Tag: KPAC

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Campus News

Houghton Baseball Team’s Double Header

Men's baseball team practicing - Courtesy of sophia templeton
By Caleb Welker ('26)

Houghton University’s baseball team is scheduled to open the season with a Double Header in the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 12 p.m. and then at 3 p.m. against the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The team will then travel to Florida for the RussMatt Central Florida Invitational Tournament over Winter Break.

Last season the baseball team finished in third place with a record of 19 wins and 20 losses (11 wins and 7 losses in conference play) and clinched a spot in the Empire 8 Conference Playoffs. Although the Highlanders fell short in the double-elimination tournament, they look to bounce back and work their way into the playoffs again this semester. 

After ten seniors graduated last Spring 2023—including the leader in batting average (Zach Parr), the team’s ERA Leader (Hunter Kendall) and the program’s all-time stolen base leader (Jason Kauffeldt)—the Highlanders welcomed in twelve new players: ten freshmen and two transfer students.  

Another addition to the team includes the new Graduate Assistant Pitching Coach Nick Pettit. Coach Pettit graduated in the Class of 2023 after four years at Covenant College in Georgia, and joined the team in Aug. of 2023. His wife, Riley Pettit is the Graduate Assistant Coach of the women’s volleyball team.

Freshman pitcher, Marshall Cummings (‘27) commented, “Coach Pettit, has brought a new sense of life and rejuvenation to the pitching staff and has helped us tap into our full potential, both mentally and physically.”

Senior Captain Chris VanCheri (‘24) noted that many upperclassmen, and even sophomores, have been stepping up into leadership roles after pivotal players graduated from the team. VanCheri pointed out that this highlights the Highlander baseball team’s ideals.

“We always say in our program that as you progress through your four years, each year you have to start putting others before yourself,” VanCheri stated.

“Nothing excites me more than taking the field with my brothers,” VanCheri expressed. “At the end of the day, we truly are a family. We have a tight-knit group that I see only getting closer as the season progresses. I’m excited for the younger guys to get their first taste of college ball, and I’m excited to see the challenges we will face and how we will overcome them.” 

“Pitt-Bradford is returning off of a decent season, and we know they’re going to be competitive,” noted Senior Captain and pitcher, Ethan Cetton (‘24). “This game is going to be our first stepping stone to finding success as a team with lots of raw talent.” 

Houghton lost to Pitt-Bradford (8-3) at the beginning of last season, so they look to push back and take two wins against the Panthers on Saturday. ★

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News

Grant Enables KPAC Kids Zone

By Elise Koebl (’22)

Houghton College has had its doors open to many different kinds of visitors. Whether they are prospective students, families, or friends, many have enjoyed what the college has to offer. Now, Houghton College is opening the doors wider to young children who visit with their families. Amanda Zambrano and the college have been working with the Ralph C. Wilson Foundation and KABOOM! over the past few years. “The idea grows out of the Play Everywhere Challenge through the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and KABOOM! The challenge is to transform places where children naturally gather and help them incorporate play into their everyday lives,” said Zambrano. The KPAC KidsZone is planned to open in the triangular grassy area behind the bleachers at Burke Field during the summer alumni weekend, July 31st-August 1st. 

Their first priority is, of course, safety. Zambrano stated that they plan to install fencing around the underside of the bleachers, keeping kids from playing in a dangerous space with little visibility for supervision. Zambrano also mentioned they intend to put up a “natural border”  to deter kids from wandering into the parking lot.

“While I have personal interest in this project because I have little ones of my own, there were a number of factors that played into Houghton’s pursuit of this funding opportunity. Until the playground opened by the Field of Dreams, there were only two public playgrounds in Allegany County (data courtesy of the Wilson Foundation’s State of Play report), making Allegany County children some of the most underserved children in Western New York as regards to places to play. Our children also don’t get enough outdoor play time or physical activity. Houghton providing this kind of access is an important way for us to benefit our community and the children who live here,” Zabrano said. This interest to create a playspace for children is so that children have a space to use their imaginations and play within an area their parents and families can watch them safely. ★

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Campus News

Commemorative Mural Unveiled in Kerr-Pegula Field House

The Kerr-Pegula Field House now features a new mural which was unveiled during Purple and Gold week. The mural is commemorative of the first 50 years of Houghton College intercollegiate athletics, a focal point of this years Homecoming festivities.  According to Jason Mucher, Associate Athletic Director for Communication & Compliance, the project began in the spring of 2016 when Karl Sisson, Vice President for Advancement, brought up the idea of a mural.

