u.s. – Houghton STAR

The Buffalo Region, including numerous Houghton College students, alumni, faculty, and staff residing in the Buffalo area, were hit by a large winter storm Tuesday morning. The storm, which originated in Siberia, formed when a high-pressure system over the West Coast stretched up through Alaska and a low-pressure system over central U.S. created a trough. Cold air then migrated over the North Pole, and rolled South through the trough, which resulted in freezing temperatures across Canada and the entirety of the U.S., according to PBS. Record low temperatures were reported across all 50 states and reached areas as far as parts of the Caribbean.

Southern areas of Buffalo received upwards of 60 inches in less than 24 hours, and as of Wednesday, were projected to accumulate two and a half additional feet overnight. Sarah Stupke, a senior who is student teaching in Buffalo this semester, said, “I have never seen so much snow in my entire life.” The snow crippled the area, shutting down Interstate 90, leaving people stranded in their cars for days at a time. The amount and weight of the snow made rescue efforts difficult, resulting in in a total of seven storm related fatalities. One of those fatalities was the death of a 49-year-old man in Alden, whose car was buried in 12 to 15 feet of snow when he was found.

Houghton professors who live in or around the Buffalo area have taken precautions in regards to commuting to work by cancelling class or holding classes via Skype. Some students, however, have had no choice but to prolong their travel plans. Hayley Day, a senior who is studying off campus in Buffalo this semester, was stranded in Washington D.C. when flights on Monday were cancelled. As of Wednesday night, Day doesn’t know when she’ll be able to fly back to Buffalo.

In addition to impacting the Buffalo area, the closed interstate and roads have affected the Houghton College campus, prolonging the delivery of fruit for Sodexo food services. The storm has also prevented the trip to Buffalo, organized by the senior class, to watch the premiere of The Hunger Games: Mocking Jay Part 1 in Cheektowaga.

The snow didn’t only bury airports and interstates, but also covered schools and homes. Ryan O’Vell, a senior who is also student teaching in Buffalo this semester, said, “The school I am supposed to be teaching at is buried under several feet of snow. I have only gone to school Monday, and it looks like that may be all for this week.”

While some were prevented from going to work, many Buffalo residents have been unable to leave their homes. Both Stupke and Josh Phelps, a 2014 graduate, have been unable to leave their residences. “We’ve gotten about 5 feet of snow, and can’t really leave the house without getting lost in the snow,” Stupke said. “Today was the first we were finally able to see the houses across the street for the first time since Monday night.”

Phelps, however, is maintaining a positive attitude and considers himself lucky. “Because of the road closures and travel bans I haven’t been able to go anywhere including work. Luckily we have enough food and everything, so not leaving the house isn’t a big deal,” he said. “We didn’t get too much snow here, at least compared to just a couple miles north like my uncle, who lives in West Seneca, has about 4.5 feet of snow and has been trapped in his house since Monday night. I talked to him today, and he doesn’t think he’ll be able to get out until this weekend at the earliest.”

Despite the trials that the storm presented, the people of Buffalo have pulled together to help one another. The Buffalo Bills, in need of assistance clearing their stadium in preparation for their upcoming game on Sunday against the New York Jets, offered locals $10 an hour for shoveling snow, and even game tickets depending on how many hours they worked.

Sarah Hutchinson, a 2014 graduate, said Buffalo has been living up to it’s title as the ‘City of Good Neighbors.’ “I’ve been hearing many stories of Buffalonians doing all they can to help each other out,” she said. “Yesterday, I talked to a guy who spent his morning rescuing six Burmese refugees who were trapped in the snow after working a midnight shift. Stories like this really make me appreciate where I live, even if it snows five feet before Thanksgiving.”

Stupke is asking for prayers, not for herself, but for those who the storm has left stranded. “Please pray for all of those who are stranded without food, or are in their cars,” Stupke said. “Pray that people get to them soon, and get them to safety.”

With 11 processed applications from the Mainland and Hong Kong, it seems as though the college’s efforts to recruit more incoming students from China has made some progress. According to Eric Currie, vice president for enrollment management, nine of the processed have been accepted and three of the nine students have confirmed their enrollment for next semester and made their initial deposits. Current numbers may increase, though, as international students have until a June deadline to make deposits. Additionally, as of Wednesday, one of the committed students is enrolled in the Science Honors program.

While the college’s focus last year was on Zinch, a social networking site which allows students to communicate with admissions officers from various undergraduate institutions across the United States, it has this year worked with a more hands-on approach, working with Dr. Richard Liu of Panda North America to reach out to high schools in China. About six or seven of the applicants to Houghton have applied through Liu or his contacts. Others have applied through Houghton contacts, while others still learned of Houghton through internet searches.

According to Currie, the majority of the applicants “had an expression of the Christian faith shared by the college.” He added, “for a lot of families, that has been a positive expression because they know we’re not a ‘party school;’ we hold to a ‘moral code’ in their words.”

As is required for other international students, the incoming students will arrive on campus a week before regular fall orientation to attend informative sessions and further acclimate to living on an American campus. Students who score below an 80 on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) are required to attend intensive English classes in addition to regular classes.

Also in development, most likely for next summer, is a summer camp for high school students aged 16 and under who are interested in attending Houghton in the future. Currie described it as “kind of like an American cultural camp.” He explained, “We have the dates already solidified and the space reserved; it’s just to get families prepared financially to make that kind of commitment and come over” and added that “there are some other schools here locally that do similar programs.”