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Campus News

Grad School Fair 2023

Grad School Fair photo - Courtesy of Casey Conklin
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

Houghton’s Grad School Fair for the Fall 2023 semester was on Wednesday, Oct. 25 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Van Dyk Lounge.

The Grad School Fair gives all students the opportunity to speak to representatives from different graduate programs.

Senior Kayleigh Verspoor (‘24), who is considering online grad school for a master’s in education, attended the fair and saw a good variety of schools represented.

Verspoor said, “There were options for programs exclusively online, exclusively in person and hybrid programs. Additionally there were programs available for a wide variety of content areas such as education, the health care fields, counseling and many others.”

Senior Abigail Pixley (‘24) found last year’s Grad School Fair helpful in deciding what schools she wanted to apply for. Last week she was able to speak to the different representatives from the schools she applied to, and got an even better sense of what the schools are like.

Senior Lillian Turner (‘25) said that she was already thinking about staying at Houghton to get her MBA, but going to the Grad School Fair helped solidify that decision and made her more confident that she was choosing the right option.

Turner also appreciated that some of the representatives she met spoke from personal experience, since many are currently, or had been in, the program they were representing.

Verspoor commented that it would be helpful in the future for Grad School Fairs to categorize the schools in a list or organize the tables based on the programs. 

“For example,” Verspoor explained, “there were a lot of schools representing healthcare programs exclusively which are irrelevant to me, but I didn’t know that until I walked by their booth and talked to the representative.”

One small criticism that was fairly common among students was the time the Grad School Fair took place. 

“The timing of [the Grad School Fair] was right in the middle of classes,” Turner said, “everyone has classes around lunchtime. And it was throughout the entire lunch block, so people who wanted to go probably wouldn’t be able to make it. I could barely make it as a worker. I think maybe having it after classes would be more helpful.

Verspoor said, “Sometimes in attending events such as these we become more aware of opportunities we didn’t even know existed and it broadens our minds to think of new and diverse possibilities for the future.” 

Pixley had the same mindset, expressing how beneficial it can be for students to get their name into the graduate school system.

All three recommend for students to attend future Grad School Fairs, even if they aren’t planning to go onto graduate school. ★

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Opinions

Enjoying Houghton

By Anna Catherman

“In for the Highlanders is #24, Hannahhhhhhh Smith!” I grinned and pumped my fist as my sinkmate jogged out onto Burke Field. Our friend Anna and I quietly “analyzed” the game, laughing at our soccer illiteracy. We walked back, amazed at the beauty and warmth of the October night. When Hannah got back, arms full of balloons and Senior Night gifts, she thanked me for coming. Later, I received a text from Anna: “Thanks for dragging me out of my hole 🙂 it was nice to be outside.” It was a wonderful way to spend a Wednesday night – one I wouldn’t have considered weeks earlier.

I had obligations on Wednesday nights: Student Council, then Jumping I Club Time. But three weeks into the semester, my life shattered. Literally. A freak fall off a horse sent me to the hospital with multiple broken bones. Once I got back to campus, I was left with a gaping hole. No more evenings riding under the lights. No more Saturday morning scrambles to the barn. My body demanded rest.

The change in routine has brought an unexpected blessing: an opportunity to rediscover the abundant joys of the Houghton community.

In the hours I would’ve spent in the saddle, I helped at Harvestival. I hung out at the English and Writing Open House. I marched in the Homecoming Parade. I listened to vocal performances at Studio. And for the first and last time, I watched a friend play soccer. These moments and a recent class discussion got me pondering how important “student engagement” is – and how little we students think about it.

As a senior, I can look back and see how the events, clubs, and activities I’ve attended have shaped my time here. They’ve introduced me to close friends, taught me new things about the world, and made me laugh. They’ve encouraged me to pick up a second major, helped me grow my faith, and helped me through a frustrating, painful, one-armed semester. It’s easy to “hole up” in our rooms, our favorite study spaces, our areas of expertise – especially as upperclassmen. But if we’re too focused on our niches, we miss out on the rich, diverse experiences that Houghton has to offer.

