William Newbrough, Houghton professor of piano, has recently been named as a Distinguished Steinway Artist by piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons. This recognition places him alongside many piano greats in Steinway’s collection, ranging from Rachmaninoff to Billy Joel, and many others.
The process began when Newbrough was looking to buy a piano for personal use after having much experience with Steinway pianos in the studio and the practice room. He was able to strike up a relationship with the manager and owner of Denton, Cottier, & Daniels, a Steinway dealer located in Buffalo and Rochester, and the oldest one in the country and one that Houghton had established connection with in the past. Becoming a Distinguished Artist for Steinway requires a nomination from a dealership or individual with close connections to the company, a nomination that Newbrough received from the aforementioned manager.
After this, Newbrough was invited to apply by for the recognition of being a Steinway artist. “I had never really thought about it so much for myself,” he comments. “The artists they have there are just, ones that I have admired for years and are of such stature in the piano world.” The application process was lengthy, concerning details such as educational pedigree, performance history and future engagements, and perhaps one of the most important, what pianist you have studied under. Dr. Newbrough was a student of Leon Fleisher, another Distinguished Steinway Artist. Newbrough was also required to list his professional recordings and DVDs, as well as provide a testimonial of his opinion on Steinway pianos to be published by the company. The recognition from Steinway is described as a partnership, representing a kind of brand loyalty for fine craftsmanship.
Following sending in his application, Newbrough did not hear anything for the company for eight months, but was contacted soon after a performance at Carnegie Hall. “I would not be surprised if they had a representative there just doing some final verifications,” he says. Newbrough is most excited about the potential doors that the honor affords for both the music department, and Houghton College as a whole, citing the benefits of being connected to a good dealership. “I’m hoping this will potentially … manifest in an opportunity to be an all-Steinway school.” Newbrough also mentioned Steinway’s relationships with other individuals in the music world, hoping to make further connections for future Houghton performances, as well as the visibility that having a Distinguished Steinway Artist at an institution provides. “I would hope that it would be a tremendous draw for students in terms of student recruitment.”
The honor is just another to add to Newbrough’s extensive list of accomplishments, both nationally and globally, but the artist remains humble, looking upward. “Whatever honors are bestowed on me, I direct them heavenwards,” he says, adding that this particular recognition is just one more opportunity to reveal the glory of God. “For me, I never see a recognition as an end in itself … through my performance career, I’m always looking at what are these kinds of things that can open doors for ministry.”
According to a public opinion poll taken last year, Congress is less popular than cockroaches, traffic jams, and root canals. In fairness, it is not unusual for Americans to be dissatisfied with congressional performance, but popularity levels of Congress are at their lowest in recent American history. A Gallup opinion poll reports that currently congressional approval rests at just about 15%, well below the historical average of 33% since Gallup began polling in 1974. Across the country, Americans are crying for congressional reform.
Courtesy of en.wikipedia.org
A popular grassroots movement to reform Congress advocates the imposition of term limits on federal lawmakers. In the current American political system, term limits in the House and Senate do not exist. A legislator can be voted into office and, granted that they survive elections every few years, they could stay in office for life. Most supporters of a term limits reform hope to limit legislators to about 12 years in their office–which translates to two terms in the Senate and six terms in the House. (Of course, a Representative that serves six-terms could also have the opportunity to run for the Senate for an additional two.)
According to a Gallup poll taken last year, nearly 75% of American adults favor instituting term limits, with 21% against. The same poll indicates that this reform measure has support across both party lines and across all age groups. It’s a popular reform proposal, but is it a good one?
Supporters claim that this type of reform is directed towards “career politicians,” who they claim pursue office for their own interests rather than on behalf of their constituents. From this point of view, “career politicians” are more concerned about re-election, not legislation, and are beholden to special interest groups and lobbyists, rather than to their vocation as a representative to their home district. In effect, these Americans view incumbents and long-serving senators and representatives as “what’s wrong with Washington.”
