Tag: student government

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Stories In Focus

FEATURE: Student Council

The Student Council is a vital and fundamental part of the student body at Houghton College. They are a collection of students that represent the various aspects of being a student at Houghton, such as a representative from athletics, academics, and each class, etc. In an interview, Cassie Cavell (‘23), the Representative for the Class of 2023, echoed this statement, saying, “Student Council is a peer-elected group of students that represent the student body as a whole in all areas of life at Houghton.” 

According to the coordinator of the Student Council, AC Taylor, the Student Council has a significant role in aiding all Houghton students to have a voice when it comes to events, conditions, and circumstances here. He remarked that “Student Council represents student concerns and opinions to the institution through councils, committees, and relationships with administrators.” 

The Student Council, once known as SGA, or Student Government Association, has observed a few changes in 2021, including their office space being renovated and a name change. While Cavell stated that “the office actually did not physically move,” she did note that, “it just got remodeled and renamed over the summer! The CEO’s (chief executive officer or someone in a higher leadership role) new space features inviting glass doors on which our office hours are posted. We love the grand conference table as it incorporates our mission to hear every voice. There are also chairs for hanging out and chatting.” This inviting and comfortable space can be found exactly where the SGA office used to be, for any students interested in voicing a concern or wanting to get in touch with any of the representatives or members of the Council.

Being a member, as any of them will tell you, is a rewarding and honorable position, meant to ensure all students at Houghton College feel connected to all the administration, faculty, and staff. Class of 2022 Representative Hannah Heinl (‘22) explained that elections for the Student Council will be held on Thursday, February 24th, with petitions beginning on Monday, January 31st and closing on Monday, February 14th. Heinl also added that during the Monday, February 21 Student Council meeting, candidates will be able to give their speeches.

Cavell also commented on the election process and what an interested student should reflect on: “They should evaluate their current experience in leadership, communication skills, advocacy, and self-motivation.” There are several tasks members are required to complete each week, including sharing feedback, utilizing office hours, and continuing projects; it is no task to be taken lightly.

Another member of the Student Council, Haley Dejager (‘22), the Athletics Representative, stated, “Whether you have limited leadership experience or lots of it, I think the student council is a great opportunity to serve your fellow students! Be prepared to dedicate a couple of hours a week to various council and committee meetings. There’s also a team atmosphere in which members collaborate on many projects, while still maintaining a personal agenda specific to an individual’s role.” Even when the tasks and expectations flow in regularly, the Student Council members work together to support each other and keep each other going. Dejager also stated, “Most importantly, I really enjoy the feeling of making a difference on our campus. Knowing you’re making a difference and being able to see that difference come to life is a really great thing to experience.” While it has many responsibilities, it is a respectable and significant position to have at Houghton College, and any student hesitating to campaign should head over to the newly renovated office space named the Campus Engagement Office, and speak with any of the members there.   

Taylor encourages students who are interested in running to, “Go for it! The institution wants to know what students are thinking and feeling and the Student Council is the go-to structure.” Dejager also stated, “Most importantly, I really enjoy the feeling of making a difference on our campus. Knowing you’re making a difference and being able to see that difference come to life is a really great thing to experience.” While it has many responsibilities, it is a respectable and significant position to have at Houghton College, and any student hesitating to campaign should head over to the newly renovated office space named the Campus Engagement Office, and speak with any of the members there. ★

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Campus News

SGA to be Replaced With SEC

The new logo for the SEC, a variation of the familiar SGA symbol. Courtesy of AC Taylor

By Josiah Wiedenheft (’22)

On Wednesday, March 10, the Student Government Association passed a motion that confirmed the end of SGA as we currently know it, with something new to take its place: the SEC. Known fully as the “Student Experience Committee,” this organization aims to preserve the purpose of SGA, while refining its structure and clarifying its responsibilities. Director of Student Engagement AC Taylor explains this revised body as a group of students “[who] represent various student experiences and student groups and [do] so by representing student needs and concerns to the institution directly,” and in the words of the organization’s own constitution: “The Student Experience Council (SEC)… shall be charged with [representing] the student body to the college administration, faculty, and staff in order to promote student interests and ensure activities and services make the student experience at Houghton the best it can be.”

