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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Social Division: Athletes and NARPs

Sports division graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Sophia Vernon ('26)

“[Athletes] are a clique because they all know each other,” stated Abigail Franz (’25), adding that “sometimes it feels like because I’m not on a sports team, I’m on a different level, and there is a divide.”

Franz exemplifies an overarching feeling of detachment and separation between non-athletes and the third of Houghton’s student body that plays a sport.

Franz, a biology major, explained that “the bio department is pretty overrun by sports people wanting to do exercise science.” She stated that her experiences with getting to know athletes individually have been positive; however, “it’s hard because of that initial divide.”

On the flip side, Arija Grant (’26), a Houghton Women’s Tennis player, explained that she has often felt excluded from on-campus events due to practice and game schedules, highlighting specifically an away tennis match she had on the same night as a homecoming dance.

Jana Newberry, the Director of Student Engagement, emphasized that “the distinction between athletes and non-athletes is natural” and that she does not “necessarily get mad at it.” Echoing student concerns, Newberry stated, “I have a problem with athletes feeling excluded from things,” pointing out that “there is too much distance.” She attributes this problem in part to both groups “not knowing what they don’t know about how to get plugged in” and a “lack of understanding and stereotypes.”

Newberry spoke on the natural divides arising from the lack of athletic representation and participation in the Campus Activities Board (CAB) events. She addressed that “sometimes the (CAB) events can be echo chambers,” with the same people attending events, lacking expansion to wider audiences. 

Enter Selah Kertz (’24), Tymber Wynn (’25) with Lander Nation. When asked about her experience with the social dynamics between athletes and non-athletes on campus, Kertz stated, “It feels really divided.” She related her experience during her semester on the track team of eating dinner with the team and sitting on the “sports side” of the dining hall, but that “looking from the other side (non-athlete perspective), it feels very separate.” She explained that this time on the track team assisted her in making athlete friends, stating, “I’m not sure I would have met a lot of the people I know without my previous connections to other athletes.”

Resulting from the lack of community and spirit between athletes and non-athletes, Kertz and Wynn started Lander Nation, a non-Houghton-affiliated group on campus that works through on-campus events, themes and representatives for each athletic team to foster school spirit and community. Kertz explained that she knows a lot of “NARPs” (non-athlete-regular-person), and Wynn, a Houghton Women’s Basketball player, knows a lot of athletes. The intention was to “bring NARPs in to participate in athletics,” as well as “bridging the gap and having actual school spirit.” 

Grant explained how easy it is for athletes to feel excluded from school events and isolated to teams, stating that “there is a divide because of how much intentional time you spend with your team” and that “it’s obvious you’re going to get closer with people you spend so much time with.” In troubleshooting the problem, Grant pointed out, “Houghton does a pretty good job emphasizing music and art, but there could be better advertising (for athletic events) on campus.” She concluded that “athletes could be encouraged to support other areas, and it could go both ways.” ★

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News

Despite Difficulties, Spring Sports Deemed Success

Houghton’s men’s soccer team celebrates on the field at a recent game. COURTESY OF JASON MUCHER

By Vanessa Bray (’21)

Houghton’s athletic department has had to make several adjustments for this unique sports season. From mandating masks for both games and practices, to routine COVID tests for all student athletes, coaches, and staff, Houghton athletics has had to adapt accordingly. Athletics Director, Matthew Webb, discussed some of the differences this season has brought. One of the main differences being that all sports, including those which would traditionally be in the fall or winter seasons, are being held in the spring. Webb explained, “Basically, we are doing all of our sports. Where we typically would do them in August through May, now we’re doing all of our teams in March, April, and May. So, that’s been a little challenging.” 

According to Webb, one of the biggest challenges has been the balancing act for dual athletes. “In a normal year…,” says Webb, “If you’re a fall sport athlete and a spring sport athlete that’s pretty manageable. This year because we’re doing all of our sports in the spring, for those athletes that play for two teams, that has become much harder to balance and manage. There are some cases where a small handful of our student athletes are playing a lot of games in a short period of time…that’s a burden that isn’t easy to manage.”