Photo by: Nate Moore
Photo by: Nate Moore

Throughout the summer, Mucher worked on creating a list of memorable events in Houghton athletics history beginning in 1967, and with the help of alumni, 100 moments were collected. From there, the list was trimmed to 50 moments to match the 50 year timeline of intercollegiate athletics. After narrowing down those events and  inspiration from another institution’s postcard design, Mucher moved his focus to the college archives in the library and the files in the athletics office. Mucher searched for images to  fit these events and eventually chose photos to go on the mural.

After accumulating all the images and ideas for a design, Amy Tetta, Social Media Coordinator and Graphic Designer for the college, went to work on sorting through the photos Mucher had sent. Tetta said she “wanted to capture the energy and action she was looking for in the mural with usable quality in the photos as well.”

As the design came together, Mucher and Tetta decided six larger images with athletes representing each of the past six decades would be the most effective display for the mural. They decided to add more detail with smaller images, and a written timeline of the events over the years to be able to read as one approached the mural. “We tried to represent every sport and did our best to choose athletes, coaches and teams that were great representatives of Houghton athletics,” said Mucher.

With the addition of designer Brandon Rush’s 50th anniversary logo, a color palette  that best accented the purple and Gold theme in the field house, and the generosity of alumni donors, the mural was ready to replace the white  wall it had once been.

Executive Director of Athletics, Coach Harold “Skip” Lord, said, “This mural will give us a permanent reminder that what we do each day as intercollegiate athletes and coaches is just a part of a long history, going back to the purple and gold era, of people committed to excellence for the glory of God and who desire to make a Kingdom difference of those they play with, against and in front of.”

The mural, visible from nearly every point on the main level of the field house, is now open for public viewing.

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Stories In Focus

Innovation Coming to Houghton

More than just a college town.

It can be safely said that Houghton is not the biggest, most notable town on the map. Yet a number of Houghton administrators want to make Houghton, New York more than a small college town. Through a set of varied initiatives, they are hoping to make Houghton “a destination,” as Rob Pool, vice president for student life, put it, “for visitors and guests.”

This plan has already been partially implemented through the opening of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex (KPAC) this past September. Pool explained that because of the KPAC, “there are rich, varied events we now offer that we couldn’t do before.” Athletic director Harold “Skip” Lord indicated the KPAC’s capabilities. “Obviously, the size is a big factor. The flexibility of arrangement and the ability to break it into smaller or larger units are plusses.”

Accreditation4RGBSince the KPAC has been built, a concert has been held, which Lord noted “was twice as big as any ever held here.” There have also been twelve high school and college indoor track meets. Pool explained that with the KPAC’s size and capabilities, Houghton is “reaching out to section five and six schools,” which increases the amount of people who will “hear about the college, hear about this tiny place called Houghton, New York.” In addition to concerts and sporting events, the KPAC has also hosted youth events and a Frisbee tournament. Overall, Lord said there have been “almost 18,000 visitors this year.”  Regarding future opportunities, Lord said “we are looking at many different options ranging from athletics to concerts to trade shows and special events.”

While the KPAC is bringing in visitors and guests through hosting events, Pool has his own plan to bring in new life to Houghton. Pool is working toward a Houghton alumni village, meant as a place for “active retirees” to spend part of their retirement. Here, they could play an active role in campus life. Pool noted the possibility of taking classes at a reduced or waived fee or even auditing them. Beyond this, they could act as mentors, advisors, or career coaches.  Pool explained that at such a stage in life, they are often “at the top of their careers, with vast amounts of wisdom to share. Thus in playing such roles, they could create “a multi-generational learning community,” where students could have “the complementary benefit of older generations.” Pool explained that for students, “it’s so inspirational to see flesh and blood people who have had the Houghton experience and went out and lived.”