My classmate Keiryn recently wrote an essay on the word “abundance.” She noted that “[a]bundance, as a word, begs an energetic enjoyment of blessings.” On our campus, “abundance” is 24 clubs, 17 sports, 46 majors, and six graduate degree programs. “Abundance” is floor events and Midnight Breakfast and chapel and SPOT and faculty lectures and Lyric Theatre and the rock wall and Koinonia. “Abundance” is 705 main-campus students, 58 teaching faculty, 11 non-teaching faculty, and 109 staff, each made in the image of God, all with different stories, viewpoints, and skills. Of course, taking part in every aspect of the abundance that God has given us here at Houghton is impossible. But we can proactively seek to “energetically enjoy” the blessings around us. 

The next time you’re feeling stressed or burnt out, I urge you: if your diploma isn’t at stake, take a break. Get out of your hole. Call that paper “good enough.” Cancel your plans for an extra practice ride. Instead, find a friend to support. Stop by a professor’s office just to say hi or thank them. Go for a hike. Sit with someone new at dinner. Attend an event outside your wheelhouse. And enjoy the abundance. ★

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Columns

An Echo in the Darkness

Written By: Julia Collins (’26)

Last month, we left off reading A Voice in the Wind, Francine Rivers’ first book of the Mark of the Lion series. This week, we will be looking at the second book in the trilogy, An Echo in the Darkness!

Hadassah, a young Christian girl from Jerusalem sold into slavery in Rome, has survived a brutal attack after being betrayed by her master, Julia Valerian. Hadassah was rescued by a doctor, Alexander, who she begins to assist in his medical jobs. Personality wise, Hadassah is the same, but since the attack, she has scarring on her face that makes her almost unrecognizable (I say “almost” because she IS recognized- more on that later). Julia, meanwhile, is sick- actually, more than sick, terminally ill from an STD. She is in a relationship with a man who doesn’t love her, and she is neglected by her friends. No one likes her, and she keeps getting sicker. But then she meets a servant who loves her and cares for her. What Julia doesn’t realize is that this servant is Hadassah! Although Hadassah was recognized by Julia’s now-Christian mother, Phoebe, Julia does not know that her new servant was the girl she had sent off to be killed! 

Meanwhile, Hadassah’s almost-boyfriend/crush, Marcus Valerian, thinks she’s dead, and he is heartbroken. To get closer to the memory of Hadassah, he goes to Jerusalem, and is eventually converted to Christianity. He eventually goes back to Rome after sensing that God wants him to go see Julia and forgive her for sending Hadassah to be killed. However, Marcus struggles with how to forgive. With his mother being sick, he blames Julia for not being with her. When he and Julia finally see each other again, things are bad. Can the two of them get along again?

The ending of this book, which I will not reveal myself, is a good wrap-up on the lives of Hadassah and the Valerians. The journey that the four main characters go through shows early Christianity, and how it impacted people’s lives in unexpected ways and through interesting people. ★

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Columns

Jordan Peele Spotlight

Written By: Caleb Tiedemann (’25)

Jordan Peele is a name many people know. Perhaps not associated with his films but rather due to his comedy sketches with his good friend Keegan-Michael Key. The two appeared as the comedic Key and Peele with various SNL skits that originally prompted them to fame. But comedy reaches only so far, and Peele wanted to do more with his writing talents. Thus, he began writing and creating movies in an effort to “expose the “lie” of post-racial America.” Through this, Peele not only casts very talented African American actors and actresses, but he also steers clear of the “black guy dies first trope.” Each of his movies has a message behind it – one that needs to be deciphered through his magnificent writing. After watching the movies multiple times, I still have not discovered every single detail, yet that is what continually brings me back to his films – the message (Spoilers for all of Jordan Peele’s movies beyond this point).

His first film, Get Out, released in 2017 to much critical acclaim as it explores the race relations between a Caucasian family’s daughter who brings home her African American boyfriend. Built from the very beginning with tense foundations, Get Out exposes the clash of cultures, lifestyles, and racial differences. The psychological horror element is on full display as the Armitage family attempts to take over and use Chris’s body; virtually enslaving him. The most positive aspect of this movie is its atmosphere. The tensions are dialed up to 100, but Peele keeps you guessing. He maintains the 0-20 range with ease, and then, out of nowhere, it spikes! And when it does… man, your heart starts beating, and blood starts pumping. The plot is very odd, but it’s unique, and the movie operates as more of a thriller than actual horror. The score is very reminiscent of John Carpenter’s Halloween with the tense build-up and spike of music. The message received from this movie is the desire, specifically in earlier America, but possibly in modern-day, to possess the African American body. 

