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A-Compelling Club

By Caleb Tiedemann

It is not uncommon knowledge that Houghton is almost literally located in the middle of nowhere. Due to this common problem which can leave many students bored and with no way to destress, the college is very accommodating when it comes to extracurricular activities. Normally one may spend all their time drinking Java’s near-unlimited caffeine-laced products or spending countless hours on their Organic Chemistry homework. Therefore, it is important to find something calming that still stimulates our young minds. 

Luckily, Houghton has various different clubs for whatever may pique your interest. One of the many clubs that has come to my attention and become quite active is Houghton Heartsong; an Acapella Club. Seeing as how Houghton has an entire building dedicated to the study, creation, and production of music, it seems fitting for there to be multiple clubs dedicated to students who love the musical arts. 

Houghton Heartsong was created by juniors Grace Vuolo, who majors in music industry and minors in vocal performance; and Jon Hutmire, who majors in music industry and minors in business administration. The two act as leaders of the club with Vuolo acting as president and Hutmire as vice president. The mission of Heartsong is, as stated by Vuolo: “A club where people who like to sing of any musical background can come and have fun making music with our voices.” Some students may have already witnessed Heartsong’s musical ability at the Tree Lighting Ceremony prior to Christmas break.

When asked why she wanted to start Heartsong, Vuolo shared her inspiration as the 2012 film: “Pitch Perfect”. During her high school years, She fell in love with the movie and felt inspired by what they did with acapella. At that moment, she vowed that she would not attend a college without an acapella club. Prior to her attending Houghton University, there was no acapella club, so she started one herself, creating Heartsong in her freshman year. She wanted to make a club for everyone on the vocal music spectrum, from lower skill and familiarity to higher. Heartsong is a club for students to learn and grow, developing their vocal skills together. Due to the wide range of abilities, everyone’s skill set, or lack thereof, can be utilized. 

At the moment, Heartsong consists of ten members, and students not already involved are more than welcome to attend. I have attended various musical productions put on by the Greatbatch School of Music, and know that there are a lot more than ten people who have been gifted vocally. Large school productions can be very stressful, but Heartsong is a place for students who just want to have fun and relax. You can find Heartsong meeting in room 145 of the Center for the Arts from 6:30-7:30 p.m. on Fridays, or you can email either Vuolo or Hutmire with any questions about the club. ★

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News

Houghton University Announces 2023 Commencement Speaker

Taken from The Chapel Website
By Joshua Carpenter

For the 2023 academic year, Houghton University has announced Pastor Jerry Gillis as its commencement speaker. 

Pastor Gillis is the Lead Pastor of The Chapel: a church based in Western New York with campuses in Cheektowaga, Getzville, Lockport, and Niagara Falls. 

According to The Chapel’s official website, its mission as a church is “to ensure that every man, woman, and child have repeated opportunities to hear and see the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” and to see through good news and good deeds that “God loves you.” 

Houghton University has “enjoyed [its] relationship and partnership with The Chapel over many years,” says President Lewis. “Pastor Jerry and I connected immediately as brothers in Christ and as Southerners.”

When Pastor Gillis received an invitation to deliver the commencement address for the 2023 graduates, he responded with “surprise and honor”. President Lewis had earlier reached out to Pastor Gillis, along with other pastors and leaders, and developed a relationship with him over a meal and a few other occasions, which is why Pastor Gillis was surprised to find that he had been selected to speak at one of Houghton University’s most significant events of the year. 

Though they may not have been long and frequent, the meetings the two spent together highlighted what President Lewis was looking for in a commencement speaker. “Central to [Pastor Gillis’] leadership and service are his conviction and burning desire to teach, preach, and demonstrate the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am confident that he will deliver a message for the Houghton class of 2023 that is both inspiring and challenging.” 

As a preview of the speech to come, Pastor Gillis shared what he expects to accomplish with his speech. 

“My hope in addressing the graduates,” Pastor Gillis writes, “is to celebrate with them, encourage them, and challenge them to begin this new chapter of their lives on the foundation of Christ. Basically I want to remind them to never graduate from Jesus.”★

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Opinions

Loving Our Neighbors

By Skye Chaapel

Mark 12:29-31 (NIV) “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”

As a Christian community, I feel we need to ask ourselves this: are we following Christ’s example?  Are we loving our neighbors to the best of our capabilities, as asked of us by Christ?  If you ask people within the Houghton community, I’m sure they’d say yes.  However, while there are some of us who are loving our neighbors, there are others who are not.  They could be saying yes out of the want to look good for themselves or others, denial, or ignorance.  These are questions that I have been truly struggling with for a while.

