Tag: Houghton

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After Houghton: Seniors Accepted to Graduate Programs

For those of us enveloped in the familiar “Houghton bubble,” the thought of life after college can easily get crushed under more immediate obligations: Assignments, exams, delicious oven-baked cookies in the dining hall.

Inevitably, the reality of life after Houghton must be acknowledged. As graduation rapidly approaches, many students contemplate leaving as they move on to the next step of furthering their education: graduate school.

Senior Ben Murphy is one such student, going to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for a PhD in English. His ultimate goal is to become an English professor, though while at school he hopes to focus on 20th century to contemporary American literature. “I want to study post-humanism. It has to do with science studies: how science and technology may change what it means to be human.” When asked about the application process, Murphy commented, “It’s not terribly expensive, but the GRE (Graduate Record Exam) is necessary and that’s like 200 bucks…I spent a lot of time researching graduate programs…to get into the programs, you have to be really specific about the professors you want to work with in your personal statement.”

Outside of the English department, junior Rebekah Kimble is currently applying to schools in order to earn her PhD in history. For Kimble, this process has been extended and strenuous as Kimble admitted  “Right now the history job market is terrible. It’s completely flooded with people who have graduated and have a PhD.  Most of the programs I want to get in are only accepting 6-10 students into their entire history program. There are around 400 applicants per program, so I’m actually applying to 18 schools.”

However, this abysmally low acceptance rate has not deterred Kimble in the least. “I really love the subject, and I see it as an opportunity to be a Christian in a secular university… to be a witness without evangelizing per se, being an example without hitting people over the head with religion. Also, I just love researching. Going to graduate school enables me to research what I love and publish books.” Despite the current job market, Kimble has decided to pursue her passions.

Senior Abigail Bruxvoort will attend Northwestern University to procure her PhD in philosophy. Applying to a total of 11 schools, Bruxvoort described her application process: “I took the GRE last May, and I did some basic research on schools over the summer and created a list of schools to apply to. Then, in October and November I started preparing my writing sample, writing a statement of intent, and asking for letters of recommendation…The main difficulty with applying and visiting schools has been being a full time student in the midst of it all.”

When asked about her decision to go to graduate school, Bruxvoort replied, “Why am I going? Because I would happily spend the rest of my life in philosophy classrooms.”

While a PhD program may be what first comes to mind when it comes to talking about graduate school, some Houghton students have their eyes on different goals. Senior Jim Vitale anticipates working toward his Master of Divinity at Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. When asked about his future plans, Vitale responded, “I have been pursuing an interest in ministry on and off for almost eight years now, and my love for theology has only grown in my time at Houghton. I hope to use this degree to be ordained a Lutheran pastor and serve a church somewhere.”

Senior Caleb Johnson plans to attend George Mason University to further his studies in International Relations. “I’m an IR major and I love it. I want to join the Foreign Service. Graduate school will present me with opportunities and internships, and give me the experience I need to pass the Foreign Service test.”

From the science department, senior Esther Schow intends to enter Auburn University to pursue a degree in veterinary medicine.  Speaking about her passion for becoming a veterinarian, Schow commented, “I love caring in a tangible way that conjoins the academic side of science, with the emotional side of animal husbandry… since high school, I have known that I wanted to either become a doctor or veterinarian, so graduate school has always been something I assumed I would do.”

Applying for graduate school can be an arduous process which requires planning, research, time, and a moderate amount of cash, but for those with the desire, the opportunity to further their education and grab their goals is entirely worth the effort.

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News

National Sacred Honor Choir Performs at Carnegie Hall

As students returned back from break last weekend, one group of students did not look rested, though perhaps some of them looked rejuvenated.  College Choir spent this past spring break riding in a tour bus and performing in churches from Pennsylvania to Virginia and back.  From gospel music flash-mobs in King of Prussia Mall to Carnegie Hall, the College Choir generally was described as a rewarding experience by participants.

