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Campus News

Sodexo Enters Bidding to Remain at Houghton

Houghton College is considering bids from dining service companies. Sodexo, the company which currently serves Houghton, runs out on its current contract this May. Student Government Association (SGA) Executive Officer of Student Life Sergio Mata-Cisneros ‘19 said three companies have “submitted a proposal, one being Sodexo.” Mata-Cisneros said a committee has been formed which is “working on reviewing the proposals. Currently Joanna [Friesen, SGA Student Body President] and I sit as student representatives on the committee.”

Vice President of Student Life, Rob Pool, said there are faculty and staff representatives on the the committee as well. Pool stated the rest of the committee is comprised of Director of conferences, Becca Crouch;Director of Operations for the president, Cindy Lastoria; chief business officer, Dale Wright Assistant Director of Admission Events and Office Operations, Elizabeth Rutledge; Athletic Director, Harold Lord; Assistant Dean of Students, Marc Smithers; Athletics Marketing & Scheduling Coordinator, Marshall Green; and Phyllis Gaerte, Director of Alumni and Community Relations.  Biology and Sciences professor, Ransom Poythress, is the faculty representative on the committee.  Sustainability concerns will be addressed on the committee by sustainability coordinator, Brian Webb.

Aside from Sodexo’s bid, Pool said Metz Culinary Management and American Dining Creations have submitted proposals.

Derek Chase ‘19 expressed enthusiasm that the dining services contract is open for bidding. “I think it’s good to consider all kinds of new options, especially because I love to try all kinds of food,” he said. “I think it would be cool to see what other companies have to offer.”

Sarah Vande Brake ‘19 concurred. “Sodexo has had this contract for awhile, and while I personally don’t mind the food, I know many students have gotten tired of it and it might be time to explore other options for the school.”

For the committee, price is not the only factor considered in the bidding process. According to Pool, Houghton published a request for bids which included several factors such as “Quality Assurance,” “Strategic and Business Planning,” and “Responsiveness to the College Community.”

“The committee will hear presentations from the three companies next week”, said Mata-Cisneros. After the semester break, Mata-Cisneros said the committee will continue deliberations and negotiations with the companies. The committee expects to “have all the contracts signed with the chosen company by February break” he stated. Houghton will release the information shortly after the contracts are solidified, Mata-Cisneros said.

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Campus News

Eco Reps Hold “Waste Less” Challenge

Last week, Houghton College’s Eco Reps partnered with Sodexo to bring awareness to food waste on campus. For the last two years,  Sodexo has joined with Houghton College’s Eco Reps for a week of focusing on reducing food waste, as well as general waste. Throughout the week, Sodexo and Eco Reps offer visual demonstrations and challenges for students and faculty to reveal patterns of waste and develop habits to decrease them.

Brian Webb, the faculty advisor for Eco Reps, emphasized the role of Waste Less Week in the way the campus approaches waste. “No one’s going to argue we should waste more,” he said. Rather, since the aim is always to reduce waste, he hopes to “create an opportunity for students to intentionally focus on it.” Webb said he hoped“that by participating [in Waste Less Week] for a specific period of time people will adopt a different mindset or new habit.”

One such opportunity of intentional focus is Sodexo’s weighing visual for food waste in the dining hall. Rather than simply placing plates with leftover food on the conveyor belt to be taken care of in the dish room, students presented their food waste to Eco Reps volunteers, who scraped the waste into buckets and weighed them at the end of the night. The visual was used last year, although making a direct comparison is difficult, as waste this year was only measured from an hour and a half of dinner instead of the entire meal. Nonetheless, Eco Reps intern Gabrielle Sheeley ‘19 noted lower numbers for this year’s waste. According to Sodexo sustainability intern Daniel Bellerose ‘17, “In an hour and a half of meal time, there were 47.25 pounds of food waste.” This projects to “as much as 70 pounds,” Sheeley explained, which compares favorably with last year’s 81 pounds of waste.

