether or not this is too little too late is still up in the air. Experts say if nothing more is done, we could be looking at hundreds of thousands infected. BBC News says some disease experts are questioning the focus of the U.S. effort on Liberia, believing it to be too narrow as the disease has spread beyond Liberia and continues to spread. While there is still skepticism about the sufficiency of this effort by the U.S., most non-government organizations are optimistic after Obama’s announcement Tuesday.

Obama’s announcement is, in part, a response to concerned Americans who are worried about the virus spreading into the U.S. The White House said, “The Ebola epidemic in West Africa and the humanitarian crisis there is a top national security priority for the United States.” The U.S. continues to talk about this epidemic as a global security issue as opposed to a health crisis.

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Solar Panel Installation to Begin Next Week

Houghton College plans to begin construction on 11 acres of solar panels in the Field of Dreams at the end of next week in hopes of reducing electrical costs by half. A grant for a fully funded and operated solar array, given to Houghton College by Groundwater and Environmental Services (GES), will generate roughly three million kilowatt hours of electricity per year; this is equivalent to fueling electricity to 400 homes for a year.

The process started about two years ago with Brian Webb, Houghton College’s Sustainability Coordinator. As per his job title, Webb looks for ways to “be good stewards of the environment and achieve as many renewable energy options as we can,” one of these options he has chosen to pursue has been the installation of the solar array. The installation of the solar array will reduce the college’s carbon footprint by 23% each year by the use of natural sunlight.

GES and Houghton have agreed on a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement, or PPA, that will save the college anywhere from $1 to $3 million over the course of the years. The process of the PPA is as follows: GES operates the solar array while the college pays for the energy at a set amount and receives the energy generated. Rochester Gas and Electric (RGE) will then buy the energy generated from Houghton at market rates.

According to Webb, “There are few issues more important than how we, in the twenty-first century, treat the natural environment.”

“But at what cost?” asks, Katherine Tomlinson, one of Houghton College’s Eco-Representatives.  Students like Tomlinson question, not just the monetary cost of the solar array, but also the environmental cost such as the habitats that will be affected in the marshland where the panels will be placed.

Nonetheless, the The Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) affirms that Houghton College will not only have the largest solar array in Western New York, but the largest on-campus solar array in the country. Webb said, “People will recognize Houghton as a school that is willing to make efforts towards clean energy and students can learn first-hand how to promote it.”

The road used to access the solar array will extend from the trail, and will not interfere with the athletic fields, during or after construction.  Construction of the array will continue through to the end of January. After construction, GES and RGE will work with Houghton activate the panels so they will be ready for use by early spring.

 

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New VOCA Office Opens in Campus Center

A noticeable new edition to the Van Dyke Lounge, is the Fleming-Farver Vocational Opportunities and Career Advising (VOCA office). The office was made possible by a generous donation by Thomas, Ph.D. ’64 and Phyllis (Fleming ‘65) Farver. The VOCA office, lead by Director Kim Pool and Coordinator Brian Reitnour, including other staff such as Administrative Assistant, Cindy Hannigan, Vocational Specialist Rebecca Rowley, Dean Jordan, along with multiple VOCA counselors, offers services that were previously offered in the Career Services Office.

VOCAVOCA will support academic departments and advisors, as well as help students find internship opportunities and connect with Houghton alumni for potential career opportunities through the use of a service called Houghton Connects. According to Pool, the VOCA office hopes to streamline career resources for Houghton students as well as “significantly increase the number of internships and jobs in our online database, specifically in Buffalo and New York City. We also hope to launch an online system that will house internships and streamline the process for registering and receiving approval for an academic internship.” Although, she said, “academic content and approval of academic credit are under the jurisdiction of the Academic Records Office, academic departments, and faculty.

