Tag: Houghton

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Opinions

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

By Elizabeth Sutay

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

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

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

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

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Stories In Focus

Feature: STARbot 9000 (STAR April Fools 2023)

Houghton University as seen by STARBot
by STARbot 9000

Due to several non-financial reasons, The Administration of Houghton University is introducing a new plan to replace the Houghton STAR’s Editing and Writing Team with Artificial Intelligence. This is a test of the STARBot system discussing President Wayne D. Lewis’ response to the recent controversy:

Houghton University recently experienced a major conflict involving the Board of Trustees and faculty and students. The faculty wanted the Board of Trustees to prevent the University’s President from implementing new policies. However, President Bill Guerrera told the Board that faculty and students could vote against the new policies. The faculty did not agree to the President’s request. The Board backed down and agreed to allow the faculty and students to vote on the creation of a student union.

The Jules L. Bailey Alumni House, originally built in 1931, is located at the corner of High and Bainbridge streets in downtown Houghton. The house was the home of Dr. Jules L. Bailey, a Houghton native who graduated from Houghton College in 1875. Bailey is best remembered for his involvement in the family business, the creation of the mining industry, and for his early involvement in the Latter-day Saint movement in Houghton, which resulted in his founding of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The home has since been restored and is a tourist destination for the Houghton community.

The Kishwaukee Chamber of Commerce will recognize 40 graduates from the business program during its 38th Annual Golf Outing and Awards Dinner on Friday, May 26, at The Villages Golf Course. Out of 40 graduates, 36 have found employment, three are still searching for a job and the other one is employed full time and volunteering in his community. Graduates from the engineering and management program will receive special recognition.

Four local business owners have joined together to form an economic revitalization group. The six-member group will meet with the Houghton-based private sector business owners to “share ideas, create a vision and develop a plan to further the prosperity of Houghton and our surrounding communities. The group’s initial focus will be on rural economic development.”

“A business group has been needed in our community for years. Having one now will be helpful for revitalization efforts in our towns. It’s never too late to make the change that is right for a community and that is the mindset I hope this group will have.” said Laurie Maulden, vice president of Kishwaukee Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

The group’s by-laws will include a corporate director from each business’ group (two from Ewing-Morton, two from Delavan, two from Kewanee and one from Hancock) that will direct and oversee the group. The corporate director will assist in the development of committees, oversee fundraising efforts, chair monthly meetings, and serve as spokesperson for the group.

If you or your business group is interested in joining the Kishwaukee Business Group, contact a Chamber of Commerce representative at 309-822-8366 or KWCCinfo@KishwaukeeChamber.org.

The district also saw a change in school board member April Jeffs. She was elected to the school board in April to replace Wayne Rine. Jeffs has worked as the principal at Richfield Elementary School for the past three years and is a 1987 graduate of Houghton High School.

Juvenile cases that were referred to the Houghton Police Department have decreased by 24.5 percent compared to 2016. These cases, which consist of both Houghton and Kewanee students, primarily involve various forms of violence. The most prevalent cause of these cases is possession of marijuana or other drugs. The Houghton Police Department takes a zero-tolerance approach when it comes to illegal drugs.

With graduation on the horizon, the Houghton-area social calendar is filling up. The Houghton Public Library hosted their Third Annual Graduation ceremony on May 10. The district had two graduating classes: Houghton High School and Richfield Elementary School. The Richfield Elementary School graduation will be held at 11 a.m. on June 7, in the Library. This is a fun and exciting event for families of Houghton students!

Houghton College graduation ceremonies will be held on Friday, June 9 and Saturday, June 10. High school and college students will be.

If you have any feedback on how the STARBot system did.

Keep it to yourself. Silence is Golden. ★

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News

A Star is Born (We Are One) (STAR April Fools 2023)

A Rendering of the Phenomena Based on Chaapel's Description -- Courtesy of Savanna Stitt
By Jax Johnson

The strangest of occurrences were reported over the past weekend. Word has spread that a bright light was seen originating from the Houghton STAR office. This bright light was first discovered by Senior Skye Chaapel late one night. They explained the events saying, “As I was walking to the printer one night, past the STAR office, I noticed an odd glow coming from their door’s window.  It was a strange, bluish white glow.  When I peeked my head into view of the window, I saw something that I would never believe if I hadn’t seen it for myself.  The members of the STAR were turning INTO a star in front of my very eyes!  I watched as things started to melt in their office from the heat.  I had to back away otherwise I might have started to melt!” It is quite a relief that Chaapel got away from the situation without harm. The office itself was another question, which certainly required further investigation. 

