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Fish Fridays

by Ethan McCarthy

Do you know what Dean Jordan means when he talks about Lent? While the ancient practice may not be present in all denominations, there are some, namely Catholics, Anglicans, Lutherans, and Orthodox, along with some former members of these denominations and many other students who desire to follow this traditional Christian season of penance, abstinence, and fasting.

When I first came to Houghton, I expected that it would be easy to maintain this practice of my faith, namely the exclusion of all meat on Fridays throughout Lent, with the exception of fish and other seafoods, such as shrimp. However, the dining hall did not make this easy, with the poor selection of products that do not include meat being restricted to salads, cheese pizza, and the miniscule vegan section. Often this results in students not receiving enough protein. Think of the athlete that only has those options on game day. Does anyone really think that would go well? “It’s really hard as an athlete to not have any protein on what are typically game days when I’m in-season. Even if fish or seafood of some sort was offered at lunch and not necessarily dinner on Fridays, it would allow those who observe Lent to get some much-needed protein in their systems prior to competing in the afternoons…it is offered enough in the dining hall already that simply aligning those days with Fridays seems reasonable,” says Jackson Medeiros, a sophomore pitcher on the Houghton baseball team.

The realization of this fact was very disappointing to a number of students who observe Lent, including myself. I thought that a Christian university which claims to be open to students of a variety of different traditions, which claims on the What We Believe page that this diversity has led to “wonderful and sometimes heated discussions across campus, in classrooms, and in the coffee shop!” would not make it difficult for members of the Christian family to observe their traditions. But sadly, with the current meal setup, they have made it a challenge nonetheless.

Thinking about it, Houghton does serve fish, shrimp, and other hearty meal options that would be perfect for those observing Lent, but despite years of asking, Metz has refused to make a change to help these students in their faith journeys. Even McDonald’s, a secular company, created the Filet-O-Fish to provide food to those observing Lent. It does not sound all that radical to me: take the fish or shrimp that are served throughout the week and serve them on Fridays instead. Even something like pierogies and those mini pretzels would work (something I would certainly enjoy). Of course, there was shrimp served on a recent Friday for supper, but this has not been a common occurrence, since lunch that day did not have a Lenten meal as well, even though there was fish served on Monday and Thursday that could have been served on Friday instead. A Metz employee told me that there is a five-week schedule of meals, and considering Lent lasts for 6 weeks, it is certainly possible for this to be properly planned ahead of time.

When speaking with other students, there has been confusion towards the actions of Metz and the university and compassion shown towards those observing Lent. “It seems like a reasonable expectation that Metz would make the requested accommodation for students engaging in this spiritual practice,” says Gabe Huizenga, a Theology major.

Houghton certainly has a strong community (yes, I said the magic word) of students and staff that supports the different Christian traditions that are present at this university, so this is not a knock at them, but simply a request for Metz and the university to help students accommodate their religious traditions.

For years students have put up comments on the suggestion board and asked if Metz would provide accommodations for them over Lent. Though the Metz employee mentioned above has brought this up with Metz themself and claims that they seem open to the change, I also brought up the issue at the Student Council meeting on Monday, and they assured me that they will bring the situation up with Metz as well. However, I was also told not to expect a change from Metz. While I hope that is not the case, I would not be surprised if nothing were to change, though I am immensely thankful that the student council was willing to bring this up to support members of the student body. 

If there is fish served today, then that will be a welcome surprise, even though this is a day of exemption from the season for Catholics because of the Feast of Saint Patrick. If that is the case, then I am very happy to have seen it occur two weeks in a row, but I hope that this can be applied throughout all of Lent in the future so that students can more easily live out their faith traditions on campus. ★

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Hustle Culture has No Place Here

By Abigail Weeks

As I wrote this during our spring break that happens during the winter—Why don’t we call it winter break?—I found myself struggling to rest. I’ve worked tirelessly for my entire undergrad career, and now I face my last semester and I have yet again overloaded my schedule. Factoring in extracurriculars and accelerated half-semester classes, the workload comes to around an ill-advised 20 credits. And for what? I have plenty of reasons with which I won’t bore you. I could’ve taken the easy route, as I only needed six credits toward my major to graduate. Yet, like so many others, I must hold captive any spare time in my schedule and fill it with something “productive”.  

