Category: Opinions

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Enjoying Houghton

By Anna Catherman

“In for the Highlanders is #24, Hannahhhhhhh Smith!” I grinned and pumped my fist as my sinkmate jogged out onto Burke Field. Our friend Anna and I quietly “analyzed” the game, laughing at our soccer illiteracy. We walked back, amazed at the beauty and warmth of the October night. When Hannah got back, arms full of balloons and Senior Night gifts, she thanked me for coming. Later, I received a text from Anna: “Thanks for dragging me out of my hole 🙂 it was nice to be outside.” It was a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night – one I wouldn’t have considered weeks earlier.

I had obligations on Wednesday nights: Student Council, then Jumping I Club Time. But three weeks into the semester, my life shattered. Literally. A freak fall off a horse sent me to the hospital with multiple broken bones. Once I got back to campus, I was left with a gaping hole. No more evenings riding under the lights. No more Saturday morning scrambles to the barn. My body demanded rest.

The change in routine has brought an unexpected blessing: an opportunity to rediscover the abundant joys of the Houghton community.

In the hours I would’ve spent in the saddle, I helped at Harvestival. I hung out at the English and Writing Open House. I marched in the Homecoming Parade. I listened to vocal performances at Studio. And for the first and last time, I watched a friend play soccer. These moments and a recent class discussion got me pondering how important “student engagement” is – and how little we students think about it.

As a senior, I can look back and see how the events, clubs, and activities I’ve attended have shaped my time here. They’ve introduced me to close friends, taught me new things about the world, and made me laugh. They’ve encouraged me to pick up a second major, helped me grow my faith, and helped me through a frustrating, painful, one-armed semester. It’s easy to “hole up” in our rooms, our favorite study spaces, our areas of expertise – especially as upperclassmen. But if we’re too focused on our niches, we miss out on the rich, diverse experiences that Houghton has to offer.

My classmate Keiryn recently wrote an essay on the word “abundance.” She noted that “[a]bundance, as a word, begs an energetic enjoyment of blessings.” On our campus, “abundance” is 24 clubs, 17 sports, 46 majors, and six graduate degree programs. “Abundance” is floor events and Midnight Breakfast and chapel and SPOT and faculty lectures and Lyric Theatre and the rock wall and Koinonia. “Abundance” is 705 main-campus students, 58 teaching faculty, 11 non-teaching faculty, and 109 staff, each made in the image of God, all with different stories, viewpoints, and skills. Of course, taking part in every aspect of the abundance that God has given us here at Houghton is impossible. But we can proactively seek to “energetically enjoy” the blessings around us. 

The next time you’re feeling stressed or burnt out, I urge you: if your diploma isn’t at stake, take a break. Get out of your hole. Call that paper “good enough.” Cancel your plans for an extra practice ride. Instead, find a friend to support. Stop by a professor’s office just to say hi or thank them. Go for a hike. Sit with someone new at dinner. Attend an event outside your wheelhouse. And enjoy the abundance. ★

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Reflections on Halloween

By Johanna Lamont

As Halloween approaches, I think back to my childhood and reflect on how my family interacted with the holiday. We were never the type of people who would dress up and go trick or treating, or as the churches around home called it, “Trunk or Treating.” We never really did anything for Halloween except the occasional Addams Family marathon. The candy, costumes, and history of the event were never of much importance to us, and holidays were never a priority in general. The one thing that stands out about it was my mother’s exasperation at the amount of candy people would give to her children. We often had candy cleanses after the month of October, where we would purge the house of excess candy unless it was M&M’s. 

Now, as I am older and am embracing holidays with my own twist on tradition, I have to rethink how I see Halloween. I finally get the chance to break out from my family’s tradition and make the holiday my own. The holiday itself has roots in the pagan celebration of Samhain, but the modern celebration of Halloween in America has little to do with pagan rites and celebrations. The holiday has been turned into a consumerist event, with companies marketing their costumes and candy like their lives depend on it. Halloween is generally a night spent with friends and is full of fun and mischief. We’ve adapted this pagan holiday into a holiday that suits our modern mentality, and in doing so, we’ve sacrificed the original meaning of it. This new reincarnation of the holiday holds no real moral meaning to it. There should be no guilt in someone’s conscience for dressing up and having fun with friends. I think that Halloween is a fine holiday with a lot of potential for fun. However, like any situation, it can be taken and used for wrong things. 