Why do away with SGA though? Why SEC instead? While AC mentioned that the changes have been considered for a few years, the final decision came from “a common feeling among many executive officers of not really knowing what they were supposed to do.” The changes focus around clearing this up. Even though “government” was in the name, SGA in recent years had not been serving any real governing role among the student body, at least not in the usual sense of the term. The name of “Student Experience Council,” on the other hand, is meant to clarify their function: to represent the experiences and needs of students to the school’s administration.

Most of the changes that have been made have the purpose of making more clear the “how?” and “why?” of the organization. While the number of roles in the executive council (renamed from executive cabinet as a part of the “de-govermentalizing” of these changes) has increased, adding specific representatives for athletics, residence life, student organizations and academics, the purpose and responsibilities of each of these positions has been made more clear. The focus, as suggested by the names, is very clearly on representation: the various positions each represent an aspect of student life and activity here on the campus, so that the concerns specific to that area can be heard and made known. AC states that the hope is that these more clearly defined roles “will increase their effectiveness in supporting the student body.”

One question that might be on student’s minds amidst all this is what will become of the class cabinets? Formerly, the class of each year had their own mini-executive cabinet, who generally represented that class in the SGA’s public meetings and who would also plan events for the other students of their year. Within the structure of the SEC, class cabinets have been done away with in name, though their purpose has been morphed to a different form. The role of representing the needs and concerns of a given academic year will now be taken on by four class representatives who will be a part of the executive council. These four positions have acquired additional responsibilities beyond merely representing their class, however: the senior class representative takes on a role similar to that formerly fulfilled by the SGA vice president, acting in the place of the president in their absence; the junior class representative fulfills a scribe roll, taking the minutes for SGA meetings; and the sophomore representative helps to organize the election of the first-year representative each year. The representatives of the first-year and senior classes also take part in coordinating traditions and events for first-years and graduation respectively.

The “class cabinets” will also continue to exist, though they too will be shaped slightly differently. Going forward they’ll take the form of dedicated clubs, which AC says will be able to “work to increase connections and comradery amongst classes while also still having a connection to the concerns/advocacy part [of the SEC’s function].”

While the decision was formalized last week by the current Executive and Class cabinets, SGA is still open to hearing student thoughts and feedback. You can make your voice heard by talking with your class cabinet representative or members of the Executive Cabinet, or by attending one of the weekly public SGA meetings. All students are also invited to get involved by running for a SEC position for next academic year! You can find out more information about that process in the all-campus email sent out last week. ★

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Campus News

First Year Students Vying For Cabinet Positions

First year students vying for class cabinet positions delivered speeches to their peers Monday night at the weekly Student Government Association (SGA) meeting.

Student body president, Joanna Friesen ‘17, said votes for candidates were conducted via email, beginning on Tuesday September 27 and ended on September 28.

Skylar Hillman and James Argot each won their right to office by default. Hillman will assume the position of class treasurer and Argot will take office as class secretary. Argot cited a need for greater transparency, and detailed his plan to work with SGA to make meeting minutes more accessible, “possibly through a public Google Doc.”

sga-class-cabinet
Current SGA Executive Cabinet

No one ran for class historian, despite SGA vice president Daniel Merriam’s (‘17) calls for a volunteer for this “very important” position.

Celina Tijerina and Micah Modesto ran for class social chair. Tongue in cheek, Modesto stated she’d “cherish” the office.

The men’s chaplain campaign featured two candidates as well. Christian Arber, a communication and theology double major, cited his camp ministry as a strong qualification for the job. His competitor Juwan Moore urged his classmates not to vote for himself, but to “vote for whoever the Holy Spirit is convicting you to vote.”

“God is calling this generation to courageous care and radical love,” Moore stated in his speech.

Five candidates were slated for the women’s chaplaincy position. Kyla Nies, Emily Allen, Becca Loomis, Olivia Flint, and Abby Nayler each expressed their passion for Houghton’s mission, and their desire to serve their classmates’ spiritual needs. Loomis stated, “I love that we have so many spiritual events at Houghton, but I think sometimes they can make us spiritually numb. We need a revival.” Loomis proposed a discipleship and accountability group to launch said revival. Likewise, Allen said, “I want to play a part in leading our growth as a community.”

