Student Council – Houghton STAR

By Grace Hall

Hey guys, my name is Grace Hall! I am excited to be the new freshman class representative! Thank you for voting for me and for giving me this opportunity. I am super excited to serve you guys in this way and I can’t wait to see what God has in store for our class. As your representative, I am happy to hear any suggestions you may have to help improve our class and campus. Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me with any questions or concerns.

A few things about me are that I love nature and creation. I believe we are very fortunate to live where we do. The beautiful sunsets and sunrises and the bright stars at night have always captivated my attention. I am looking forward to the leaves changing. Western New York is known for its beautiful colors in the Fall. I have lived in Portville, NY, my whole life, which is a little town 15 minutes from Olean. I love where I live and I am so thankful for the beauty of this campus. We truly are blessed to have such a gorgeous school. I am passionate about studying God’s Word and worshiping Him in every area of my life. I love music, singing, and playing the piano. I have four amazing brothers who I adore. We live on a farm and have lots of cute cows. I love tacos and iced coffee. I love chasing sunsets and stargazing. I am passionate about making sure others feel valued and seen. I care deeply about people and truly want to help you guys in any way I can.

Coming to Houghton has been such a God thing. I am confident that the Lord has brought me to Houghton for such a time as this! I am majoring in Inclusive Childhood Education because I love working with kids and want to help them succeed in this life. My plan is to graduate in 2027 with my bachelors degree and hopefully jump right into teaching at a school.

I hope to serve and represent our class with excellence. I am excited to plan events and get everyone involved. Above all, I will strive to bring glory to God in all that I do as the representative for the freshman class because that’s what we are called to do!

I am passionate about helping people and leading with confidence and integrity. In high school, I was involved in student council and really enjoyed leading in that way. I am aiming for organization and structure. I have had my fair share of dealing with conflict and resolution and I am devoted to helping out my classmates and making sure their voice is heard and that they feel seen. I have had some of my classmates already express event ideas that could bring our class together and encourage us to get to know one another, such asKaraoke nights, bible studies, and game nights! A goal of mine is to implement an in depth bible study that encourages others in their faith and where we can dig into the Word together. Transitioning into college is a huge change, and having some type of support group and encouragement can be very beneficial. Some leadership skills that are necessary to attain are honesty, kindness, and consistency. It is also very important to be good at communicating, which I am confident that I can do well.

Being a member of the Student Council comes with a whole group of upperclassmen that I can come to with issues that I or my fellow classmates may have. It is so encouraging to know that I have the support from other class representatives and other members of the Student Council.

What I want to do with my position is to make the freshman class the best it can be. I want to encourage others to ask for help when they need it and to be fearless in the face of adversity. Life is full of trials and tribulation but as Christians, we have a hope and His name is Jesus. We are called to share His name with others and I believe that being the class rep will allow me to encourage others to be bold in their faith and to keep on fighting the good fight. There are going to be struggles we encounter, but I know that with perseverance and prayer, God will lead us through every late night spent studying for that test and every bit of drama with that classmate you really don’t like. I never want to be outside of His will for me. I am praying that He will guide and lead me and I am praying the same for all of you. I am excited to see what God has planned for the freshman class. I am confident that He has good things in store. Plans to prosper us and to help us, plans to give us a hope and a future! He has always been faithful in the past and I am confident that He will be faithful now. What a loving and merciful God that we have. ★

By Christian Welker

On Wednesday, Feb. 22, The Student Council will hold Elections for the 2023 Fall semester.

After replacing the Student Government Association in the Fall of 2021, the Student Council has acted as the voice of students to the University’s Administration. The Council consists of 11 representatives: 1 for each Class (4 total); 1 Academic; 1 Athletics; 1 Diversity and Inclusion; 1 Resident Life; 1 Spiritual Life; 1 Student Organizations, and the Student Council President.

The Student Council Representatives meet weekly with their respective administrators, bringing concerns to their attention and discussing potential solutions that would benefit the student body as a whole. Additionally, they invite the administrators to Council meetings, in which the wider student population can ask questions and give feedback about changes and practices of the University.

Academic Representative and Junior Cody Johnson stated, “Through Committees and relationships with administrators, we can speak into things that many students do not know about.”

This open communication with Houghton’s Administrative team allows the Student Council to create effective changes on campus.

To Johnson, one of his favorite things about working with the Council is that “you can create policies and programs that will still exist long after your graduation.”

Over this semester, the Student Council has worked on several projects for the benefit of the Student Body. Class of 2024 Representative and Junior Kat Wojsiat commented that one of her semesterly projects is getting a food vending machine for Chamberlain. Along with Wojsiat, the Council has worked on improving building hours, increasing signage around areas such as parking lots, and providing student perspectives on the upcoming strategic plan.

The Representatives also expressed their excitement for the improvements that the Student Council hopes to experience throughout this semester and the next.

Student Organizations Representative and Junior Anna Catherman commented that she “would love to see more engagement [between the council and] the student body.”

Similarly, Athletics Representative and Senior Ali Wisniewski stated that she would like the Council to “get the students to feel more comfortable coming to us with their concerns, this would help us make sure their voices are heard.”

As the Elections Approach, The Student Council is looking to build next semester’s team. Petitions to run for a representative position are open and due on Monday, Feb. 20. Every Representative interviewed commented that they would love more candidates to get involved.

Class of 2023 Representative and Senior Kathyryn Evans states, “It’s an amazing opportunity to be involved in the “behind the scenes” side of the school.”

Wojsiat added, “If you feel strongly about advocacy and/or improving the college, I highly recommend running next year!”

Elections will take place via email, and the results will be posted on Friday, Feb. 24. If students are interested in hearing the candidates speak, there will be speeches during the scheduled meeting at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20. ★