In addition to Sodexo’s visual of food waste, students had another opportunity to intentionally focus on waste in their daily lives. Houghton’s Eco Reps proposed the Waste Less challenge, which challenged participants to create zero waste. “We really wanted something that would make students more aware of their choices,” Sheeley said. She said that while last year’s challenge for participants to carry with them the waste they made was a “nice visual,” there were difficulties with taking trash into areas like classrooms. While she says that this year continues “the goal of zero waste,” it operates on an “honor system,”.

The challenge ended with “cookies and celebration” for all those who pledged said Webb, along with along with himself and the Eco Reps club. In keeping with “intentional focus,” Sheeley noted that while “no one said they were able to accomplish absolutely zero waste,” the challenge nonetheless left an impression. “Most people seemed to pick one or two things to work on or to have zero waste from during the week, such as not wasting any food or not using any paper towels,” she said. She cited the challenge’s impact on her own life. “It’s something that definitely takes effort,” she said. “Everything is set up to be convenient and disposable.” Christina Mulligan ‘17, a participant in the challenge, said “In general, I don’t waste very much. It was a challenge to cut down even more, but I also liked having the opportunity to become more aware of how much I do throw out.”

Sheeley said the challenge appeared successful, with 123 people signed up to participate. “It’s probably the best participation we’ve ever had in an Eco Reps event,” Webb said.

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Stories In Focus

A Sodexo Story: Pam Wilkinson

Since the fall of 2009, Pam Wilkinson has worked as a Sodexo greeter in the dining hall where she scans ID cards for meals, does other miscellaneous jobs when needed, and gets to interact with Houghton faculty, students, and other community members.

Pam first became affiliated with Houghton when she attended one of the college’s programs at its West Seneca satellite campus in the early 1980s.  She graduated with an associate degree and remembers her time with “fond memories.”  Shortly after graduating, Pam met her husband and became a stay-at-home mom to their three children.

PamRGBIn 2006 Pam reconnected with Houghton when her daughter, Candace, attended as a student from 2006-2010.  At this time she was not working and since her children were all beginning to leave home, she decided she “wanted something to do with [her] time”.  She would often visit her daughter while she was a student at Houghton and began thinking, “I would like to work here”.  Following her daughter’s encouragement, Pam decided to go ahead apply at the dining hall. She wasn’t aware that a food service ran the dining hall so she was told to go online and apply.  After she applied, Pam ended up earning the position as a greeter in the dining hall. While this was good news, Pam was still nervous, “I haven’t been in the workforce since the early ‘80s, so I was nervous” she said.

Although she has a 40 minute commute each day from Delevan, Pam loves her job and the college atmosphere.  “The students are what I love most about Houghton. They are so friendly and so full of energy,” said Pam, who especially enjoys having conversations with students throughout the day. “The faculty and staff are also very friendly,” said Pam.  Pam’s most memorable experience occurred when she came into work on her birthday and found three huge birthday balloons at her register, “I have never seen such huge balloons.  To this day I don’t know who they were from.  I will always remember that!  That really made my day!”

Pam doesn’t quite know what is in store for her in the future, but she does know that she wants to continue her work here at Houghton.  She and her husband are grandparents to one twenty-one month old grandson and a granddaughter on the way this coming July.  During her time off, Pam enjoys hobbies like crocheting, painting, quilting, decorating, and shopping.  She also enjoys reading, walking her dog, and watching Jane Austen and Bible movies.  Pam can always been seen at the top of the dining hall stairs, wearing a smile, ready to greet everyone entering the our dining hall.

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News

Soedexo Monopoly Keeps 5-Bites from KPAC

Student operated concession stand, 5-Bites, was edged out by  a Sodexo-catered concession stand built into the Kerr-Pegulla Field House (KPFH) under the cooperation’s direction.

