Tag: Houghton

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Stories In Focus

Feature: Dean Jordan

By Jiana Martin ('26)

Dean Michael Jordan has been Houghton’s full-time Dean of the Chapel for 12 years. Additionally, he works half-time as a professor for various theology and biblical literature classes. After marrying his wife, Jill, and graduating from Houghton in the class of ‘99, he attended seminary and earned his master’s in 2002 from Eastern Baptist Theological Seminary. For the next seven years, he pastored the Exton Community Baptist Church Church in Exton, PA, and returned to school to earn his Doctorate. In 2009, he received his Ph.D. in Liturgical Studies from Drew University. 

“I like that I get to have a pastoral connection with any student that wants one,” Dean Jordan thoughtfully replied. 

Dean Jordan enjoys being a teacher, but his role as a pastor has allowed him to have a different type of relationship with anybody who wants to “just talk.” In regards to students, he can connect with them and get to know them as people without worrying about their academic achievements.

As for Dean Jordan’s favorite places on campus, he really likes how the new Spiritual Life office turned out. In general, he enjoys quiet, sacred and sanctuary spaces, such as the prayer chapel space in the basement of the Wesley Chapel. 

“I also like how outdoorsy Houghton is and I like having so much that is walkable and breathable,” Dean Jordan added. 

Last Thursday, Jan. 18, Dean Jordan spoke at the first faculty lecture of the semester, based on his upcoming book, “Worship in an Age of Anxiety.” This is his first book and he is excited for its release later this year on June 2. 

“I have always valued writing,” Dean Jordan commented and was encouraged by his friend, a professor from Yale, to write a book. 

A couple of years ago, InterVarsity Press reached out to him about a series they were planning to do called Dynamics of Christian Worship. This gave him the opportunity to put pen to paper. The first part of the book looks at anxiety and discusses how churches have often talked about it in the past. Dean Jordan explains that the book contemplates the question: What are some ways that churches can do what we do in a way that is more anxiety informed?

During his lecture, Dean Jordan talked about the prevalence of anxiety and how it has increased in American culture over the past 20 years. He also touched on what people are learning when they get help for anxiety and in what ways the church helps or hurts them. 

Dean Jordan hopes the lecture was a good opportunity for attendees to start reflecting more conscientiously on the ways they practice worship.

“Hopefully, a lecture like this can help people understand some of the backstory to a lot of these worship practices and help them be a little more informed in the way they think about worship,” Dean Jordan concluded.  ★

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Opinions

The Language of Music

By Katrina Kaufman

“Where words fail, music speaks.” This was the Hans Christian Anderson quote on my piano teacher’s wall before coming to Houghton. This is a quote that many musicians likely have come across, and while it may be overdone, it is not incorrect. Music contains power. Music can both heighten and express emotion. According to a neuroscientist, music has the power to rewire your brain chemistry. In my own life, music has helped me to process emotions as well as process hard truths in life. Music is soothing as well. We see this in the Bible when David soothes Saul’s inner demons. I recently learned that musicians are hired to choose/compose the best music in advertising to make sure that even the music helps convey the exact message that the advertising company is trying to convey to their audience.

Music also has the power to connect people. When a musician is able to be vulnerable and share themselves with their audience, the audience is able to connect both with the music and the musician. The joy of performing with other musicians on stage and getting to create music together rather than alone is a fulfilling experience that is unforgettable. 

I recently had the opportunity to participate in a class discussion where we dug deeper into questioning music. Something we discussed is the idea that music is not truly essential when it comes to survival. Back in the ancient days, cavemen were struggling to survive. They were fighting to live, and yet they still made rough instruments for themselves. While music was not essential to them the way food, water, and shelter was, music still filled a less tangible need they had. Our ancestors must have felt the need to have music as a vehicle to feel connected and a sense of community, as well as the use for spiritual purposes and not just social. Keith Richard said “Music is a language that doesn’t speak in particular words. It speaks in emotions, and if it’s in the bones, it’s in the bones.” 