In practice, the alumni would likely be housed in the flats. The inherent difficulty is mobility for the retirees. The flats have multiple floors, and although the retirees are specified as “active,” not requiring constant care, stairs could still be arduous. Pool is still working to find a workable solution to housing, but he affirmed his overall hopes for the idea. He noted other small colleges that had accomplished a similar idea, and reiterated his feeling that alumni would like to be involved on campus in this way. “Many retirees don’t want to lounge in the sun,” Pool explained. They want an active role, and “what better place to do that than at your alma mater?”

Phyllis Gaerte also wants to make Houghton a destination, specifically through theRIVR Group, an organization working toward reinforcing Houghton economically. They were responsible for bringing in Three-Bums and Addie’s, and have hopes of creating a new park by the fire hall. “It’s all designed to make the area around 19 more attractive,” Pool explained. The goal is a Houghton “filled with thriving businesses.”

“It’s a beautiful place,” Pool says of Houghton. “Not the scenery, the people.” Lord, Pool, Gaerte, and several others share a vision of a thriving Houghton where many more people can see its beauty.

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News

New KPFH and NPEC Operating Hours Inconvenient for Students, Faculty, and Staff

With the opening of the new Kerr-Pegula Field House (KPFH), complete with workout facilities accessible to students and faculty, it was anticipated traffic at the Nielsen Physical Education Center (NPEC) would be significantly reduced. However, many within the Houghton community are still unhappy.

ABurdoGym HoursCMYKThe new hours of operation of both the KPFH and the NPEC have become an inconvenience for students and faculty alike. The problem, for many, is caused by the later opening times of both fitness centers not opening its doors until 8 a.m. The result of the changed times are the students and faculty, who typically exercised in the early morning, having difficulty finding time to workout or are unable to workout altogether.

Melissa Bell, a sophomore and thrower for Houghton’s track and field team, has had difficulty juggling studies and preseason workouts with the KPFH hours. Bell said, in general, the KPFH weight room isn’t open long enough. “It is only open for four hours out of the day,” she said. “It gets really crowded in the afternoon, when I usually go to lift.”

“Athletes need to get into the facilities, and everyone has busy schedules. Early morning hours would be helpful.” She said, “ I don’t like getting up early, but if either building were open at 6 a.m., I would go do 6 a.m. lifts to have more time for other things during the day and avoid the rush.”

Faculty and staff members are also frustrated with this situation. Brian Webb, the college’s sustainability coordinator and intercultural student programs cordinator , expressed his frustrations about the new operating hours. Webb, a husband and father of young children, works 3 jobs and is currently enrolled in graduate school at Harvard Extension School. For him, this means that the only time he can exercise is in the early morning. He said this is true for many faculty and staff. Webb stated any other time would mean “missing out on time spent with my wife and children.” He also stated  “the free access to fitness facilities were a great benefit of working at Houghton College, but now this is of almost no value.”

Athletic director, Harold “Skip” Lord said there are obvious “safety, liability and financial issues involved” in the decision to cut the early morning hours in the Neilson and the KPFH. In response, Webb suggested Houghton consider having exercisers sign a waiver if they wish to work out in the morning, or perhaps the implementation of a “buddy-system.” He stated during the early morning hours there were “never proctors previously, and there were no major problems.”

There may soon be action taken to accommodate the concerns raised by members of the community. According to Lord, the athletic department has been taking input from the community, as requested in the initial all-campus e-mail. He stated, “There have been enough requests for morning hours that we have been looking for ways to fund coverage.” Lord also said  he planned to discuss possible solutions with the Vice President of Student Life, Rob Pool.

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News

Soedexo Monopoly Keeps 5-Bites from KPAC

Student operated concession stand, 5-Bites, was edged out by  a Sodexo-catered concession stand built into the Kerr-Pegulla Field House (KPFH) under the cooperation’s direction.

In addition to the main dining hall, Sandella’s, Big Al’s, and the coffee house added last summer to replace Java 101, Sodexo now holds a monopoly over every food stop on campus.