After getting hearing from Chaapel, I knew this issue needed an expert. I decided to call on Houghton’s own private investigator Hans Rothenbulah and we met to discuss the Star office oddities. “As I vuz vawking past zuh Star Office, I noticed a peculiah light emanating from inside. I tried zuh door vunce, but it vuz locked, so I vent back to my uhzer inwestigation for zeez miniscule Kuhs,” he explained while holding out a few tiny plastic cows with 4-22 written on them. 

Multiple reports note that members of the STAR staff have been acting strangely. But becoming a real star? That is certainly fascinating news. Thankfully Chaapel is not alone in their reports.  Junior Johanna Lamont noted that she recently found that the editors of the STAR have not been their usual selves. 

“It’s weird but the star editors have been acting super odd recently. I can’t put my finger on the change but something is different I guarantee.” Lamont continued by expressing that the editors have had a particularly glowing presence recently. 

Unfortunately, the cameras within the office seem to have melted, so more information as to the incident Chaapel witnessed cannot be fully ascertained, but it is clear that something odd is happening in that room. This article is one that may leave more questions than answers.  Do they all share the same thoughts, or does each point of the star function separately?  Who is going to pay for the melted cameras? How much heat does a STAR editor give off? Are members of the Lantern at risk of a similar affliction? It seems that only time, and perhaps some bright STAR editors may hold the answers. ★

We Are One

We Are One

We Are One

We Are One

We Are One

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News

Mac Lab Mannequin Mishaps (STAR April Fools 2023)

An Artistic Rendering of what Joshua Experienced -- Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Joshua Carpenter

Last night, Mar. 30, Junior Joshua Carpenter was found in the MacLab ceiling bound from the neck down in computer cables.  

The first responder on the scene was Safety and Security Guard Todd Williamson, who only works at night due to a restraining order he received from hunting down and restraining scan-and-scrammers during chapel.

“I don’t know how else to explain it,” says Mr. Williamson, “but there was this weird monster-like growl coming from the MacLab as soon as I entered the Chamberlain Center.” 

Although by the time Mr. Williamson arrived at the MacLab, the growling stopped. 

“Then there was nothing,” says Mr. Williamson. “Out of fear, I spun around my Houghton-issued Red Ryder BB gun and checked the room for any potential threats.” 

By the time Mr. Williamson had cleared the room, he heard struggling from above, which was immediately followed by Carpenter’s bound body breaking through the ceiling and falling on the floor in front of Mr. Williamson. 

“It scared me pale,” says Mr. Williamson. “The kid nearly fell on my head he was so close to me. I tried to see if he was alright, but the fall had knocked him unconscious.” 

Covering Carpenter’s mouth was a thick layer of duct tape. After peeling the tape from Carpenter’s mouth, Mr. Williamson listened in confusion as Carpenter screamed in terror. 

“It was like he was looking right through me – in the gaping hole that became of the ceiling, in which there was nothing, nothing until there appeared something so horrible that defies all logic. Out from there, in the dark space above us, peeked the head of a woman with long black hair, but with the plastic face of a mannequin.” 

However, in the next instant, the face retreated into the ceiling as Mr. Harrison rushed Carpenter out of the MacLab and into the night. 

After Mr. Williamson saw to Carpenter’s health, they immediately reported the incident to The Houghton STAR’s News Editor, Joshua Carpenter (‘24), who has no relation to the previously described Carpenter. In the interview that followed, it was discovered that the MacLab has a small civilization of mannequin heads in its ceiling.  

Free of his cable bounds by the heroism of Mr. Williamson, Carpenter describes what he saw dwelling in the dark recess of the MacLab’s ceiling: 

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe… Mannequins on fire in the ceiling of the MacLab… I watched plastic talk in the dark while I was the only human around. All those moments will haunt me in time, like eyes that never close.” 

Mr. Williamson shared concerns of his own, for himself, Carpenter, and any other student who may fall victim to the mannequins in the ceiling. 

“Yeah, what he said.” 

As of today, Mar. 31, Mr. Williamson has resigned from his position of Safety and Security guard and has retired to a remote location to live out the rest of his life with his wife.  