I plan on dressing up for Halloween this year, enjoying the day with friends, and embracing the time to play and have fun. I don’t get the opportunity to dress up and embrace my love of fictional worlds every day, so this is an exciting holiday for me. I think that when dealing with holidays like Halloween that have complicated pasts or assumptions tied to them, it’s best to consider your own opinion and moral convictions. I don’t find anything wrong with celebrating Halloween, but for someone else, there might be an experience or conviction tied to the holiday that could cause an issue or distress for them. For me, it’s all about how I approach the holiday, what I carry in my heart, and intentions toward it. If I approached Christmas with a heart of selfishness or greed, I could turn the holiday surrounding the celebration of Christ’s birth into a day of sin. The intentions and desires of our hearts determine how we interact with and respond to holidays and celebrations. Halloween can be used for ill, as you can use the mystery and chaos of the holiday to harm others or cause distraction and fear. 

Overall, I like the freedom of dressing up and appreciating the candy sales. I love the cheap chocolate, looking through Halloween aisles, coordinating costumes with friends, and watching cheesy movies. The holiday is corny and full of fun traditions that are waiting to be embraced. It’s a non-demanding holiday. There is no pressure to participate, and it has enough variations in how it’s celebrated that anyone can find a way to enjoy it. I think that this is a time of year that I will continue to look forward to in the future and create my own spooky traditions for. I think that my inner Addams will always enjoy the spooky, mischievous gloom of Halloween – with or without the candy. ★

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First Impressions: Houghton Through the Eyes of a Freshman

By Abigail Hoover

Well, Highlanders, we are already halfway through the semester! The time has just flown by, and before you know it, it’ll be finals season, and we’ll be saying goodbye to one another until the new year! But before we jump too far into the future, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year we’ve had so far. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Let me start with my story. I am a freshman in college. I am majoring in Adolescent Education and History so that I can become a U.S. History teacher someday. And I did not want to go to Houghton, at least I didn’t a couple of years ago. On Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day in my junior year of high school, I visited Houghton with my family and my best friend. While I loved the campus and the people were so welcoming and friendly, I was not convinced that this was the school for me. 

You see, my parents went to Houghton, as well as my grandma. They all wanted me to go here—the price had just gotten cut in half, and it wasn’t too far from home after all. But as their enthusiasm for me going to Houghton grew, mine diminished. You see, I didn’t want to do what my parents wanted me to do—I wanted to pave my own path. I had felt that throughout my life, I had always agreed with my parents and just simply made decisions based on what they thought. Not because they didn’t want me to have my own opinions, it was actually just because I trusted them to always be right. But as this important decision in my life came looming over me, I was determined to decide for myself where I wanted to go, and not to listen to what other people wanted. And what I wanted was to not go where my family had gone. Like I said, I wanted to make my own path. I wanted to go to a big school, like Liberty University. It was shiny and trendy; everyone knew of it—Liberty seemed more impressive than a little college in a little town in Western New York. I grew up in a small town; I went to a small church and a small school. Everything in my life was so small. I just wanted to do something big for once. 

But that wasn’t what God wanted for me. Slowly but surely, He showed me that Houghton was where I belonged. Going off to college used to be the scariest thing in the world for me to imagine. But when I thought about Houghton, it was different. Houghton became the only college that I wasn’t utterly terrified of attending. There was a peace about it that could only be explained as being from God. And soon enough, He started opening doors for me as well. The price of tuition being cut in half just in time for me, the Founder’s Promise Scholarship being first introduced to my class, the greater emphasis being put on being a Christ-centered college rather than just a Christian one—everything was just lining up perfectly for me to be able to attend Houghton and the school seemed to just be getting better and better (Thanks President Lewis!). You see, God knew what I couldn’t see. He knew that despite it also being my parent’s alma mater, it really was the best fit for me. He knew that I didn’t actually belong in a big college where I would get swallowed up by the crowd. He knew that I needed to go to a small college in a small town where the people really care about me and where I can be a part of a tight-knit community. He knew that I wouldn’t actually like being so far away from my family without the opportunities to go home or to my aunt and uncle’s every few weekends. God, as He always does, knew what was best for me even when I couldn’t see it.
I’m so glad He did. Being here, my faith has only grown. Through Koin, MercySeat, Communion, my Biblical Literature class, and chapel services throughout the week, I have had more opportunities to spend time with Him than ever before. We pray every day in my classes, and I have been reading my Bible a lot more often than I did before college. This place has provided me with the chance to really harvest and grow in my faith. While I know Houghton will change my life by granting me a degree and life-long relationships, this will be the most valuable thing I gain out of college. I feel so very blessed to go to such a Christ-centered college where I can really grow in my faith, and I cannot wait to see all the ways in which God continues to work in me during my time here. 