In addition to the main dining hall, Sandella’s, Big Al’s, and the coffee house added last summer to replace Java 101, Sodexo now holds a monopoly over every food stop on campus.

Previously, concessions for athletic events were provided by 5-Bites, a student operated business that manages small snack oriented concession stands in the dorms and at the fields. Bradley Oliver, president of Houghton Student Enterprises (HSE), said “It has always been our goal to have businesses that are run by students, for students by listening to what they want, and delivering.”

SodexoMonopolyOptions typically found at the 5-Bites stands included chips, pretzels, candy, and bottled beverages available for purchase with cash only. One reason for the transition from 5-Bites to Sodexo, General Manager of Houghton Dining Services, Tina Powers explained, was  “the college wanted the ability to serve full hot meals as concessions from the new facility,” not just packaged snacks.

The KPFH has a full sized kitchen located on the north-west corner of the building specifically designed to meet Sodexo’s culinary needs. Catering Manager, James Ward said,  “There are a variety of health codes that have to be upheld when serving hot food. Maintaining food during the course of service and keeping it at a certain temperature requires a certain facility and the work of the certified dining staff.”

“Since the project’s inception it became clear that 5-Bites could not handle all of what the college expected from their new facility,” said Oliver. “Meetings between Skip Lord [executive director of athletics], Robert Pool [vice president of student life], Sodexo, and 5-Bites to discuss how to keep HSE involved in running the new facility ultimately determined that Sodexo would be running the facility without our collaboration.”  Oliver also mentioned that this result would cut HSE’s total profits by 50 percent.

Sodexo provided concessions at preliminary sporting events hosted by the KPFH this summer, but last weekend’s homecoming marked the official kick-off of its newest dining option. A variety of hot concessions were available throughout the day and were available for purchase with cash, credit, or flex dollars.

“We want to partner with the campus to ensure that there will always be a good meal there,” said Powers. “We want to show great hospitality to those who come here.”

Sophomore, Elizabeth Houseman, said, “I think they should make it a little more simple, I mean they had beef on weck ,yet no hamburgers.” “Another Sodexo take-over means even less options—there is so little variety to their  food already,” said Graduate student Sean Douglas.

Sodexo’s service at the KPFH continued late into homecoming evening providing concessions for the 2,500 guests attending the Tenth Avenue North Concert. “There was always a giant line to buy anything, but the popcorn was delicious.” said Junior, Leah Shadbol.

Sodexo’s concession services in the KPFH will be open for all of Highlander Athletics’ Home matches this weekend.

“We do not like the monopoly power that Sodexo has on the campus, but as a creative group we will come up with new ways to serve the student body.” ” Oliver said on behalf of 5-Bites and HSE.

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Stories In Focus

Custodian Don Taylor to Retire After Nearly Four Decades of Service

You’ve probably noticed him sweeping the chapel or running a mop across the atrium floor in the music building. If you’re not paying attention, Don Taylor and the work he does for Houghton College might be missed. But, focus in for just a moment, and you get a glimpse of one of the most dedicated staff members that has kept the wheels turning at Houghton for over 39 years.

Born in Butler, Pennsylvania in 1949, Don’s father and mother were camp missionaries in the region. Growing up as middle child on a rural farmhouse near a bible college, he knew his Bible stories from a very young age. They moved north to Little Valley, not far from Houghton, in 1960 when his father became part of an active mission in the area. Don had long hoped to obtain a Bible or religion degree and follow in the footsteps of his father – serving local communities and leading people to the Lord through Sunday schools and camps. In 1973, after completing college work as he’d planned (a degree in Bible and Christian Education from United Wesleyan College), Don moved to southern Ohio to work with a mission project there, but came home because he thought his heart for ministry was in southern New York. “But,” he said, “the Lord seemed to be closing that door and the Houghton door opened up when people didn’t have as many jobs anymore and support for missions couldn’t be raised easily.”  On January 21st, 1975 he came to work on custodial staff at Houghton College. “I was exempted from Vietnam so I came and joined the army here at Houghton,” he said, grinning at the memory of that first day. (President Mullen would graduate a year later in 1976).