To help mitigate this challenge coaches have made efforts to work with and support athletes involved in dual sports. Allowances and accommodations have also been made for those who have needed to prioritize their academics and take brief hiatuses from athletes. “Trying to meet the needs of the students in terms of what they need relative to their academics is something our coaches have been really good about,” says Webb.

All dual student athletes were given the option at the beginning of the season to participate in both of their usual sports or opt out of one. Dual athlete, Nathanial Zedomi (’21), who has taken part in both men’s soccer and track since freshman year, had to make the difficult decision to opt out of soccer this season. “Especially since I’m graduating, I’m bummed that I couldn’t do soccer this year…,” says Zedomi, “but if I want to be really good at track right now having played a soccer game the day before I go to run our meet is probably not a good idea. So, I had to pick one…that was super hard.”  

Other challenges consistently faced by student athletes have been the anxiety of receiving a positive COVID test result, having to undergo quarantine (resulting in a week’s worth of missed practice), or accumulating enough COVID violations to result in being kicked off their respective teams. 

The anxiety surrounding each week of testing has stirred uncertainty in the athlete’s opportunities to compete. Zedomi explains, “…if someone tests positive then we have a handicap on our team…you are always kind of on edge because you just never know. Every week we’re not sure if we are going to be able to compete that weekend…we’re kind of training and hoping that we can…but there is lots of anxiety around COVID testing…”.

Equally challenging has been adjusting to shorter practice slots, fewer games, and the absence of fans. Senior field hockey player Hannah Daniels (’21) comments that, “One of the most difficult things to adjust to is the lack of games we have this season…we usually play around 18 games a season, but this season we’re only getting 5. It’s disappointing not to play as many games as usual, especially since this is my last season…”

Despite these disappointments both Zedomi and Daniels expressed their gratitude for being able to compete again. “It’s frustrating but we’re just happy that we can…” says Zedomi. “I am very grateful that I have a season,” says Daniels, “and for every chance I get to step onto the field.” Although both Zedomi and Daniels have had less opportunities to compete their teams have had good results.   

Given the unique circumstances Webb credits this season as a success. “We haven’t finished yet for everybody, but for the most part it’s been pretty successful. We’re still competing and we’re getting into playoffs for some of our teams…Some of our teams have done really well, some have struggled a little bit…Overall, it’s been a successful spring. As a department we sort of redefined success a little bit this year because of COVID, and one of our definitions of success was making it through the spring.”

Since most of the DIII conferences in New York state did not have conference seasons, Houghton’s ability to take part in a fuller conference season has been a morale booster. 

“Our athletes and coaches have been great,” says Webb, “Not that there aren’t moments that are frustrating, but our perspective has been all along that we need to do whatever we have to do to compete again. We want to compete. The athletes, coaches, they just wanted to compete. If it means we have to wear masks all the time, we’ll wear masks all the time. If it means we have to test, we’ll test…our perspective was it was important to get back to competing and having a little of that routine again in terms of what we are used to and for many of the athletes the thing they love the most. They’ve done great. They’ve responded really well…We’ve had some bumps and hurdles along the way. We’ve had to cancel a game here and there…but for the most part they’re doing great and our vast amount of negative test results I think is a testament to how well we’ve done.” 

Since New York state restrictions on spectating outdoor sports events has loosened, Webb encourages students to look out for the registration sign-up emails sent out each week and come support the teams as this unique season comes to an end! ★

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News

Campus Undergoing Construction

Faith of a Mustard Seed atrium under construction. COURTESY OF LARISSA STRAPELLO RIES

Next year, Houghton students will be able to enjoy several newly renovated facilities around campus.

One project nearing completion is the addition of the Faith of a Mustard Seed Atrium to the Equestrian Center. Construction of this atrium began at the end of January and is expected to be completed in mid-April. Larissa Ries, the equestrian program director, explains that the space will serve as the “first location people go when arriving at the Equestrian Center, [to] check in, register for competitions, gather information or hold meetings,” as well as a comfortable lounge space for students and visitors. The atrium space was anticipated when the Equestrian Center was built in 2018, but the original anonymous donation which funded the construction did not cover the costs for fully furnishing the atrium, according to Ries. Since then, one large donation and a number of smaller gifts funded the completion of the space, which will include a fireplace and TVs for watching indoor equestrian events.