What if we asked the question: “Do you feel loved on campus?”  What would you expect the answer to be?  One would hope that the answer is a resounding yes, as we are all Christians, called to love.  Unfortunately, I know far too many students who do not feel loved by the Houghton community, myself included.  Those of us who differ from the Wesleyan traditions’ expectations are generally treated as outcasts on campus.  This includes people of a different ethnicity and race, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, and people of different religious backgrounds.

For me, one of the major drawing points to Houghton four years ago was the close-knit community that existed on campus; it was something you could feel, and it almost felt tangible.  After some of the recent events though, I feel like I no longer belong here.  I know students who have received death threats, unwelcome comments, or racial slurs depending on their identity or race.  Houghton University’s President also received unacceptable slurs on his birthday card last year.  As a community, we should be appalled that this is happening and that we have allowed it to continue.  What happened to loving our neighbors?  There is no love that comes from those actions.  The Houghton community is striving to be an ideal Christian community, but many do not feel welcome here.  We can not have a Christian community that is founded on Jesus if there are members of it who are suffering from our actions.

We need to learn to love each other.  We do not always need to agree on things, but that should not stop us from extending God’s grace and love to each other.  Jesus taught us to love and not to judge others.  You do not know what someone else could be struggling with at any moment.  Be kind and be willing to keep an open mind when interacting with others.  As the followers of Christ, we are called to meet people where they are, be with them, and walk with them in their journey. ★

If you or someone you know is the target of hateful behaviors, we encourage you to reach out to the Office of Student Life.

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News

Racing Into a New Season

By Megan Brown

On Saturday, Nov. 12, Houghton University’s Cross Country team competed at the NCAA Regional Championships, with the women placing 13th and the men 17th. This marked their last cross country meet of 2022, but not all of the athletes are done competing for Houghton this academic year.

Senior Amanda Burrichter is one of many students moving directly from cross country to competing with the indoor track and field team, which has its first meet at 4:00 p.m. Friday, Dec 2 at Houghton University’s Kerr-Pegula Athletic Complex.

“It’s really exciting to get to go into indoor track, and we know we’re fit,” said Burrichter, who won an individual title at the Empire 8 Cross Country Championships this fall. “We’ve been training all through the fall, and we get to start indoor track on a high note.”

For long distance runners moving indoors, it also marks shorter distances at which they will compete. Female runners, like Burrichter, run for 6,000 meters for cross country, whereas the longest race for indoor track is 5,000 meters.

While Burrichter participates in cross country and excels, her favorite races are the 1,500 meter and the 3,000 meter.

“I’m just looking forward to running those again,” she said.

Cross country runners who are participating in indoor track and field have a week or two of rest before practicing again. This is one of the aspects Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach Patrick Hager insists upon. Since some of his runners participate in all three seasons, the third being outdoor track and field, Hager helps his athletes have sustainable practices.

For the beginning of the indoor track season, participants only have three mandatory practices a week to ease them into it. Hager also insists that athletes go home for breaks, instead of staying on campus to train.

“We send them home because, especially for cross country and indoor and outdoor track, if you want to sustain it the whole year, you need to be able to get away mentally,” Hager said. “And we understand that. We’re a collegiate sport, but there’s a tact and an art to coaching that reads the room, for lack of a better term.”

Part of Hager’s care for his team’s athletes is logging data about performance to know which exercises and practices increase people’s performance.

“The workouts are basically the same, but the volumes are different,” he said. “So that’s, again, reading the room and understanding who you have as athletes.”

And the athletes are dedicated, especially athletes like senior Collin Nasso, who runs track and field while also majoring in biochemistry.

“I’m going into this season a lot more focused and mentally prepared,” Nasso said. “It’s my last season, and I don’t wanna have to look back at a season and have any regrets.”

Last year posed as one of Nasso’s most academically challenging yet, and while he looks forward to competing with a lighter schedule this year, he recognizes the crucial part track played for him during his junior year.

“Track, honestly is my release. It’s my refresh…” he said. “Last semester, I would have gone insane if I didn’t have track because that was my kind of release for the day, where I could just forget about school and everything that was going on and just focus on something else.”

Junior Caleb Kasper also uses running competitively as a break from school, and does so from the fall with cross country to the spring with outdoor track and field. While it is not always easy, his teammates and his desire for improvement continue to drive him forward.