Ironically, he recalls, his first placement for cleaning was in the chapel and the old music building. During his first two years or so he was commuting from Little Valley on the weekends and staying in town during the week. “I was a single guy for the first year or two,” he said jokingly, “then some folks on custodial set me up with this girl I’d know in the past who now worked in the library.” He and Darlene, his to-be-wife for over 30 years, were successfully paired by their coworkers and settled in the town for the life. Their two children both graduated from Houghton and he now has six energetic grandsons.

Don“I think over a thousand different students have been my workers over the years,” he recalled thoughtfully.  When asked about his favorite funny or memorable stories, Don grinned cheekily, savoring what is, I’m sure, a mountain of ridiculous memories. “I believe it was a homecoming weekend, I came in early and did some rounds and everything seemed fine. But as the daylight came in, I realized that there were seats missing, just the bottom pieces, in all three sections.”

He paused, laughed to himself for a moment, and then continued on. “After the event we went through and marked all of the seats (which were all different sizes). When we finished the chart, the seats missing spell out GAO – one letter in each of the three sections. This was the old men’s dorm that the college was going to tear down (it stood where Fancher is now). I think it was some kind of protest.” We both chortled for a few moments and commented on the subtle cleverness of the scheme. “I also lived through many floods, particularly in the chapel and Presser Hall.”

Don Taylor will retire in the coming days after almost 40 years of tireless service to Houghton College. He has worked through the administrations of 4 different presidents (Paine, Dayton, Chamberlain, Mullen) and set up the chairs for the graduation of more than 9,000 Houghton College graduates. He is a tireless worker and the oil that keeps this academic machine turning. Thank Don, thank you for everything.

 

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News

Update on Emergency Response Preparedness

Coinciding with water problems and outages, faculty will be meeting with the Board of Trustees this Friday, February 14 to finalize an emergency response plan. The plan, which covers emergency situations ranging from bomb scares, electrical outages, floods, and hazmat spills, details a communications plan amongst faculty and responders in the community in the event of an emergency situation. Dr. Robert Pool, vice president for student life and head of the emergency plan, describes the plan as allowing for a “coordinated response” amongst faculty and staff on campus.

Fire Drill 2013The changes to the plan, which was partially reworked by previous vice president Sharra Hynes, includes new protocol on active shooter scenarios and “some new information in ways to handle suicide, death threats …  serious injury of a community member,” according to Pool. Also added to the plan was a piece drawing on support from Sodexo, which provided that in the event of a disaster preventing those on campus from leaving and blocking outsiders from entry to campus, an extra few days’ supply of food would be kept on hand for rationing.

These changes coincide with two water pipe breaks over the past month, as well as separate internet and power outages in the past few weeks.

The internet outage, which occurred between 11:28 am and 2:48 pm on January 29, was campus-wide. While internal services such as Moodle and faculty email worked for those on the campus internet connection, the outage left the campus cut off from internet communication with the outside world. According to Don Haingray, director of technology services, the outage was caused by a hardware issue on the end of ION, the company which set up the fiber route through which the college gains internet access. ION, which operates more than 2200 miles of fiber optic cable across New York state, is currently working on establishing a dual fiber route in the state’s southern tier, which would allow internet customers to rely on a second cable for service in case of damage to one. Also affected by the outage was Alfred University, which relies on the same route for internet access.

While tech services does have a single cellular modem used for troubleshooting, there are no alternate internet connections capable of servicing the entire campus. Erin Bard, network administrator, even stated that “one of the problems that I noticed at the time, trying to use [the modem], was that Verizon was having issues as well.”