Houghton’s Director of Athletics, Matthew Webb, says that numerous improvements to the athletic facilities are “in the works,” either as quick projects this semester or as renovations this summer. Donors have funded new turf for portions of the baseball and softball fields, new netting and protective tarps, as well as upgraded and reorganized equipment within the press boxes. Additionally, the college received a grant to build the KPAC KidsZone, a playground area near Burke Field. Webb calls the KidsZone “a beautiful addition to our facilities which will have great community impact.”

Paine Science Center will continue to receive upgrades according to the plans that began in the summer of 2019 to use funds raised by Houghton’s IMPACT campaign. Miriam Case, Academic Coordinator for the STEM departments, says, “There was too much to accomplish in one summer so it was planned for two, but with the closure of campus last summer we have stretched it another year.” The most noticeable changes will be completely renovated Anatomy & Physiology and Molecular & Cell biology labs. Remaining funds will help update the labs for General Chemistry, Organic Chemistry, and Physical Chemistry.

Shen’s KPAC-side fire escape will be replaced out of the college budget. Between internal and external staircases, the building currently meets fire code requirements, according to Vice President for Finance Dale Wright. However, the “deteriorated” fire escape will be replaced with a covered stairwell similar to that on the Nielsen side of Shen. ★

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Campus News

The Tales of New Faculty Amid The Pandemic

Left to Right, top to Bottom: Professor McHenry, Dr. Silano, Professor Bowers, Dr. Gates, Dr. Zhou and Professor McElfish. Photo credit: https://www.houghton.edu/news/houghton-welcomes-8-new-faculty-members/

Article by Burton Brewster (’23)

The new faculty on campus chose a strange time to join Houghton Campus. Everything from the way professors teach to the interviewing process has been re-imagined. It is a tough time to teach, but not all is bad. 

Dr. Jonathan Gates (’85) from the English and Writing and Vocation and Calling Departments, is unique among the new faculty for starting his teaching in the same semester that COVID-19 struck. For him, the challenge came when the campus dramatically switched to an online format. “It was immersion by fire! I’ve been teaching for many years, and I feel very comfortable teaching, but I did not feel very comfortable for a number of weeks adjusting to that so quickly. Literally having one week to turn three in-person courses into three online course. [But] in the end I think it was successful.” 

Professor Elianna McHenry (‘18), the new Assistant Professor of Accounting at Houghton, was also able to start teaching before COVID-19 hit, albeit as a grad student. When asked about difficulties she has had to face as a new professor she said, “Something that makes teaching my subject difficult is that not many people love to study accounting. I’ve made my peace with that, and it doesn’t put a damper on my excitement for the topics, but it certainly makes getting my students excited about our learning a little more difficult.

The interview process for most of the new faculty was finished by March 2020, but some were not as lucky. This was especially true for Dr. Francesca Silano, a professor that joined the History and Political Science Department this summer. She explained, “I came in the beginning of March! As you can imagine, it was not a great time to come. In fact, the campus shut down half way through my visit.” Her interviews were planned to have a live class, but due to the lack of students the department had to get creative. “Dr. Meilaender kindly brought all of his children in to listen to my job talk. Everything was so hectic it took a lot of the pressure off of the interview.” The new Assistant Professor of Electrical Engineering, Dr. Ki Shin, did not even get a chance to interview on campus. According to him, the campus was already shut down, meaning that his interviews were entirely online.

Teaching styles have had to adjust thanks to the new measures in place. According to Dr. Jie Zhou of the Physics Department, hands on labs were difficult to demonstrate when social distancing was in place. She explained, “There is not an easy way for us to show [labs] in front of students because we’re keeping social distancing.” The solution was to create as many channels of communication as possible. “The best way of assisting student learning is increasing interaction,” she said. On the other hand, Professor Kaiden Bowers (‘13) who works in the Sports, Recreation, & Wellness Department explained how a change of scenery helped his classes overcome restrictions. “We’re not restricted to just our 20 by 20 classroom.” He said, “We can get out into the woods, go out to the field of dreams, get out to the trails, the soccer field and do different things outside which I think is a good change of pace for students.” All of the interviewed faculty expressed appreciation for students. “I was surprised by many students who have high energy and motivation to learn. This challenged me a lot,” said Professor Shin. And, as Professor Bowers puts it, “I commend the students during this. They’ve been able to adapt and go with the flow. They’ve been really forgiving of the faculty and patient with us. Everyone has played a big role in making it work thus far! ”

The Houghton STAR would like to thank Professor Paul Young for providing the groundwork for this article.