Ultimately, the main goal behind the term limits movement is to reform and perfect representation. Term limits seem like a good way to get the “bad” politicians out who might otherwise be kept in place by political machinery and the nearly insuperable advantage of incumbency. Supporters of a term limits reform, like conservative Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist George Will, claim that instituting term limits will change the motivations that politician have in running for office. Imposing term limits would purportedly turn Congress into a “rotating citizen body.” The added effect of a “rotating citizen body” would be that it would be a pool of new ideas and new approaches to the issues, with less corruption.
One can see the appeal of a “citizen body” in Congress–the kind idealized by Frank Capra’s movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It is reasonable for voters to be more comfortable if “someone like me” were elected into office. However, in contrast to these claims, one could pose the following question: is lack of experience now a job qualification?
Like any other job, elected legislators are subject to a learning curve, which takes time to establish. Among the key things that newcomers learn in Congress in their first year is the organization and structure of Congress. To clarify, this does not refer to procedure but to the expected norms of Congress as a social institution.
Indeed, Congress, like all governmental structures, is a social body. There are certain norms that legislators are expected to adhere to. In the American system, this includes apprenticeship of junior members to senior members, restrained partisanship, institutional (read: House or Senate) loyalty, individual specialization in key policy fields, and reciprocity between members. Put together, these norms create something we could call “institutional memory”–a collective set of guidelines and know-how within the institution. Newcomers to Congress do not have this information-set going into office, it’s something that they have to learn on the job. In turn, these norms ultimately produce better legislation by the mere fact that they produce better legislators.
The effect of term limits on institutional memory would be largely negative. Think about it: no sooner would a legislator learn the ropes around Congress or experience major pieces of legislation with senior members or begin to specialize in a policy field before they would be turned out of office not by voters, but by a ticking clock. Sure, there are many remarkably talented people that can serve in Congress, but there is a benefit to re-electing members that are already familiar with the information-set to do their jobs well. Rapid turnover in Congress–a rotating “body of citizens”–would decrease the power of institutional memory and would be akin to trying to build a legislative institution on shifting sand.
Although not perfectly analogous, the recent influx of legislative newcomers (who–largely–campaigned against so-called “career politicians”) in the current Congress has provided a glimpse into what a future with term limits might look like. The current Congress has been marked by new members (such as Ted Cruz [R-TX] of government-shutdown fame) who actively have resisted following the historic norms set before them. The result has been, frankly, creating a toxic atmosphere on the Hill that makes legislative work unrewarding and has driven many members–often those used to working across the aisle–away.
In response to senators like Cruz and others who have disrupted congressional norms, many senior members of what has been dubbed as the “problem-solving caucus” have decided to not seek re-election. As former senator and famed bipartisan Olympia Snowe (R-ME) penned in an editorial in the Washington Post, “the Founding Fathers intended the Senate to serve as an institutional check that ensures all voices are heard and considered…Yet more than 200 years later, the greatest deliberative body in history is not living up to its billing. The Senate of today routinely jettisons regular order.” After three terms in office, and despite being a key compromiser and legislative-veteran, Snowe has decided to retire.
Other senior legislatures agreed with Snowe. For example, in a statement to the Detroit News, Representative John Dingell (D-MI) said, “I find serving in the House to be obnoxious….This is not the Congress I know and love. It’s hard for me to accept, but it’s time to cash in.”
To conclude, “the establishment” isn’t the problem–it’s actually one of the greatest strengths of Congress. Imposing term limits on Congress would not just be an ineffectual reform, it would only make things worse.
After years of running on its current two-party system, the Student Government Association (SGA) voted Wednesday night to eliminate its Senate positions and will be passing the motion onto the student body for approval.
Serious conversations about changes in structure began after SGA expanded its senate from 19 to 24 members at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. The expansion, which was intended to draw in students from previously unrepresented or underrepresented disciplines on campus, resulted instead in a large number of empty seats. “I think that was a time for us to watch and see how student government went,” said Greg Bish, director of student programs. “I think that was the beginning of this conversation about what student government is effective in doing right now. That conversation has initiated coming up with options.”
