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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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The Expected Virtue of Birdman

Winner of the Oscar for Best Picture Lives Up to the Hype

BirdmanThe newest inductee to the lucrative Best Picture club is Alejandro G. Iñárritu’s Birdman: Or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). With such a high honor being bestowed on a film there is often ample skepticism as to its actual quality. Is Birdman truly better than American Sniper or Boyhood? The plot summary is this: Riggan Thomson, played by Michael Keaton, is a former blockbuster star, made famous and beloved for his roles as Birdman, a superhero in the 80s and 90s. Having fallen from stardom and faded into relative obscurity in the public eye, Riggan attempts to jumpstart his stagnant career with a self-directed, self-written, and self-acted Broadway production in hopes to once again find relevance in the entertainment industry.

While the story may seem simplistic at face value, what makes Birdman truly great is its execution. This is one of the most artistically invigorating and emotionally stimulating films that I have ever seen. Every convention of good filmmaking is present here and done to the highest level of quality.

The casting of Michael Keaton as Riggan is no coincidence. Many probably remember his role as the brooding caped crusader himself in Tim Burton’s Batman in 1989, Keaton reprising the role in 1992 in Batman Returns. Given his history in the industry, Keaton’s casting in Birdman makes his struggle a deeply personal one as an actor fighting to stay relevant and be taken seriously.

Riggan’s character is effortlessly relatable. He is nervous, unsure of himself, erratic, and emotionally unstable, making him an easy target to be written as the token underdog character. Thankfully, the movie transcends that trope by refusing to make him spotlessly perfect, Riggan is human after all. He is divorced, has an estranged teenage daughter, has issues maintaining relationships, and can at times be a little bit of a jerk. As a character who receives the viewer’s sympathy, reprehension, and respect all in one movie, Keaton absolutely shines playing Riggan, making his Oscar nomination for the Best Actor especially justified.

While Keaton is the one most in need of an encore, by no means is the rest of the cast undeserving. Most notably are Emma Stone as his cynical, sarcastic, just-out-of-drug-rehab daughter, Edward Norton as a last minute cast-replacement playing a hysterical parody of himself as a brilliant actor who is difficult to work with on and off the stage, and Zach Galifianakis, of all people, who takes a surprisingly nuanced turn as Riggan’s best friend and production manager.

Birdman’s tone fluctuates between reality and the surreal, garnered by Riggan’s unique perspective of the world around him and grounded by his more “level-headed” cast members. Whether the camera traverses the stage during rehearsals, follows Riggan through his daydreams or certain cast members through the tight corridors of the theatre and down the streets and alleys of New York, the shot composition is hypnotizing. The camera is always rolling, never cutting, making Birdman resemble one enormous tracking shot that would make even Wes Anderson blush. The more ethereal scenes are accompanied by full orchestras playing muted symphonies, lulling the viewer into its dreamlike atmosphere and for the majority of the film, Birdman marches along anxiously and excitedly to the pulsating beat of drums, pounding in cacophonous syncopated rhythms, able to carve out the tension of the scene unaccompanied.

Seeing Murphy’s Law take effect as more and more things continue to go wrong for Riggan takes its toll as it becomes apparent that this play is his everything. Through all of the melancholy, the personal drama, the selfish desire to sell out and be thrown right back into the blockbuster formula, Riggan’s stress is shared with the viewer. If the play bombs, the rest of the cast might emerge embarrassed but relatively unscathed, but for Riggan this is his last chance. “We should have done that reality show they offered us,” says the voice in his head, forcing him to turn back, but there is no going back. For Riggan, this is all or not

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New York City Barber Comes to Houghton

MJ Ganci left behind her family, partner, and home in Queens, New York when she came to Houghton in February to pursue her dream. That dream would eventually become “Capones Cuts”, a barbershop located inside Buddy’s Place on Route 19.

HattieBurgherCapone'sCMYKOn annual visits to see a friend in Alleghany County, multiple people approached Ganci asking her for a haircut. That’s when she decided she needed to introduce the New York City style to Western New York. “I bring style, designs, and I know what is in right now,” she said.

Along with that distinct city style, Ganci uses hair tools that “no other barbershop has within a 30 mile radius.” Another aspect Ganci wants to bring is comfort to those who come to her shop. “I want to make my shop as a second home for people and to provide a homey atmosphere,” said Ganci. To help create an inviting atmosphere, she has a sign-in book in the corner of her shop where customers can put in their information so she can send them items such as Christmas cards.