Madison Collins and Nathan Trouten ran for vice president. Trouten emphasized that, as an international student and an athlete, he feels especially qualified to serve these two groups in particular. He also promised to work closely with the president and treasurer to ensure the class cabinet stays within its budget. Collins expressed her desire to serve her classmates rather than “benefit from the efforts of others” all four years.

The speeches culminated with the presidential candidates. Jonathan Libby said his class was a group of diverse, high achievers, and “the challenges of diversity create leaders.” With high hopes for his classmates, he promised to be their “number one supporter” should he be elected.

Hannah Sievers highlighted her extensive experience in student leadership throughout her high school career. She was a member of “Sources of Strength,” a suicide prevention group. Sievers also participated in theatre, Student Council, and the yearbook club. She said she played an instrumental role in making the yearbook club into a credited class at her high school.

At the close of the candidate speeches, Merriam encouraged the first year students to remain involved, regardless of the election results. “You guys are the future of this college,”he said. “Stay involved, and carry on the Houghton legacy.”

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News Stories In Focus

SGA President: Katharine Lebrecque

With the new changes brought to SGA this fall, positions entail different responsibilities. Senior, Katharine Labrecque, serves as this year’s president, heading up the newly organized student government.

Labrecque has been involved in student government since her freshman year in high school. She served as secretary for four years and continued that role her first and sophomore year at Houghton for the class of 2015. Last year, she served as a senator for the political science department. This year she begins a different role, as president.

“There are a lot more responsibilities. It’s hard because I am overseeing the different officers, making sure they are carrying out their roles while also being supportive,” said Labrecque regarding the transition, “I like having a clear goal in mind and to write notes. But I do carry that into this role, I still take notes. And just being organized… that has been a strength.”

Her role is to oversee all of the executive council and to represent the student body: their needs and their voice. One of her biggest objectives is to make herself available to receive feedback from students.

“Whether that is from personal interaction with students in my classes or on the soccer team, a suggestion box, or just having people come in the office,” said Labrecque, “I think [my role is] just about the students and I don’t think that I am any more important than they are, but I am a way that they can get their voice heard to faculty, staff and to people who are in charge of the college.”

Through the reorganization of the cabinets, there are less members total. Without senators, the power of SGA is much more concentrated. Due to having a fewer amount of representatives, Labrecque has encouraged members to seek student input.

“It’s a whole new system set up and we are working on our constitution and bylaws and making sure that they align with the college policies,” said Labrecque, “A huge focus now is on the non-traditional students, in Buffalo, and what role we can have there.”

As a dual Political Science and International Development major, Labrecque’s interests of studies converge in her role. Although not knowing where she will end up, she knows how she has been called to act. Her involvement with SGA at Houghton is in line with her goals to prepare for the future.

“I definitely feel like God has put on my heart that I need to be a voice for people who are not heard,” said Labrecque, “And I feel that whatever it is, whether it is politics, which I am interested in, or for government agencies, specifically in development or public policy, that I can really advocate the people and make it about the people.”

Currently, Labrecque is lending her voice to Houghton students. Yet, beyond the population of Houghton, Labrecque is concerned with justice and advocacy on a broader scale.

“I feel like our politics, in the US, are very much separate, there is a lack of unity,” said Labrecque, “It has been frustrating to see that people are suffering because we can’t get along and we can’t make trade-offs.”

Labrecque’s passion to serve has allowed her to take on many roles. As president, Labrecque launches SGA into a new year structured by new organization. Perhaps students will respond to her vision of a refurbished SGA, sharing her passion for the voice of the individual, and creating the necessary dialog between the two.

“This is new for me. I want to make SGA something that is not a governing body, but a resource. It can be a way that we can communicate with students and let them know about the things that are going on in the world and on campus, just make it transparent.” said Labrecque, “I think there have been a lot of negative connotations attached to SGA and I want to rid that. I want to make it a place that people associate with this comfortable body of student leaders who are desired and work for the rest of the campus.”

Different ways to connect with Labrecque and other member of SGA include: looking for SGA members around campus, emailing SGA at sga@houghton.edu, sending a comment or sharing feedback through intra-campus mail marked SGA, scheduling a coffee date with the president, or visiting the office in the basement of the Campus Center and leaving a prayer request.

 

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News

SGA Restructures as Council

 

The Houghton Student Government Association (SGA) has eliminated senator positions in an effort to build a more efficient representative system. This new Council supplants the Senate. It comes as a reaction to the low enrollment that Houghton has seen over the past few years and decreased participation in the SGA.