Previously, concessions for athletic events were provided by 5-Bites, a student operated business that manages small snack oriented concession stands in the dorms and at the fields. Bradley Oliver, president of Houghton Student Enterprises (HSE), said “It has always been our goal to have businesses that are run by students, for students by listening to what they want, and delivering.”

SodexoMonopolyOptions typically found at the 5-Bites stands included chips, pretzels, candy, and bottled beverages available for purchase with cash only. One reason for the transition from 5-Bites to Sodexo, General Manager of Houghton Dining Services, Tina Powers explained, was  “the college wanted the ability to serve full hot meals as concessions from the new facility,” not just packaged snacks.

The KPFH has a full sized kitchen located on the north-west corner of the building specifically designed to meet Sodexo’s culinary needs. Catering Manager, James Ward said,  “There are a variety of health codes that have to be upheld when serving hot food. Maintaining food during the course of service and keeping it at a certain temperature requires a certain facility and the work of the certified dining staff.”

“Since the project’s inception it became clear that 5-Bites could not handle all of what the college expected from their new facility,” said Oliver. “Meetings between Skip Lord [executive director of athletics], Robert Pool [vice president of student life], Sodexo, and 5-Bites to discuss how to keep HSE involved in running the new facility ultimately determined that Sodexo would be running the facility without our collaboration.”  Oliver also mentioned that this result would cut HSE’s total profits by 50 percent.

Sodexo provided concessions at preliminary sporting events hosted by the KPFH this summer, but last weekend’s homecoming marked the official kick-off of its newest dining option. A variety of hot concessions were available throughout the day and were available for purchase with cash, credit, or flex dollars.

“We want to partner with the campus to ensure that there will always be a good meal there,” said Powers. “We want to show great hospitality to those who come here.”

Sophomore, Elizabeth Houseman, said, “I think they should make it a little more simple, I mean they had beef on weck ,yet no hamburgers.” “Another Sodexo take-over means even less options—there is so little variety to their  food already,” said Graduate student Sean Douglas.

Sodexo’s service at the KPFH continued late into homecoming evening providing concessions for the 2,500 guests attending the Tenth Avenue North Concert. “There was always a giant line to buy anything, but the popcorn was delicious.” said Junior, Leah Shadbol.

Sodexo’s concession services in the KPFH will be open for all of Highlander Athletics’ Home matches this weekend.

“We do not like the monopoly power that Sodexo has on the campus, but as a creative group we will come up with new ways to serve the student body.” ” Oliver said on behalf of 5-Bites and HSE.

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Opinions

Your Vote, Your Voice

Election season has become a monotonous time that typically has lacked the interest of many college students. But why? Why do students fail to exercise this Constitutional right as a United States citizen? Maybe it’s because students don’t think it affects them? Or perhaps they think their voice won’t be heard? Either way, when voting time comes, students remain unengaged and uninformed.

A statewide survey released by the California Voter Foundation (CVF) found that 23% of unregistered voters say they’re too busy to vote. While two-thirds of those surveyed noted that they didn’t turn out to vote because they believed that elections are controlled by special interest groups. In addition, the foundation found that 76% of nonvoters have no more than a high school diploma.
KatharineLebrecqueQuoteBased on a 2012 survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, young adults have been found to vote more often in Presidential elections than in congressional election years. Voting rates have been historically low, especially between the ages of 18 and 24, since 1964. However, within recent years, voting-turnout rates among young adults have seen a dramatic increase. It appears that students are often drawn to particular parties based on single issues or interests. For example many individuals, and not solely students, are attracted to parties that have issues on their agenda such as climate change, the economy and social welfare, and bioethics.

Yet despite these daunting facts, voting is arguably one of the most important civic opportunities available to United States citizens.  Voting does matter. Not just in presidential elections, but in local and state elections. Elected individuals represent the interests of the people. Our country was formed on the premise that we were to have a government “for the people [and] by the people.” We have a civic responsibility to exercise this right. You have a voice. You have a vote.