“Overall I felt that this tour was one where the choir connected the most with both each other and the music,” said senior Heather Todd, afterward, this being her third tour with College Choir.  “Our group devotional times became incredibly personal and through sharing of our connections to the text it brought us closer as a group.”  The sense of community by working and sharing together was not limited to music and spiritual growth, however.

Courtesy of media.npr.org
Courtesy of media.npr.org

According to graduate assistant Kelly Van Kirk, “Choir members stepped up, above and way beyond the call of duty all throughout tour.”  One particular situation arose in Philadelphia, PA where the choir was singing at 10th Presbyterian Church.  After some an afternoon of free time in the city, the choir went to the church to unload the trailer with equipment and risers and rest.  “Dr. Johnson had mentioned a mandatory nap time and we were super excited!”  said Todd.  But the van with the trailer broke down a mile from the church, stranded with all of the equipment.  Van Kirk described the experience, “I had to ask people who were short on sleep, had been wandering the city and were expecting a time of rest to skip that rest and carry hundreds of pounds of robes and risers a mile to the church.  I felt terrible, but right away a group jumped up and said, ‘We’ll go.’ I was shocked.”  A member of the group added, “A couple people would trade off every couple of blocks and we managed to get everything back in time for the concert.”  “No one complained for the rest of tour,” said Todd. “We met the worst it could be and we got through it together!”

The climax of the tour was the performance on Sunday afternoon at Carnegie Hall strengthened by the National Sacred Honor Choir.  There were rehearsals for several days before the performance with the group of Christian college students, community members, and students at private Christian schools from the greater New York City area.  Beyond the weekend of preparation and fellowship, the performance itself was agreed to be a memorable experience.  “The hall was amazing!” said graduate student Elizabeth Martindale.  “You could say something, hear it bounce off the wall behind you, go out over the audience and come back from the balconies.”  Despite being a Sunday afternoon, the hall was fairly full, according to Van Kirk.  “I was worried because of the time and day, but there were almost 2,000 people in the audience.”  … “I received really meaningful comments, from the high school students especially,” said Van Kirk who was in charge of most of the New York weekend.  “I think we accomplished our goal of showing the younger singers what a joy it can be to make music for God in this kind of way.”

The College Choir’s home concert is Friday at 7:30 PM in the Wesley Chapel.

 

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Investing in an Intentional Future

I started the slow arduous ascent (or is it a descent?) along the road towards graduate school last May. Why did I begin preparing so early? Well, if you ever score below the tenth percentile mark on the math portion of a practice GRE (graduate record exam), then you’ll experience a similar sense of urgent compulsion to spend the summer studying, studying, studying.

benSo, after countless summer hours passed in the demanding company of my “Kaplan prep” practice book, I returned to Houghton to take the horrible GRE and start my applications proper. Round about October I compiled information for specific, potential schools. I honed writing samples and personal statements, and I solicited recommendations from faculty. I paid an arm and several legs for fees that rained like fire from the sky. I ran around campus tying up loose ends—transcripts, resumes, etc. Then, by December, I submitted my completed applications. As some of you surely know, all this stuff is hard work, and the satisfaction of clicking the send button on all those stupid electronic documents is wonderful.

What I’ve so far narrated is the external process of putting my name in the daunting and immense hat that is the current pool of graduate school applicants. Now I want to recall the more internal but no less excruciating process of deciding whether or not it was a good idea to apply in the first place.

I should start by emphasizing that I’m a humanities major who has applied to English programs in hopes of someday teaching in a college setting. So there’s the first and biggest problem. The job market for English positions at post-secondary institutions is abysmal. We’ve all heard the woes of education inflation; there’s no denying that academic degrees mean less now than they ever have before, and as an aspiring English “scholar,” these dire conditions hit especially close to home. The message that most of the world sent me was “don’t go.”