I believe we as humans make music because God put music inside of us. I believe I experience a little of God’s glory and awe when I am filled with awe soaking up all the beautiful music at a symphony. I also feel a sense of beauty and awe in my soul when I am listening to a beautiful soft rock song and feel a progression and cadence happening in the music. 

Another aspect of music that I love is its healing properties. Music helps people in their suffering. Music helps people to feel and process their emotions. Music also helps people to feel understood and validated in their suffering, therefore making them feel less alone and more seen and validated. One of the wonderful things about music is its ability to meet a person where they are at. A song that expresses the emotion or idea that a person is experiencing can help that person find more meaning in their suffering and give them courage to keep moving forward.

Most importantly, music can connect us to God through the act of Worshiping. Koin is an excellent way at Houghton to experience connecting to God through Worship music. As a Performance major, I have been exploring what it means to worship God through the act of pursuing excellence in music as an act of worship and devotion. I really appreciate the atmosphere at the Greatbatch School of Music and how the music professors live out what it means to be a Christian musician who is making music for God’s glory rather than a secular music school that provides an environment where self-glorification is easy to pursue, or where music is worshiped rather than God. I value GSOM’s commitment to putting Christ first and creating a healthy environment to grow aspiring musicians. ★

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Opinions

Good Tidings & Good Grief

By Molly Connolly

As the holiday season runs its course, we see familiar scenes of warmth: being wrapped up in flannel and knit blankets, lilting melodies drifting through the air with warm sugar and spice scents swirling around us. We see friends and family gathered around tables filled with favorite foods as good conversation and love abounds. However, in those beautiful moments of fellowship and company, it can sometimes make the spaces once taken up by loved ones who aren’t with us anymore that much more obvious.

Grief in a season marketed on the basis of curating an exuberant display of joy, excitement and sociability can make an already incredibly complex experience that much more difficult to process. The ever-looming pressure to be a chipper Kris Kringle for Christmas can make the growing and groaning of grief feel Grinchy. If we’re lucky enough to not be the ones grieving, which can be complicated in its own right, seeing friends, family or loved ones in pain, being distant, or just not quite being themselves can be tense, awkward or even isolating, not just for us, but for all involved. 

I want to encourage all of us to take those tense or awkward moments, or the moments where we feel alone in our grief, and embrace the heart of our hurt. When we are missing the loved ones we no longer gather with, I want us to reflect on the memories and traditions we had with them. Continue those traditions or make new ones in remembrance of them. Allow yourself to be sad, angry, and hurt when those feelings come up. You do not owe anyone the comfort of convenient emotions, and you deserve to feel fully and deeply in all circumstances.

 For those who are not grieving but have someone close to us who is living with grief, don’t be afraid to be beside them at this time. Be a constant and supporting presence. Ask them about their lost loved one. Don’t force a silver lining, but give them a way to share the love they have for the person they are missing. In those moments we are given the bittersweet blessing of getting to share this love, and learn about the love we wouldn’t have been able to experience without that person.

There isn’t any right way to process loss and there isn’t a set way to support someone going through that process, but I urge each and every one of us to take those opportunities to grow closer together rather than to shy away from those “uncomfortable” or “inconvenient” emotions. Instead, embrace it all throughout the holiday season. Ways we can incorporate the grieving process can take a myriad of different forms, whether that’s trying to follow their famous cookie recipe, watching their favorite Christmas movie, singing along to their favorite seasonal songs, hanging up their stocking and filling it with some of their favorite snacks. Regardless of its form, let that love be lifted up in ways the season already encourages. Let laughter, tears, and everything in-between flow freely and make space for those feelings to be felt for those around you. ★

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Campus News

Christmas Prism

Christmas Prism Photo - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

Houghton’s Christmas Prism will be held on Friday, Dec. 1, at 7:30 p.m. at the Victory Highway Wesleyan Church, and on Saturday, Dec. 2, at 8 p.m. in the John & Charles Wesley Chapel. After Saturday’s performance, there will be a After Prism Party in Van Dyk Lounge at 9:30 p.m.