Why do so many of us as young adults feel the need to push and shove until we’re all burnt out, drowning in our school work? When was the last time you were able to truly rest outside of a scheduled academic break? Of course, there are things required of us to accomplish for our academic careers, but I’m mostly talking about extracurriculars.

As students living in a hustle culture, many of us have felt the need to always keep busy. I personally have never made it a priority to rest. I’ve been working every summer since I was 16, and I have always found a way to do more work over academic breaks. Until coming to Houghton, I didn’t think Christians really honored the Sabbath. It was never something instilled in me to do growing up, despite coming from a Christian background. So if this thing that I’m supposed to do—that we are all supposed to do—as Christians is in the Bible, why is it so hard?

Here’s a quick answer: we have let culture influence what is Good and Holy. The Sabbath day is a gift to us to restore, recollect, and reflect. It allows us to quiet our hearts and rest in God. Why do we ignore it? Furthermore, why is it so hard for us to take a few hours to rest, let alone an entire day? 

I think there is something inside of us that is afraid of being lazy. It measures our self-worth in the number of things we accomplish and the amount of times we tell people we are “too busy”. After all, we are told to do whatever we do with all our hearts, right? If I’m not being productive in some capacity, I’m automatically lazy, which to me feels much greater a sin than not resting at all. Oh, what a great lie this is. Overworking myself to the point of burnout doesn’t make me special. It doesn’t make me better than my neighbor. It doesn’t set me apart, and by not honoring a time to slow down, I end up dishonoring my Creator.

In a way, this drive to overbook ourselves has a tendency to lead us to ignore the people right in front of us and divert our attention inward. How many times have you not checked in with someone because you’re running late or because you’re thinking about how much time a 30-second interaction will eat up the little space you have left in your schedule? I know I am guilty of this. Perhaps the funniest thing about this is that all of this self-serving yet harmful behavior occurs in a Christian environment that is supposed to go against the grain of secular culture. So, what then is Christian about an environment that leaves us unrested and utterly burnt out? Should we blame the “system” and play the victim for our inability to rest? I think not. We have the ability to evaluate where we stand in our lives. It may come as a shock to the overachievers out there, but we are allowed to say no to things and still love God with all of our minds and hearts and beings, and love others, too. Loving others does not mean saying yes to every opportunity. Serving others becomes an impossible task if we are consumed by our own to-do lists.

The Bible’s teaching that we must boast in Christ alone and not in our works is a pretty stark contrast to academia’s view that without our work, we are nothing. We must learn to look to God for our source of meaning, not our lengthy to-do lists and activities. When we learn where our true value comes from, it will be so much easier for us to separate ourselves from the hustle of our lives. If you truly feel called to an opportunity, we have a faithful God that can see you through, but if saying yes to a good opportunity jeopardizes your well-being, it isn’t really good, is it? Saying no to someone or something does not make you sinful; it is saying no to God that does.

Next time you find yourself with some space in your schedule, consider honoring God through resting so you can have more strength to serve God and serve His kingdom. ★

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Stockholm Syndrome in Sharm El-Sheik: Searching for Hope at a UN Climate Conference

By Issac Mann

Everyone in the conference center at COP27 (the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference) was looking for something. Some were looking for new partners or to expand their networks, while others were looking for investment opportunities or policy commitments. But I was looking for something less concrete: hope. 