With input from Bish as well as Robert Pool, vice president for student life, SGA originally worked with three potential models for next year’s government structure. The first option was a resumption of the current model with a senate reduced to 12 members, while the second under consideration called for a model with no cabinet or Senate. Rather, cabinet and senate work would be accomplished by committees populated by class cabinet members.
A third model, the model currently under consideration by SGA, involved an elimination of the student senate and the instatement of one class representative per graduating class. Under the second model, the cabinet would also be altered from six positions to eight, removing the speaker of the Senate; bringing in an executive officer of student life, an officer of committees, and an officer representing nontraditional students; and replacing the chaplain position with an executive officer of spiritual life. Class cabinets will have their senator positions removed and are encouraged to downsize further.
“My role is asking them ask the good questions,” explained Bish, “but it’s their role to figure out how to restructure.” He added, “The CCCU [Council for Christian Colleges and Universities] has a Listserv and there are people that are constantly asking these questions. They ask what everybody is doing at their schools. We’re not the only ones going through this.”
According to Bish, important questions revolve around the current purpose of student government on the Houghton campus. “Last year, the perception of the role of the student government was that it was to protect the students from the administration, and that is a very old model versus partnering together to put student input into the student experience, which is the organic model that students want.”
Pool made comparisons with SGA’s previous performance. “Last year, I would say there was quite a bit more dialogue and proposals for change and legislation,” he said. “This year it seems to, for whatever reason, not have been as active. It ebbs and flows.”
One recent issue involving student dialogue concerned an SGA-drafted resolution addressing the vandalism of the Shades of Black exhibit, which was intended to serve as a condemnation of the action on behalf of Houghton students. The organization voted to withhold the document from distribution amongst the student body, opting instead to share the statement with President Mullen and her staff, Bish, Pool, and Dean Mills Woolsey so as to refrain from “inciting further conflict” over the issue.
SGA President Ben Hardy explained the implications of the vote, saying, “I think it’s indicative of the system we have right now not being functional because senators don’t feel that they speak for the student body enough to tell the student body what they said, and that’s a really big problem. That alone is indication that something needs to change, whether it’s the membership or the structure.”
“To be honest, it perplexes me why they would create a resolution and not share it with the student body,” added Pool. “We try to model Christ in many ways to minimize conflict, but sometimes the greatest strides and growth happen with conflict, with civil conflict, with civil discourse, and creating a resolution is civil discourse.”
As part of an effort to uphold transparency and include civil discourse via student input, SGA held a meeting Wednesday night for members to vote on the new government structure for next year from the two approved options. However, non-member student presence was minimal. “I don’t think students take advantage of the things which are there which allow transparency,” said Hardy. “Senate meetings are open—anyone can come to Senate, anyone can talk at Senate. However, because [we have] an inefficient system, people don’t really feel like it’s necessarily worth their time.”
Final voting on the new system resulted in 19 in support of the new structure with two against. Non-member students will be able to vote in an online poll, choosing to approve or reject the new structure, starting from Friday afternoon to Wednesday before campus closing time.
In response to the “Shades of Black” incident that took place in February, and in order to further campuswide education on the topic of race, Student Life and Spiritual Life will be hosting several dinner discussion panels before the end of the semester to continue the conversation on race at Houghton. According to Rob Pool,vice president of student life, the intent behind the events is for students to come to a fuller understanding of “where people are coming from individually” in order to help “shape a better community picture” on Houghton’s campus.
Mike Jordan, dean of the chapel, stated that while it would be difficult to coordinate too many events before the end of the semester, “we’d like events to continue into the fall.” Jordan also said that he was “working hard to bring in speakers to chapel next year who will be able to speak to the realities that divide white Christians and Christians of color.”