 

Ganci’s business has already attracted many of Houghton College’s professors and students, who get a discount when they present their student ID. “Her design skills are amazing and the passion she has for her work really shows how much she loves her job,” said senior, Enrico Sukhdeo. Sukhdeo, who wasn’t sure what to expect when he walked into Capones Cuts, was pleasantly surprised by Ganci’s skills. “I’ve gotten my hair cut from some very skilled barbers in the past and she is definitely in that category,” he said.

Douglas Gaerte, professor of communication, decided to go to Capones Cuts because he was too busy to go to Olean, where he had been getting his hair cut for more than fifteen years. He too, was satisfied with the results. Gaerte said, “She is fantastic. She was very attentive to the way I like my hair and took her time to learn my preferences.” Both Gaerte and Sukhdeo plan on seeing Ganci again the next time they need haircuts.

PhyllisGaerte_Capones

Attempting to start her own business, Ganci faced some difficulties along the way. “I went to at least ten different places in Fillmore, Cuba, Belfast; and no one wanted to rent me space,” said Ganci. Just when she felt like nothing was going to work out, Ganci drove down Route 19 and saw a rental space sign at Buddy’s Place. “I just ran in there hoping to get something, and I’ve never felt so welcomed,” she said referring to the other businesses that occupy the building. “I believe in God, and I believe He brought me here for a reason.”

She puts an emphasis on people pursuing their dreams. “If you have passion you can do anything,” she said. “I am forty-one, so it’s never too late to live your dream. If I can do it, then you can do it.”

Even though Ganci recognizes Houghton and Queens are on opposite ends of the spectrum, she doesn’t deem that as an excuse to not bring quality of service to the area. She said, “It’s not a million dollar place, but I will make you feel like a million bucks.”

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The Music Lounge: Creating a Creative Space Downtown

Once a shoe repair shop, then a Mobil gas station and car garage, this enduring building located on Route 19 in downtown Houghton has a new role — it has been repurposed into a into a creative space for local musicians. The Van Name family, from Dalton, NY started the musical venue three years ago, which they are calling “The Music Lounge.”

LukeLauer_MusicLounge2

The Van Names obtained the location, within walking distance, a few doors downs from 3 Bums, from Dawn Van Name’s father several years ago. Wanting to do something with the space, they decided to turn the old garage into a place for musicians to come play and audiences to come listen.

When the Van Names first acquired the garage, the inside was filled with typical garage items, such as a car lift and a giant air compressor. They spent the last three years clearing out and renovating the space to make it useable for concerts, jam sessions, and workshops. They have added a stage, lights, some cozy furniture, and a fridge to serve drinks. They have also incorporated some of the old knickknacks from the garage into decorations for the space, such as a vintage wooden rotary telephone and faded “posted” sign.

“The Music Lounge” has had several open mic nights since opening three years ago, said Johnny, Dawn’s son. Each event attracted about 10 to 15 attendees and some up to 20. They have had Houghton students and other musicians from across western New York come down to perform.

Benjamin and Jonathan Yuly, juniors, went to the venue twice their first year as students. Benjamin Yuly said he went the opening weekend to check it out and they were invited back to play. They went back a weekend later to “jam” with the the Van Name family at “The Music Lounge.” According to Yuly, the space has the typical feel that is common in most music lounges.

The family does music recordings in the lounge for local solo artists and bands. They want to keep a live feel and energy with the music they record. Johnny said, “Everything’s really over-produced nowadays, and I just want to get back to the live recordings. You know, still have it studio quality, but have the live feel.” The Van Names have already done recordings for local artists from the local area, including Cuba and Rochester. He said he is interested in getting more folk and acoustic artists in for live recordings.

Due to feedback from Houghton students expressing interest in jazz and other genres, Dawn would like to have various themed nights. Johnny suggested, “Different music like 80s, jazz and blues, and maybe a funk night would be cool.”

As another aspect of the business, Johnny makes handmade custom basses and guitars. He showed the bass he is working on right now for his friend — a Bigfoot design, with three toes, wood burned and hand-carved into the body. He hopes after finishing the “Bigfoot” bass guitar to move on to an acoustic guitar and even repair drum sets. Dawn wants the venue to be somewhere close for people to go for musical repairs.

Many people that have come to the lounge have stopped by on their way to the KOA campsite or Rushford Lake, Dawn said. She wishes to further network with people from out of state, New Yorkers from other parts coming to Rushford Lake, and the local population. She said, “We don’t want to be just one frame of thinking. We are trying to network out to everybody.”