My search was shared by many in my group as well. I traveled to Sharm El-Sheik, Egypt, with the Christian Climate Observers Program (CCOP), a non-denominational group committed to teaching Christians to be better climate advocates. This organization brought together Christians of all ages from around the world, and many of the young people in the group shared a common struggle with climate anxiety. It was the fear of what the future would hold if no action was taken against climate change that motivated us, myself included, to come to this conference. For others in the group, anxiety had already passed into grief. Family members lost to flooding, communities lost to wildfire, or livelihoods lost to financial burden were the driving factors behind their activism. We sought hope of some kind, proof that God was working in the midst of the chaos around us. And so, our anxious and mourning souls went into the massive conference center, longing for a reason to hold onto hope. 

My first activity at COP27 was to listen to the opening speeches. I sat giddy with excitement in a large overflow room filled with others not granted in-person access to the main event. We watched on big screens as prominent world leaders gave their opening remarks. Given the overwhelming scope of climate change, I had gone into the conference expecting to find hope in these largest and most powerful bodies, so I listened intently to what they had to say. If the world’s governments couldn’t solve climate change, who could? I thought. But as I listened, my excitement and hope plummeted. I realized that I had developed a strange sort of climate Stockholm Syndrome. 

Stockholm Syndrome is a condition that some people fall into during hostage scenarios. In a distorted understanding of their situation, the captives start to develop a bond and sympathize with their captors. And I had fallen into this state of mind. The climate is being held captive by private economic interests and political systems that value profit and growth more than the well-being of those held dear by God. And yet, I had placed my hope in these very systems. I thought they were well-intentioned, that if we had the right people in power, saying the right things, meaningful change would come. It was with this twisted hope that I sat in that room. 

As world leader after world leader rambled on about “unity,” “urgency,” and “taking action,” I became increasingly disillusioned. My skewed view of where hope would be found was made obvious to me as I realized I was being told how important reducing carbon emissions was by oil barons. I was listening to military dictators tell me how much they cared about justice. Even those from my own country, the United States, bragged about our new partnerships with billionaires and private corporations (the leading contributors to carbon emissions) to fund new environmental programs. It was these systems and leaders that I was sympathetic to, that I looked to for salvation, and yet they were the very ones holding our planet and future for ransom. 

I spent those first few days discouraged. I realized my hope had been misplaced and tried to dismantle my climate Stockholm Syndrome, but I didn’t know where else to turn for hope. I asked myself again, ‘If the world’s governments couldn’t solve climate change, who could?’

I did eventually find hope at COP27, just not where I had thought I would. In hindsight, I should have expected it. Our hope is in God, that much should be obvious to Christians, but where God would be found was what I needed to answer. God has never been revealed in the most powerful among us, in the wealthiest or most privileged. God did not appear to Elijah in 1 Kings 19 in the strong wind, or the fiery earthquake, but rather in the gentle whisper. God did not come to Earth in the form of a Caesar or military leader, but rather as a carpenter from Nazareth. So, I should’ve expected that God would not be revealed to me in Egyptian President Sisi, or in Joe Biden. 

Every morning, my CCOP group started the day with breakfast and a devotional. Together, we would rejoice the successes and commiserate the frustrations of the previous day. At every panel discussion or lecture I attended, I sat shoulder to shoulder with others who cared for the right reasons, who cared enough to travel to the middle of the Egyptian desert, who cared enough to listen and learn in any way possible. Conversations were had, connections were made, and I realized that I was surrounded by thousands of regular people who cared deeply about the protection of our planet and its inhabitants. It was in these people that I found God, that I found the hope I was looking for.

It’s clear that we need to overcome our reliance and trust in those systems that are holding our planet and future hostage. To make it through the changing of our climate, we need serious systemic change. But what COP27 taught me is that this change will never come from the top down.  Our hope will not be found in the economic powers and world leaders that preside. Our hope is where God is, with the marginalized, the disenfranchised, the mourning, the anxious, the masses who are calling out for a more just world. We are each other’s hope, and only together will we be able to accomplish the change we need. ★

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The Need for a Student Constitution

By Joey Schunemann

There is a disconnect at Houghton. At a school where student-faculty relationships are built strong by invested professors and eager students, the lack of institutional communication to students regarding campus life changes sticks out like a sore thumb. When university-wide changes are made that affect student life, something that has little impact on incoming students but all the difference in the world to Houghton’s student body, it often feels like the last people to get consulted on those changes are the enrolled on-campus students. 