According to the Community Covenant, which all students sign, the Houghton community pledges to “seek to be a community of inclusion… [and] joyfully celebrate one another, rejoicing in our uniqueness, diversity, environment, heritage and calling.” The Covenant also condemns “discrimination and prejudice (whether of race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic class).”
After the Shades of Black display, which showcased the stories of African and African-American students of varied backgrounds, was vandalized in February, Student Life took action to identify the person responsible—an alum of Houghton. That evening, Greg Bish, Director of Student Programs, gathered students who had been involved in planning and who were featured in the display for a discussion. One of the key pieces of information that emerged from this dialogue, according to Pool, was that “those who were victimized should not be the ones tapped to help solve or address it” but that “it really needed to be an institutional response.” The diversity events that will be occurring are a direct response to those prior events/
Pool stated that while it is “the student’s responsibility to learn, to grow, to discuss, to grow and to change,” the college has “a major role” in planning events and providing resources and forums at which education on race-related topics can occur. Jordan echoed that concern, stating that while the college is seeking to be “very open to student input, especially the input of students of color,” the college is simultaneously trying to avoid making students feel “if anything’s going to get done, they have to do it”. Spiritual Life’s role in this process should extremely important as well, because “Making room for each other, listening to each other, not jumping to conclusions, finding ways to live peaceably together–these are essential [Gospel] things”, Jordan said.
The defacing of the Shades of Black was described by Pool as “eye-opening” to a “lack of understanding among some of our students,” as the person responsible was an “an outgrowth of the experience here in this community” while other students responded with “gross ignorance” to the fact of the privilege white students experience.
Jordan stated that one of the important things he learned was “how very important it is to mourn with those who mourn.” Jordan also said that that when someone has been deeply hurt “the Gospel doesn’t call us to defend ourselves, nor to lecture the person about why their pain is illegitimate.” As a Christian liberal arts college, it is important that we have continue to explore “each other’s stories about what the Gospel does for us; and students from a dominant white culture need to listen attentively to the stories of non-white Christians even when it’s a bit jarring to them,” Jordan said.
For those not personally affected by the incident but who condemned it and the attitudes who produced it, Pool recommended continuing to speak out in support of their fellow students who were hurt. He commended those who responded with “with genuine, visible expressions of support” for their fellow students and friends after the defacing of the Shades of Black display. Jordan called for bravery on the part of white students who may have been “reluctant or unwilling to see if they actually had something to learn from the experience,” saying that the Houghton community needs to have “the humility to listen to others’ pain and examine our own hearts.”
According to Pool, the freshman class this year has the highest percentage of racially diverse students in Houghton’s history; at present, the incoming first year class for the fall is set to surpass that record.
On April 3rd, the Houghton campus will welcome comedian and inspirational speaker Derrick Tennant. After losing the use of the left side of his body in an athletic injury, Tennant found how to overcome this hardship through his words. He refers to his optimistic attitude as “[looking] on the RIGHT side” of things.
Tennant debuted his comedic specialties at Houghton this past year at the fall 2013 homecoming SPOT. With the less than delicate references to the effects of his accident and his charismatic attitude on stage, Tennant’s act was well-received. Tennant referred back to this performance, saying, “it felt so good to be home at Houghton again.”
As an alumnus, Tennant described the Houghton campus as being “where it all started,” having provided the environment to foster his comedic gifts. He participated in various public performances during his time at Houghton, such as hosting SPOT.
Current Houghton senior Steve McCord, a communications major with a concentration in visual arts and media communication, played an integral role in bringing Tennant back to campus to perform. McCord first approached Tennant after fall SPOT, offering his creative marketing experience. After various conversations and a trip to Atlanta over this past spring break to film a promotional video, McCord created all the advertising and marketing for Tennant’s return to Houghton. McCord said that it is “easy to work with Derrick because he allows the expression of artistic freedom.”