Due to the above-mentioned circumstances, my decision to apply was hard earned at the price of months of fraught consideration. Though, in retrospect, I think the inner turmoil was necessary. It was only after wrestling with all the reasons not to apply that I came to realize that those reasons had nothing to do with my desire to pursue study and employment in the field I love. Liberal arts (and Houghton specifically) played an essential role in this realization. I’ll do my best to explain, but because chapel this semester is focusing on “vocation,” I think I’ll frame the remainder of my explanation in similar language.

Do we come to Houghton to get a job? Are we here to take the first steps up a salary ladder? Are we here for a glorious and future retirement? My hope is that the answer to these questions is a repeating “no.” Though these concerns are important, they are not most important. Though they should be considered in our decisions, they should not dictate our decisions. I know we’ve all heard the tired catchphrases about the strengths of a liberal arts education, but I want to earnestly reiterate the belief that a place like Houghton is more about what you make of yourself than it is about what you can make in a paycheck. Though this truth may not be apparent always (what with the bombarding bad news about the economy, job market, and doom-ridden future), it is crucial to remember the value of years of hard work alongside committed peers and mentors in a deliberate and mindful community.

Now I’m going to step off my soapbox to briefly return to my personal journey. In the face of what felt like cosmic naysaying, key people at Houghton encouraged me to commit to what I care about. This support was essential because it came from caring people who appreciate the satisfaction of investing in liberal arts. They know me, and they also know the rich complexity of enmeshing oneself in a challenging, thoughtful and holistic life.

Even if I don’t get accepted this year (which is looking like a real possibility at this point, especially as I’ve just now received a rejection letter), I’m confident that I will someday leave a graduate school with a terminal degree in English. At that point, I may not immediately find a teaching position. At that point, I may be one of thousands of equally educated peers drifting from one job listing to another. I may be no further along in being sure about my future. But at that point I will not regret my earlier decision to use my gifts, abilities, and resources to commit things that put joy in my life.

It’s probable that I’m over-simplifying by spewing platitudes that you’ve all heard before. It’s also probable that I’m naïve, that what I’m saying doesn’t apply in the least to you. Obviously, it’s also true that a place like Houghton isn’t the only route for you or me to attain a worthwhile future. But is it also possible that Houghton does actually provide what we need to flourish out in “the real world”?

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News

Update on Emergency Response Preparedness

Coinciding with water problems and outages, faculty will be meeting with the Board of Trustees this Friday, February 14 to finalize an emergency response plan. The plan, which covers emergency situations ranging from bomb scares, electrical outages, floods, and hazmat spills, details a communications plan amongst faculty and responders in the community in the event of an emergency situation. Dr. Robert Pool, vice president for student life and head of the emergency plan, describes the plan as allowing for a “coordinated response” amongst faculty and staff on campus.

Fire Drill 2013The changes to the plan, which was partially reworked by previous vice president Sharra Hynes, includes new protocol on active shooter scenarios and “some new information in ways to handle suicide, death threats …  serious injury of a community member,” according to Pool. Also added to the plan was a piece drawing on support from Sodexo, which provided that in the event of a disaster preventing those on campus from leaving and blocking outsiders from entry to campus, an extra few days’ supply of food would be kept on hand for rationing.

These changes coincide with two water pipe breaks over the past month, as well as separate internet and power outages in the past few weeks.

The internet outage, which occurred between 11:28 am and 2:48 pm on January 29, was campus-wide. While internal services such as Moodle and faculty email worked for those on the campus internet connection, the outage left the campus cut off from internet communication with the outside world. According to Don Haingray, director of technology services, the outage was caused by a hardware issue on the end of ION, the company which set up the fiber route through which the college gains internet access. ION, which operates more than 2200 miles of fiber optic cable across New York state, is currently working on establishing a dual fiber route in the state’s southern tier, which would allow internet customers to rely on a second cable for service in case of damage to one. Also affected by the outage was Alfred University, which relies on the same route for internet access.