Jordan Peele’s second film, Us, was released in 2019 and praised as a great horror thriller. I tend to agree; while Get Out works on a psychological level, Us works on a more personable horror level. It’s far more bloody and violent as the Shadows (Clones) of every person finally break from their underground prison and take revenge on their counterparts above. The general theme of Us is that there are clones of every human trapped beneath the surface of the Earth, copying the movements and experiences of everyone above. When one of these “shadows” traps a human girl and switches places with her, living her life, the human leads the rest of the Shadows on a brutal killing spree across the globe. This “spree” is exactly what makes Us more terrifying. In Get Out, the Armitage family did not necessarily want to hurt Chris – he was a good product. They wanted to replace him and use him. The entire movie operated on a less scary and more thrilling premise. Us is scary because the good directly mirrors the bad and vice versa. Peele perfectly encapsulates the feeling of being hunted and trying to survive. Us boasts a stellar cast of all ages with a wonderful score/soundtrack and some good classic horror tropes. Peele’s intended message is a more complicated one involving a bit more thought. One of the first things that is explored is the class division between the richer and poorer and the classic “money doesn’t buy happiness” cliche. The second message is one of isolation and how the isolation of communities such as the rich and poor can contribute to an “us vs. them” mentality. Upon my first watch, I had trouble connecting the two, but upon my second viewing, I was able to navigate Peele’s careful insinuations. The Shadows refer to themselves as “tethered” to their above-ground clones, and only when they cut those tethers are they set free. This commentary seems to insinuate that society is often “tethered” to certain things that cause division among people who could just as easily be our friends but are rather portrayed as enemies. 

His third and most recent movie, Nope, was released in 2022 and follows the same lines of being another thriller type of horror film. It, again, released to much praise, and I even got the chance to see it in theaters. The best aspect about Nope is the unknown. Nope is more of a creature feature than anything else, and therein is where the commentary lies. The movie boasts a strong cast, with each member holding their own, as well as some net-level impressive cinematography and score. The sound design alone should have won this movie an Oscar, and though it was nominated, it did not win. When strange occurrences happen on Haywood ranch, OJ and Em look to the clouds to discover a large alien UFO hiding within. They quickly learn that the “saucer” is animalistic; it hunts at night, flying over the valleys and abducting horses from the ranch, and as the plot progresses, it becomes more and more active. The sound design on the saucer was where the technical aspects shined the brightest. The fading of the whooshing and screams from within the saucer were truly bone-chilling. At one point, a nearby amusement park attempts to set free a horse for the saucer to abduct for the viewing pleasure of an audience. It goes all wrong, however, when the saucer instead abducts all the viewers and kills them. From that point forward, the UFO rejects being “tamed” and treated as a spectacle and becomes more active and territorial. This scene is essential to understanding the core message or, more accurately, a keyword within the movie. Spectacle. Each facet of this movie revolves around animals in the entertainment industry. The Haywood ranch specializes in training horses, a brief subplot features a trained chimpanzee that went berserk on an old television show, and an attempt to control the UFO all act as a message to watchers about “spectacle.” We often do not think about the live animals used in films – trained animals to entertain and enthrall audiences. But Peele’s message is clear: wild animals are not to be domesticated. The movie-making industry is very exploitative and attempts to make the impossible possible, but Peele offers up a counter-question: “What happens when you try to domesticate nature?” Nature is not meant to be tamed or controlled and lashes out in multiple ways and forms throughout this film. Unsurprisingly, Nope is another magnificent commentary on the entertainment industry, with both old and new being applicable.

Jordan Peele is one of the newer faces in the movie-making industry and has already made an interesting and provocative name for himself. I eagerly look forward to his next projects hoping for deeper exploration and commentary on societal norms or stereotypes. Hopefully, I have given everyone reading a couple of movies to look into and enjoy themselves. 

Get Out- 9/10

Us- 10/10

Nope- 10/10

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Opinions

Reflections on Halloween

By Johanna Lamont

As Halloween approaches, I think back to my childhood and reflect on how my family interacted with the holiday. We were never the type of people who would dress up and go trick or treating, or as the churches around home called it, “Trunk or Treating.” We never really did anything for Halloween except the occasional Addams Family marathon. The candy, costumes, and history of the event were never of much importance to us, and holidays were never a priority in general. The one thing that stands out about it was my mother’s exasperation at the amount of candy people would give to her children. We often had candy cleanses after the month of October, where we would purge the house of excess candy unless it was M&M’s. 