The work of Tennant focuses on the opportunities that can become available even after hardship. Tennant said he loves to be able to impact and inspire others through his performances. His work also maintains a level of respectability, as cited on his website and through his formation of Bleep Free comedy.
Tennant comments that people seem to believe that if “you are Christian comedian, it means you aren’t funny.” He challenges this misconception through Bleep Free, which promotes acts that are family friendly and essentially clean from swearing as well as sexual references among other things.
In the past, Tennant had opportunities to work with corporations such as Chick-Fil-A in addition to performing at smaller or more private venues. Working in such a way has given Tennant flexibility to do what he enjoys. He said he is “blown away” by what a blessing it is to have a career that causes his injury to give him a unique edge and let him share a message.
Tennant will be arriving to campus on March 30th along with other comedian acquaintances. Tennant’s visit will conclude with “Comedy Night” which will take place April 3rd at 8 pm in the Dining Hall. This performance will be video recorded in order to be sold on campus as well as at other venues that Tennant attends.
In looking towards this event and its impact on Houghton’s future Tennant said that he would “love to get more involved on campus.” Although unsure what exactly this would entail, he added that he wanted to “encourage and motivate Houghton students to enjoy life.”
The Houghton Volunteer Fire Department is in the process of buying a new ambulance, an expensive purchase, but one the department considers necessary.
The fire department’s emergency medical service has close ties with the Houghton community. Of its fifty members, a majority are students. Access to an ambulance service is both reassuring for parents and students as well as required for some equestrian and sporting events. According to Mae Stadelmaier, graduate of the class of 2009, ambulance captain and president of the fire department, we “offer the best standard of care possible… not only for the community but also for the college”.
The new ambulance, which has already been ordered and is currently being manufactured, will be financed to pay for the $160,000 purchase price. Stadelmaier said that it will hopefully be ready for use by June. Currently, the fire department is using a loaner ambulance due to the mechanical problems of the department’s former, much older ambulance.
Ray Parlett, director of security on campus, stated that those mechanical problems are the major reason that the fire department is seeking to replace it. Parlett has been a volunteer for about twenty-five total years, over a period of time since the 1980s, and has been a firefighter as well as an ambulance driver over the years.
In the past few years there have been “some expensive repairs” to fix a variety of problems. One year ago the ambulance needed a “new rear transaxle” and some brake work done which cost well over $3,000. Recently, the ambulance also had over $1,000 in engine work done, attempting to fix some potential electrical issues. One of the problems, according to Parlett, is that the Volunteer Fire Department does not know exactly what is wrong with the engine. One speculation is that the oil pump is failing, but as Parlett said “We’re looking at a fairly major repair…and we don’t know what’s wrong”.
Ambulances take a lot of stress. In addition to the actual miles driven, the ambulance will sit and idle at a fire call. It is important that it stay warm and ready to leave immediately if necessary—but this does take a toll on an engine. So, while the ambulance has driven about 110,000 miles, Parlett says that the amount of hours on the engine is likely considerably more than that. The current ambulance also has some rust problems.
These three problems taken together make acquiring a new ambulance a priority of the Houghton Volunteer Fire Department. “It’s got a lot of use,” Parlett said, adding that in the time he has volunteered for the Fire Department there have been several different ambulances.
The Houghton Fire Department is run on a completely volunteer basis. Only recently have they begun charging patient insurance companies. These fees barely cover the cost of rides. All EMTs, ambulance drivers, and firefighters are not paid. Why do they do it? As Parlett said, “I like helping people… and it’s a really good opportunity to do that.” Stadelmaier reiterated his point—“EMS has always been a part of my life…I absolutely love serving this community”.
The Houghton Volunteer Fire Department provides a needed service for the Houghton Community. For students, faculty and staff, and other community members who want to support the work they do, there will be a spaghetti dinner fundraiser on April 4.