While tech services does have a single cellular modem used for troubleshooting, there are no alternate internet connections capable of servicing the entire campus. Erin Bard, network administrator, even stated that “one of the problems that I noticed at the time, trying to use [the modem], was that Verizon was having issues as well.”

Also of recent interest was a campus-wide power outage, which occurred February 3 at around 5:40 am. The main cause of the outage was a blown transformer at a nearby substation belonging to Rochester Gas & Electric. In addition to the college campus, the outage also affected residents in Fillmore, Houghton, and parts of other surrounding towns. However, power was restored within an hour of the beginning of the outage.

With more serious outages in mind, Pool states that the college keeps two main generators on hand for backup, one which powers the Paine science building and another which powers the Nielsen athletic center. Haingray also adds that there is a backup generator available to tech services to keep servers running during an outage.

Regardless of any effects of internet and power outages on campus, Pool states that communication of any emergencies to students will still be made via phone calls and text messages. Using software from the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), students may opt to sign up for emergency notifications sent out by the college. As such notifications are sent from offsite, they would not be affected by an outage on campus.

The operation of WENS on campus, which is overseen by Ray Parlett, director of safety and security, is stunted by the fact that only 25 to 30 percent of students are signed up for the service. The service is one of the main tools used in a situation of an urgent or emergency nature. Said Dr. Pool, “We were almost to that point last week when the power went out, but … within 10 minutes it was back up. So, we didn’t have to institute the WENS notification system.”

Also laid out in the emergency response plan are procedures for fires, most of which were tested in a comprehensive drill in Gillette Hall last semester. The drill, which used fog machines and resident actors with imitated injuries and called in emergency responders from the area, proved to be an overview of the competence of the college’s emergency responders. Parlett, the coordinator of the drill, explained that the college worked with “the fire department, ambulance [services] from Houghton, but they brought in Fillmore, and they might have brought in some folks from Hornell and Belfast as well. We worked with the Allegany county emergency services department … and we worked with the state police, who were there for observational purposes. We actually had a couple of fire investigators on the scene for investigational purposes as well.” Faculty involved in the emergency response plan were also present on the scene “to work through some of the exercises” as Parlett explained.

As for the outcome of the drill, Parlett stated that “in terms of the actual response, I was pretty encouraged.” The smoke alarms responded to the smoke “quicker, two or three minutes quicker than I thought” The local fire department also responded “within seven or eight minutes [and] … had a truck up here for an initial response.” According to Parlett, all residents were successfully evacuated by the fire department, including those planted in the building with simulated injuries. The only weak point highlighted by the drill was a glitch in the WENS program which prevented emergency notifications from reaching about a dozen of the faculty. Since then, the issue has been fixed.

According to Dennis Stack, dean of students, “by law, we need to do one type of drill per year, although it can be something called a ‘tabletop,’ which is more of a theory-driven drill of something that could happen,” adding that “we are actually looking at another scenario for maybe even this spring.” Pool added that while months of training might help in preparation, “you’re never perfectly prepared for what’s going to happen.”

 

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News

Bible Department Adjusts to Cuts

With recent budget and staff cuts, every academic department essentially feels the weight of such changes and the restrictions that often follow; the Bible department specifically is struggling with current academic burdens.

The aforementioned budget cuts elicited the elimination of the adjunct professor position in the Bible department, a person previously depended upon to take up some of the load of teaching classes. The result, along with a current professor’s absence due to a year of sabbatical, created a deficiency of course offerings within the Bible major this semester.

Sarah Derck, Old Testament, acknowledged the restrictions applied to the department due to the budget cuts. One result is, she said, “for this academic year we had to rearrange the offerings, and not have quite as many upper level Bible courses available.”

From the perspective of a current senior Bible major, such a deficiency comes as a sudden inconvenience. The majority of seniors in the department accepted independent study courses this spring as a means of meeting course requirements in order to complete their degrees.