Now, as I am older and am embracing holidays with my own twist on tradition, I have to rethink how I see Halloween. I finally get the chance to break out from my family’s tradition and make the holiday my own. The holiday itself has roots in the pagan celebration of Samhain, but the modern celebration of Halloween in America has little to do with pagan rites and celebrations. The holiday has been turned into a consumerist event, with companies marketing their costumes and candy like their lives depend on it. Halloween is generally a night spent with friends and is full of fun and mischief. We’ve adapted this pagan holiday into a holiday that suits our modern mentality, and in doing so, we’ve sacrificed the original meaning of it. This new reincarnation of the holiday holds no real moral meaning to it. There should be no guilt in someone’s conscience for dressing up and having fun with friends. I think that Halloween is a fine holiday with a lot of potential for fun. However, like any situation, it can be taken and used for wrong things. 

I plan on dressing up for Halloween this year, enjoying the day with friends, and embracing the time to play and have fun. I don’t get the opportunity to dress up and embrace my love of fictional worlds every day, so this is an exciting holiday for me. I think that when dealing with holidays like Halloween that have complicated pasts or assumptions tied to them, it’s best to consider your own opinion and moral convictions. I don’t find anything wrong with celebrating Halloween, but for someone else, there might be an experience or conviction tied to the holiday that could cause an issue or distress for them. For me, it’s all about how I approach the holiday, what I carry in my heart, and intentions toward it. If I approached Christmas with a heart of selfishness or greed, I could turn the holiday surrounding the celebration of Christ’s birth into a day of sin. The intentions and desires of our hearts determine how we interact with and respond to holidays and celebrations. Halloween can be used for ill, as you can use the mystery and chaos of the holiday to harm others or cause distraction and fear. 

Overall, I like the freedom of dressing up and appreciating the candy sales. I love the cheap chocolate, looking through Halloween aisles, coordinating costumes with friends, and watching cheesy movies. The holiday is corny and full of fun traditions that are waiting to be embraced. It’s a non-demanding holiday. There is no pressure to participate, and it has enough variations in how it’s celebrated that anyone can find a way to enjoy it. I think that this is a time of year that I will continue to look forward to in the future and create my own spooky traditions for. I think that my inner Addams will always enjoy the spooky, mischievous gloom of Halloween – with or without the candy. ★

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Stories In Focus

Board of Trustees Meeting

By Cody Johnson ('24)

The Houghton University Board of Trustees met on Oct. 23 to Oct.24 under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Joey Jennings, Chair of the Board and District Superintendent of the Western New York District of The Wesleyan Church. The Board heard reports from representatives of key departments and constituents, including Vice President of Finance Dale Wright, Vice President of Enrollment and Marketing Jason Towers, Faculty Moderator Dr. Susan Lipscomb, Staff Council President Amanda Zambrano, Student Body President Cody Johnson, and Alumni Board member Judith Rapley. 

The Board began both days of meetings with a time of worship and prayer in gratitude for God’s provision for Houghton University, particularly for increasing enrollment and burgeoning spiritual life. The Board regularly praised Houghton’s crystallized identity as an orthodox Christian institution. Several trustees attended Koinonia on Sunday and recounted their joy seeing students gathered voluntarily in worship. In addition, Johnson, Rapley, and President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr., emphasized the heightened sense of Christian community. 

Lewis reflected on the 2020-2023 strategic plan, “The Arc Towards Our Future,” spanning the end of President Emerita Shirley Mullen’s administration and the beginning of his own. As a result of the plan, Houghton has catalyzed Christian community, improved affordability through the 2021 tuition reset and Founder’s Promise Scholarship, and decided to prioritize the residential undergraduate experience over other delivery methods for Houghton’s distinctive curriculum. 

The 2023-2028 strategic plan, “Pursuing Christ-Centered Excellence,” includes priorities such as engaging students in Christian discipleship opportunities, creating applied learning opportunities across all majors, further integrating spiritual life and academics, and renewing residence halls. Increasing enrollment remains a high priority. The Executive Leadership Council recently finalized key performance indicators (KPIs) to track progress towards strategic priorities. 

Academics arose as an area of significant concern in reports by Johnson and Lipscomb. The Board shares concerns about the number of faculty needed to support upper-class students and meet the demands presented by a large first-year class. The university is actively recruiting tenure-track faculty in history, education, and computer science.