I want to clarify right out of the gates that this is not a targeted piece meant to call out or accuse any faculty members of wrong behavior or even to prophesy some unstoppable decline of Houghton culture—quite the opposite. I see a sickness developing at a school built on community. It is a slow infection that, if left to fester, seriously endangers the living body of Houghton.

There is a certain wonder to pleasant surprises. If I wanted to be generous, I would say maybe it is the pursuit of that same wonder that inspires campus-wide decisions to be made so frequently without the pre-informing of current students. It’s time to acknowledge that it does not have that effect. When the Highlander Shop announces they are going to be accepting flex dollars from here on out, that’s a pleasant surprise, one that isn’t dangerous to keep quiet and was almost surely run by a student test panel anyway. Contrast that with the announcement not that the culturally iconic Houghton rock will be moved, but that it already has been moved. This does not bring wonder to a fictional student body that is happy to embrace a new season brought to us by a surprise change of environment. Instead, it leaves us, the tangible student body, feeling unvalued. The effect of making changes to student life without any student input, like the constantly complicated ice cream situation and the furniture change in Gillette, perpetuates the fear that Houghton as an institution puts its current students at the bottom of the priority list. This fear, whether true or untrue, is constantly validated by decisions made without the consent or informing of current students, decisions that seem to prioritize student intake over retention and the donations of old passionate alumni over the creation of new passionate alumni.

It is this lack of transparent trust and feeling of powerless discontent that is creating a generation of Houghton students who define their experience as “what hasn’t Houghton done to hurt me” instead of focusing on the loving student-faculty relationships and quality of coursework. Following the wake of COVID, it’s a wonder we can survive this second hard blow at Houghton culture in a few short years, and the only visible solution is an open-handed abandonment of institutional secrecy and an acceptance of public responsibility. We need a Student Constitution.

We need a document that stands alongside our moral community covenant, which by itself does not fully embody our Christian calling as an institution. We need a Constitution. We need an agreement between staff and students that requires open and honest communication so that in addition to being a community based on a common moral goal, we are held together far better by a bond of trust and open understanding. If the institution does not give students the chance to know what we are losing before it is gone, then self-sacrifice never comes into the equation and our Christian call crumbles into a stratified hierarchy of the knows and the not knows. 

Despite this feeling of being tossed around and underappreciated by the Houghton institution, we cannot help but love this community and the people that fill it because of the mutual love we strive towards in our individual lives. This love only strengthens our fear that one day this thing that we have begrudgingly grown so fond of might disappear, and we have no idea how to refute that fear. When programs disappear, faculty shuffle around, and tuition seems only to go down and down, students are afraid that ultimately our Houghton is in danger, and that fear is validated by secretive changes and opaque policy. It’s time for Houghton to open up, and for the vague spirit of “the institution” to ask the culture that is being unwillingly changed if it’s ready for the next turn before it’s too late.★

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Metz Misses the Mark… Again

By Anna Catherman

Big Al’s is dead.

The campus center’s basement dining establishment is quiet. Still. Too still.

Metz calls the rebranded ice cream and hamburger shop “Sizzle and Swirl at Big Al’s”. The moniker change is just one of many which have resulted in many students abandoning their once-beloved hangout spot.

The changes to Big Al’s and the dining hall haven’t all been bad. The Poblano’s bar in the dining hall is popular, and the return of hard ice cream is also very welcome. It’s become apparent that Perry’s ice cream is never coming back to the dining hall in its previous all-you-can eat format. Due to pandemic-related production cuts, Perry’s no longer has the capacity to provide Houghton students with unlimited ice cream. The idea of keeping the dining hall open later was also a popular student request. Athletes especially wanted late-night dining options other than greasy hamburgers and fries.