One struggle, Dawn noted, has been scheduling. Many local musicians work and cannot get out on Friday nights, while others cannot do Saturday because they are busy running errands. Johnny also added that renovations have been another road block in the progress, but they are coming along.

Another problem the the lounge faced is that many students do not even know of the lounge’s existence. Yuly suggests there is a lot of potential in student interest and points out very little is known about the venue on campus. Sarah Slater, senior, said, “I have been here for three and a half years, plus a summer, I didn’t know about this.” Molly Freihoffer, senior, similarly did not know of “The Music Lounge.”

Dawn and Johnny said a specific genre they want to especially support are the local, original music artists. Dawn noted that it is exceedingly hard for them to get local venues and almost impossible to get paid for their time. Johnny said it is unfair to them to play solely for exposure and wants to help support them any way he and his family can.

Yuly believes there is a very active amateur and professional community of musicians in Allegany County because of local school teachers, churches, and the Greatbatch School of Music, as well as Alfred State and Alfred University. He believes all these groups could benefit from this type of venue.

In the future, Dawn and Johnny hope to start a summer community concert series with various musical artists outside, with snacks and drinks to create a fun environment. Johnny also wants to eventually create an online radio station to showcase local musicians from the Western New York area to further the support of original music.

Dawn said there are currently no planned events this semester, but added they are “open to helping students or anybody who has original music.” They want to be a supportive and creative place where students and community members can go to perform, practice, and record. They are open to any suggestions and possibilities for the future of “The Music Lounge.”

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Faces Behind the Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex

If you have walked by the Kerr-Pegula Complex construction site in the past few days, you will have noticed a great deal of work has been done on the project in the past few months. Each day progress continues to be made from the finishing touches being put on the softball field, to the more major construction underway on the field house.

Athletic_ComplexLess visible are the faces behind the project that include the contractors, architects, and construction workers from companies outside of Houghton who are working long hours in tandem to reach their goal: a completed and open-for-business athletic complex.

Harold Lord, executive director of athletics, explained that bi-weekly OACM (Owner, Architect, Construction Manager) meetings are held to keep everyone up to date on the project. Lord, who has been heavily involved in the complex during all of its stages, discussed the major progress in construction, ensuring a finished complex by this coming summer.

In addition to Lord’s involvement, Keystone Associates architect Kenneth Gay has served in the role of senior architect for the construction of the complex. In charge of the architecture, engineering, and surveying, his company has been there since the beginning stages which included meetings with the owner, selecting locations, and drawing up designs, and they will see the project through until the end.

For Gay, the Houghton community is no stranger, having his wife and daughters as both alumni and current Houghton students. During a phone interview Gay explained, “We’ve been coming to Houghton from 1983 to now, so for me to have a project at Houghton is neat; it’s a unique community.”

“In the end, Houghton is going to be proud, the donors are going to be proud, and I know that our office is going to be proud,” expressed Gay. “It’s a great project with so many elements that fit with our company.”

Mike Norton, owners’ representative from Pike Company, has also put in a lot of work on the complex. “I represent Houghton College in the project,” Norton explained. When describing his job, he explained he works as the representative of the complex. This means overseeing the site and making sure everything is being done as it is supposed to be. Apart from these responsibilities, he participates in numerous meetings discussing the complex, as well as supervising the pay schedules.

Growing up in Hornell, Norton is familiar with the area; as is Pike Company, a fifth generation, family business, located in Rochester, NY. When discussing the project with Norton he simply replied, “Every project is kind of exciting in its own little way because what it means to its owner.” “What I like about this business is when its done you can step back and say I was a part of that and it stays for many years,” said Norton.

Apart from the planning and supervising, LeChase Construction Company is responsible for the actual building of the complex. They are the general contractors, having numerous employees working long hours in often not-so-friendly weather conditions. Recently, LeChase workers have been busy putting up the steel, roofing and siding, and even beginning stages on the second floor. LeChase is also involved in the hiring of subcontractors for other work including things like electric and plumbing.

Other Houghton staff involved in the project includes Phyllis Gaerte and Jason Mucher, who aid in design; Robert Pool, vice president of student life; and Dale Wright, chief business officer.

“The Houghton team has been very focused on making sure that this building responded to a bunch of different needs and uses; not just athletics but campus wide and community wide,” said Gay. The field house will be a future home not only to athletic events, but also youth events, concerts, graduation, and many other things.