The concert showcases several of Houghton’s music ensembles such as the Men’s and Women’s Choir, Symphony Orchestra and soloists. 

The ensembles have been preparing for months, and are looking forward to seeing their work come together. 

Freshman Zoe Zachery (‘27) expressed excitement for her first choir concert at Houghton. While she’s excited, she explained how it is also nerve-wracking due to Prism’s commendable reputation. 

Zachery stated, “The most challenging part of preparing for prism is the memorization of all the songs that we are performing … it’s kind of nerve racking but I know that I’m prepared. It’s just the fact that prism is such a big concert and it’s really important to people.” 

Sophomore Anthony Fry (‘26), a member of the Houghton Choir, reiterated Zachery’s statement, specifically noting that the most challenging moment for him was memorizing a song in Haitian Creole.

A member of the Women’s Choir, Sophomore Elizabeth Wertz (‘26), is looking forward to showcasing the hard work all the ensembles have put in. 

Wertz said, “The song I’m looking forward to most is called ‘What Strangers Are These?’. This song really builds and it tells an incredible story.”

Senior Kaitlin Kleinau (‘24) appreciated the efforts of her choir director, Dr. Kevin Dibble, to keep their heads in the right place before performance. 

Kleinau wrote, “Dr. Dibble always reminds his ensembles, during prayer and devotional time right before the concert, to be present, spiritually and emotionally. The audience before us will never be the same group again, and our peers will be ever-changing. However, God is with us in this moment, and we simply have to make music for Him. If we can reach one soul because of our worship, then all praise be to God.”

Wertz hoped that the audience would not only enjoy the concert but take away something valuable. 

“I hope,” Wertz wrote, “that the audience will be able to see God’s glory from our performance and realize that nothing is possible without Him. He is the reason for our successes, and He is the one that should be praised.” ★

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Campus News

Houghton Announces Spring 2024 Commencement Speaker

Commencement Speaker - Courtesy of Marketing and Communications
By Joshua Carpenter ('24)

Today, Dec. 1, Houghton administration announced that Dr. Wayne Schmidt was selected as the commencement speaker for the senior class of spring 2024.

President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. met Schmidt early in his presidency and has been working closely with him ever since. When the time came to select a commencement speaker for the Class of 2024, there was more that stood out to Lewis than Schmidt’s experience in pastoral ministry and higher education.

“In addition to being the capable leader of our Wesleyan movement in North America,” says Lewis, “[Schmidt] is a trusted friend and mentor … I thank God for his continued guidance and encouragement as a Christian leader, husband, and father.”

Serving as General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church since 2016, Schmidt has attended various Board Meetings over the years, which is how he met Provost David Davies.

“While we’ve not had extensive interaction,” says Davies, “I’ve found him to be a humble, Godly man with a clear heart for the students of Houghton University.”

Before he was elected General Superintendent, Schmidt served as the chief administrative officer of Wesley Seminary at Indiana University from 2010-2016. In 1979, he co-founded Kentwood Community Church (KCC) in the Grand Rapids, Michigan Area, first serving as a co-founding pastor and then as a senior pastor until 2009. His contributions to KCC include leadership in planting the church, as well as 10 other daughter churches across his tenure.

“With a career in both academic and church environments,” says Davies, “and a lifetime commitment to our sponsoring denomination, he is well suited to serve as Houghton’s commencement speaker.”

When asked what he would like to say to the senior class, Schmidt says, “I believe God honors a heart of humility with abundant measures of His grace. Being humble and hungry (lifelong learner) leads to fullness of life.”