Additionally, the Board is seeking to invest more significantly in campus infrastructure and deferred maintenance. A report from Sodexo, Houghton’s facilities management contractor, highlighted the increasing urgency of investment in aging buildings to regulate deferred maintenance costs. In keeping with the strategic plan, the administration anticipates investing several million dollars in residence hall renewal projects within the next five years. These renewal projects will include improvements for accessibility, a priority discussed by Johnson and embraced by the Board. 

Notably, the Board enthusiastically renewed President Lewis’ contract, now extending through 2028, and expressed their deep appreciation for his visionary leadership for Houghton University. 

The Board also honored Ruth Woodworth for ten years of service and welcomed Emily Last, a Houghton alumna, to its ranks. 

The trustees look forward to improving collaborative leadership of the university under the Compact for Shared Governance and seek opportunities such as last Sunday’s ice cream social to gather student perspectives. Additionally, Student Body President Cody Johnson now serves as a resource person for the Student Life Committee of the Board of Trustees. 

The Board of Trustees will meet again virtually on Feb. 9, 2024 and on campus on April 15-16, 2024. ★

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Campus News

Frankenbein Returns

Frankenbein 2022 costume winner - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Juliana Schmidt ('25)

On Oct. 28, the Halloween party, Frankenbein, will be held at 8:30 p.m. in the Larder Courtyard. This will be the second year Lambein has hosted Frankenbein, which was previously hosted by Shenawana.

Junior Hannah Sturdivant, a member of the Campus Activities Board (CAB), said “Frankenbein is an attempt to continue the old Shenawana tradition of Shenoween. To keep its good reputation alive there is a substantial amount of work that needs to be done. It is a group effort to even attempt to meet the expectations and standards that have been set by past years.” 

CAB is putting on this Halloween spooky night; a haunted trail and a party with a dance floor, costume contest and pumpkin painting.

Sturdivant stated, “It took a lot of theatrics and people willing to battle the cold to scare people for the ambiance of the haunted trail.” 

Strudivant hoped that people would enjoy the trail, because it was really fun to figure out. 

“I dressed up as a jellyfish last year and I won second place in the costume contest. It was very cool to see the costumes everyone came up with and share such a fun night, so I’m really looking forward to this year’s event!” Junior Marjorie Gassler wrote. 

The costume party was a hit last year and promises to be just as popular this year. Prizes are awarded for placing in the costume contest. 

Senior Joey Schunemann, the Head of CAB, who is spearheading the event said, “The prizes for the costume contest remain a secret until the night of, although they are certain to be fun.”  

While Frankenbein is a newer tradition for Lambein, they are working hard to make it their own. 

“I’m very excited for this year’s event and how it brings back slightly more of the old Shenoween party vibe, pouring more into that than last year’s haunted trail,” Schunemann said. 

“It is a group effort to even attempt to meet the expectations and standards that have been set by past years,” Sturdivant commented. “On behalf of CAB, I would like to thank anyone that has put any amount of time and effort into helping Frankenbein run smoothly. Past or present, you are helping form the college experience for those who have attended.” 

Look forward to this weekend’s activities, and prepare your treats (or tricks). ★

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Opinions

First Impressions: Houghton Through the Eyes of a Freshman

By Abigail Hoover

Well, Highlanders, we are already halfway through the semester! The time has just flown by, and before you know it, it’ll be finals season, and we’ll be saying goodbye to one another until the new year! But before we jump too far into the future, I wanted to take some time to reflect on the year we’ve had so far. So, let’s get started, shall we?

Let me start with my story. I am a freshman in college. I am majoring in Adolescent Education and History so that I can become a U.S. History teacher someday. And I did not want to go to Houghton, at least I didn’t a couple of years ago. On Columbus/Indigenous People’s Day in my junior year of high school, I visited Houghton with my family and my best friend. While I loved the campus and the people were so welcoming and friendly, I was not convinced that this was the school for me. 

You see, my parents went to Houghton, as well as my grandma. They all wanted me to go here—the price had just gotten cut in half, and it wasn’t too far from home after all. But as their enthusiasm for me going to Houghton grew, mine diminished. You see, I didn’t want to do what my parents wanted me to do—I wanted to pave my own path. I had felt that throughout my life, I had always agreed with my parents and just simply made decisions based on what they thought. Not because they didn’t want me to have my own opinions, it was actually just because I trusted them to always be right. But as this important decision in my life came looming over me, I was determined to decide for myself where I wanted to go, and not to listen to what other people wanted. And what I wanted was to not go where my family had gone. Like I said, I wanted to make my own path. I wanted to go to a big school, like Liberty University. It was shiny and trendy; everyone knew of it—Liberty seemed more impressive than a little college in a little town in Western New York. I grew up in a small town; I went to a small church and a small school. Everything in my life was so small. I just wanted to do something big for once. 