Also of recent interest was a campus-wide power outage, which occurred February 3 at around 5:40 am. The main cause of the outage was a blown transformer at a nearby substation belonging to Rochester Gas & Electric. In addition to the college campus, the outage also affected residents in Fillmore, Houghton, and parts of other surrounding towns. However, power was restored within an hour of the beginning of the outage.

With more serious outages in mind, Pool states that the college keeps two main generators on hand for backup, one which powers the Paine science building and another which powers the Nielsen athletic center. Haingray also adds that there is a backup generator available to tech services to keep servers running during an outage.

Regardless of any effects of internet and power outages on campus, Pool states that communication of any emergencies to students will still be made via phone calls and text messages. Using software from the Wireless Emergency Notification System (WENS), students may opt to sign up for emergency notifications sent out by the college. As such notifications are sent from offsite, they would not be affected by an outage on campus.

The operation of WENS on campus, which is overseen by Ray Parlett, director of safety and security, is stunted by the fact that only 25 to 30 percent of students are signed up for the service. The service is one of the main tools used in a situation of an urgent or emergency nature. Said Dr. Pool, “We were almost to that point last week when the power went out, but … within 10 minutes it was back up. So, we didn’t have to institute the WENS notification system.”

Also laid out in the emergency response plan are procedures for fires, most of which were tested in a comprehensive drill in Gillette Hall last semester. The drill, which used fog machines and resident actors with imitated injuries and called in emergency responders from the area, proved to be an overview of the competence of the college’s emergency responders. Parlett, the coordinator of the drill, explained that the college worked with “the fire department, ambulance [services] from Houghton, but they brought in Fillmore, and they might have brought in some folks from Hornell and Belfast as well. We worked with the Allegany county emergency services department … and we worked with the state police, who were there for observational purposes. We actually had a couple of fire investigators on the scene for investigational purposes as well.” Faculty involved in the emergency response plan were also present on the scene “to work through some of the exercises” as Parlett explained.

As for the outcome of the drill, Parlett stated that “in terms of the actual response, I was pretty encouraged.” The smoke alarms responded to the smoke “quicker, two or three minutes quicker than I thought” The local fire department also responded “within seven or eight minutes [and] … had a truck up here for an initial response.” According to Parlett, all residents were successfully evacuated by the fire department, including those planted in the building with simulated injuries. The only weak point highlighted by the drill was a glitch in the WENS program which prevented emergency notifications from reaching about a dozen of the faculty. Since then, the issue has been fixed.

According to Dennis Stack, dean of students, “by law, we need to do one type of drill per year, although it can be something called a ‘tabletop,’ which is more of a theory-driven drill of something that could happen,” adding that “we are actually looking at another scenario for maybe even this spring.” Pool added that while months of training might help in preparation, “you’re never perfectly prepared for what’s going to happen.”

 

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Stories In Focus

#SPOTOn: Strongest SPOT in Years

This year’s spring SPOT was a clear success.  Just by luking at the audience one could tell as everyone constantly johned in laughter together.  Senior roommates, Luke Ogden and John Carpenter did a superb job #tag teaming back and forth throughout the two hour show with an array of facetious comments and jokes. They kept it short and concise with fewer acts, while regularly engaging with the audience, therefore making this one of the strongest SPOTs in years.

SPOT_2As normal, not all acts were equally amusing, though few disappointed.  The show started out a little slow with a typical Christian school jab.  The song may have had one or two clever lines, but overall it served as the usual conservative Christian relationship song with overdone points, such as getting “friend-zoned.” Also, the Mariachi band did not garner quite as many laughs as was perhaps hoped, but overall the show was strong and flowed well.

During setup breaks the extremely talented duet of Malcom Bell and Jerbrel Bowens entertained with upbeat piano-percussion pop songs that kept the audience lively.  Also during breaks, Luke and John creatively entertained with their various top 10 lists.

The Flight of the Concords song Jenny was brought back again and done quite well.  And videos such as the RAs Reading Tweets and Amazing Race were also clever and fun components to the show.