“It’s a long haul, but we’re here for it, and the grind is one of the most revealing parts,” Kasper said. “If you put in the work, you’ll reap the benefits.”★

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News

Gillette Thanksgiving Returns

By Sarah Burton

Tomorrow, Nov. 19, starting at 1:00 p.m., Gillette will host their annual Gillette Thanksgiving. For the first time since COVID, the event will be held in Gillette Hall, meaningall the Gillette residents are welcome to attend in their home.

The event will begin with Thanksgiving ‘dinner’ and will go for around an hour or so, after which all the girls are invited to change into sweats or pajamas, to come back later and play games, eat pie, and enjoy their own rendition of the National Dog Show.

In an interview with Raegan Zelaya, the Gillette Resident Director, she laid out the event in great detail with matching enthusiasm. “Dress code for the event is awkward family photos… to lean into not only coming together to have really special times, but really crazy times… because sometimes you just have to lean into the awkward.”

Zelaya has added  a multitude of personal touches to the event, in hopes of drawing more girls in and adding to the already existing community in Gillette.

She said, “we have been dreaming about ways to make it super fun and relationally intentional, but also bringing in some fun pieces like different traditions people have.” She related the events planned to family members napping on the couch after dinner and all the cousins getting a chance to hang out.  

She noted excitement for the community of women, as this is the first year Houghton University has had only one girls dormitory.

  She believes “this event really aligns with the culture we’ve been trying to establish this year.” One main point of the event is “coming together in unity in one community of women is, and being able to come together, take time, and reflect, and be grateful for the community we have so far… and how to pursue that.” 

Julia Collins, a freshman, also stated enthusiasm for the event. She exclaimed happily that the event would take place in GilletteHall, seemingly having heard from upperclassmen how the event had taken place in the KPAC during COVID-19. 

She remarked on the community aspect of the event, saying it will be a lot of fun for the community to come together. In her own words, what she is most looking forward to is  “seeing a bunch of people I know and celebrating with them that we’re thankful for our lives.” 

Rachel Domaracki, a senior, is also looking forward to the event, as it will be the last one she gets to participate in before graduating. Having gone to the event in past years,  she is always looking forward to having a time to “give thanks and celebrate all of the wonderful friends I have in Gillette.” 

She is also looking forward to eating good food with her good friends, stating how important it is to engage in a greater community over a plate full of food in the building that unites them all. 

Gillette Thanksgiving is an event that Gillette residents often look forward to with anticipation. This year especially, with the new changes of residential living, the Gilladies are ecstatic and ready to celebrate their thankfulness in community. ★

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Stories In Focus

Feature: A Little Lyric Theater

By Christian Welker

Prior to the recent production of Little Women, the cast and crew of Houghton University’s Lyric Theater were busy making last-minute preparations for the event. At this time, people might have expected a mounting sense of pressure and anxiety from the participants of the class as final preparations were made. However, according to the cast and faculty members involved with Lyric Theater, that was not the case.

Houghton’s Lyric Theater provides a sense of positivity and a outlet for student talent to both the participants and the surrounding community. 

One of the most critical figures in this production is Professor Amanda Cox. She has served as the director of Lyric Theater for the past five years, and plays a crucial role in every step of the production from casting to character interactions. A graduate of both Houghton College and the University of Miami, Professor Cox has been working in the Houghton Community as a faculty member for the past twenty years. During her time as director, she has run nine shows in nine semesters, only briefly stopping due to COVID-19. When asked what Lyric Theater brings to Houghton, she says, “It’s a way for us to explore what it is to be Human in different circumstances and communicate that to people.” She believes theater productions should speak to people, both in the cast and the audience. She wants to “create a community where we can all…support one another” while working with the cast and crew of the show, and show that community to the audience. When asked about one of her favorite parts of Lyric Theater, Professor Cox responded, “you don’t have to be in the department. This is for everybody.” To her, theater is supposed to show the audience a reflection of life in a way that helps everyone grow. “Theater is such a big part of our lives,” she says, “Everyone wants to have some way to create and show people what they can do.” 