But that wasn’t what God wanted for me. Slowly but surely, He showed me that Houghton was where I belonged. Going off to college used to be the scariest thing in the world for me to imagine. But when I thought about Houghton, it was different. Houghton became the only college that I wasn’t utterly terrified of attending. There was a peace about it that could only be explained as being from God. And soon enough, He started opening doors for me as well. The price of tuition being cut in half just in time for me, the Founder’s Promise Scholarship being first introduced to my class, the greater emphasis being put on being a Christ-centered college rather than just a Christian one—everything was just lining up perfectly for me to be able to attend Houghton and the school seemed to just be getting better and better (Thanks President Lewis!). You see, God knew what I couldn’t see. He knew that despite it also being my parent’s alma mater, it really was the best fit for me. He knew that I didn’t actually belong in a big college where I would get swallowed up by the crowd. He knew that I needed to go to a small college in a small town where the people really care about me and where I can be a part of a tight-knit community. He knew that I wouldn’t actually like being so far away from my family without the opportunities to go home or to my aunt and uncle’s every few weekends. God, as He always does, knew what was best for me even when I couldn’t see it.
I’m so glad He did. Being here, my faith has only grown. Through Koin, MercySeat, Communion, my Biblical Literature class, and chapel services throughout the week, I have had more opportunities to spend time with Him than ever before. We pray every day in my classes, and I have been reading my Bible a lot more often than I did before college. This place has provided me with the chance to really harvest and grow in my faith. While I know Houghton will change my life by granting me a degree and life-long relationships, this will be the most valuable thing I gain out of college. I feel so very blessed to go to such a Christ-centered college where I can really grow in my faith, and I cannot wait to see all the ways in which God continues to work in me during my time here. 

This place is really filled with so many Godly, wonderful people, and I feel so lucky to be a part of the Highlander community. Since being here, God has only confirmed to me that this is where I am meant to be. Throughout all my doubts and fears about Houghton and college in general, God has always confirmed this to me. This is the place where I will make great friends and great memories, become closer to Christ than ever, and see growth in myself like I have never seen before.  

See all that God has done in your life, how He was there for you through it all, and how He always will be there for you. Remember that He loves you. This will give you the strength to keep going throughout all of the inevitable ups and downs that college brings. ★

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Columns

Barbenheimer Review

Kat Wojsiat ('24) and Caleb Tiedemann ('25)

Now, normally, movie reviews are Caleb’s thing. However, the Barbie review obviously had to be written by a woman, so here I am. The Barbie movie, directed by Greta Gerwig, took the world by storm this summer. I spent the summer interning in London, where there was a Barbie pink telephone booth on the bank of the Thames River for a week! I have never seen such astounding, impressive, and overpowering marketing as I have with this movie. It did wonders for the color pink. It brought a sense of community to all women in a way that was desperately needed after the division brought on by quarantine- and yes, I did get dressed up in pink to go watch it.

While in the movie, I was thoroughly entertained. I thought it was cute, hilarious, and very enjoyable. The set was highly impressive, the acting was great, and the plot was fascinating. However, the more I reflected on the movie, the more problems I found. The plot, however, had a few holes (how on earth did a grown woman dressed as a pink cowgirl just walk into a school?!), and I think that America Ferreira’s speech did not live up to its potential- that is just a personal opinion, though. But my biggest problem with this movie is actually quite controversial- I think it was rather anti-feminist. Hear me out! In Barbieland, men basically hold the position that women did just a few decades ago. The Kens aren’t even allowed to have houses to sleep in! After the Kens try to earn some equal treatment (and unfortunately take it too far), instead of trying to find some middle ground of equality, the Barbies’ response is just, “You are Kenough.” They aren’t even allowed to have representation in the Supreme Court! If the beg for equality between men and women had no further outcome than “you’re enough” in the real world, I wouldn’t even be allowed to write this review right now! (And yes, I understand that it took many attempts and centuries to get to where we are today, but keep in mind that Barbieland is meant to be a perfect world.) I think the movie had a chance to express feminism in a real and meaningful way to those not impacted by it, and it missed that opportunity. Other than these few shortcomings, I think the movie was a great experience and an excellent performance by all (especially Michael Cera as Allen!)