After nearly two and a half weeks of searching for a Malaysian Airlines flight that vanished on March 8, Malaysian authorities have concluded that all 239 passengers are dead. Flight MH370, which was supposed to fly from Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur to Chinese capital Beijing, mysteriously veered off course and into the Indian Ocean before its communications signals were cut. Since then, many countries continue to search for the Boeing 777’s crash site and finally bring closure to the hundreds of family members in Beijing who nervously wait for information regarding their loved ones.
Courtesy of http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/
Why and how Flight MH370 disappeared is uncertain. According to Reuters, partial military radar tracking showed the airplane turning west, thereby breaking from the route to Beijing, and flying across the Malay Peninsula. Based on a satellite analysis by the United Kingdom’s Air Accidents and Investigation Branch (AAIB), MH370 then flew into the southern corridor of the Indian Ocean, one of the world’s remotest regions, where it is presumed the plane subsequently crashed. Theories about why MH370 crashed include hijacking, sabotage or a possible suicide by one of the pilots, though none of these can be proven.
In an effort to discover the mystery surrounding MH370’s disappearance, numerous governments are providing technology and resources in order to recover the plane’s black box, which records the entire flight information and is specifically designed to facilitate the investigation of a plane crash. Washington Post reports that the United States Navy is sending a black box locator and is working in collaboration with the Australian Navy to locate the crash site. The problem, however, is that bad weather in the southern corridor is impeding the search. Also, much of the debris discovered that is hoped to be parts of MH370 is actually sea trash, ranging from tiny pieces of plastic to fishing gear and shipping containers. Furthermore, the search area is 1,500 miles off of southwest Australia and spans an oceanic area of up to 469,407 square nautical miles. All of these factors combined result in a prolonged search that may still not be in the actual site of the plane crash.
As a result of the slow process of the investigation, tensions are running high among the families of the crash victims. Out of the 239 passengers, 153 were Chinese nationals and their families have been living in a Beijing hotel waiting for news on search progress. On March 24, the Malaysian government sent out a text message stating that it assumed “beyond all reasonable doubt that MH370 has been lost and none of those on board survived.” The BBC reports that after the text was sent, dozens of family members protested outside of the Malaysian Embassy, demanding to meet the ambassador in a desperate attempt to find answers. Protestors held signs that said “MH370, Don’t let us wait too long!” and “1.3 billion people are waiting to greet the plane.” No significant violence broke out, however, and police were able to keep the protestors from entering embassy grounds.
Additionally, diplomatic strains between Malaysia and China are surfacing. China perceives Malaysia as withholding information that would lead to a speedier conclusion to the search. Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Xie Hangsheng issued a statement regarding the acceptance of the AAIB’s report, saying “We demand the Malaysian side state the detailed evidence that leads them to this judgment, as well as supply all the relevant information and evidence about the satellite data analysis.” In an attempt to abate the growing frustrations, Malaysia Airlines has promised to make arrangements to fly family members of the victims to Australia once the crash site has been uncovered. Moreover, Malaysian Airlines chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya said that his company would offer $5,000 in compensation to the next of kin, along with hotel accommodations, transportation and food. Yahya did note, however, that money could never bring back any of the victims.
After two years of constant travel, the Houghton baseball team finally got a chance to play on their own field Friday, March 21, against the University of Pittsburgh-Bradford. The field, part of the new Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex, was finished in 2013 and was designed with many elements that should help the team gain an advantage over their competition.
In previous seasons, the team played their home games at Bolivar Richburg High School, about an hour away. Assistant coach Ignacio Villalobos thought the field would draw a crowd larger than just the few loyal fans that drove to home games last season.
“Hopefully they can get some more people out and we’ll have a home crowd which will be really cool for the team to play with,” he said. “The guys will enjoy playing at home.”
Both the team’s familiarity with the field due to practice and the fact that it is their home field is expected to be in favor of the Highlanders as the current season goes on.
Another aspect of the field that will give the Highlanders an edge on other teams would be its construction material. The field is made of turf, or artificial grass. One of the benefits of such material is immunity from weather conditions, especially rain, that often affect grass fields and cause games to be called off due to poor field conditions.