Due to some steph that happened following the fall SPOT, Nathan Hatch could not afFord to be quite as scandalous in his musical performance, although his Party Rock duet with Nathaniel Efthimiou still trumped some other acts included in the show.

The news update could not phelp making some jabs at Russia’s unprepared setup for the Olympics, and, though touching on serious issues, the two were only joshin’. This second performance of Hatch’s cracked people up with some eggcellent yokes from both him and co-anchor Josh Phelps.

And I must profess-or should I say concur with many peers that Ben Murphy’s clever punny story elicited an aBendant amount of laughs.  Returning later with his Jimmy Fallon inspired thank you notes, more laughs were released as he thanked Luke Crawford for “reminding us what Jesus would look like if he was a 6’4” Canadian white ginger from Thailand with a giant smile.” And also he was sure to thank Sodexo as well “for a bar-like atmosphere in a dry town”- though as Luke and John remind us we should all be getting drunk… on Jesus.

Another fun wordplay skit included a quintet of sophomores who produced a clever script consisting of an impressive amount of Lord of the Rings quotes and references.  And though funny, I urge you to also take warning from the skit: If you are in the music building and need a drink, resist-“do not disturb the waters.”

Overall, briefly mullen over the night’s events from the clutch president appearance to Sodexo jokes (napkins are a staple food) the show was strong and entertaining.   Good work hosts, people shall be tweeting about this for days to come-well, as long as the Internet is working.

 

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Opinions

Pass the Tofu Please

I’m a vegetarian and I love to eat. (Seriously, just watch me chow down some of my Cuban mother’s bean stews with giant helpingsfull of rice.) But, recently, being able to eat healthily at school has become a problem.

At the beginning of this semester, the cafeteria closed the much beloved vegetarian and tofu oasis adorably named “The Wild Mushroom” in favor for introducing an allergen-free bar called “Simple Servings.” While the introduction of an allergen-free station is definitely a welcome addition, the closures of both the vegetarian and stir fry bars drastically limit the entree choices of vegetarians and vegans, not to mention meat-eaters that might prefer a vegetarian option.

SarahFor the curious, a vegetarian plate is much like a meat-eater’s; a nutritional balance separated into protein, plants, and grains (but sans meat in the vegetarian’s case.) A good vegetarian entree (read: “main dish”) possesses the qualities of being healthy, hot, flavorful, and generally includes a protein source like beans or soy. Regretfully, we have seen too few entrees of that nature in the cafeteria this semester and the vegetarian population on campus, not just myself, have become concerned.

For example, if you’ve been following the cafeteria comment board, comments by fellow vegetarians calling for viable vegetarian entrees have been prolific since the new changes. Unfortunately, the official responses to these requests seem to be misunderstanding the problem. In response to a request asking for more vegetarian entrees, the cafeteria respondent to the comment proceeded to list “options” (not “entrees”) which included, of all things, a listing for bagels. (Yes, bagels are good for breakfast, but they are not what vegetarians can eat everyday for dinner or lunch.) The other “options” listed in the response included vegetable side dishes to the main line meals (which, as we all know, are often unseasoned), cold salads, soups (which I have learned not to trust since accidentally ingesting some made with meat-based broth), and the very rare entree.

Some fellow vegetarians and I (plus some meat-eating friends) have gotten creative in response to these developments. We now combine our resources, spend money on extra groceries, and cook a huge vegetarian meal together every Friday evening. I’ve loved every minute of that fellowship and it feels good to have a belly full of delicious food. However, is it right that I’m spending money that I don’t have on extra food when I’m already paying for a pre-paid meal plan?

On that note, it could be said that perhaps the cafeteria is merely responding to the larger financial crisis impacting our campus, prompted by the drop in enrollment. A smaller student body means a more limited ability to purchase a variety of food, thus prompting the cafeteria to limit some options. However, the point stands that while meat-eaters can enjoy both vegetarian and meat options, vegetarians cannot eat the meat options. What are we supposed to do?