Senior, Wynn Horton, executive officer of committees, explains, “Two years ago the Senate and Cabinet of the SGA were the two separate bodies that made up the SGA. This meant each class had 3 representatives, there were 8 general representatives, and then the additional Cabinet members. Last year, we attempted to more accurately represent the ‘representative districts’ on campus by adjusting to a system of dorm and academic department reps.

“After spending most of last year with numerous vacancies and poor efficiency in the Senate structure, they voted to attempt another restructuring – this time much smaller and more consolidated than before. This idea would eliminate the separate Senate and Cabinet structures and create an Executive Council comprised of six generally elected executive officers, four class-elected representatives, a vice president, and a president.”

AnthonyBurdo_SGAThe intent of this restructuring is to increase competition for positions by reducing the supply to match demand. A smaller council will be able to work more effectively because it will not have as much of a need for structural decorum. Members will be able to more easily work out solutions to class issues as well as make decisions on club funding and committees.

While eliminating the senatorial positions, the SGA has created several new and focused positions for the Council. This group oversees all classes through their respective class presidents as well as by direct means. As it stands, it consists of 12 positions: general president and vice President, one president for each class, as well as executive officers of finance, committees, spiritual life, communications, non-traditional students, and student life. Each class president oversees a class cabinet that works to help individual years and puts on class-wide events. The Council also oversees five council committees and 13 committees led by the SGA and the college.

Horton described the role of the SGA in coming years, “As the college grows and determines what form it shall take in the world of higher education, the student government must be prepared to assist in these changes as best they can. It was generally thought to be in the best interest to condense the empty positions and strengthen what remained. Structures will, as the college will, change with time. We can only hope that for now, we have made the decisions that will be the best for not only this student body, but for many to come.”

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News

SGA Proposes Major Structural Changes

After years of running on its current two-party system, the Student Government Association (SGA) voted Wednesday night to eliminate its Senate positions and will be passing the motion onto the student body for approval.

sgaSerious conversations about changes in structure began after SGA expanded its senate from 19 to 24 members at the end of the 2012-2013 academic year. The expansion, which was intended to draw in students from previously unrepresented or underrepresented disciplines on campus, resulted instead in a large number of empty seats. “I think that was a time for us to watch and see how student government went,” said Greg Bish, director of student programs. “I think that was the beginning of this conversation about what student government is effective in doing right now. That conversation has initiated coming up with options.”

With input from Bish as well as Robert Pool, vice president for student life, SGA originally worked with three potential models for next year’s government structure. The first option was a resumption of the current model with a senate reduced to 12 members, while the second under consideration called for a model with no cabinet or Senate. Rather, cabinet and senate work would be accomplished by committees populated by class cabinet members.

A third model, the model currently under consideration by SGA, involved an elimination of the student senate and the instatement of one class representative per graduating class. Under the second model, the cabinet would also be altered from six positions to eight, removing the speaker of the Senate; bringing in an executive officer of student life, an officer of committees, and an officer representing nontraditional students; and replacing the chaplain position with an executive officer of spiritual life. Class cabinets will have their senator positions removed and are encouraged to downsize further.

“My role is asking them ask the good questions,” explained Bish, “but it’s their role to figure out how to restructure.” He added, “The CCCU [Council for Christian Colleges and Universities] has a Listserv and there are people that are constantly asking these questions. They ask what everybody is doing at their schools. We’re not the only ones going through this.”

According to Bish, important questions revolve around the current purpose of student government on the Houghton campus. “Last year, the perception of the role of the student government was that it was to protect the students from the administration, and that is a very old model versus partnering together to put student input into the student experience, which is the organic model that students want.”

Pool made comparisons with SGA’s previous performance. “Last year, I would say there was quite a bit more dialogue and proposals for change and legislation,” he said. “This year it seems to, for whatever reason, not have been as active. It ebbs and flows.”

One recent issue involving student dialogue concerned an SGA-drafted resolution addressing the vandalism of the Shades of Black exhibit, which was intended to serve as a condemnation of the action on behalf of Houghton students. The organization voted to withhold the document from distribution amongst the student body, opting instead to share the statement with President Mullen and her staff, Bish, Pool, and Dean Mills Woolsey so as to refrain from “inciting further conflict” over the issue.