Replacing meal exchange with extended dining hours turned out to be the least beneficial change – and put the final nail in Big Al’s coffin.

Due to the end of meal exchange, the number of students at Big Al’s each night has declined dramatically. Friends would gather to study, play card games, or just talk. Lines used to wrap around the post office during busy times. Now, it’s rare to spot more than a dozen people at Big Al’s. And extended dining hours? It didn’t provide student athletes with the nutritious meals they requested. They’re getting leftovers. Some nights, they have a few options, but many nights they’re forced to choose between either tacos or pizza. 

Oh, and there’s no more free ice cream, not even the soft serve that was present last year, an issue which was heavily protested at the beginning of the academic year.

Dining services are tricky for any college campus, especially one as rural as Houghton.

Students can’t easily get off campus for a healthy meal or for socialization. Houghton thrives when students band together as a community. Cliche, but true. 

With a few changes, Big Al’s could be an important part of that community again. Reviving Big Al’s wouldn’t take as much effort as some might claim. Bringing back meal exchange would be an instant boost. Many students would welcome back the old Sunday-Thursday meal exchange, but a hybrid approach could be a good compromise. Preserving the new extended dining hours while also allowing students to use one or two meal swipes per week at Big Al’s would be the best of both worlds. 

Restoring menu items that students miss and adding new ones could also help. Buffalo chicken sandwiches could make a triumphant comeback. And maybe, just maybe, some healthy options. Salads? Gluten-free buns for hamburgers?

The smallest change to dining services that would bring the university the most goodwill, though, would be returning our soft serve machine to the dining hall, thank you very much. ★

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Phones or Friends

By Hope Willert

It’s common knowledge that many Millennials and Gen Zers are addicted to their phones, and it often seems as though they are glued to them. There is no exception to this at Houghton University. During chapel, one can see students pulling out their phones and laptops to get some homework done or text some friends. While walking around in the dining hall, a group of students can be seen sitting together at a table; however, rather than talking with each other, they all have their heads down and phones out. This is a problem, and it isn’t going to go away unless we confront it.

While the American culture today requires college students to use their phones for many reasons, such as texting, calling, emailing, using social media, listening to music, watching videos, and several other things, one must wonder if these 18-22 year olds are going on their phones more than they really need to be and if the amount of time that they spend on their phones is detrimental to their relationships.

A recent study done at Baylor University found that Baylor students spend an average of eight to ten hours on their phones per day, with 60 percent of the students admitting that they may be addicted to their phones. The study also showed that the majority of this time is spent sending texts and emails, as well as scrolling through social media.

Such a large amount of cell phone use can be very detrimental to relationships, as students spend increasingly more time on their phones and less time interacting with each other in person. While it’s true that cell phones are often used as a distraction for students, whether from stressful relationships or from school, this can be taken too far. James Roberts, one of the main psychologists from this study, explained that cell phone use is a paradox in that it can be “both freeing and enslaving at the same time.” A certain amount of time spent scrolling on phones can be helpful to take one’s mind off of school work, however, it can very easily become an addiction. Roberts explained that “we need to identify the activities that push cell phone use from being a helpful tool to one that undermines our well-being and that of others.”

While there is no solution that will automatically solve this problem, there are several things that college students can do to counteract this issue. First of all, students can check the screen time on their phones to see if they are spending too much time on them. They can also make an effort to make more plans with their friends rather than endlessly scrolling on their phone for hours, as well as decide not to go on their phones as much when they are with others. Ultimately, this issue can only be solved individually. Will you make the effort to make a change in your phone habits? ★

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A Quiet Place to Stay: 24 Hours a Day

By Caleb Kasper

The life of a college student can often be quite busy. Finding time to finish assignments, work through readings, and studying can be challenging for some. As a self-proclaimed “night owl,” I feel like my peak efficiency and focus doesn’t set in until later into the evening. There’s nothing else that I continually fail at doing than getting busy in the morning and early afternoons.