Carpenter, however, is nowhere to be found. All that is known of his whereabouts is that he left the Campus Center in the direction of the rising sun. 

His last known words were as follows: 

“Beware of Gwendolyn.” ★

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Columns

SPOT 2023 Review

By Lexi Brown

VBS has come to college! I grew up where VBS was a “suggested opportunity” for me every summer, and even though the activities were always bordering on being way too cheesy, I ended up with good memories to look back on every time. SPOT this year was just as memorable and had the same goofy playfulness that I miss from childhood. Veggie Tales was always a family favorite for car rides, and as the band, Archibalding, played during SPOT, I definitely found forgotten lyrics springing to mind at the start of a simple riff. Hearing an audience full of college students scream the lyrics to We are the Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything was certainly not what I expected from my college experience, but I didn‘t know it was missing  until I heard everyone singing all around me. I also found myself making some serious eye contact with Bob, Larry, and Junior Asparagus, who were all wonderfully painted and decorating the stage. 

A couple of key musical moments: Archibalding was not the only band to rock out to some fan favorites this SPOT. They also were not the only ones balding! The “Dad Band” took the stage and played a couple classic 80s hits, and I definitely wouldn’t be surprised to see an animated meme of Dean Jordan jumping making its way around campus. I had never heard our a cappella club sing before, but quite enjoyed their rendition of Pentatonix’ Hallelujah, and look forward to seeing more performances from them. Bunnies (with an honorable mention to Shua’s fluffy companion) also invaded the chapel in a very suave and mysterious way and played songs that had the audience singing and laughing along with them. They really did come dressed to impress. Also impressive, Nuri returned with a violin accompaniment this year and sang about the preciousness of a mother’s love. 

From parodies on the popular Netflix series Cunk on Earth to Blair Witch-esque footage from Paine to the emotional trauma of class evaluations, the short films submitted were all funny, well done, and relatable, even though I’m sure no one has broken any of the Houghton PDA standards. Keep those 11 bibles on hand!  I’ll also be sure to keep my eye out for little German cows from now on. 

The hosts, Julianna and Anna, led some classic VBS activities, such as sword drills to see who’s the best at finding a Bible verse, and a cowboy-themed chair-wrangling competition complete with on-theme cowboy hats. They also sat around a campfire as Caleb See told a scary story, and they challenged faculty in a Bible trivia game that, as far as I could tell, was extremely fair and definitely not rigged. Thank you to both of them for creating this memorable SPOT!

The show closed out with the announcement from a wildly expressive puppet Luckey that Roth was this year’s winner of Hall Brawl. John announced his retirement with an unexpected villain redemption arc that left us wondering who could ever take his place? See ya at SPOT next year for more memories and to discover who’s to walk in his footsteps! ★

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Opinions

Spiritual Life at Houghton

By Kat Wojsiat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Stories In Focus

Feature: Linda Knapp

By Anna Catherman

The Ortlip Gallery is one of the highlights of Houghton University’s campus. For years, the gallery was managed by the art department. It gained new leadership, however, when Linda Knapp took on the role of Gallery Director in August 2022. As the Gallery Director, Knapp has taken a huge burden off the art professors and helped the gallery thrive post-pandemic.

Each academic year, five different shows are held. Each show requires planning, advertising, lighting, set-up and tear-down work, and more. This fall, Knapp worked with acclaimed painter Nick Blosser and alumnus Craig Proulx,  who collects valuable mid-19th century David Roberts lithographs. In the spring, the Faculty Art Show, Student Art Show, and Senior Show are all packed in. Each gallery opening is a labor of love, reflecting the creativity of the artist(s) and hard work of the gallery crew.

Knapp is aided by three gallery assistants, including junior Aubree Niles, sophomore Aubrey Armes, and senior Danae Jarrett. Niles noted that getting “[t]o work with Linda and the other gallery assistants has been incredible. We have bonded so well and so quickly.”

Knapp echoed similar statements, praising her assistants for their great work. “They kinda taught me,” she chuckled, explaining she hadn’t had much experience with running art shows before starting her position.