Reitnour stated, “We also hope to talk with students about the broader concept of vocation and God’s calling, which spans beyond one’s occupation to include civic responsibility, relationships with friends and family, church participation and extra curricular activities.” Reitnour also said, “Discovering one’s vocation is more than just searching within to identify unique interests and attributes. It also involves taking a deep look at the world’s needs. We hope to connect students with opportunities to use their skills to serve the needs of the world.”

“The previous location [of Career Services] was tucked away and too small to effectively reach out to 1,000 students. The new location is highly visible and accessible, not only to current students but also prospective students and parents,” Hannigan said. “Its visibility during campus tours communicates Houghton’s commitment and institutional priority to equip students with the knowledge and skills needed to be prepared for life after college.” She said that the rest of the Van Dyk lounge will be receiving new furniture in the next few weeks to compliment the VOCA décor.

VOCA offers services to all Houghton students, not just upperclassman. Pool said, “First years and sophomores will definitely benefit from talking with a VOCA counselor early about choosing a major and career options.” In addition to this, students can take advantage of the career assessment tests available at VOCA, as well as Houghton Connects and workshops. Upcoming workshop topics include subjects such as networking, resumes and cover letters, and interviewing skills. A student can even request to do a mock interview with a VOCA counselor.

The new location has already seen in increase in student activity. Students can make appointments in person as well as online, at http://www.houghton.edu/students/voca/. Pool said, “Whatever your class year, we encourage you to make an appointment today to talk with a VOCA counselor who can assess where you are in the four year plan and make sure you are headed in the right direction.”

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Anticipated 3 Bums Pizza to Open Soon in Houghton

With Addie’s Ice Cream now officially open for business, the limited dining opportunities available around Houghton have increased, but there’s still something missing from the campus. With hungry expectations still to be met and questions that need to be answered, people are wondering, why is the building across from Subway still empty? Where is the anticipated 3 Bums Pizza?

3 BumsAt the end of last semester, students were told that 3 Bums Pizza would be open upon returning this Fall. Currently, 3 Bums is still in the process of transitioning from their previous location in Belfast, to their new building formerly occupied by the Allegany Harvest Cooperative Market. With the original projected opening date of June 1, and mid-September quickly approaching, people are wondering what is accounting for the delay.

Owner of 3 Bums Pizza, Jake Hillman, stated, “While we had hoped that 3 Bums Pizza in Houghton would open quite some time ago, several issues have delayed our move. We’ve been working on some pretty extensive renovations the last several weeks, and as the project has progressed, those renovations have become even more extensive. Ever-changing building and fire codes make turning an empty space into a restaurant quite a task.”

Director of Community Relations, Phyllis Gaerte, said, “We are very disappointed at the delay, but in Jake’s defense, they ran into a number of tricky complications with state restaurant codes. Transforming an old convenience store presents unforeseeable challenges that 3 Bums is rising to meet.”

Hillman tells locals, “The good news is that we are in the home stretch of construction and will be open in the coming weeks.”

Soon 3 Bums will open its doors to students and the surrounding area. Business Professor Ken Bates states, “I predict Houghton’s relationship with 3 Bums to be mutually beneficial. It’s hard to imagine a college town without a pizza delivery business. Turning that around, it’s hard to imagine a pizza business in a college town that doesn’t have a big upside in terms of business success.”

3 Bums will also potentially provide opportunities for students, “3 Bums has employed Houghton students part-time in the past and now that they’re in town that will make this even easier.” Bates said. “We in the business department will be delighted to work with Jake in setting up internships with our business students to whatever degree that will work with his business model. Those discussions have yet to happen, but I look forward to welcoming Jake to the Houghton RVER Group meetings and working together to help his business succeed”

In the following weeks, Houghton can expect to see 3 Bums Pizza renovated and open for business. Hillman assures customers that “No one is more disappointed than we are that our new pizza place wasn’t up and running by the time students came back for the fall semester. We are committed to Houghton for the long term and are quite confident that taking the necessary time to make sure everything is done, and done right.”