SGA President Ben Hardy explained the implications of the vote, saying, “I think it’s indicative of the system we have right now not being functional because senators don’t feel that they speak for the student body enough to tell the student body what they said, and that’s a really big problem. That alone is indication that something needs to change, whether it’s the membership or the structure.”

“To be honest, it perplexes me why they would create a resolution and not share it with the student body,” added Pool. “We try to model Christ in many ways to minimize conflict, but sometimes the greatest strides and growth happen with conflict, with civil conflict, with civil discourse, and creating a resolution is civil discourse.”

As part of an effort to uphold transparency and include civil discourse via student input, SGA held a meeting Wednesday night for members to vote on the new government structure for next year from the two approved options. However, non-member student presence was minimal. “I don’t think students take advantage of the things which are there which allow transparency,” said Hardy. “Senate meetings are open—anyone can come to Senate, anyone can talk at Senate. However, because [we have] an inefficient system, people don’t really feel like it’s necessarily worth their time.”

Final voting on the new system resulted in 19 in support of the new structure with two against. Non-member students will be able to vote in an online poll, choosing to approve or reject the new structure, starting from Friday afternoon to Wednesday before campus closing time.

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Stories In Focus

The Changing Face of Student Government

The senators troop into the weekly SGA meeting in small groups at a time, chattering and taking their time to find their seats. It’s 10 in the evening but, besides a few yawns here and there, the group doesn’t appear to be tired. Soon the meeting begins with role, read by Andiana Siddell, vice-president of the body. Each senator responds with a “present” to their name as the conversation dies to a low murmur.

SGA_all we do is doughnutsThis body looks different than it did a year ago, and that’s all due to new changes in the SGA’s constitution. Last year, sensing that an inadequate number of constituencies were being represented, SGA adjusted its constitution in regards to its representation. Now, instead of only requiring a member to be a representative of a class and no more, the constitution stipulates that “Active Membership of the Senate shall be composed of three members elected by each class, one member elected by each on-campus student residence, one member elected by the varsity athletes, and one member elected by each academic area.” The main goal, after all, is to get more groups on campus represented.

The result of the changes? According to Hardy, “It’s a mixed bag right now. I think it’s given us a Senate that has a little more diversity than it has had in the past, but at the same time it’s harder to fill all of those seats.” Indeed, getting people to fill the empty seats has been a task that SGA has been undertaking all year but, for some reason or another, students have been less than keen to take on the positions.

Hardy attributes these difficulties to both low enrollment and overworked students, but he also mentions something else. Students, he says, remain largely ignorant of what SGA does, though, he adds sarcastically, “Apparently, people know that we do Donut Day.” Jokes aside, Hardy fears “about what is it that we’re actually doing that gives value to students.” Said Hardy, “I think more than changing the structure, this is leading to a new conversation about what student government should actually be doing.”

The question of student government’s relevancy is a significant one for other reasons, particularly just as Houghton is expanding into nontraditional educational areas such as online education programs through its partnership with Indiana Wesleyan University and two-year degree programs to begin next year in Buffalo. The inclusion of these programs should introduce a new population of students, ones not located on campus, and with it becomes a problem of representing these students in student government.

Partly because of these new changes, according to Greg Bish, director of student programs, “What students need today is not what was needed in the past.” Bish has been encouraging the current cabinet to examine “progressive models” of student government on other campuses to begin modernizing student government at Houghton. A key question to ask, said Bish, in the coming weeks and months to come is “As we consider the number of residential students in addition to online, graduate, and two-year degree students, with the addition of the social media and technology of today, what is the appropriate amount of student leadership?”

Hardy echoed Bish’s sentiments and added that, since the current model was formed “in the late 80s or in the 90s”, it’s about time for an update. For now, though, with the election cycle for the next senate and cabinet well underway, it appears as if an update is still a long ways away

 

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Opinions

Are Students Just Looking to be Entertained?

Earlier this week, CAB decided to cancel its Houghton’s Got Talent (HGT) event due to lack of student participation (for further elaboration, see “Houghton’s Got Talent Cancelled” on the front page of this issue.) A student life representative came to the Star office that evening to discuss the issues surrounding the cancellation. He posed a question: “Are Houghton students looking to be entertained more than they are looking to be involved?” I think that this is a worthy question to explore and my response would be a resounding “yes.”