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Dryden Fracking Ban to be Tried in New York Court of Appeals

A recent amendment to zoning legislation in the town of Dryden, NY has propelled the town of 15,000 up to New York State’s highest court and to the forefront of the anti-fracking cause.

Courtesy of inhabitat.com
Courtesy of inhabitat.com

Despite being banned in over 50 towns in New York State, few have been as strategic or promising for natural gas extraction as Dryden, which is situated on more than 141 trillion cubic feet of gas protected by the Marcellus Shale formation. The main group to attempt to seize on this opportunity has been Norse Energy Corporation USA, originally based in Norway, who is being represented as a plaintiff in the case to be tried at the New York State Court of Appeals.

The State of New York is currently under a five-year moratorium on fracking that was enacted by former Governor David Patterson in 2008 and extended indefinitely by current Governor Andrew Cuomo until further research by the State Health Department concludes. The moratorium also prohibits any lower-level activity which would interfere with state jurisdiction over the extraction process. While Norse Energy alleges that Dryden’s zoning changes intersects with state law, town residents state that the legislation merely prohibits “heavy industrial development” on land within the town and does not attempt to regulate the oil, gas, and mining industries. In addition to the nature of the changes, Dryden residents point out that the town’s decisions have been upheld by multiple lower-level courts in the state.

Aside from issues of jurisdiction, the consideration of a fracking ban involves careful weighting of environmental and economic consequences. Fracking involves the use of high-pressured water and chemicals to drill through deep rock formations and access deposits of natural gas, a process which brings the possibility of contamination of water supplies and other public infrastructure, as well as destruction of farmland. However, the approval of fracking activities  in Dryden would open up to 18,000 wells for drilling, bring thousands of new jobs in the industry to the area, and promote energy independence.

Dryden’s case with Norse Energy is not the town’s first on the matter of fracking. 2012 saw a lawsuit with Anschutz Exploration Corp., in which Cortland County Court upheld the town’s zoning ban. Another case was resolved similarly in the same month, with Middlefield, another town west of Dryden, maintaining its anti-fracking activities in a case against a dairy farmer in the area who had contracted with Elexco Land Services, Inc. to seek out natural gas resources on her property.

Fracking, with its array of benefits and detriments, remains a polarized issue. A recent poll conducted by Siena College showed a 43 percent opposition to the drilling, while 38 percent expressed approval.

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5 Bites Begins Changes

The five convenience stores on campus known collectively as 5 Bites have been undergoing many new changes and improvements, including a new head manager, the implementation of a recycling program and a stamp card program, and the addition of combination packs at a reduced price, since the beginning of the semester.
5 Bites is actually a very new business on campus, having started only two years ago, and it is completely student-run as a program under Houghton Student Enterprises (HSE).

Courtesy of soda-emporium.com
Courtesy of soda-emporium.com

Though a relatively new business, it has been doing quite well.

“This year we kicked off pretty strong and have gotten solid business” said Moeun Sun, Assistant Manager for 5 Bites at Burke Field and Nielsen Physical Education Center.

Senior Austin Rudd has stepped into the position as manager of 5 Bites this semester.  Before the semester even began, Rudd was emailing the managers of the different store locations asking for new ideas to implement this semester.

One new program which 5 Bites has implemented is a stamp card program. Now students can receive a stamp for every 50 cents they spend at a 5 Bites store. Once they have collected twenty stamps, they can redeem the card for a candy bar.

5 Bites has also begun a new recycling program. This program works the same way that it does at any other store location in New York where patrons can get 5 cents for turning in recyclables with an NY State stamp on them.
“It’s a way to encourage people to come to 5 Bites and to thank them,” says Elena Velazquez, store manager for Lambien.

Something that has not yet begun, but will be starting in two weeks, are combination packs.  Each of the store managers for the five locations has put together specialized combination packs which will be sold at about a 15% reduction in the price.  For example, Velazquez made a combination pack for Lambien which includes an IBC Rootbeer, popcorn, and a snickers for $2; if all those items were bought individually, the order would total $3.25 at the Lambein store.

This gives people who are already buying these things a discount,” said Rudd.

Besides these new programs, 5 Bites is also working on getting a computer program with which to do their inventory.

“We have had problems with different software to organize our inventory,” said Velazquez.
However they have recently received new software for free, which should be working soon along with scanners to scan the items which people purchase.

The managers of 5 Bites are also going to be looking for different items to add to their stock and will be choosing new items with the help of student’s feedback.

Overall many new programs have started with other changes underway.
“All of this has happened in just the past couple weeks,” said Velazquez.