This place is really filled with so many Godly, wonderful people, and I feel so lucky to be a part of the Highlander community. Since being here, God has only confirmed to me that this is where I am meant to be. Throughout all my doubts and fears about Houghton and college in general, God has always confirmed this to me. This is the place where I will make great friends and great memories, become closer to Christ than ever, and see growth in myself like I have never seen before.  

See all that God has done in your life, how He was there for you through it all, and how He always will be there for you. Remember that He loves you. This will give you the strength to keep going throughout all of the inevitable ups and downs that college brings. ★

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Fresh in the Fall

By Grace Hall

Hey guys, my name is Grace Hall! I am excited to be the new freshman class representative! Thank you for voting for me and for giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to serve you guys in this way and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for our class. As your representative, I am happy to hear any suggestions you may have to help improve our class and campus. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns. 

A few things about me are that I love nature and creation. I believe we are very fortunate to live where we do. The beautiful sunsets and sunrises and the bright stars at night have always captivated my attention. I am looking forward to the leaves changing. Western New York is known for its beautiful colors in the Fall. I have lived in Portville, NY, my whole life, which is a little town 15 minutes from Olean. I love where I live and I am so thankful for the beauty of this campus. We truly are blessed to have such a gorgeous school. I am passionate about studying God’s Word and worshiping Him in every area of my life. I love music, singing, and playing the piano. I have four amazing brothers who I adore. We live on a farm and have lots of cute cows. I love tacos and iced coffee. I love chasing sunsets and stargazing. I am passionate about making sure others feel valued and seen. I care deeply about people and truly want to help you guys in any way I can. 

Coming to Houghton has been such a God thing. I am confident that the Lord has brought me to Houghton for such a time as this! I am majoring in Inclusive Childhood Education because I love working with kids and want to help them succeed in this life. My plan is to graduate in 2027 with my bachelors degree and hopefully jump right into teaching at a school. 

I hope to serve and represent our class with excellence. I am excited to plan events and get everyone involved. Above all, I will strive to bring glory to God in all that I do as the representative for the freshman class because that’s what we are called to do!

I am passionate about helping people and leading with confidence and integrity. In high school, I was involved in student council and really enjoyed leading in that way. I am aiming for organization and structure. I have had my fair share of dealing with conflict and resolution and I am devoted to helping out my classmates and making sure their voice is heard and that they feel seen. I have had some of my classmates already express event ideas that could bring our class together and encourage us to get to know one another, such asKaraoke nights, bible studies, and game nights! A goal of mine is to implement an in depth bible study that encourages others in their faith and where we can dig into the Word together. Transitioning into college is a huge change, and having some type of support group and encouragement can be very beneficial. Some leadership skills that are necessary to attain are honesty, kindness, and consistency. It is also very important to be good at communicating, which I am confident that I can do well. 

Being a member of the Student Council comes with a whole group of upperclassmen that I can come to with issues that I or my fellow classmates may have. It is so encouraging to know that I have the support from other class representatives and other members of the Student Council. 

What I want to do with my position is to make the freshman class the best it can be. I want to encourage others to ask for help when they need it and to be fearless in the face of adversity. Life is full of trials and tribulation but as Christians, we have a hope and His name is Jesus. We are called to share His name with others and I believe that being the class rep will allow me to encourage others to be bold in their faith and to keep on fighting the good fight. There are going to be struggles we encounter, but I know that with perseverance and prayer, God will lead us through every late night spent studying for that test and every bit of drama with that classmate you really don’t like. I never want to be outside of His will for me. I am praying that He will guide and lead me and I am praying the same for all of you. I am excited to see what God has planned for the freshman class. I am confident that He has good things in store. Plans to prosper us and to help us, plans to give us a hope and a future! He has always been faithful in the past and I am confident that He will be faithful now. What a loving and merciful God that we have. ★

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Stress, Rest, and Sabbath

By Christian Welker

A new semester has begun with all the stresses and anxieties we have come to expect, from the first-year students who are still learning about college life to the seniors who are starting their long sprint to the finish line, looking so near and yet so far at the same time.