WebQuoteNow, given this specific example, we could talk about the problems of the HGT event itself and why students may not have been very excited to participate in it. For one, the conceptualization of HGT appeared to be much too like SPOT, especially last fall’s SPOT, but with significantly less hype attached to it. For another, it wasn’t very well advertised – consisting of an email announcing auditions over Christmas break, with a few mentions on social media. (And, if you’re like me, you’re much less likely to keep up to date with emails over break, much less think about school.) Finally, though the event was apparently a hit several years ago, there hasn’t been a standing tradition of holding it every year, making students much less likely to participate since they don’t know what to expect.

These are all important considerations before we could make the catch-all conclusion that students are less inclined to participate campus events and organizations anymore. In fact, as a singular event, we could dismiss the cancellation of HGT as a defining example, given all the problems outlined above. Yet, when we think about it, I think we can see it as part of a larger trend indicating a deadening of student life and participation.

Let’s consider a few more examples. A good example may be the decreasing involvement in student government organizations on campus. This can be seen most notably in the desperate emails pleading students to run for the empty class cabinet positions. It also evident in the SGA elections where there is only one name running on the ballot. Student government organizations appear to be running increasingly on a small group of people, with less input coming from the wider student community. (Be honest, have you ever attended an SGA meeting during your entire college career?)

Even here at the Star, we’ve noticed a drop in participation. Finding writers to take on stories is getting a lot harder than it used to be. This could be due to the drop in enrollment (for example, when I first began working on the paper in my freshman year, enrollment was hovering a little above 1,100, perhaps more; now it is about 900) but I don’t think this explains all of it. Many students that we have emailed seem to be less willing to tackle on important college issues and a little more hesitant at seeing their name in print.

There also seems to be less activism, less response to the changes or events that take place on campus. Always excepting the comment board in the cafeteria, students have been taking weaker stances on college issues and, if they haven’t, they’ve been keeping their opinions to themselves. Here at the Star for example, there have been significantly less letters to the editor and less opinions pieces taking on strong stances about college issues and events. Houghton is in the midst of a great period of change, we have a lot to react to, either in protest or support. For instance, there is the always-problem of low enrollment prompting financial problems, program cancellations, rising tuition, a new athletic complex that is taking on more and more debt – among others. I have yet to see a strong, public student opinion on any of these issues.

Where is the spark? Where are the young upstarts looking to change the world (or, at the very least, their campus)? Again, I think we have become too complacent, looking too much to being entertained. Or maybe it’s not looking to be entertained that’s the problem, but our own apathy.

Let’s fix this. We can revitalize our campus by getting involved – whether it be something like writing a letter to the editor, attending an SGA meeting, drawing up a petition, or even something weird like putting together a juggling act for the school talent show. We can do it.

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News

SGA Transfer of Powers

With another year over and the 69th Houghton Senate at its close, the College Cabinet looks forward to new changes as senators move in, move up, and move out of their elected positions and on to greater things.

Courtesy of houghton.edu
Courtesy of houghton.edu

The 70th Senate will welcome President Benjamin Hardy, Vice President Andiana Sidell, Chaplain David Bruno, and Treasurer Josiah Evans. Other positions have yet to be filled. When asked what he looks forward to most in this coming year, President Benjamin Hardy said, “I’d like to streamline policies, operations, and procedures to make it easier for future student leaders to do their job. One way we hope to do this is through committees and councils in the SGA by prioritizing them more that we have in the past.”

Hardy is no stranger to the student government, he served as the Vice President for the 69th Senate, a college senator for the 68th, and class president in the 67th.

President of the 69th Senate, Joel Ernst, says incoming president Hardy will bring a new set of strengths to the College Cabinet; he said, “Ben has the potential to have a great year as SGA President. He has a lot of expertise as an SGA member.” Ernst believes that Ben has a good understanding of the College’s needs and will provide a good link between the students and administration. His strong opinions and boldness will enable him to be an effective leader.