Billy Marshall, senior Bible major, expressed his frustration in this current lack of course offerings. He said, “The lack of courses being offered for Bible majors is more than a simple inconvenience–it’s frustrating beyond belief…. As a Christian college we shouldn’t just offer Bible courses that cover the fundamentals.”

As Biblical Literature remains a required introductory-level course for all graduates, the remaining Bible professors, namely Sarah Derck and Terrence Paige, now must dedicate more of their time teaching that specific class this semester. The remaining few upper-level classes are currently offered every year, and as a result senior Bible majors find the classes offered those already taken, and therefore must resort to independent study courses.

BibleDept_2Unlike Marshall, other students see an independent study course as an opportunity to study something they find specific interest in.  One such senior, Christine Brienen, spoke of her experience within the Bible major.  While expressing disappointment in the fact that the Bible department withdrew a two credit, upper-level course on the book of Psalms due to lack of staff this spring, Brienen said, regarding her current independent study course, “It’s an opportunity I wouldn’t have had if Psalms would have been offered, and it’s a more focused course in what I want to be doing after school.”

Although the department faces these cuts and lack of course offerings, Derck places emphasis on the future.  Concerning the shortage of upper-level courses, she said, “It’s a temporary thing… and it’s actually a great opportunity to think creatively and strategically.”

Such creative thinking resulted in Derck’s anticipation of a “broader range of Bible courses” in the coming year.  The normally offered courses, such as the Pentateuch, will be offered every other spring, as opposed to every spring, leaving room for new course offerings in the semesters its absence leaves.

The department also plans on offering some future classes as two or three credit courses, in order to create flexibility within the major.

One consolation found amid the current deficiencies and frustrations of the department is the fact that these issues are not unique to the Bible department.  As Derck said, “Going forward we are engaging in what folks all across the college are doing, and that’s trying to figure out how to balance the offerings that our students need, and create a way that allows us to move into the 21st century of higher education, which is, as everybody knows, a totally new ball game.”

 

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Campus Celebrates Purple and Gold Week

Purple and Gold Week is a well-known tradition at Houghton. The week’s events include free t-shirts for students to show their loyalty for either purple or gold and participate in the “Houghton Out” at the basketball games, and campus-wide entertainment such as the Pyramid Game Show and SPOT.

CAB is in the organization most involved in Purple and Gold week, organizing and overseeing most of the week’s events. Other groups such as the athletics department and the Class of 2015 co-sponsor some of the events as well. Due to its extended run, CAB devotes a significant amount of time toward planning and running the week’s events. Events such as SPOT and the Pyramid Game especially require advanced planning. For example, the selection of SPOT hosts Luke Ogden and John Carpenter took place at the end of last semester. Alongside planning for these larger-scale events is what CAB member Joshua Duttweiler said were the “usual steps in planning a party; decorations, food, etc.”

P&GfrontpagerThe planning for this year’s events was similar to last year’s, said Duttweiler, “with the exception of changing the game show to Pyramid which is a better known game “than last year’s ‘Match Game.’” Zina Teague, a Houghton alumna who has been selected to be a contestant on the Pyramid Game, said that she loves participating in Purple and Gold week events as an alumna, even if it is just to “simply share her goofiness with others” on campus. Additionally, the “Just Dance” Tournament, which was new to last year, was brought back due to its popularity and Duttweiler said CAB expects it be a success again. Most of the events are chosen “based on tradition,” said Duttweiler; “the shirts, CAB Couch during the basketball game, the game show, SPOT, and the dodgeball tournament have been going on for many years now and are looked forward to every year.”

Vice President for Student Life Robert Pool added that he had been working with SGA to help them think of “ways to relight the fire” encouraging student involvement, and to “make Purple and Gold week better, stronger, and more institutionally adopted.” Pool said that the purpose of Purple and Gold week is to not only “have fun” but to “boost school spirit” and “encourage a common experience among all students.”