Alexander Buska, a senior political science major encourages students: “Vote local. Elected officials only respond to those who vote. State and town officials will be much more interested in what you have to say, and better able to accurately represent your point of view. Look at how they came out to Houghton for the ribbon cutting ceremony of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex – they are plenty interested in what is going on.”

 

Moreover, these decisions and legislations made at the local, state, and federal level have a major impact on our lives. When asked, “Why don’t you vote?” responses included: “I’ll care when I pay my own bills,” or “I’ll register [to vote] eventually when I settle down.” The problem with waiting is

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that your vote counts now. Voting on elected officials affects not just the present, but the future. Your voice matters. Your vote matters, and it matters now.

So when is your next opportunity to vote? Midterm elections are November 4. You can pick up registration forms at your local county elections office, post office, library, DMV, or print out a registration form online at your state and local board of elections website. Also, be sure to request an Absentee Ballot. This can be requested by state for midterm elections at www.yourvoteyourvoice.org.

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Stories In Focus

RVER Group Reimagines Houghton

Students want more to do in Houghton. Each class that has passed through these grounds has made the same complaint, year after year: “There’s nowhere to go, nothing to do.” The RVER Group knows this. They are working to change it.

Courtesy of Keystone Associates, Architects, Engineers and Surveyors, LLC, Binghamton, NYRVER, pronounced “river”, stands for Regional Ventures in Economic Revitalization. This board of community members started off as the Houghton Group, but soon expanded out of the college and into the whole of the town. Said Phyllis Gaerte, Chair of the Houghton Group, “Our concerted effort to include our local, county, and state elected officials in our discussions has been instrumental in us getting before the right people that can offer support and help us move forward.  We have developed a great working relationship with our county development and planning team. In the past few months, we have had the opportunity to meet with our Congressman, Tom Reed, and Senator, Catherine Young, as well as our county legislators.”

The idea for a group that would facilitate economic growth in Houghton was spurred on by the construction of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex (KPAC). The building is the largest of its kind in the Southern Tier. With a capacity of 6,000, it presents opportunities to host live artists, trade shows, and athletic events that Houghton never previously had the means to hold.

These opportunities create traffic. Where there is traffic, there needs to be businesses ready to feed, clothe, and entertain the people coming into town. This is where the RVER Group sees potential for commercial growth in Houghton. “The work of the RVER Group has the potential to transform both the look of Main Street in Houghton and at the same time increase access to retail services, products, and other conveniences in Houghton. Students, parents, children, and local residents all stand to benefit from our efforts,” said Professor Ken Bates. Bates is one member of the RVER Group who is also a part of the Houghton College faculty.

Having only been established a year ago, the Group has already made some progress in town. They brought Tracy’s Delights on board from Tracy’s original location in Rushford. They also supported her and her husband, John, to add a full floral service to their store. They met with Addie’s Ice Cream, when Addie came to them, interested in adding a location in Houghton. The Group helped them in locating a space, providing work teams to help with renovations, and advertising in Houghton. This past Summer, the Group also worked to bring the Genesee Rapids to town. Although students weren’t here to see the Rapids, the Group had a great success in drawing crowds and advertising through their presence.

While the RVER Group does have some long-term goals in mind, they are working to accomplish four in the short-term. Said Bates, “The four top priorities of the RVER Group today are funding and then building the new town park; designing, funding, and constructing a new streetscape look to Main Street; building a convenience store/gas station in town; and locating a national chain fast food store in Houghton”

The Group plans to build a town park behind the firehall parking lot. The park would be adjacent to the field of dreams and have access to the Genesee River. The plans came about from Caneadea’s desire to build a park in their town, but not having the land to facilitate it. Houghton has agreed to give a plot of land to the town if they get a grant from the state government to build it. The Group hopes to see the park become a year-round attraction. Connecting with the Genesee Valley Greenway Trail that stretches from Rochester to just south of Mt. Morris, the park shows potential for hiking, skiing, and snowshoe trails.