While Knapp is new to curating gallery experiences, she isn’t new to Houghton or the art world. A fourth-generation “Houghtonite”, Knapp’s grandmother, Aileen Ortlip Shea, was the first art professor in Houghton’s fledgling art department.. Knapp grew up in the art world, but wasn’t  trained as an artist or curator until recently. “I wasn’t an art major,” she explained. Instead, she majored Bible and Intercultural Studies at Houghton before completing graduate studies in Anthropology at Colorado State University. Still, she has a love for art. While she dabbles in a bit of sketching of her own, she focuses on uplifting others’ works.

Former Gallery Director and Professor of Digital Media and Photography Ryann Cooley was very appreciative of the work Knapp has done with the gallery. He shared that previously he was juggling the gallery alongside his normal class load and chairing the art department. “I couldn’t give to the gallery what it needed to be.”

Knapp, he noted, “is doing a great job.” 

“She’s bringing in a level of professionalism that’s very welcome,” Cooley said.

One of the highlights has been the emphasis placed on opening receptions. Exhibits that include gallery talks have been able to grant Around the Table credits, and have been drawing larger crowds than gallery openings have in years. Refreshments have also been a crowd-pleading addition.

Knapp has been overwhelmed by the campus community’s responsiveness to the art gallery’s events. With the gallery openings at capacity or even overflowing, she noted that it has been so meaningful to stand shoulder-to-shoulder in “a sacred place” to support artists and learn about their work. ★

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News

Lyric Theater’s “Into the Woods”

"Into the Woods" Cast Members rehearsing -- Credit Savannah Stitt
By Abigail Bates

Starting March 30 – this Thursday – at 7 p.m., four performances of Lyric Theatre’s “Into the Woods” will be held in the Wesley Chapel. Following opening night, March 31 and April 1 have a show at 7 p.m., with a matinee at 2 p.m. on Saturday.

“We’ve been rehearsing since January, and we actually cast the show–we had auditions and everything back last November,” says Professor Amanda Cox, director of the musical.

Professor Cox does this so singers have time to start preparing their characters and music, especially for a more complicated musical like “Into the Woods”, a musical written by James Lapine, with music by Stephen Sondheim.

Singers spent about two weeks learning the music, and then they created staging. After this step, the singers layered in who their role’s character is, and how to interact with other characters onstage.

“It’s like building blocks, but if you skip some of the bottom ones, the whole thing’s gonna fall down,” Professor Cox laughs.

The remaining steps are props, costumes, and everything else, including the pit orchestra conducted by Dr. Timothy McGarvey. He’s responsible for keeping the show moving through cues to singers in the more complicated portions of Stephen Sondheim’s melodies.

“He [Sondheim] is a very inventive and creative, and kind of–difficult to learn sometimes–composer. He makes really interesting rhythmic choices that are unexpected,” Professor Cox comments.

Singers have to simultaneously learn the notes and rhythms while training their brains to anticipate different and unexpected rhythms. On top of this, Professor Cox explains, the singers are memorizing the lyrics and dialogue, as this musical contains an even mix of dialogue and lyrics.

Key difficulties for the singers lie in counting correctly to begin on time and singing in the right places during group numbers.

Junior Josey Ikker (‘24) is double cast for the role of Red with Grace Vuolo (‘24). Ikker  practices  memorizing lines and lyrics by playing the music or scene on repeat and listening to the line before hers for timing. As she’s worked with her role, she has formed a deeper understanding of Red.

“With Red,” Ikker says, “she does have that level of innocence, like there’s more innocence in her than how I’ve pictured it when I first watched the show. And you see her as, like, this very innocent girl at first. But then, as the story continues, you kinda see, like that small sense of the dark sense of humor that she has.”

“Into the Woods” is a story about humanity and choices, Professor Cox says. It’s about seeing others as human and trying to empathize and understand the choices they make, even if you disagree in the end.

“My favorite thing of sharing with an audience,” Professor Cox says, “is always just the absolute magic and power of theater to invite people to think about things that they didn’t know they were gonna think about when they walked in the door. It’s like, a little bit subversive, but in a good way.” ★

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News

Around the World in a Night

"Around the World in a Night" poster -- Courtesy of Isabella Paschalis 
By Victoria Hock

          On Saturday from 7-9 p.m., in the Center for the Arts Atrium, the Intercultural Student Association (ISA) will host their annual “Around the World in a Night” event.

           ISA Cabinet Member and Junior Christianna Fisk notes that “ISA’s mission is to help students of various cultural backgrounds form strong relationships built on healthy cross-cultural communication.”