​My typical day generally consists of a few classes in the morning and afternoon. Mixed in with chapel and grabbing lunch, there tends to be little time to sit down and get to work. Like many others on this campus, I’m also a student-athlete, so each weekday, I block out roughly two hours of my day for practices, as well as various other times on weekends and weekdays for competition. As a member of the cross country and track teams, I eat dinner with my team most nights. Given this, by the time eight o‘clock rolls around, I’ve likely just begun figuring out what needs to be done for the next day. If I shower before homework, we’re talking 8:30. With a more demanding schedule as a second-semester junior, I’ve been engaged in a lot more focused work this year. When I need to grind and focus, the environment I am in plays a big role. Without the right environment, I struggle to focus.

​I’d imagine that a good number of people reading this find a quiet environment with little distraction to be key to focusing. I can’t focus in my room because my bed is always calling my name with open arms. Floor lounges in the resident halls can be hit or miss as well. Chamberlain is okay but usually occupied, and I find the Campus Center to be quite distracting. I realize that others like my sister, recent Houghton graduate Zoey Kasper, prefer a more active study space. Hers consisted of the most comfortable bean bag you’ve ever experienced, disco balls, and music. The bean bag alone would tank any of my plans to be productive. If you share similar preferences to me, though, you may find the library to be the perfect spot. Generally very quiet, not often busy, and an abundance of resources and outlets. Outlets are a must since my laptop battery capacity has significantly deteriorated since my freshman year.

​When I choose to go to the library during the week, I roll up around 8-8:30 p.m. I’ve found the library basement to be a preferred spot. Not to be taboo either, but the library’s basement has some of the best bathrooms on campus. When I’m down there I can always get focused and work more efficiently. However, like most things, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. About 1.5-2 hrs into my work session I am kindly reminded to wrap things up because the library is closing in ten minutes. I pack up my belongings and head out, trying to puzzle when I can cram in everything that I didn’t finish. I’ve also been getting to the point where I just don’t go there that much anymore, because it’s not worth packing up all my stuff and heading over there just to pack it all up again soon after I arrive and either head somewhere else or straight to bed. There also aren’t many convenient times for me to go that are available either.

​The library is open Monday through Thursday until 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday until 5 p.m., and is closed Sunday. It was during my Sophomore Year that I decided to make my first personal visit to the Library to do some homework. I remember looking up the hours just to see what they were. I was shocked to see that at 10:11, the library had already been closed for 11 minutes. I always thought that college libraries were open 24/7 so that students always had a quiet space to read or work or get away from their roommate who likes cats too much. Quite honestly, I think the library should be open 24/7, or at least open for students to use later, especially on weekends. Obviously, the library can only be staffed during the day, but couldn’t it be open longer for studying?

​This is especially true during finals season. As somewhat of a procrastinator, the time during and surrounding finals week becomes extremely busy. It’s also a time where I am consistently convinced that it’s time to drop out, yet I keep coming back for more. All of the work that I had put off during the semester comes back to confront me and there is a looming sense that there’s more to get done than time in the day. Not having access to the library while working late can be highly inconvenient and frustrating during finals.

I think the student body could greatly benefit from a review of the library hours and possibly extending them. For all the student-athletes, procrastinators, science majors (praying for you all), night-owls, all-nighters, or whatever reasons you’re up late doing homework, you should have the freedom and accessibility to study in a quiet space whenever you need to. Everyone has late nights. ★

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Loving Our Neighbors

By Skye Chaapel

Mark 12:29-31 (NIV) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

As a Christian community, I feel we need to ask ourselves this: are we following Christ’s example?  Are we loving our neighbors to the best of our capabilities, as asked of us by Christ?  If you ask people within the Houghton community, I’m sure they’d say yes.  However, while there are some of us who are loving our neighbors, there are others who are not.  They could be saying yes out of the want to look good for themselves or others, denial, or ignorance.  These are questions that I have been truly struggling with for a while.