Do you have any of the new professors? How are they doing? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!

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News

We Are All Houghton Project Challenges School to Listen to Past and Present LGBTQ+ Experiences at Houghton

Credit: instagram.com/weareallhoughton/

We recognize that controversy surrounding this topic is ongoing, particularly regarding the recent paintings of the Spirit Rock. The STAR is still working to prepare our coverage of those events, and would invite anyone with thoughts or information on the subject to get in touch with us at star@houghton.edu.

2020 has been a year riddled with controversy, what with the U.S. Presidential Election looming, ongoing discussions concerning the best handling of COVID-19, and protests over racial tensions still dominating the streets of cities across the country. Small, rural Houghton has not been an exception to tensions and polarization, as disagreements have been anything but tepid, especially concerning the We Are All Houghton project recently rolled out by alumni Josh Duttweiler (’15) and Amy Coon (’14). 

We Are All Houghton, presented during the alumni art exhibition RECOLLECTIVE (held September 4, 2020 to October 3, 2020 in the Ortlip Gallery), consisted of light projections of quotes by LGBTQ+ alumni around notable spots on Houghton’s Campus, including buildings like Fancher Hall, Luckey Memorial, and Wesley Chapel. Quotes came from a group of recently graduated alumni—Collin Belt (’15), Mitch Galusha (’14), Sally Jacoby Murphy (’13), Sarah Jacoby Murphy (’13), Holly Chaisson (’16), and Emilie Powles Ocock (’14)—along with some who opted to remain anonymous, including current students.  

This project incorporated an anonymous survey which encouraged any person connected to Houghton College, whose sexual orientation and/or gender identity is “unaccepted by the college”, to answer and participate in. The survey served purposes twofold: one, “to allow those who would like to participate in the show in the Ortlip gallery to do so,” as select quotes would be projected in the gallery in hopes of amplifying additional LGBTQ+ voices from the school, and two, to present findings to the college after the show’s closure, so “administration can both hear from and better understand its students,” the survey form explained. 

Along with the physical exhibit in the Ortlip Gallery, the project has a website, weareallhoughton.com, as well as a page on Instagram (@weareallhoughton) which currently has 705 followers (as of Monday, October 5). The website explains the background and purposes of the project, introduces the alumni involved, and links to the survey. The Instagram page portrays photographs of several of the projections as well as quotes submitted as part of the survey. 

As the website explains, the project was largely in response to Houghton College’s involvement in the Supreme Court Cases regarding interpretation of Title VII and Title IX. The Supreme Court, in August 2020, concluded that firing an employee on the basis of being gay or transgender constitutes a violation of the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is pertinent because it interprets that Title VII protects LGBTQ+ Employees. Houghton College’s involvement, which became known to a group of alumni in August of 2019, was as an amicus curiae. Essentially, this means that they provided insight or a perspective to the court that they might not have considered or been aware of. The position that the amici took, which included Houghton College, was that the language in Title VII (which also relates to Title IX), does not and should not include protection for LGBTQ+ employees. 

After hearing of this, a group of alumni wrote a letter to President Shirley Mullen to voice their disappointment, both in Houghton’s decision to sign on the amicus brief, as well as their lack of communicating about it to current students and alumni. President Mullen responded, saying “The reason that Houghton signed the amicus brief was to say that the petitioner’s claims should be reviewed in Congress…The question at stake is whether the very best way to provide protection for LGBTQ persons is to ground that protection in the definition of ‘sex’ as that was established in Title VII and Title IX.” 