Rest assured, this will not be a “Just give it to God” article. The Sparrows and Lillies don’t have a German test in an hour or a concert a week from today.

I firmly believe that the Lord is and always will be the ultimate source of peace for his children. However, I’m also willing to admit that in places like this, it often feels as though the very act of giving up your stress to God is a requirement that brings its own anxieties. It’s hard to lean on the peace of God while counting how many Around the Tables you still need to go to, or dragging yourself out of bed to get to church on the one day you would have been able to sleep in more, or even sitting in Chapel, worrying about the test you have during your 12 o’clock class that you really need to study more for.

At a place like Houghton, sometimes it can feel like trying to get the peace of God only helps drive it away. Professors talk about how students need to take Sabbath more and then give you 60 pages of reading and a paper to do before Monday morning. However, something I learned in my time at Houghton is that God doesn’t limit rest to going to church on Sunday and then sitting around doing nothing in the afternoon. Rest and Sabbath can be wherever you can fit it into your schedule. A Sabbath for me is Tuesday evening Nerf Nights in Roth. On the surface, it doesn’t seem relaxing to charge up three flights of stairs, blast random guys with toy guns, and then run back down to start over. However, it’s a time when I can put due dates and projects to the side for an hour or two and enjoy fellowship with my hallmates. We don’t tend to think of times like that as Sabbath because it doesn’t feel like God is there. Yet it provides the mental rest that we need as we continue on in the week.

These small moments are Sabbaths that students can take wherever and whenever they can. It doesn’t have to be weekly. If something needs to be done by Wednesday morning, you would be much more likely to find me in a study room than the trenches of Roth’s first floor, but having those times that you can set aside for your physical and mental health is important. Without times like these, you run the risk of burning yourself out or making yourself sick right before the big paper is due.

Is it good to rest on a Sunday after church? Of course! But it’s also good to take some time on Wednesday to watch your favorite TV show, spend Friday evening playing games with friends, or even just lay down on a bed or couch and relax between one class and the next. It may not add up to a whole day of rest, but taking a Sabbath where you can will help as we continue throughout the semester.

Rest can be found in the Chapel, but it can also be found in study rooms or dorm rooms, in the woods or on the quad, or anywhere where a student closes their textbook for a few minutes and thinks:

“You know what? I earned a break, and I’m going to lay down.” ★

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The Way Things Were

By Grace Deitrick

“How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand – there is no going back?” – Frodo Baggins, The Return of the King

When I returned to campus this fall, I began to wonder how to pick up old threads at Houghton. I had the adventure of a lifetime as the Program Assistant for London Honors in the spring and as an intern in Vienna during the summer. While I was gallivanting in Europe, though, the Houghton community changed profoundly. It is not the place it was when I left.

Yes, I’m addressing the elephant in the dorms. And in the classrooms. And in the Center for Sustainability (though I don’t think an elephant would fit in there).

Let me be clear: I’m not here to talk about news cycles or The New York Times interviews. Any mass media class at Houghton will tell you that the average bystander forgot about those stories 24 hours later. You and I, though, can’t forget so easily. We’re in spaces that remind us of the way things were before our Houghton bubble burst, spilling all over the world in ways that make us hesitate before naming our university or employer in a conversation.

As we walk by empty offices and renovated spaces, Frodo’s realization becomes clear to us: there is no going back. There is a promise, though, in the sorrow of leaving behind the way things were. The God of steadfast love says, “See, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5). One day, all things will be made new and right. Justice and love will harmonize perfectly as we live together in peace.

While that vision is far from us, though, renewal can happen in small ways here and now. The policies of Houghton may be established (whether you resonate with them or not), but the culture is enacted by us. My prayer for all of us this year is that we would be made new–not ignoring the past, but willing to cultivate the kind of Houghton we want to see. The Residence Life staff in Gillette, Lambein, Roth, and the Townhouses have demonstrated this mindset of renewal to me this semester. Despite the toll that last spring took on them, they’re still cultivating spaces where we can live and grow well. They’re keeping some old traditions and honoring those who established them while modeling joy in the new things happening. I’m immensely proud of the ways they all care for the Houghton community.