According to Michael Kerr, team captain, the field will also give the team a competitive advantage because turf allows for the game to be played at a much quicker pace. That, he says, will allow them to play to their strengths as a team. Kerr also thinks that the field will help the baseball program grow.
“The field will give future players a state-of-the-art playing surface and an awesome atmosphere to play at,” he said. “As the team grows and expands, I think Houghton can become one of the better baseball programs in the Empire 8 and Division III.”
Skip Lord, Executive Director of Athletics, thinks the current team has a promising season ahead of them. “They have exceeded my expectations as a young team,” he said. “They’ve worked really hard and are performing solid on the field.”
Both Villalobos and Lord are expecting to be middle of the pack in the Empire 8. Both men expect a few more wins than the team had in previous seasons, and Lord is hopeful that the team will be able to qualify for top playoffs for Christian schools.
Villalobos thinks the team has built a lot, not only in skills and abilities, but in size as well. One of the most helpful things for the team this season has been that they have twenty-nine players compared to the seventeen they had the first season. Kerr also thinks the team has played well together so far, but that in order to have a successful season they will need to compete at a high level.
Unfortunately, despite all these factors the baseball team was not able to win their match and lost to Pitt-Bradford with a score of 7-0.
A 2007 Department of Justice study revealed that 20% of U.S. college women reported being a victim of sexual abuse/assault at some point in their lifetime.
The issue of sexual assault is a prevalent one in today’s society, even on the rural campus of Houghton College. Reports of sexual abuse on campus, though rare, are not unheard of. To address this issue, the annually-held, student-led event Take Back the Night will once again be held on campus from April 2 to 5. The movement will consist of a series of lectures, workshops, and other events meant to raise awareness of, and combat, sexualized violence towards women. Student coordinator Lois Leete ’15 stated, “Especially in the media, there is lots of victim blaming, which leads to silence. We want to break that silence because an issue that is not talked about cannot be remedied.”
The event is geared towards both raising awareness and encouraging those affected, both men and women, to speak out and express their own tragic experiences. As Rob Pool, president of student life, pointed out when interviewed, “We all benefit by women and men taking this topic head on and joining in the process to stop it.”
In years past, Take Back the Night comprised of mostly women both heading the event and taking part. Student organizer Amy Eckendorf, senior, recollected that last year only three male students attended events throughout the week. She referenced this statistic, stating that “Male participation would make a strong statement and I really encourage male students to actively participate in this year’s events.” Eckendorf later added that “We are trying to address this issue of years past and make it more inclusive.”
When asked why both men and women should be involved with the event, student coordinator Wynn Horton, junior, replied, “No conversation based on understanding and mutual respect will ever happen if there is only one ‘side’ represented.” Horton further said, “It is important for women AND men to join in the organization and participation of Take Back the Night. This curse is ravaging the entire human race–why shouldn’t we address it as one?” All this to say, the event organizers, volunteers, and previous participants strongly encourage all students to attend the event.
Events throughout the week consist of a variety of sources in order to cover a wide range of problems within the overarching issue of sexual assault against women. On Wednesday, April 2nd, events will start off with a film and panel discussion entitled Flirting with Danger.
The following day, Thursday April 3rd the general public may attend a variety of both seminars and workshops starting at 11 a.m. These will be lead by guest speakers including Elizabeth Gerhardt from Roberts Wesleyan College, as well as Houghton professors such as Connie Finney and students such as Katherine Tomlinson, junior, and Brittany Libby, senior.
Friday, April 4th, a free Symphonic Winds Concert with the theme of Music and Healing that is open to the public will commence at 7:30 p.m. in Wesley Chapel. Following the concert, the Speak Out and March will begin at the chapel steps. Students are strongly encouraged to come conquer the vulnerability felt in darkness or in hidden assault. This event is particularly power because as Lois states, “The march will give faces to the issue, making it less of a ‘it doesn’t happen to us’ issue.” Therefore stressing that violence occurs daily to even those we know personally.