The exhibit was in response to the college’s involvement in these Supreme Court cases, as well as the experiences of LGBTQ+ students at Houghton at large.

Responses have been multitudinous. Mullen shared an open letter which was posted on the school’s website (see: https://www.houghton.edu/blog/an-open-letter-from-president-mullen/). This addressed the issue and also introduced the panel which they scheduled into Homecoming weekend: Houghton Alumni Family Dinner Conversations: Learning to Discuss Difficult Topics in a Polarized Context, which was held on Friday, October 2. Duttweiler was glad that this panel was being hosted, but “was disappointed that Amy and [him], as the artists of the project would not be included in any further conversation.” 

In terms of general reactions, Duttweiler and Coon expressed their overwhelmed feelings at how many positive responses they received from both participants and allies, saying they received many personal messages of gratitude for the project and, overall, received nearly 100 survey responses from LGBTQ+ current students, alumni, and staff/faculty. Duttweiler said, “their stories are heartbreaking. It’s a sobering reminder of the pain that the college’s policies have caused.” 

Of the matter, Coon shares similar sentiments, but wanted to add that she was “feeling a little disappointed in the reactions of those who are looking for a theological debate,” saying the project is not about that but rather “about truly listening to those who are hurting and learning how to sit in those feelings. I hope when people hear the hurt of their community, they then ask themselves how they can help and what they can do better instead of arguing about who is right and who is wrong.” 

Many of the responses from current students did take this theological approach in showing their disagreement with the project. 

Cory Messerschmidt (’22) believes that the project is a direct attack on the principles of the college. “The college has a God-given duty to shepherd its students…you have to truly love someone to share the truth with them, and the individuals involved with this need to hear the truth of the biblical gospel. This is a great opportunity to love them, but instead we’ve given them a platform for their attack on the college,” he said. 

Another student, Blythe Gilbert (’21), had a similar attitude, focusing more on the aspect of steering LGBTQ+ people away from “homosexuality, or any variety thereof, [which] is forbidden in the Bible.” As Messerschmidt said that Houghton should shepherd its students to the truth, Gilbert emphasized his belief that Christians are called not just to love, but to lovingly correct people to help them move closer to Christ. “To be sure, Houghton should tolerate and welcome LGBT students. I agree, certainly, that they should not be afraid to speak. However, they should not expect a Christian institution to be anything less than truly Christian.” 

Students who expressed their support of the movement focused less on theological debate and arguments, and more on their gratitude for the movement, along with acknowledging the need for support and inclusion for the LGBTQ+ members of the Houghton community. 

Emily Warner (’21) values the way that the project has called Houghton to act, both now and in the future. “Houghton has claimed to care deeply for its queer community. I would love for that to be true. We Are All Houghton is holding Houghton to its word—demanding that Houghton apologizes and does what it needs to ensure that queer students’ experiences are better in the future. I sincerely hope that Houghton will follow through and make concrete changes to care for and support the Houghton queer community, without feeling the need to remind us how wrong they think we are along the way.” 

Skye Chaapel (’23) and Caroline Zimmerman (’24) both pointed out how the project has displayed how the LGBTQ+ community is marginalized and excluded from the overall population on campus, and thus shows the “overwhelming need for [this] representation,” as Zimmerman said. The project, in giving voices to these people, both in alumni and those currently on campus, chipped away at just that. 

Another major focus of many of the supportive responses to the project was the fact that it showed the deep pain that has been inflicted on the LGBTQ+ community on campus. “There may be backlash and misunderstandings, but our classmates, friends, and people we haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet are hurting. I just hope that from this we learn to not corner someone into some category or theological argument, but learn to listen to understand,” said Rachel Caine (’23).

If nothing else, it is clear that We Are All Houghton has given voice to those who have not always had the platform to share their experiences safely, and that Houghton’s “community” may have work to do to reconcile that term we value so much with those who have felt anything but welcomed into the community here. 

Duttweiler and Coon plan to continue the project “as long as it is helpful” and are seeking feedback on how to best go about doing this in the future. 

What are your thoughts on the We Are Houghton project? Angered? Validated? Comment below or get in touch with us via Instagram, Twitter, or email (editor@houghtonstar.com)!