The importance of having a place to be supported and see a production that reflects life is not lost on the other members of the cast and crew. Professor Andrew Reith, who has been working with Lyric Theater in some capacity since the Fall of 2019, states that he appreciates Lyric Theater as a positive experience that allows students to use art to escape from everyday life. He sees the atmosphere of Lyric Theater as an incredibly positive experience for those involved: “it has been such an underlying goal to have a class where students can be free to experiment, free to be artists, free to be wrong, free to be right.” Professor Reith believes that that atmosphere of positivity leaks out to the rest of the Houghton Community, both in terms of performances and in terms of students’ experiences. “It’s a chance for the people in the show to share their gifts with the Houghton Community, and hopefully, that sharing goes both ways.”  This sense of positivity is felt by both the faculty of the class and the students. Senior Linette Taylor, who serves as the choreographer of Little Women and plays the role of Marmee, says that her favorite part of Lyric Theater is working with both music and non-music students. There’s no limitations on who can join in terms of either majors or years. Taylor has been working with Lyric Theater since her first year at college and loves working with people that she would not have been able to work with otherwise. The cast works together to build the show, and allows each individual’s talent to shine through. The positive atmosphere of the Houghton College Lyric Theater was apparent to all interviewees. It is a core part of their production work for everyone involved. ★

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News

Comedyhouse: A Night Full of Laughs

By Timothy Rasmusson Jr.

One of the Campus Activities Board’s (CAB’s) newer events on campus is “Comedyhouse”, an alternative to the traditional Coffeehouse that, instead of singing, is filled with stand-up comedy.

Senior Joey Schunemann, the director of CAB, informed the STAR that his job is fun to have, but there are significant responsibilities he has, such as being “the voice of critique” and meeting Houghton’s expectations, because Comedyhouse involves a lot of creativity and students want to have a good time. 

Schunemann stated that he wanted to hold the Comedyhouse event specifically due to his “love of comedy.”          

Sophomore Hannah Sturdivant described Comedyhouse as a more comedic version of Coffeehouse that involves “stand-up” rather than just “playing music.” Sturdivant stated that one of the things she likes most about Comedyhouse is the “laughing,” as well as listening to students telling their stories. She also mentions what Comedyhouse was like last year, how successful it was at the time, and that it led to Junior, and CAB Coffeehouse Coordinator, Demetri Court recommending they do Comedyhouse again. 

With the event only being in its second year, Court stated that Comedyhouse is “a special occasion.” 

To sign up for a spot, students have to present an idea to him, and all of the students involved in planning Comedyhouse have to screen the comedy because, as Court said, “you never know who’s going to want to go up and say things.” 

If an insufficient number of students are signing up, he will reach out to those who enjoy writing comedy. ★

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Columns

Coffee Review

By Victoria Hock

Nestled in Cuba, a town almost 30 minutes from Houghton, is the Perfect Blend, a small coffee shop that features a breakfast and lunch menu as well. On a beautiful fall day, I ventured there with a family member who was in town.

When you walk in, you are immediately greeted by quaint decor. Though there isn’t a lot of seating inside, there was still ample seating outside, giving people the opportunity to enjoy views of Cuba as they enjoy their coffee. The Perfect Blend immediately struck me as a place that would be perfect whether you’re visiting with family or friends or looking for a spot to get some work done.

The ordering process was simple. We walked in, and immediately walked up to a counter to place our orders with the friendly, helpful staff. The menu was written behind us on a chalkboard, and there were a lot of options, without being overwhelming. After we placed our orders, my family member’s drink (I went for a simple bottled iced tea) was placed on the side counter while our food was brought to us.

As I said, I went for a simple bottled iced tea as my drink — there was nothing particularly unique about it. However, the family member I was with selected a raspberry latte. I hadn’t seen a raspberry latte in many coffee shops previously, and with how good she said it was, I was tempted to order one myself.

The Perfect Blend offered a variety of foods, including things like bagels and breakfast sandwiches for breakfast and paninis and bowls for lunch. My family member’s and my eventual food selections were very different from each other, with my family member going for a breakfast item with a simple bagel and cream cheese, and with me selecting more of a lunch item with the garlic fest bowl. Both selections were very good.

Overall, we enjoyed our visit to the Perfect Blend. We look forward to returning in the future. Whether you’re looking to just grab a coffee with someone or as fuel while you get some homework done, or breakfast or lunch, the Perfect Blend is the perfect spot. ★

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News

East Africa Program’s Cancellation Addressed

By Jennifer Page

The last cohort of Houghton University’s East Africa Program returned to campus this fall disappointed in the program’s cancellation and hungry for answers.   

Since 1998, the East Africa Program has impacted the lives of Houghton students by offering them the opportunity to experience a culture vastly different from their own. 