Finally, on Saturday the 5th a Cattaraugus Community Action training seminar titled Bringing in the Bystander will take place. Concerning this event, Kristina LaCelle-Peterson, associate professor of religion, said, “For those serious about changing from being a bystander to an active agent for change, the session on Saturday morning promises to be very informative.”
Those involved in the event reiterate that it is not solely focused on women. Horton states, “One in five men will experience sexual victimization at some point in their lives, and one in six are sexually abused before they turn 18.”
As Lacelle-Peterson explained, “Ultimately, Take Back the Night seeks to embrace the victims and set them on a path toward healing, but also to equip all of us to help reduce the violence in the first place.”
The Kerr-Pegula Athletics Complex project plans were officially drafted in 2011 after receiving a letter of intent for a twelve million dollar donation from millionaire Terry Pegula and his wife Kim (Kerr ‘91) Pegula. By mid-spring 2013, the initial plans were approved by the Board and a timeline set in place. While the timeline has since evolved to reflect weather and fundraising realities, the project has continued forward with due speed. A walk past Shenawana Hall reveals the amount of work that has been completed already, and foreshadows the magnitude of these developments. David Smith, vice president of finance, is assisting in the flow of information to students and community members on behalf of the administration.
Of most pressing importance is the matter of fundraising and supporting this large venture. “The fundraising for this project has reached over $15M including the $12M lead gift by Terry and Kim (Kerr ‘91) Pegula with an additional $3M given by hundreds of donors over the past 18 months,” said Smith, “Individuals, foundations and corporations with affinity, capacity, and demonstrated generosity have been identified and are actively being solicited for this project.”
While the long-term project costs total more than $25M, the Advancement and Finance Departments seem enthusiastic and optimistic about reaching their goals. In a summary statement concerning fundraising, Smith said that he expects “to reach the fundraising goal by December 2015, which includes additional major capital gifts and endowment gifts designated for upkeep of the facilities, and a range of gifts from hundreds of dedicated alumni and friends.”
Another lurking concern about the complex is if the recent drop in enrollment could affect the finishing or expanse of the project’s plans. When asked this question directly, Smith seemed optimistic. “The size of the facilities reflects many factors other than just enrollment, and all the factors, when included in the overall strategy, indicate our planning is still appropriate to our needs. For example, the size of this venue will be ideal for large multi-team track meets, concerts much larger than can be hosted currently, and other events that will promote Houghton College in our area/region.”
When asked a similar question, student government vice president and representative to the student athlete advisory committee, Andiana Sidell ‘14, also exuded positivity, “I definitely think that this project will have an impact on enrollment in the fall. Coaches and admissions have been using it as a recruiting tool. The presence of updated or new facilities is good for any type of program especially one that will impact the whole campus.”
Senator for athletics, Michael Bova ’15, also weighed in on the complex’s impact, saying, “I believe it will impact enrollment, especially if we have a multitude of future athletes coming to visit during the later portions of April or during May when the complex is nearing its final state. The complex adds grandeur to the Houghton campus, which is not something individuals expect when they look at the location of Houghton College–it adds to the “wow” factor, in essence.”
Smith holds hopes that the project will be completed very soon. “The overall project, including the fields and field house, is on schedule to be completed by mid-summer 2014 and the fundraising plan is on schedule to be completed by December 2015.”
The process began when Newbrough was looking to buy a piano for personal use after having much experience with Steinway pianos in the studio and the practice room. He was able to strike up a relationship with the manager and owner of Denton, Cottier, & Daniels, a Steinway dealer located in Buffalo and Rochester, and the oldest one in the country and one that Houghton had established connection with in the past. Becoming a Distinguished Artist for Steinway requires a nomination from a dealership or individual with close connections to the company, a nomination that Newbrough received from the aforementioned manager.