Barbie: 7/10

Oppenheimer is nothing short of a masterpiece. Christopher Nolan delivers in every possible way. This movie was my first ever IMAX experience, and WOW, what a picture! From start to finish, Nolan thrusts you into the harrowing stress of Oppenheimer’s mind. His obsessions, his passions, his regrets, his sadness, and all of his deepest emotions are on display for the audience to see. Cillian Murphy plays Robert J. Oppenheimer and gives an awe-inspiring performance. There is so much conveyed in his silence, his blank stares, and his remorseful mannerisms. Robert Downey Jr. plays Lewis Strauss, and also gives an excellent performance, rivaling Murphy’s quiet genius with vengeful jealousy. Nolan managed to make every single actor bare their heart and soul on this screen. Very few movies impact me the way that this did. The contrast of joy from the masses happy that the war ended against the realization of the evil that was created by the atom bomb. This contrast of morality and ethics is where the movie truly shines. 

Never before have I understood and related on an emotional level the catastrophe and horror of an atomic weapon. This movie has some of the best camerawork ever. The editing is stellar- the pasting together and switching perspectives on a dime encapsulates a feeling of stress and anxiety. Ludwig Goransson’s score permeates every single scene. It is loud and prominent, and it raises the tension and stakes to the max. The contrast of color and black and white gave a whole new layer to the film; it added to the political game and power plays that get used to achieve such devastating power. The juxtaposition of color and passion in such a project that would help win the war contrasted with the black-and-white harsh reality of its after effects drove certain elements home harder than Nolan had any right to. The mere fact that any government has these weapons at their ready and can start a war or annihilate millions in a matter of seconds is horrifying. This movie masters every single technical aspect in a way that I do not think I have ever seen before. I very strongly encourage everyone to see this film as it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will leave you thinking about the morality, the ethics, and the philosophy behind such a weapon. 

Oppenheimer: 10/10

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Campus News

Student Performer Series

Pianist from Junior SPS - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Isabella Bratton ('26)

The Sophomores’ Student Performer Series begins at 8 p.m. on Oct. 25 in the CFA Recital Hall.

The Student Performer Series (SPS) intends to prepare students for performing in juries at the end of the year, and their future capstone recitals. It gives music majors (typically music performance and music education) the chance to become more comfortable with performing. 

Dr. David Clem who is the Dean of the Greatbatch School of Music, explained that the performance, “exists to provide students with the opportunity to work through the challenges of performing, such as performance nerves and anxiety, and to grow accustomed to performing, well before they have to give a capstone recital. From experience, I (and the rest of the music faculty) can attest that the only way to get to a place where you are comfortable performing is to do it repeatedly, and the SPS is a pedagogically sound way of doing that.”

Sophomore Katrina Kaufman (‘26) is looking forward to both performing  for and watching her own classmates perform. 

Kaufman says, “A classmate mentioned to me recently that he is working on a complicated saxophone piece, and a vocalist is preparing a popular Broadway piece for next week as well! You can expect to get a mix of both vocal pieces and instrumental pieces from next week’s performances.”

Kaufman explained that each SPS, this year, is separated by class year. The seniors and juniors have already done their performances, and the week after the sophomores is the freshmen performance. This new division prevents an extremely long SPS that lasts hours. 

Kaufman says that while it makes sense logistically, it could take away from the quality of the performance that they would have with more time.

“Having a limited amount of time to prepare for a performance is part of being a musician,” Kaufman adds.

Dr. Clem explained that the most experienced students should be the most prepared for an early recital, and that’s why the seniors go first and freshmen go last. There is also a fifth performance for people who had to miss their classes, or who wanted to do extra performances.

Kaufman really enjoys seeing others perform, since they are typically on their own in practice rooms, saying, “Seeing others play in SPS has been inspiring to me personally and has given me ideas for techniques that I want to implement into my own playing.” 

Kaufman herself will be playing a Bach Fugue next week, along with a Chopin piece the following week. 

She also enjoys the fact that SPS gives her a chance to perform without the added pressure of being graded on her performance, saying that, “At juries, I am usually thinking about the fact that making mistakes has an impact on my grade. But at SPS, I can focus more on the joy of getting to share with a supportive audience and not worry about being graded.” ★