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Flats

Recent Budget Adjustments to Change Campus Life Next Year

by Kristen Palmer

Last Friday, Houghton students received an email announcing housing and meal plan changes for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. According to Vice President for Student Life Sharra Hynes, $35 million is Houghton’s operating budget, and the College is cutting 7%, roughly $2.5 million, of it. Houghton has been looking for ways to generate additional total revenue and will do so in a variety of ways, changes to housing and meal plans being two of them. Full story

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NCAA Division III

Athletic Transition's Effect on Scholarships

by Courtney Coiro

The College’s transition to membership in the NCAA’s Division III is affecting all students, not just athletes. Because Division III does not allow athletic scholarships, the whole process of awarding aid to students will change. Full story

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Ron Paul

The Case For Ron Paul: A Second Look at the GOP Primary

by Adam Reinhardt

There is a narrative being spun in the mainstream media, both on the left and on the right --and recently also by our very own Houghton Star -- a narrative pushed so persistently that one might be impressed to think it the obvious truth. The narrative goes something like this: Mitt Romney is the only electable Republican candidate, he has the Republican nomination in the bag, and his only viable opponent is Newt Gingrich, since Rick Santorum can only appeal to social conservatives, and since Ron Paul is an unelectable kook. You probably saw this coming, but I want to argue that this narrative is false. Full story

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ACTA

Facts and Misconceptions About the ACTA Treaty

by Andre Nelson

Following the SOPA riots, many believed that people had a voice, that they made their voice heard, and that the government backed off. Now with SOPA and PIPA out of the way, we can expect Internet users to step away from politics, right? What many are unaware of is that there is a treaty that is rapidly becoming the new hot topic in international conversations. This treaty is the Anti-Counterfeit Trade Agreement (ACTA). This is a plurilateral agreement established, like SOPA and PIPA, for the purpose of protecting intellectual property. Unlike its American counterparts, however, this treaty has a bigger platform. Full story

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Honors Program

First of Four Honors and Excellence Weekends Held

by Annelise Hein

Last weekend, dozens of prospective students arrived at Houghton for the first of four Honors and Excellence Weekends. Over the course of two days, students attended information sessions, completed writing samples, and had multiple interviews with faculty members in order to be awarded excellence scholarships and/or admitted into an honors program. The purpose of these scholarships and honors programs, according to Mark Hijleh, director of Integrative Studies, is to “attract some of the best high school graduates of 2012 to Houghton College.” The James S. Lucky scholarship is a full-tuition scholarship for students who demonstrate an interest or future vocation in an area of science and technology, global engagement, or the arts and Christian life. Smaller scholarships for $5000 each are awarded in a similar manner. Full story

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SOPA and PIPA

SOPA and PIPA Bills Go to Washington, Public Protests

by Andre Nelson

On October 26, 2011, Texas's 21st congressional district representative Lamar Smith, along with a bipartisan group of 12 initial co-sponsors, introduced the House Bill 3261, called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA), referred to in the Senate as the Protect Internet Property Act (PIPA). Soon after its introduction, the bill caused many unexpected ripples, with a phenomenal reaction from the public. Full story