Each member looks eagerly towards the opportunities their positions allow them. Dave Bruno, the incoming Chaplain, said, “My biggest hope for this position is that through serving as SGA Chaplain I will be able to help facilitate greater unity among the many spiritually focused groups on campus as well as a greater awareness of all the opportunities for spiritual growth that Houghton offers. Imagine if we were all able to be unified and work together for the spiritual growth of our campus. What could we see happen?”

Josiah Evans, incoming SGA Treasurer, hopes to be able to work for students who are involved in planning activities. He would like to help them figure out the best way to fund their events.

As new members, filled with both anticipation and excitement, prepare for this upcoming year, the previous year’s Cabinet looks back on a year of hard, yet rewarding, work.

Speaker of the 69th Senate, Joshua Mertzlufft, reflected on a Cabinet that he found to be pleasantly close-knit. He enjoyed the healthy debate that the Cabinet fostered as opposed to the argument and disquiet that previous years have harbored.

In tracing back through the year, Mertzlufft reflected that the Cabinet may have spent too much time on political matters and not enough on action. He would like to see this upcoming year’s Cabinet stretch out of its comfort zone more and act rather than deliberate. He said he would also enjoy seeing more collaboration between the senators outside of meetings.

One of the changes already set in motion for this coming year is the recent restructuring of Senate. The restructuring has added new positions for both academic and athletic senators.

While some of the new cabinet members are looking forward to this change, others are

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Opinions

Students Shouldering Unnecessary Responsibility

It may seem as if all The Star ever writes about is Senate, but perhaps that is because interesting things do in fact take place there.

xtlxsec7c0vzramwas1mSometimes it is not even the funding requests or committee updates themselves, which are the real issues and discussion-starters for Houghton’s student government, but rather the implications that come with these seemingly basic requests.

Climbing Club approached the Senate with a request for $1,000 to go towards renovations for the climbing wall and shoe closet. Usually the Climbing Club makes a request for $1,000 toward a specific climbing trip’s expenses. In the past, the club has gone to Colorado, Canada, and several other prime climbing locations.

This year, the club chose to forfeit their trip in order to use the funds to repair the climbing wall. As of now, the small holes and other damages to the wall pose a problem to climbers, particularly small children, who come to the wall on Mondays when it is open to community members.

It is not surprising that the club is making the effort to pay for repairs and renovations to the equipment that they use every day. They take pride in what they can offer to students and community members, and they want to see everyone safe and satisfied.

What is surprising is that a student organization on campus has to go to another student organization in order to find the funding to repair part of Houghton College’s facilities. We at the Star are not entirely sure when the maintenance and upkeep, and the necessary finances, of the college’s facilities and grounds ever became the responsibility of students.

And though the SGA has plenty of money to pass around to different clubs and organizations on campus, it is not the SGA’s responsibility to see that renovations are made to a climbing wall that poses safety hazards. According to Tyler Kempney, president of the club, the wall has recently passed inspection, but that does not mean that a small child could not get his or her fingers or hands stuck in small holes and cracks in the wall while climbing. This could easily lead to serious injuries and the damages could also lead to a loss of interest in rock climbing.

We sincerely appreciate the efforts of the Climbing Club to provide a safe environment; what we take issue with is not their actions. But what we can not reconcile is why they have had to even take these actions. The Equestrian Society is not responsible for buying arena footing, though members are arguably the ones doing the most riding. The Gadfly Society does not have to pay for the chairs and desks they use while philosophizing, even if they should break one. Mercy Seat is not responsible for painting Presser Hall or fixing a leak in the roof of the chapel, and so why does Climbing Club find itself having to pay for renovations if they want them done? How do Houghton’s commitments to excellence and community line up with a potentially dangerous facility?

Ultimately, though, the issue is larger than the climbing wall. This is not the first time that SGA has funded events or projects that, as Senator Wynn Horton put it, “It’s not our responsibility to pay for.” Why is it that students seeking to attend an academic conference specific to their major have had to turn to SGA to get there? Is there a disconnect between these academic departments and the funding they need to make the learning experience truly beneficial and better than at other institutions’?

If so, and if SGA has to continue funding trips to conferences and repairs to facilities, Houghton College, as an institution, can not then make the claim that it provides students with wonderful opportunities and outlets. In reality, without students allocating the limited funds they can control, other students could not have the experiences for which they hope in coming to Houghton.

We may indeed be more powerful than we think, but this power should not come at the price of the institution shirking the simple responsibility of safety.