For more information on Dr. Schmidt, visit his blog on the Wesleyan Church’s official website where he discusses what he has learned from 40 years of ministry. ★

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Campus News

Naughty vs. Nice Professors

Naughty & Nice Pie Chart - Courtesy of Christian Welker
By Juliana Schmidt ('25)

The results are in for the Naughty or Nice Professor Poll!

Professor Kevin Dibble of the Music department, Professor Don Wilcox of the Biology department, and Professor Hannah Kim of the Psychology department tied in third place for the Nicest professors. 

Freshman Kareena Ulfig comments on how kind Professor Kim is to her students. “She’s so sweet and thinks everyone’s ideas are worth mentioning.” 

Junior Olivia Carr adds, “She understands and asks about you daily and always incorporates our lives in class.” 

Professor Poythress took the poll (wait, was that allowed?) and wrote of  Professor Wilcox: “Prof Wilcox is the sweetest, kindest, and most eager guy to help!” 

In second place for the Nicest professor is Professor Craig Whitmore, who is the Assistant Professor of Education. 

Freshman Elizabeth Borchers comments, “[he’s e]nergetic, always willing to help and hands out minimal homework!”

In first place for the nicest professor is, unsurprisingly, Dr. Douglas Gaerte! He is a Professor of Communications at Houghton.

Senior Cody Johnson says, “Dr. Garte answers my emails faster than Santa.” 

“He is always the first to ask how you are doing, and he notices if you look upset.” Freshman Madeline Bailey states. 

Sophomore Warren Torraca says the reason he voted for Dr. Garte was because of his, “Demeanor and care for his students. He will just listen for hours or teach for hours or just talk for hours.” 

With the Nicest out of the way, time to find out who’s on the Naughty List this year!

In second place for the Naughtiest professors is Professor Kevin Dibble, making him the only professor on both the Naughty and Nice list.

Torraca says, “Oh he’s great. He just goes off on tangents and occasionally makes unhinged comments.”

Tied for first place are professors Benjamin Wheaton and Sarah Massey, although no one was brave enough to say why.

While he ultimately did not make the list, one of the funniest comments received from the poll is about Professor Jonathan Case.

Junior Faith Coolbeth states that Dr. Case deserves to be on the Naughty list because “He tried to show an episode of South Park!”

Maybe next year Dr. Case.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Poll, and a big thanks to all of the Professors. Whether Naughty or Nice, we appreciate all the work you do for Houghton. Thanks for taking part in this light-hearted competition. ★

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Columns

The Grinch (2018)

Written by: Kat Wojsiat (’24)

The Grinch (2018) was a controversial movie upon release. The 1966 Dr. Seuss story already had a classic cartoon rendition that lived in the hearts of all, and a 2000 goofy, well-known live action film featuring Jim Carrey.

When the 2018 remake was announced, many people felt as though it was unnecessary, and that Benedict Cumberbatch was not a good fit for the role of the Grinch. I, myself, did not have high hopes for the movie, and I actually didn’t even bother to watch it for the first couple of years after it was released. During the first Christmas of Covid, I was in desperate need of more Christmas movies to watch, so I gave it a try – and quickly fell in love.

The rich, vibrant colors of the animation, the aggressively intense Christmas decorations, the lack of physics, the carolers chasing people down… No movie better captures the Christmas spirit for me. It has become a yearly staple of the Christmas season for me to wrap myself in a fuzzy blanket with a peppermint hot chocolate and watch this movie. Benedict Cumberbatch’s energy is goofy and fun, but it also brings something new to the table that separates it from the first two movies.

This Grinch is given more of a backstory and a more fulfilling redemption arc. He also appreciates Max more than the previous two Grinches, which I greatly appreciate as an animal lover. I also love the addition of Bricklebaum, a jolly Christmas-loving man who lives at the bottom of Mount Crumpit and thinks he and the Grinch are best friends. It adds a psychosocial dynamic to the story of the Grinch only being able to accept love when he lets go of his deep-seeded bitterness.