Categories
Stories In Focus

Behind the Scenes: Rene Stempert, Mother of Gillette

Rene Stempert is a familiar face for many on campus; most know her from her maintenance work in Gillette, but perhaps more know her as a friendly and caring role model and friend.

StempertPart of Stempert’s dedication and discipline when it comes to running the maintenance in Gillette stems from the time she spent in the Air Force and the Air National Guard. Describing her choice to head to the military as “running away from everything [she] knew,” Stempert spent about five years on active duty stationed in Louisiana. In the midst of her life in the military, Stempert married and became pregnant with her first child. While on active duty and during her pregnancy, Stempert remembers one moment that stood out from all the rest, the moment she was saved. Stempert’s husband at the time was a particularly negative force in her life, and it was her supervisor who introduced her to Christianity and eventually played a part in her conversion. Following the birth of her son, Stempert separated from her husband, and requested to be stationed closer to her home to start a new chapter of her life.

While juggling to care for her son and working at the base in Niagara Falls for the Air National Guard in 1994, Stempert met the man who would not only bring her to Houghton, but soon become her second husband. The two met and married in a matter of months, eight to be exact, and Stempert excitedly started her job at Houghton the following month.

As a new Christian, Stempert felt at home here at Houghton surrounded by people who made countless positive impacts on her life. However, after working a few years, Stempert began to realize that she too could have an impact on those around her on campus, she found herself being both having a mentor and being mentored. Stempert started with the little things, remembering her residents’ names , and she was surprised at “how much of a difference it made, especially for freshmen.”

Kayla Miller, a freshman biology major, first met Stempert when she recruited her help to deal with their unbearably squeaky beds.  Though she was expecting Stempert to keep the conversation to the squeaky beds, she was surprised at just how friendly she was.  “She didn’t just want to help us about the bed but was asking us questions and sharing with us about her life.”  Miller and her roommate enjoyed talking with Stempert as they took care of her furniture.

Making it her mission to learn the name of every girl in the dorm, Stempert continued to invest in her residents by making herself available to listen, pray, and offer support. Additionally, Stempert has gone above and beyond and has taken the initiative to invite Gillette’s RAs over to her home for dinner, where her chili was a hit.

Not only was Stempert a positive influence on her residents, she was also a strong role model. Following her divorce from her second husband, Stempert acknowledged that she “could’ve picked a number of paths,” some very negative, but instead she described herself as “giving it to God,” and let Him “carry her through it.” An experience she noted made her faith stronger than ever.

Although working in maintenance may seem like it could be a dull job most of the time, Stempert has her share of horror stories, the most memorable involving bats. Always a “scary and funny thing,” Gillette’s bat problem used to be quite significant with bats swooping through the halls in the basement New of Gillette, barely missing getting tangled up in the residents’ hair. Stempert and the rest of the maintenance staff soon discovered that with the use of a broom and a bucket, the bats could be safely and humanely removed and released back into the wild. Even though there have been measures put in place to keep the bats out, a couple occasionally wriggle their way in, making for a lively evening for Stempert and her colleagues.

Outside of the work she does at Houghton, Stempert has been a part of Campus Life Youth for Christ in Belfast for about four years. Stempert enjoys being able to work with youth outside of the college, particularly having the opportunity to “show the love of Christ through spending time with them.” Plans to start a Bible study with this group are also in the works for Stempert.  When she’s not investing her time in others, Stempert enjoys gardening immensely, as well as taking her dog Brody for walks.

 

Categories
Sports

New Tennis Coach Selected

Next fall, yet another sport will be introduced to the athletic department at Houghton: tennis. Coach Charlie Ellis will lead both the men’s and women’s teams.

Courtesy of atheletics.houghton.edu
Courtesy of atheletics.houghton.edu

Ellis has over 30 years of experience within the tennis world. He began learning what he could at a young age until he joined the tennis program at the University of Georgia. Ellis was ranked eighth in college tennis and then went on to be first in the state of Georgia, earning a World ATP top-300 ranking. From there Ellis went on to coach and then settled into the field of club management, where he has stayed for over 20 years.