All of us can follow their example. Resist the narrative that you must remain bitter. Allow yourself to be surprised by an unexpected friendship. Compassionately discuss something difficult with a classmate. Listen well. These may seem like small acts, but the sum of them together can not only renew the Houghton community but offer healing to a world that desperately needs it.

We may not be able to pick up the threads of the way things were, but we can weave new ones into the Houghton story. ★

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Stepping Into the Unknown

By Victoria Hock

At this time next month, I will be done with my academic career. I will have walked the stage in my cap and gown, said goodbye to my friends, and be close to starting or have already started my first full-time job.It’s crazy to think that my time as a Houghton student is almost done. It may sound cheesy, but your four years here will really fly by.

Just two days into orientation week, I called my mom, upset and saying that I wanted to go home. I had never been away from home that long, and I was sure college was not for me. However, my mom convinced me to stay, and I’m so glad she did. College has given me so many things, and one of those things has been friends, some of which came into my life in unexpected ways. One technically entered my life helping my mom carry a box of supplies up the stairs in my dorm. I was eventually officially introduced to this person through a mutual friend who I had met through an amazing Houghton faculty member.

I would also be remiss not to mention the many friends I’ve made through working with the STAR. I came into college with no journalism experience. I decided to try out writing for the News section, and I am so glad I did. I was met with support and guidance from Editors who genuinely wanted to help me improve my writing. Eventually, I was offered the News Editor position, followed by the position I am in now—the Co-Editor-in-Chief. I am fortunate to work with a wonderful team of people. We all support each other as we work to create each issue of the STAR.That is not the only leadership position I am in. I am also the Vice President of the Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF), another campus organization that provides students with service and fellowship opportunities, and even a church to attend.If anyone would have told me in high school that I would end up holding two leadership positions in college, I would have laughed.

Now, this is not an ad for contributing to the Houghton STAR, nor joining the SASF (though both of these organizations are amazing). Rather, it is encouragement for you to step out of your comfort zone while you’re here. Stepping out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to look like taking on a leadership position. It could mean simply joining a club. It could mean getting a campus job. It could even mean taking a class outside of your major if you’re given the opportunity.

Regardless of what this might look like for you, stepping out of your comfort zone can positively affect your college experience in so many ways. You may learn new things, such as a new genre of writing, or gain leadership skills. You may even meet new people, some of whom may become good friends.For me, even just staying here was stepping outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I thought at the time that I would have probably been more comfortable at home, going to school locally or online.However, I chose to stay at Houghton. Had I not done that, I would not have the friendships I do today. I would not have the knowledge I do today. I have even decided on my future career—a journalist. Had I not taken the leap and written for the STAR, I don’t think this career idea would have crossed my mind.

It has been a privilege working for the STAR. While I am sad to leave what quickly became my favorite pastime, know that you will be in excellent hands next year and beyond. I can’t wait to see this publication grow and thrive for many years to come.

At this time next month, I will be done with my academic career. I will have walked the stage in my cap and gown, said goodbye to my friends, and be close to starting or have already started my first full-time job.It’s crazy to think that my time as a Houghton student is almost done. It may sound cheesy, but your four years here will really fly by.

Just two days into orientation week, I called my mom, upset and saying that I wanted to go home. I had never been away from home that long, and I was sure college was not for me. However, my mom convinced me to stay, and I’m so glad she did. College has given me so many things, and one of those things has been friends, some of which came into my life in unexpected ways. One technically entered my life helping my mom carry a box of supplies up the stairs in my dorm. I was eventually officially introduced to this person through a mutual friend who I had met through an amazing Houghton faculty member.

I would also be remiss not to mention the many friends I’ve made through working with the STAR. I came into college with no journalism experience. I decided to try out writing for the News section, and I am so glad I did. I was met with support and guidance from Editors who genuinely wanted to help me improve my writing. Eventually, I was offered the News Editor position, followed by the position I am in now—the Co-Editor-in-Chief. I am fortunate to work with a wonderful team of people. We all support each other as we work to create each issue of the STAR.That is not the only leadership position I am in. I am also the Vice President of the Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF), another campus organization that provides students with service and fellowship opportunities, and even a church to attend.If anyone would have told me in high school that I would end up holding two leadership positions in college, I would have laughed.