Dr. Eli Knapp, professor of biology and director of Houghton’s East Africa Program since 2013, explained that the program offered a holistic approach to education where students and professors experienced life together, which allows relational opportunities a traditional classroom does not. 

Knapp participated in the program in 1999 and has a firsthand understanding of its effect on students and their education.

“I came alive as a student on the program,” he said.“Normal classes were fine, but I didn’t realize there was a higher plateau I could reach. Seeing lions on a kill in my Wildlife Behavior course was different from hearing a professor talk about it or reading about it in a textbook. I wanted to perpetuate that model of experiential learning.” 

This type of experiential learning helped students recognize how the lessons they were taught influenced their lives outside of the classroom.

“The program forced me to grow as a student and as a person, which is something my normal classes haven’t done,” said junior Kayleigh Verspoor. “It also forced me to challenge the beliefs I already had in place and find something deeper and more authentic. I really miss my time in Kenya.”

When asked how she felt about the program’s cancellation, Verspoor said, “I’m deeply saddened. I think it takes away life-changing opportunities for students.” 

Verspoor isn’t the only one who thinks this. Senior Nina D’Amato, Verspoor’s cohort mate, said, “It seems like [the program] had such an abrupt ending without reason. I think we’re all hungry for those answers.”

But those answers are hard to come by. 

Dr. Paul Young, who served as provost during the 2020-2021 academic year, gave his answer to the program’s cancellation by saying, “In earlier years of the program, the program budget benefited from enrolling several students from other colleges each year. As the numbers of students enrolling decreased, the overall budget became more difficult to balance.”

In early 2021, Knapp received news of the program’s termination. 

“For the sake of our students, the decision to end such a successful, long-running, and life-changing program saddened me,” Knapp said. “But a university has to be wise with its resources and I understand the reality of financial constraints. We had something unique and special, and I did want one last year to do it. So I was really grateful for that chance.”

Knapp ended up appealing the decision, and Dr. Shirley Mullen, Houghton’s president at the time, approved one final year of the program. 

Now that Dr. Mullen has moved on from Houghton, however, the cohort may not get the answers they are looking for. When speaking to David Davies, Houghton’s current Provost, he explained that a lot of economic and COVID-19-related factors may have played a part in the decision. “But it was ultimately President Mullen’s decision.”

He also stated that Houghton’s commitment to international experiences has not changed and that he does not want to see those opportunities go away for students. If Houghton could find a way to run the program sustainably, like running it on a four-year cycle, he is open to it.

“If we want to have international experiences for students, it makes sense to build off of the relations we already have. It makes more sense than starting a whole new program,” Davies said. “That’s a conversation worth having for sure.”

Houghton may not have seen the last of the East Africa Program, but for now, there are no concrete plans for Houghton students to return.

“It was going on for twenty years,” Knapp said. “It changed lives, it changed my life. It really is the death of something, but as I like to remind my biology students, the death of one thing may be the birth—or rebirth—of something else.”★

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News

An Unfortunate CAB Event

By Jax Johnson

It is with great pleasure that the Houghton STAR presents some unfortunate news. At 9 p.m. tonight in the John and Charles Wesley Chapel, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) will host the Wheel of Unfortune, where teams of up to five people will compete in a Wheel of Fortune style competition for a chance to win a prize. 

This event will be based on the popular game show, “Wheel of Fortune.” In the TV show, “Wheel of Fortune,”contestants spin a wheel with various amounts of money listed and, after spinning the wheel, are allowed to guess a consonant with the goal to complete the word puzzle on the board. 

 Hannah Tyer, who is running Houghton’s own version of Wheel of Fortune, describes how teams will compete in a series of challenges to get ahead and win prizes.

“It will run similar to Wheel of Fortune (the game show on TV),” Tyer said “The big differences are that it is team run (instead of playing individually) and instead of buying letters with money, they will have to perform tasks (like a certain amount of push-ups, eating spicy foods, etc.) in order to buy vowels similar to the show.”

Tyer also expressed her excitement for this event, saying, “My favorite part of the event are the prize baskets for the winning top three teams to pick from.” As to what those prizes are, only she knows— students will have to show up to find out.

Director of Student Engagement Jana Newberry, also describes the event saying, “Participants can sign up as a team to compete for some unique high stake’s prizes. It should be a great event that any student can enjoy.” 

Whether students love “Wheel of Fortune” or just want something to do tonight, they can show up to the chapel at nine and see who will win Wheel of Unfortune. ★