Pool said that student response has “met and even exceeded expectations.” This week is rooted in Houghton tradition that goes back even to its “heyday” in the mid to late 1960s when “freshmen were divided into purple and gold, [it] was their identity…they bled purple and gold,” said Pool, who added that some Houghton alums, such as Paul Mills, “really remember those times.” Pool said of Mills that he remains “very loyal to his Gold team,” continuing tradition instilled over 50 years ago.

“These [will be] some of the cherished memories that all of us want to have to tell your children and grandchildren what college is like. [Purple and Gold week] has a lot of cherished value that will help students connect with their alma mater,” said Pool.

 

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New Chapel Time Proposed for 2014-2015 School Year

TheInfamousMonday_chapel

The infamous Monday-Wednesday-Friday lunch rush after chapel may become a thing of the past next fall semester. After alterations from former Student Government Association presidents Garrett Fitzsimmons and Joel Ernst as well as two scrapped plans for a new schedule for next year, a third plan is up for approval by SGA and Academic Council.

Previous chapel times were early enough to evade the long lines in the dining hall immediately after chapel. According to Margery Avery, director of academic records, “Back when chapel was at 11:05, students either went to class after chapel or they went to lunch. Normally 65% of them went to class after chapel. And, lunch wasn’t open from 7:00 to 7:00, so there was just a certain amount of time. So, if 65% of people walked out of chapel and went to class, then you still had a number of students who could go to lunch. Students ate in shifts.” This pattern continued even after a time change to 10:15.

The current starting time of 11:30 was originally changed to fit in science labs or three non-lab classes prior to chapel and provide enough room to schedule four-hour credit courses afterward. However, for many students with multiple afternoon classes scheduled, the only window for them to eat lunch was between the 12:10 ending time for chapel and the 12:45 time for their first afternoon class. Avery states that the time period “was never intended to be lunch. The theory was they would go to class or they would go to lunch. They wouldn’t wind up doing both. But, the students tried to do both.”

A version C of next year’s campus schedule has chapel set from 11:00 to 11:40. However, Avery stresses that there is no guarantee this will be the official schedule for the 2014-2015. For now, the schedule is to be proposed to SGA for input from the student body.

 

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Pass the Tofu Please

I’m a vegetarian and I love to eat. (Seriously, just watch me chow down some of my Cuban mother’s bean stews with giant helpingsfull of rice.) But, recently, being able to eat healthily at school has become a problem.

At the beginning of this semester, the cafeteria closed the much beloved vegetarian and tofu oasis adorably named “The Wild Mushroom” in favor for introducing an allergen-free bar called “Simple Servings.” While the introduction of an allergen-free station is definitely a welcome addition, the closures of both the vegetarian and stir fry bars drastically limit the entree choices of vegetarians and vegans, not to mention meat-eaters that might prefer a vegetarian option.

SarahFor the curious, a vegetarian plate is much like a meat-eater’s; a nutritional balance separated into protein, plants, and grains (but sans meat in the vegetarian’s case.) A good vegetarian entree (read: “main dish”) possesses the qualities of being healthy, hot, flavorful, and generally includes a protein source like beans or soy. Regretfully, we have seen too few entrees of that nature in the cafeteria this semester and the vegetarian population on campus, not just myself, have become concerned.

For example, if you’ve been following the cafeteria comment board, comments by fellow vegetarians calling for viable vegetarian entrees have been prolific since the new changes. Unfortunately, the official responses to these requests seem to be misunderstanding the problem. In response to a request asking for more vegetarian entrees, the cafeteria respondent to the comment proceeded to list “options” (not “entrees”) which included, of all things, a listing for bagels. (Yes, bagels are good for breakfast, but they are not what vegetarians can eat everyday for dinner or lunch.) The other “options” listed in the response included vegetable side dishes to the main line meals (which, as we all know, are often unseasoned), cold salads, soups (which I have learned not to trust since accidentally ingesting some made with meat-based broth), and the very rare entree.