Now, this is not an ad for contributing to the Houghton STAR, nor joining the SASF (though both of these organizations are amazing). Rather, it is encouragement for you to step out of your comfort zone while you’re here. Stepping out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to look like taking on a leadership position. It could mean simply joining a club. It could mean getting a campus job. It could even mean taking a class outside of your major if you’re given the opportunity.

Regardless of what this might look like for you, stepping out of your comfort zone can positively affect your college experience in so many ways. You may learn new things, such as a new genre of writing, or gain leadership skills. You may even meet new people, some of whom may become good friends.For me, even just staying here was stepping outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I thought at the time that I would have probably been more comfortable at home, going to school locally or online.However, I chose to stay at Houghton. Had I not done that, I would not have the friendships I do today. I would not have the knowledge I do today. I have even decided on my future career—a journalist. Had I not taken the leap and written for the STAR, I don’t think this career idea would have crossed my mind.

It has been a privilege working for the STAR. While I am sad to leave what quickly became my favorite pastime, know that you will be in excellent hands next year and beyond. I can’t wait to see this publication grow and thrive for many years to come.

At this time next month, I will be done with my academic career. I will have walked the stage in my cap and gown, said goodbye to my friends, and be close to starting or have already started my first full-time job.It’s crazy to think that my time as a Houghton student is almost done. It may sound cheesy, but your four years here will really fly by.

Just two days into orientation week, I called my mom, upset and saying that I wanted to go home. I had never been away from home that long, and I was sure college was not for me. However, my mom convinced me to stay, and I’m so glad she did. College has given me so many things, and one of those things has been friends, some of which came into my life in unexpected ways. One technically entered my life helping my mom carry a box of supplies up the stairs in my dorm. I was eventually officially introduced to this person through a mutual friend who I had met through an amazing Houghton faculty member.

I would also be remiss not to mention the many friends I’ve made through working with the STAR. I came into college with no journalism experience. I decided to try out writing for the News section, and I am so glad I did. I was met with support and guidance from Editors who genuinely wanted to help me improve my writing. Eventually, I was offered the News Editor position, followed by the position I am in now—the Co-Editor-in-Chief. I am fortunate to work with a wonderful team of people. We all support each other as we work to create each issue of the STAR.That is not the only leadership position I am in. I am also the Vice President of the Salvation Army Student Fellowship (SASF), another campus organization that provides students with service and fellowship opportunities, and even a church to attend.If anyone would have told me in high school that I would end up holding two leadership positions in college, I would have laughed.

Now, this is not an ad for contributing to the Houghton STAR, nor joining the SASF (though both of these organizations are amazing). Rather, it is encouragement for you to step out of your comfort zone while you’re here. Stepping out of your comfort zone doesn’t have to look like taking on a leadership position. It could mean simply joining a club. It could mean getting a campus job. It could even mean taking a class outside of your major if you’re given the opportunity.

Regardless of what this might look like for you, stepping out of your comfort zone can positively affect your college experience in so many ways. You may learn new things, such as a new genre of writing, or gain leadership skills. You may even meet new people, some of whom may become good friends.For me, even just staying here was stepping outside of my comfort zone. Sure, I thought at the time that I would have probably been more comfortable at home, going to school locally or online.However, I chose to stay at Houghton. Had I not done that, I would not have the friendships I do today. I would not have the knowledge I do today. I have even decided on my future career—a journalist. Had I not taken the leap and written for the STAR, I don’t think this career idea would have crossed my mind.

It has been a privilege working for the STAR. While I am sad to leave what quickly became my favorite pastime, know that you will be in excellent hands next year and beyond. I can’t wait to see this publication grow and thrive for many years to come. ★

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More God, Less World

By Victoria Arndt

Here at Houghton University, students are required to attend a mandatory chapel service on Mondays and Fridays, with an Around the Table program on Wednesdays which allows students to hear about God’s work in the lives of others. 

Although these chapel times help students have a break between classes and let them give a moment of their time towards God, I’ve found that sometimes I head to chapel with a faint feeling of dread, not because there are many other things I could be doing with that time, but because of what the message will be that day.