A key part of the revitalization of Houghton is making the area along Route 19 more attractive and easily accessible as a place to spend time. This involves improving several aspects of the streetscape. Plans have been drawn up by Keystone Associates that would replace current lighting with more and better lamp posts that use LED light bulbs, expand the sidewalk through the whole commercial area, install bike racks and flower plantings, and add stamped-concrete crosswalks. The crosswalks are being installed in hopes to encourage motorists to slow down and make the town safer to walk through. The Group has also looked into adorning the street with seasonal decorations to make the town more inviting.

The biggest public project the RVER Group is working on is bringing a gas station and convenience store into town. This is a very important part of the group’s overall plan to improve commerce. As people come into Houghton for big events, having a local gas station will be vital to facilitating traffic. While the gas station will be useful for students, the convenience store provides an opportunity to buy snacks and necessities at all times of the day unlike the Campus Store, and without the trip to Fillmore Dollar General.

There are two central obstacles to establishing a gas station in town. The first is that because of our close proximity to the Genesee River, there is a lot of regulation by the state on underground gas tanks. The second is finding a gas company whose convenience store is willing to forfeit its liquor license as is the will of the College. The Group has ideas on how to overcome both of these in time.

The fourth major project of the RVER Group is currently under lock and key. They are looking to bring a national fast food chain into the town, but are not currently saying with which franchise they are talking.

The future looks bright for the RVER Group’s work in Houghton. They have been impressed with the community’s willingness to lend a hand in all their endeavors. “I am encouraged by the growth we have seen in just over a year and want to thank our team of volunteers who are committed to seeing the momentum continue,” said Gaerte. Their investment of time and work has already begun to improve the community. That’s their one true goal: improve the community and everyone prospers – financially, as well as communally.

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News

KPAC Nearing Completion

In the summer of 2012, Houghton College broke ground on phase one of the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex and now, over two years later, the third and final phase is just weeks away from completion.

Projected to have been completed several months ago, KPAC faced numerous setbacks resulting in the still unfinished facility. “It’s pretty complex. There were some original design issues early in the project that had to do with sinking the shop drawings,” explained Harold Lord, executive director of athletics.  He added that,  “The ultra cold winter delayed things further.”

KPAApart from the extended process of creating shop drawings for the beams and structure of the facility, the most recent and most significant setback was in regards to the flooring of the facility. Originally set to begin in April, Beynon Sports Surfacing was unable to begin laying the flooring due to the delays that took place earlier on in the completion of the project. Then, as Dale Wright, Houghton’s chief business officer, explained, “The athletic flooring company was delayed in a job they were doing before they came to Houghton. Therefore, they were later than we would have liked once everything was ready for them.”

Lord said that that this week he expects a large bulk of the flooring to be completed. This includes the completed track and tennis surfaces ready to be lined. Wright added, “The athletic flooring is scheduled to be completed September 18th and the MVP deck should be finished within the next two weeks”

Despite these setbacks, key areas of the facility have been completed. Coaches and other faculty were able to move into their offices during the week of August 11th, in time for the beginning of preseason. The facilities training room was also up and running beginning August 18th.

Students, faculty, and community members are awaiting for the completion of KPAC and to be begin using the new gym. Houghton sophomore and member of the cross country and track and field teams, Joanna Friesen, expressed her anticipation for the facility saying, “I’m excited to have a legitimate place to do speed workouts in the winter, a place where it’s spacious and safe to practice. For my whole running career a good indoor facility has been two or more hours away, it’s unbelievable that we have one.” She went on to say, “The first day of indoor track practice will be a wonderful privilege, even if it’s a mile repeat day.”

Robert Pool, vice president of student life said, “I’m just excited because for this little place called Houghton, because of this Kerr-Pegula gift we have a facility that many division one schools would love to have. I hope that students feel blessed by this. To have two gyms on campus where they can pursue their wellness goals. It’s a blessing.”

Lord added, “If I was speaking for the coaches, it’s a little bit like Christmas. They’re all excited. It’s a beautiful facility, and it’s so much more convenient. It’s going to enhance recruiting, they’re thankful.”

The completion of KPAC will also bring a lot for students, faculty, and community members. A ribbon cutting ceremony will occur over homecoming and family weekend, October 3-5.