Some fellow vegetarians and I (plus some meat-eating friends) have gotten creative in response to these developments. We now combine our resources, spend money on extra groceries, and cook a huge vegetarian meal together every Friday evening. I’ve loved every minute of that fellowship and it feels good to have a belly full of delicious food. However, is it right that I’m spending money that I don’t have on extra food when I’m already paying for a pre-paid meal plan?

On that note, it could be said that perhaps the cafeteria is merely responding to the larger financial crisis impacting our campus, prompted by the drop in enrollment. A smaller student body means a more limited ability to purchase a variety of food, thus prompting the cafeteria to limit some options. However, the point stands that while meat-eaters can enjoy both vegetarian and meat options, vegetarians cannot eat the meat options. What are we supposed to do?

The campus cafeteria gets many things right; the addition of the allergen-free bar is one of them. However, the closure of the vegetarian and stir fry bars is a definite wrong. Not only does it fail take into account the diversity of student eating patterns and convictions, but it is a health concern for those that eat here as well. The good news is that it appears as if the situation has been turning around in the past week; I’ve had more options available at the various stations. I’m hoping that these options are here to stay.

Now, pass the baked ginger tofu and the kale quiche, please.

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Stories In Focus

Houghton in Context: Women in Academia

In 2008, for the first time ever, women earned more than 50 percent of awarded PhDs. Despite this shift in the majority, women are still nationally underrepresented as tenured faculty in higher education. According to a 2006 American Association of University Professors (AAUP) report, 31.2 percent of all tenured faculty members are women. This figure is actually slightly higher than the situation at Houghton, where 26 percent of all tenured professors are women.

Sarah Derck
Sarah Derck

Though there are surely manifold causes feeding into this discrepancy between qualified female PhDs and tenured women faculty with respect to both the nation and Houghton specifically, many point to the complications of family formation as a key-contributing factor. For example, in 2011, a writer for the Chronicle of Higher Education stated that, “Most women [professors], it seems, cannot have it all—tenure and a family—while most men can.” Similarly, Slate magazine ran an article describing the “baby penalty” levied against women in academia that reads, “family formation negatively affects women’s, but not men’s, academic careers. For men, having children is a career advantage; for women, it is a career killer.”

            Though these and similar statements undoubtedly highlight issues for women academics across the United States, both seem to miss the mark when it comes to addressing the experience of mothers teaching at Houghton.

Dr. Sarah Derck of the Bible and Religion Department interviewed for her position at Houghton while pregnant. Though fully aware of relevant, federal anti-discriminatory laws, she says that she did feel nervous that her first child would somehow complicate getting a job. However, from day one at Houghton, she said, “every single conversation has been celebrating with me and [my husband,] Josh, [saying] let’s see what we can do to make this work.” Currently in the early stages of a tenure-track position, Derck said that this level of support has endured, bearing “evidence of a real valuing of family on Houghton’s campus”

Also pursuing a tenure track position, Dr. Rebekah Yates of Math and Computer Science is equally

Rebekah Yates
Rebekah Yates

quick to recognize the ways in which Houghton—and specifically her department—has proved supportive in being “aware of what happens when you have a child.” As Yates commented, the hyper-awareness on the second-floor of Paine may have something to do with the five children born to Math/Computer Science faculty within the last two years. Identifying with women who may feel derided for deciding to have children mid-career, Yates did recognize what she called an “implicit double standard” that treats male and female parenting in academics differently. However, she was also quick to comment that she believes this trend stretches beyond academia to “pervade much of our culture.”

Dr. Kristin Camenga, also of Math and Computer Science, echoed her two colleagues quoted above in expressing that she has felt “affirmed in [her] role as a mother here.” When asked to identify specific ways that Houghton has supported her as a teaching mother, Camenga highlighted the college’s unusual policy of allowing tenure-track professors to modulate between two-thirds time and full time from semester-to-semester. This systematic “flexibility,” as Camenga described it, made a “significant difference” in allowing her to devote time and energy to young children when necessary.