          According to Fisk, “This event [Around the World in a Night] is a celebration of international cultures, especially focused on those represented here on campus.” She further adds, “We have gathered a group of intercultural students and faculty who hope to share some impressions of their culture with the larger Houghton community.”

           At Around the World in a Night, Fisk says attendees can expect participants to share various activities and snacks from continents throughout the world.

          Junior Grace Vuolo is one of the students who will participate in this event. She will represent Columbia, where her Grandad, a first-generation immigrant to America, was born. 

Vuolo remarked that she is “proud” of her Grandad’s “tenacity in searching out and working hard for a new life,” and is excited to represent her and her Grandad’s heritage.

           She also feels that this event is an important one because “it helps educate and inform other University students of different cultures that they may not be familiar with in sheltered and privileged America, and two, it helps the University students representing their heritage to remember and be proud of where their family comes from, all geographically, culturally, and historically.”

          Fisk expressed similar sentiments, saying, “Around the World in a Night is meant to foster awareness of multiculturalism and be a time of joyful engagement with people whose stories are meant to be valued.”

           Those who want to learn about the different cultures at Houghton while experiencing various activities and enjoying snacks should stop by Around the World in a Night this Saturday evening. ★

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News

Houghton Buffalo Closes

Houghton Buffalo students and faculty gather for picture -- Courtesy of Jannatul Noshin
By Sarah Burton

On Jan. 23, 2023, President Lewis visited Houghton University Buffalo and announced that they would not be accepting any new students to the commuter campus. It was first opened in 2014, and this news has come as a shock to many. In a letter published on Jan. 24, he explains the reasons behind the situation.

The Buffalo Extension Site was not approved to become a Center when President Lewis first applied for it to become one in 2021. Part of the process for it to be approved was consulting existing colleges and universities within the city of Buffalo. 

Erie Community College, Buffalo State College, and Niagara County Community College objected to Houghton Buffalo, thinking that Houghton’s approval would be, as President Lewis paraphrased, “detrimental to existing institutions” in the area.

Due to this kind of backlash in Buffalo, approval was halted and made increasingly more difficult. According to President Lewis, “[Houghton Buffalo] was notified on Dec. 27, 2022 that it would not be approved as an Extension Center.” If Houghton were to continue the fight for approval, the master plan for the entire University would have to change.

He states at the conclusion of his letter that “while we will no longer admit new students in Buffalo… Houghton remains steadfastly committed to our current students… and we will serve them through completion of their Houghton degrees.”

Interim Dean of Houghton University Buffalo Steve Strand describes the loss that is felt by faculty, staff, and students alike, saying that “They [Faculty and Staff] are very committed to the work here… [they] feel a sense of loss because they are intensely motivated by a strong sense of mission to serve students.”

Student Financial Services Specialist Ginny Dadaian also remarks on this sense of loss, showing true passion in her responses. 

“I love Houghton University,” she exclaimed. “All across the US, private and public colleges and universities are struggling, unfortunately Houghton University is a victim of this wave.”

Dadaian, as well as several students, remarked on the impact of surrounding schools in the Buffalo area on the closing of Houghton Buffalo.

 “I was thinking about furthering my education after my two year degree, but now I don’t know what to do,” states David Elliot, a sophomore. 

Many of the students from Houghton Buffalo express deep concern for the branch’s closure. In particular, Desiree Radford has decided to take full course loads for both semesters of 2023, as well as a summer session to complete her degree by the winter. 

“Even though President Lewis promised that we would all be able to complete our degree plan,” Radford says, “I just don’t have faith in that promise anymore.”

Radford also expresses the worries of the student body of Houghton Buffalo, stating “I am left to wonder why minorities always get the short end of the stick. I am very happy being at Houghton Buffalo, but I don’t feel like I am a part of Houghton University. So, I am very sickened by this decision.”

Many students from Houghton Buffalo are deeply concerned about the future of their education and the lack of resources they have now, upon hearing of the closing of their school. Transportation is an issue for several and there is a distinct lack of trust many feel, with many saying the student body wasn’t aware or involved until the visit made by President Lewis.

The closing of Houghton University Buffalo shocked many in the community. It has also challenged the community, with many mixed feelings from faculty, staff, and students about the situation. Its lasting impact has yet to be seen, with some expressing hope for the future and others suffering from a severe sense of grief and discontent. ★