Since my freshman year, I quickly came to realize that I wasn’t connecting to the messages I was hearing in chapel. It wasn’t that the messages were bad or held no relevance to us as students, but that they didn’t resonate with me in the way I thought they would. Some messages had little relation to the Bible verses read before it, instead mostly focusing on a current-day issue or concept rather than how the verses tied into the message, while others had good relation between message and verses but felt a little lackluster in terms of spiritual emphasis on God or what the Bible was trying to teach us through the verse. Some messages from guest speakers even felt more than a little preachy on their topics, speaking directly on the topic with no mention of God or the Bible. It was all well and good, but those messages left me feeling confused and most of all dissatisfied, with me questioning how I was to utilize what I’d heard when I felt no emotional connection or calling towards it, especially when it felt like I had just been listening to someone’s soapbox rant for half an hour and had gotten nothing substantial out of it.

More often than not, instead of the speakers’ messages actually affecting me and making me want to listen to what they had to say, their messages started to lose my interest as soon as I heard more about current-day issues rather than the goodness of God. At times it was even frustrating, and it made me start to wonder if the chapel message I was about to hear was going to be about the Bible and God in a way that resonated with my spirit, or if it would just be another sermon on more world issues.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand the importance of speaking on current-day issues and how we are supposed to approach them as believers in the Church. Christianity and worldliness go hand in hand, and it’s definitely important to hear about issues that affect us as individuals and as fellow Christians and what we can do to help change them. But when I attend chapel, I want to listen to a message that encourages me to continue my walk with God, not hear about another worldly issue that I personally am not called to change or can change from where I currently stand. I want to hear about how a particular verse can relate to me as a Christian and as a weary college student, not on topics I hear about nonstop on social media. Chapel is supposed to be a time when we can relax and spend a moment with God and hear a small message to encourage us throughout the rest of our day. When that time is filled with topics other than God and the Word, what once was a time of worship and reflection becomes a time of listening to what feels like activism from the pulpit, with messages that have nothing to spiritually or emotionally connect with.

My point here is not to slight any of the chapel speakers or their messages, but just to share the respectful musings of a college student looking for more God and less world in the messages she hears during chapel. My hope is that future chapel messages will have a more spiritually substantial and emotional impact on its listeners going forward, not through simply discussing modern issues and problems, but with an emphasis on the power and hope of God as something to look to even throughout troubling times, so that those who need to hear a certain message on those days can hear a message that encourages their souls. ★

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Why the Earth is Flat and You are Wrong (STAR April Fools 2023)

By Elizabeth Sutay

We live in an age where fake news is as common as a rainy day. We are told that Mark Zuckerberg is a lizard person, that Jonah was swallowed by an alien spaceship, and that the new Star Wars movies weren’t just an elaborate fever dream. However, the largest case of widespread misinformation concerns the shape of the place we all live. Most would tell you that it is round, and that would be a lie, as the Earth is in fact flat. As anyone can clearly see by looking outside their window, other than the hills, bumps, and curves, the terrain is completely flat. The idea that the world is actually round has been spreading like wildfire due to the easy access to misinformation provided by the internet. Minority voices with absurd theories get projected as loud as the truth, and those with similar beliefs will flock together to create groups such as the Round Earth Society. This then allows others who are more susceptible to influences to find them and join in their strange beliefs. 

This coverup started to pick up pace in the 1780s by the British government as they sent their criminals to “Australia”. In reality, Australia is not real, and the British were simply sending them off the side of the world. To keep the peace, they instead claimed to be sending them to an island in the middle of the ocean, one that is filled with deadly made-up creatures never seen in Europe, like the koala. This would allow the British to continue shipping off their criminals without concern, and the threat of the dangerous creatures would keep curious people away. In the present day, the lie has continued, and elaborate systems are set up on the island of New Zealand to keep up the facade of an ‘Australia’ existing. 

In preparation for this article, I spoke to a professional on this subject that wished to remain anonymous, but they further elaborated on the  topic. According to them, there are studies people can do at home that prove the Round Earth theory to be completely false. For example, taking a marble and placing it on the top of a slope results in it rolling down to the bottom. However, using a metal marble and a strong enough magnet, the marble will not move. This clearly illustrates how gravity works in the Flat Earth model, while completely disproving the Round Earth model. Alternatively, looking up at the sky on a clear night reveals the stars. In the Flat Earth model, no matter where a person is, they will look up and see those stars. In the Round Earth model, those stars would be at different angles around the “globe”. As the former is true, this points to even more evidence of the Flat Earth model. The professional concluded their statements with “Pretty sure I read that on the internet somewhere, so it must be true.”