One of the best things about this movie is that it is wonderfully ideal for us college students who are in the finals season leading up to Christmas, because it is only 90 minutes long. It is the perfect short, easy-to-watch, light-hearted Christmas movie to take your mind off finals for a few minutes before diving back into work, and I look forward to it every year. ★

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Opinions

Christmas Music in November

By Abigail Young

This may be an unpopular opinion, but I don’t love Christmas music. I can get into the holiday spirit as much as the next person—at least toward the end of December. However, hearing Christmas music in the early weeks of November tends to get on my nerves. It still looks like fall outside, and I don’t appreciate having early Christmas cheer encroach on my favorite season, fall. Christmas music is also largely the same every year (Mariah Carey). Especially when it’s played for two whole months before Christmas day, it can get a bit old and is not as enjoyable when it’s actually Christmas time. 

This seems to be a widely debated topic at Houghton. In the last few days and weeks, I have overheard many conversations in the dining hall, dorms, and even a chemistry lab about whether we should start playing Christmas music now or wait until after Thanksgiving. Some of these have been surprisingly heated. Those who want to start playing Christmas music in November often claim that there’s nothing wrong with enjoying a particular genre of music or beginning to celebrate Jesus’ birth early. Those who would rather wait tend to point out that much of the Christmas music being played is more related to commercialism than Christ’s birth. Personally I prefer to wait until after Thanksgiving to start playing Christmas music. This is partially due to personal preference, and I don’t think there is anything wrong with starting to play Christmas music in early November. However, I think waiting to play Christmas music until at least after Thanksgiving could help us appreciate November and Thanksgiving more and might make Christmas more meaningful. 

November at Houghton can be a difficult month. The weather is cold and miserable, and this time in the semester, October break (which was too short anyway) is far behind, while Thanksgiving break is not close enough. We have deadlines closing in and an endless burden of assignments to finish. Even while we may enjoy friendships, classes, and the many other gifts Houghton has to offer, a lot of us are waiting for classes to end and Christmas break to start. Some people probably start playing Christmas music in early November to feel happier and start looking forward to the Christmas season. However, I think playing Christmas music this early may cause us to skip over November to get to Christmas, and I think there is something to be said for living in the present moment, even if the present moment isn’t our favorite. Even though November can be cold, stressful, and boring, there are still good things happening. It might be harder to appreciate those good things if we are already starting to celebrate Christmas. Waiting to play Christmas music might help us look forward to and enjoy Thanksgiving more, which is sadly often overlooked. Also, spending some time waiting before starting the celebratory aspect of Christmas might help us to appreciate Christmas more and understand the meaning of it better when it does come. 

Waiting is a theme of the Christian life, especially during Advent, where we remember how the Israelites waited for a Messiah and also how we are waiting for Christ’s return. I have often heard in chapel and elsewhere at Houghton that waiting is something that can help us grow and become closer to God. November can also be a time of waiting. I think we often want to skip over things that are boring, unpleasant, or cause us to wait. However, even though November is not the most pleasant month, maybe we could use it as a time to grow and specifically try to notice God’s presence within us. ★

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Campus Stories In Focus

Willard J. Houghton Library

Library Second Floor - Courtesy of Christian Welker
By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Willard J. Houghton Library comprises about 200,000 physical books and an online database with roughly 50,000 journals and 600,000 ebooks. The library is not just limited to research materials, as there is a childrens and young adult library in the basement and a collection of movies and players on the main floor. There are several study rooms and reading rooms throughout the library with an archival room in the basement. 

Susannah Denham (‘26) remarked, “The library space itself is a great place to study or relax with coloring books and puzzles.” 

Houghton’s library contains archives of the Houghton STAR, other periodicals and The Boulder, Houghton’s yearbook. In addition, the Music Library in the Center for the Arts  contains over 11,000 scores, a collection of music reference works, composer works and a collection of musical sound recordings. 