The feelings of Derck, Yates, and Camenga with respect to feeling confident to pursue both tenure and raise a family are corroborated by the details of recent rank and tenure appointments. Last year the college granted tenure to seven individuals. Five of these faculty members were women, and of these five, four have two or more children. These numbers stand in stark contrast to National Science Foundation (NSF) data that says, “across all disciplines, women with children [are] 38 percent less likely than men with children to achieve tenure.”

Like the rest of the nation, our faculty exhibits a wide gender-gap in tenured faculty. And while it is true that family formation is simply one of many complex factors within this issue, the experience of several women at Houghton suggests that our campus is out-performing others in this specific area. So much so, in fact, that Yates speculated whether or not teaching and parenting at Houghton might actually be harder for young male professors. Perhaps excellent fodder for a later article, this question is surely a good indicator that, though nowhere near perfect, our community is doing something very right.

 

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News

Houghton’s Got Talent Cancelled

Despite initial hype, Houghton’s Got Talent will no longer be premiering as planned.

CAB was hosting HGT as an opportunity for students to exhibit their passions, expose hidden abilities, and get involved by competing for the title of being Houghton’s most talented through various acts.  CAB member Josh Duttweiler says “due to the show’s previous success a few years ago, it made sense to give students a platform for their interests again.”

PrintYet, due to a lack of student commitment through act sign-ups, CAB was forced to cancel the event.  This proved to be surprising, says Duttweiler, especially due to the excitement HGT had brought in the past.  Possible reasons for the shortage of performers could be the lack of preparation time available and the event being scheduled so close to the beginning of the semester.

The show was intended to be different from other student entertainment, such as SPOT, in that it would promote all types of performance without a basis in comedy.  Instead, the show was anticipated to be an engaging set of acts that displayed the variety and diversity within the Houghton campus.  It was also an attempt to provide a way to showcase talent that may otherwise be overlooked.

In remaining true to American’s Got Talent, HGT was to also offer entertainment through a select group of faculty and student judges.  Featured judges included students Simba Kamuriwo and Alyssa Figueroa, admissions counselor Zina Teague, Professor Ryann Cooley, and Dr. Doug Gaerte.

As seen in CAB’s “Meet the Judges” promotional video, the panel came together to create a humorous spin on each judge’s reveal of what they were interested in seeing during the show.  Figueroa says she “looked forward to the chemistry” between herself and the other judges as well as the chance to play off their various personalities.

Having participated as an act in a previous Houghton’s Got Talent, Zina Teague remembers the “buzz” that was created over the various contestants.  Previously HGT was divided to extend over two weekends with acts either advancing or being cut between.  Teague and her partner “stepped” their way to the second round before being eliminated.  Teague views this show as a way in which students can “come together and share a piece of who they are.”

This year’s show was set to run similarly, with commentary by the panel of judges and concluding with an audience vote.  Votes would be placed through text message as experienced before in this past fall SPOT.  Besides students being able to showcase their range of skills, they were also competing to win cash prizes.

Teague commented that this event was a way for students to “break out of boxes.”  She makes the point that there is not just one type of person who can show off talent.  Whether it is a biology major or athlete on the stage, they are equal.

According to Ryann Cooley, it made sense that Houghton in particular would find interest in holding such an event.  With the Music Department as an obvious hub for talent, Cooley expected it to be a driving force behind various acts.

Cooley also points to the excitement of the unknown and the unique quality that Houghton has as being a “safe area to have fun taking a chance with the support of genuine and encouraging students.”

Despite Houghton’s Got Talent’s cancellation, CAB encourages students to come to the Chapel at 8 pm on Saturday, January 25th for the showing of Star Trek Into Darkness.