What if we asked the question: “Do you feel loved on campus?”  What would you expect the answer to be?  One would hope that the answer is a resounding yes, as we are all Christians, called to love.  Unfortunately, I know far too many students who do not feel loved by the Houghton community, myself included.  Those of us who differ from the Wesleyan traditions’ expectations are generally treated as outcasts on campus.  This includes people of a different ethnicity and race, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and people of different religious backgrounds.

For me, one of the major drawing points to Houghton four years ago was the close-knit community that existed on campus; it was something you could feel, and it almost felt tangible.  After some of the recent events though, I feel like I no longer belong here.  I know students who have received death threats, unwelcome comments, or racial slurs depending on their identity or race.  Houghton University’s President also received unacceptable slurs on his birthday card last year.  As a community, we should be appalled that this is happening and that we have allowed it to continue.  What happened to loving our neighbors?  There is no love that comes from those actions.  The Houghton community is striving to be an ideal Christian community, but many do not feel welcome here.  We can not have a Christian community that is founded on Jesus if there are members of it who are suffering from our actions.

We need to learn to love each other.  We do not always need to agree on things, but that should not stop us from extending God’s grace and love to each other.  Jesus taught us to love and not to judge others.  You do not know what someone else could be struggling with at any moment.  Be kind and be willing to keep an open mind when interacting with others.  As the followers of Christ, we are called to meet people where they are, be with them, and walk with them in their journey. ★

If you or someone you know is the target of hateful behaviors, we encourage you to reach out to the Office of Student Life.

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Intentional God Time

By Marith Anderson

Chapel is truly one of the most important aspects of our lives here at Houghton. Yet I have seen it being treated more like an obstacle or an inconvenience in students’ lives than as a stepping stone for their faith journey. In sharing my perspective, I hope others can see the benefits that truly engaging with chapel can have in our spiritual lives.

When I entered into my final year at Houghton this fall, I made a vow to myself to make the most of my chapel experience. I do not know if there will ever be another time in my life when I have time built into my schedule where the purpose is to stop and think about God in one context or another. As I have grown up over the past few years, I see more and more the importance of not putting God on the back burner. He is not an afterthought, and He should not be treated as such.

I know I have to hold myself accountable for the times when I find myself falling short of this desire to be present. There are many times I can recall when I have been too distracted to engage, and I need to approach this with grace and mercy, always remembering that I genuinely want to take my faith seriously and cherish the opportunities I am given that I may not have after I head into the “real world.”

I will be the first to acknowledge that life is busy! We are in college, and there are projects and papers with deadlines, and chapel is a time period in which you could be doing any number of other things. However, I think that is the point. In a world where we are constantly doing things, we often need a reminder to disconnect from the hectic nature of life and connect with our Creator. 

I believe that spending time with God is even more essential during the times when you feel like you do not have the time. I have been taught that this is why the Sabbath, as a day of rest, is so important. It is for our benefit that we take a day and focus on Him, trusting that He will provide for us and having faith that we will still be okay even if we pause our busy lives for one day. I believe this same principle can be applied to chapel.

I realize that when things are required, they have the potential to feel almost oppressive, as if you are being boxed into something with no choice in the matter. I know that there are many students who feel this way about chapel services. I implore those, who have that opinion, to change the framework surrounding that thought. Instead of chapel being something you “have” to do, perhaps try considering it as something you “get” to do. You get to take time out of your busy day to slow down and praise God with a community of believers. You have the opportunity at least two times a week to listen to His word and apply it to your life. 

You get a chance to show admiration, respect, and support for speakers who make great efforts to travel to Houghton and share their thoughts and their life stories. On the other side of that, you get to listen to the thoughts and feelings of people like Dean Jordan or JL Miller, who have been in Houghton for many years and can empathize and understand what students may be going through. These are both very important perspectives that we are privileged to have. 

