By Anna Catherman (’24)
Purple and Gold Week will come to a climax on Friday, Oct. 1 with the inauguration of Houghton College’s sixth president, Dr. Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. Dr. Lewis has been serving in the role since June, but traditionally Houghton’s presidential inaugurations have taken place the first weekend of October, usually alongside the numerous annual Homecoming activities. While Homecoming has been scaled back this year, the Inauguration is set to provide a unique experience for students currently on-campus, as well as faculty, staff, and a handful of invited guests.
The main event of Inauguration weekend will be the ceremony itself, which is set to take place in the Wesley Chapel on Friday from 10-11:30 a.m. With concerns around COVID-19 still plaguing much of the country, the crowd will be smaller than previous inaugurations, but there will be some distinguished guests.
Inside the chapel will be President Lewis’s family and friends, along with some Houghton faculty, staff, and students. Dr. Shirley Hoogstra, president of the Coalition of Christian Colleges and Universities, will be in attendance along with delegates from a handful of colleges, including John Schneider from Harvard University. Schneider is a Houghton alumnus and a great-great-great grandson of Willard J. Houghton. Alumni, community members, and others are being invited to watch the Inauguration via a live stream.
The ceremony will have a strong worship element, as requested by President Lewis and his family, and will feature many members of the Houghton community in responsive readings, prayers, and speeches. Student Body President Malachi Yeager (‘22) will be representing the Main Campus students in the ceremony. He will be participating in a charge to the President, given alongside Patricia Davis, who will be representing Buffalo East Side, and Aaron Salomon, who will be representing Buffalo West.
Yeager told the STAR “I am honored to be a part of such a historic event. This was not something I had anticipated being a part of when I was in the running for Student Body President. It’s not often Presidential Inaugurations take place and thus I hope the Lord blesses the ceremony and President Lewis’s future service to the college.”
Many other events will take place throughout the weekend, according to Dr. Cathy Freytag, one of the Inauguration Committee members. “It’s been a long, detailed process with many, many stakeholders.”
There will be a gala on Thursday evening, an art gallery presentation and a meet-and-greet on the quad Friday afternoon, and a celebratory concert and fireworks on Friday evening.
Thursday evening’s gala on the Quad will feature New Orleans jazz, snack stations, and dancing. Faculty, staff, and students are all invited to attend, and formal attire is encouraged.
Dr. Carrie Magin was commissioned to compose an original song, entitled Into Twilight, in honor of the Inauguration. “I’ve been commissioned by ensembles and professionals from across the U.S., but it’s been such a special honor and privilege to compose this new work for our very own Houghton College Wind Ensemble. The students are hard at work on bringing this piece to life, and we’re all hopeful that it will be impactful in celebrating and commemorating the significant event of President Lewis’s inauguration.” Into Twilight will debut at 7 p.m. at the Greatbatch School of Music’s Inauguration Concert.
Dr. Ted Murphy will be presenting on Houghton’s artwork collection at 3 o’clock p.m. in the Ortlip Art Gallery. “Strangely Warmed”, a piece made specifically for the Inauguration, will be the highlight of the event. It is a colorful, post-impressionist style oil and mixed medium painting. Dr. Murphy talked to President Lewis personally before embarking on the project, and planned it according to his taste. The piece will be shown alongside a number of other works in an exhibition entitled “Archive: A History of Art at Houghton College.”
Campus is buzzing with excitement for the rare and historic event. “I think it is going to be a very special time, not just for the institution, but for President Lewis.” noted Phyllis Gaerte, an Inauguration committee member. She, along with Greg Bish, are the only members of the committee who have served on an Inauguration committee before; they both played roles in planning President Shirley Mullen’s inauguration.
Numerous students also were eager to share their thoughts on the events. Grace Deitrick (‘23) said she is “deeply excited.” Kathryn Groff (‘23) expressed surprise and enthusiasm at the fact that such an important event was taking place during her four short years here.
President Lewis himself took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to talk to the STAR. When asked what he was most excited about, he explained he’s excited for the college to come together and mark such an important event in Houghton’s history. “We’re a college that’s been there for 140 years, almost, and only the sixth college president, that’s pretty remarkable. Thankfully, this is not something that the college does very often, due to stability in leadership, and so I think it’s a great opportunity for us to come together…and to thank God for how far he’s brought us and to prepare for the next chapter in the college’s history.” ★