With free access to the internet, blatantly false information such as the Round Earth theory is left unchecked as it continues to grow. To combat this rampant misinformation, we must let all research and findings be published to mainstream media and treated with the same respect. Furthermore, to prevent the censorship of the truth, only trusted sources should be allowed to post the information online, and to ensure the free spread of this information, there should be an information tax that goes into protection against misinformation, allowing those who pay to share it with a large audience. With the government involved in creating and spreading these lies, there should be an additional branch of the military strictly dedicated to protecting this information. With these steps, hopefully the truth can become more abundant than the lies. ★

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Spiritual Life at Houghton

By Kat Wojsiat

Houghton University is a college founded on a Wesleyan faith in the Trinity, meant to be a community of believers pursuing academic excellence. As part of this institutional identity, spiritual life is an important focus on campus. Houghton offers numerous spiritual outlets to students, including chapel programs, worship sessions, daily prayer, and small group meetings. On paper, it looks like Houghton’s spiritual life is thriving, with lots of programs and events. However, a real look at Houghton shows the sadder reality here.

A year ago, I spoke with a friend of mine who was President of Mercy Seat at the time. Mercy Seat is an hour-long worship session open to all students that occurs every Monday-Friday night. He was having a terrible time finding musicians and prayer leaders to lead daily worship, and there were only one or two students actually attending Mercy Seat on any given night. He was so discouraged by the lack of student desire for worship that he purposefully gave Mercy Seat a one-semester break in hopes to give the students a chance to miss it. Since it returned last spring, attendance has been highly unpredictable, with anywhere from one to ten people on a given night. The current President, sophomore Jadyn Matton , said it is difficult to get people to attend, but when they are there, she has “definitely seen people uplifted and very excited!” People seem to enjoy their engagement with Mercy Seat and The Cry, but people just don’t often participate! In addition to this, a small few students utilize the daily prayer and communion, with only between one and six students there on a regular basis. 

The icing on the cake for me was Chapel on March 17th. Students had the choice to go to chapel 20 minutes early for extra praise and worship, but most students did not arrive until the usual start time. I got there after class at 11:05 and found that many students who were there already were sitting down or on their phones, as though this was not real worship and they were just waiting for the real part of Chapel to start. Worship is worship! We were given a chance to praise God with a little extra of our time, and so few people were actually excited to take advantage of this opportunity! The purpose of Chapel is not to just satisfy God with 40 minutes, but to practice honoring Him with all of our being; when there is worship going on, God wants you to join in! Even more, you should want to join in!

After worship ended, we had Houghton Alum Katie Allen (20’) come from Asbury Seminary to tell us about the Asbury Revival. It was a huge blessing to have a Houghton Alum right there experiencing this outpouring, and it was even more of an honor that we get to hear from her directly! She came all the way from Kentucky to tell us about this huge spiritual awakening that happened at Asbury! As she spoke about this revival, I sat in my seat feeling encouraged and warmed to hear about how God is moving in our country today. My heart was then broken when I looked around the chapel to see over half the students within my view on their phones and many more on their laptops. 

I am a student too, and I fully understand that sometimes you have to cram in your reading for your 12 o’clock class during Chapel; these things happen! But over half of our students just scrolling away on their devices while our speaker is telling us about spiritual renewal is just so discouraging. God is moving in the hearts of thousands in our society, but here at Houghton it seems like we are just pushing Him away. We see what God is doing in other areas of the world, and I know He can do it here at Houghton too! We just have to open our hearts and minds and put God first! After Chapel, worship continued, but very few students stayed. I want to encourage the student body to put down their phones, take out their earbuds, close their laptops, and rest in the sacred time chapel provides. Scripture firmly encourages taking a Sabbath, but I look around campus and see hundreds of students who never take a break. Chapel is a set time designed to allow us to rest in the Father’s arms and join in communal worship, and we should engage in the time we are given to do so. 

I pray that Houghton will see its own revival and that the Spirit will pour out on us. Our spiritual life has taken a beating since COVID, and we need to be renewed in our desire to seek God. There are plenty of resources; it is on us to utilize them. Participate in a Life Together group, dedicate one day a week to go to afternoon prayer, or make time to go to Koinonia each week! I hope that those who desire spiritual awakening will pray for Houghton to be renewed in the Spirit. I am not saying we need a two-week-long, nationwide, non-stop Revival. I just hope that each individual here at Houghton will take the step to make room for God in their lives, and I pray that God will move in this way here. ★