Chapel attendance requirements were not made by accident. Chapel services should be taken seriously as time for deep thought and reflection. Whether you agree or disagree with the speakers, intentional engagement with the topic and with the implications that it has is crucial. Listening to others and thinking critically about their claims helps us to better understand the world around us and what our role is in it as the Body of Christ. ★

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Freshman Thoughts: Life at Houghton

By Caleb Welker

Being a freshman here at Houghton has been quite the experience, to say the least.  These past eight weeks have had their fair share of highs and lows, but through all of it, I can say it’s been pretty fun.  When I came here, I found myself almost instantly pulled right into the community.  As a member of the baseball team at Houghton, I didn’t need to wait long to find people who I was going to be spending a lot of time with.  I remember walking up to Lambein Hall and being instantly greeted by Coach Reitnour and an upperclassman baseball player.  Being a student-athlete has already provided me with long days of practicing and class. I didn’t know how difficult it would be to balance my academic, social, and athletic life, but Houghton came to my aid very quickly.

In my first week of classes, I could already tell how much the professors cared. Their instant connection to us as students was evident in their opening lectures. Being at a school where the professors know you and truly want to help you succeed is an amazing thing that not many people get to experience. One of my favorite classes I have taken so far this year is Introduction to Communication Theory. I take this class with Professor Gaerte, who has made an 8 A.M class way more fun than it should be.  Although I dread waking up and dragging myself to the library to sit in class, I’ve always been drawn in quickly by him.  He also is a prime example of how much the professors here care, as he is constantly making conversation with me, whether it be about baseball or just how my day is going. He always seems to make an effort to talk to me.    

Being a member of the baseball team here has provided me with so many opportunities in the last eight weeks alone.  Team events have included meals together every day, trips to the weight room at six in the morning, and late night practices in the freezing cold. We have also participated in events such as sitting together, being very loud at volleyball games and working the Harvest Festival at Houghton Wesleyan Church.  Whatever you want to do, there’s someone there to do it with you.  After four weeks of practice, it felt very odd within the last few weeks not having to block practice out of my day, but I managed to figure some things out to make sure I wasn’t too bored.
With Houghton’s location, there’s not really a lot to do off-campus. First of all, before I got here, I got a job as the Women’s soccer team’s public address announcer and scoreboard operator. Throughout the season, I got to watch the team’s games, announce the goals and substitutions, keep track of the score and time on the board, and struggle to pronounce the names of the opposing teams’ players. I found myself becoming very invested in the success of the team throughout the season, at points having to contain myself after goals, remembering I have a job to do.  The job gave me experience in the field of athletics, and I got paid to watch a sport, so that was pretty cool.

Another connection that I have here at Houghton is through my family.  I don’t know if you have realized reading this yet, but I share a last name with the Opinions Editor of the Star. At first, I told everyone I wasn’t going to Houghton because I didn’t want to be at the same school as my older brother.  Obviously, my opinions changed because, well I’m here, but having a sibling at Houghton has given me another connection.  I was able to say hi to his friends and impress some other Freshmen by knowing upperclassmen.  Plus, it hasn’t been anything like what I thought it would be like, we aren’t right on top of each other. It’s cool to see a family member here as I do miss my family, but we really do have separate lives here, and we can spend time together, but it’s not like we’re home.

Other Freshmen and I have had different experiences. I know that I’ve helped some people by telling them the things I picked up about Houghton before I even came here from my brother, and I know of people whose experiences here have been quite different from mine. Many people here at Houghton have different experiences and can answer the question, “What does Houghton mean to you?” very differently.  I know people who aren’t athletes, who seem to be shocked when I tell them I had to wake up early for practice.  But those same people are there to listen to me, when I’m annoyed with a class, not that that ever happens, or just need somebody to talk to.  And that’s really what makes Houghton beautiful.  Sure we spend a lot of our time with different groups of people, but we truly all come together to make the Houghton family.

All in all, Houghton has already been amazing in the short time that I’ve been here.  The community here has shown me why the people I know who attended loved the school so much.  The small closeness of this campus and the community of students, faculty, and staff really have made my time here special and makes me look forward to the rest of my four years here. ★