The nationwide search to find Houghton’s first tennis coach was extensive and competitive, in hopes of finding a near perfect fit to Houghton’s athletic program. Athletic Director, Harold Lord, said that Ellis was ideal for this position. Lord believes that Ellis will be a “quality member to the department, campus, and community”.

Up to this point Ellis has developed numerous tennis programs for all ages and skill levels ranging anywhere from toddlers to elite adult players. He also spent time as the general manager for Sportime Fitness in Schenectady, NY where he taught lessons to over 100 players. In addition, Ellis founded Fair Play Tennis, a company dedicated to helping young athletes create individual plans to enjoy and succeed at playing the game of tennis.

Ellis approaches this new opportunity with three principles in mind. He begins with the foundation of a faith based team with players who “show a godly respect for one another.” His next principle is that each athlete will have a particular group of people who will be devoted to promoting and maintaining his or her academics. Lastly, Ellis wants the team to “enjoy the journey of getting better at tennis.”

As Ellis looks forward to the upcoming season, he is eager to be working at a college level again. He said he wants to “get as many people involved and interested as possible in embracing the game of tennis.”

Lord said that the addition of tennis will hopefully create a different atmosphere on campus, spurring students to play recreationally. He said that, “tennis is an intercollegiate sport that will last a lifetime.”

As a result of the integration of NCAA tennis into the athletic program at Houghton, the first season will have an abbreviated schedule. The season is also split, with the women’s team beginning with their Empire 8 conference meets in the fall while the men’s team participates in non-conference events. The teams will then switch in the spring.

Each team will consist of approximately 12 to 15 individuals who will play both singles and doubles matches. The season will conclude in the spring with the NCAA National Championship.

Bethany Chesebro, freshman, began playing tennis sophomore year in high school. She chose Houghton knowing that there were plans to form a tennis team. Chesebro said she is excited “about being part of a team and being challenged at a more competitive level.”

Things to Eat

When asked by prospectives what Houghtonites “do for fun,” students can direct them to the carefully worded “101 Things to Do” on the Houghton website, sporting events, CAB activities, lectures, and concert series. Or students can tell them the truth that, for the most part, they simply make their own fun, and one of the ways they do this is by preparing food. Houghton students make a lot of food.

From Muggins and waffle-ice-cream birthday concoctions in the Dining Hall to cookies, pastas, vegan muffins, banana breads, curries, rice, Mac-n-Cheese, and stir-fry, Houghton students, like so many in the world, find community through food.

Facebook is awash with pictures and comments on the food Houghton students create and share. The location and equipment of Shenawana Hall’s basement kitchen is more of a hall rumor than a source of community, but the other dorms, townhouses, and CLOs are full of students meeting their basic human needs with flare, generosity, and plenty of pure vanilla.

Courtesy of tripadvisor.com
Courtesy of tripadvisor.com

A Christian lifestyle and the Houghton location invites many to an even more thoughtful and gracious relationship to food and food sources. Shopping at the co-op embodies necessity, community, and blessing intertwined and is a lifestyle choice which engages the local economy in a stewardship-minded fashion.

Houghton students were provided with ample opportunities to explore both their relationship to food and food’s relationship to faith during PRAXIS week. The upcoming season of Lent is a time of fasting and contemplation, a chance for all participants to reevaluate their personal idols, dependences, and priorities through food restriction. Yet even during Lent, fasting is meant to be followed by feasting, and the Christian Sabbath becomes a focused time of fellowship and community.

My roommates gave me a taste of this community the other day with a spontaneous snack, made from ingredients as local as possible — our yard. They doled out “snow ice-cream,” Paula Dean-approved and Professor Lipscomb-recommended,  from a large Christmas-red bowl. We topped it with a reheated peanut-butter-and-chocolate mixture — the failed coating for a batch of Puppy Chow — and sat around the table, giggling like children and eagerly devouring the sweet, cold concoction.

So on Sundays, when your Lenten fast is put on hold for Jesus-approved feasting, make your own fun by making your own food — like snow ice cream! — to share with Houghton friends and family. To make snow ice cream: Combine 12 cups snow and one 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk. Serve with topping of choice.