The Director of Libraries and Information Resources, David Stevick stated, “The goal is to create a welcoming space to study . . . to provide research help at the desk and online and sometimes teach workshops or in classes.” 

Academic departments, who assist with the development of research collection, partner with library staff. Photographic equipment that can be used for digital and photography classes. Professors can request materials to be held for their classes, which students can then pursue. Students can go into the library to find assistance or look for these resources on their own both in person and online on the databases. 

Doyin Adenuga, the Electronic Resources Librarian, explained, “When it comes to online resources, part of it is ensuring the access to the journals and maintaining the library website by updating information on the home page.” 

However, if there are articles or books that are not available at Houghton’s library, students can make a request through the interlibrary loan which can request materials from several other library databases.

Anna Catherman (‘26)  stated, “Interlibrary loan has been picking up . . . you can request anything and the librarians will do their best to find it.” 

Currently, the main project is converting the Woolsey Library in Chamberlain into the basement of the main library. These books will be added to the children’s and young adult books already in the Children Literature Room. 

Ciciley Haslem (‘25) explained that “each book now needs to be processed, stickered with the identification and call number, stamped and given a due date slip.” 

This move allows all young adult and children’s books to be in one location but to also keep better track of when the books are checked out. This will help students if they are looking for a particular book. This also helps limit duplication and allows for new books to potentially be brought into the library. 

Anna Catherman (‘26) encouraged everyone to, “Come in, we are there as resources . . . It makes us so happy when someone checks out a book for fun.” ★

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Campus News

Thanksgiving At Houghton

Thanksgiving fall graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Olivia Kleinau ('23)

On Oct. 9, Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated at Houghton University, Rothenfeast occurred on Nov. 11, and Gillette Thanksgiving will be hosted on Nov. 18 in the KPAC.

“Canadian thanksgiving is attached to the harvest celebration in Canada,” Ethan McCarthy (‘25) shared, “since our harvest starts earlier [than] it generally does in the states. It became a national holiday in 1879 as a way to thank God for the harvest. It happens the second Monday of October.”

Houghton University celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving with all Canadian students who wish to join. McCarthy explained that it’s a positive way to have staff and students come together to celebrate, it especially helps to break barriers down between them.

Rothenfeast is a tradition started for the residents of the men’s dorm Rothenbuhler to share a thanksgiving meal. 

Andrew Hotchkiss (‘24), an RA of Roth, explained that Rothenfeast is an opportunity for the men to gather and have, “a time focused on giving thanks, it helps all residents remember what they are blessed with, including each other. This helps the community grow together even more.” 

Although Hotchkiss isn’t entirely sure how the tradition got started, he stated, “my freshman year it was treated like an old tradition so I imagine it has been around for a long time.”

In terms of preparation, Hotchkiss explained that it is a straightforward process, “We have people register on campus groups, then we send a list to Mets and they do a meal exchange for those people.” 

When it comes to activities, Hotchkiss added, “We usually have board games, some video games, and an outdoor game like flag football or ultimate frisbee. It is an opportunity for the guys of Roth to get together and show thanks for everything this community has to offer, education, friends, and Christ-centered interactions.”

However, Rothenfeast is not just for the residents of Roth.     

“The Custodians of the dorm,” Hotchkiss explained, “Are invited to the meal since they do so much good work for all of us in the dorms.”

Jenna Strahan (‘24), an RA of Gillette, explained that Gillette Thanksgiving is a “tradition done for many years where we get together for a space and have dinner together. In the past there’s been activities, we’re not just eating a meal, also playing games and spending quality time together.”

Strahan also said this is a great way to be together during a busy semester and that it helps to reconnect people. 

The RA’s have met to discuss the preparation process and also how to best accommodate everyone. Similarly to Hotchkiss, Strahan’s favorite part of the thanksgiving gathering is the community. 

Strahan shared, “My favorite part is the community aspect of it people choosing to be with one another and have those connections shared over a meal.” ★