The campus cafeteria gets many things right; the addition of the allergen-free bar is one of them. However, the closure of the vegetarian and stir fry bars is a definite wrong. Not only does it fail take into account the diversity of student eating patterns and convictions, but it is a health concern for those that eat here as well. The good news is that it appears as if the situation has been turning around in the past week; I’ve had more options available at the various stations. I’m hoping that these options are here to stay.

Now, pass the baked ginger tofu and the kale quiche, please.

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News

Water Issues Inundate Campus

Two separate flooding incidents involving pipe failure hit campus the past week, resulting in cut water access to one of the women’s dorms and damage to part of the dining hall ceiling.

The first incident occurred last weekend between 11 a.m. and noon on Saturday, January 18. According to Charlie Smith, maintenance building manager, a main supply pipe (10 inches in diameter) from the town “sheared off” near the front of the campus center. A pool of water formed directly above the area, alerting personnel that there was a leak. It is unknown whether the cause of the break was due to cold winter weather or to ground shifting. Regardless, the situation demanded immediate action due to poor drainage on the street and the potential flooding of the campus center basement.

pipebreakCollege maintenance employees first inspected the leak, but because the line was owned by the town, a town plumbing outfit was eventually called to do the repairs. To repair the pipe, however, it was necessary to shut off the water in both Gillette and the campus center for several hours.

Andrew Cahill, lead custodian, alerted both the dining hall and the RD on duty in order to prep both buildings to function water-less for the majority of the afternoon and evening. The Gillette ARD, Samantha Krzyzewski, senior, was on duty at the time. Krzyzewski described that her first responsibility when she received the call “was to alert Gillette residents as soon as possible” so that they could be prepared.

Throughout the day residents of Gillette were unable to turn on the taps in the kitchens and bathrooms and were unable to do laundry or take showers. The dining hall, in the absence of water to run the dishwasher, was forced to serve food on paper plates and plastic utensils for both lunch and dinner. Krzyzewski remarked that she was impressed with the can-do spirit among the Gillette residents on Saturday particularly. “I’m impressed that when this came up people were flexible and understanding during the situation,” she said, and commented on groups of residents going on “bathroom parties” to the nearby Campus Fine Arts building.

The second flooding incident occurred on Monday, January 20 when a boiler pipe burst in the cafeteria, unleashing a cloud of steam and hot water which flooded down the cafeteria steps to the lower floors. The humidity from the hot water and steam prompted the alarm to evacuate the building. Students shuffled out of the dining hall, some leaving their half-eaten plates on the tables and other taking their dishes to nearby buildings to finish lunch.

The cause of the second flood proved to be due to a broken pipe fitting which was quickly fixed within two hours of the incident, just in time for dinner. Unlike the Gillette incident, water access was not cut off to the Campus Center and dining hall. However, the areas of the ceiling which sustained significant damage are remaining open so as to fully dry.

 

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Stories In Focus

Behind the Scenes of Prism

The Houghton College website says, “The 2013 Christmas Prism, Savior of the Nations Come!, is an artistic exploration of the joy of Christmas manifest through music, dance, visual art, and poetry.” Although the show itself is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the performers, hundreds of hours of effort go into the production before any performer takes the stage.

PrismPhyllis Gaerte, Director of Community Relations, opened the conversation by joking that she has had so many interviews with the Star this year that she should be well prepared for any questions. As a part of the Department of Community Relations, which organizes all the public and signature events for the college, being a target for interviews is quite understandable.

Although not a part of the onstage performances, Gaerte plays an integral part. She said, “For Prism, this means giving a birds-eye view of the whole Prism event…Outside of the performance itself and what the music department needs to do to make sure that is the quality is what it should be, community relations is responsible for all the other aspects of Prism.”

The Community Relations Department works closely with the Marketing Department on promotion, handling box office issues, providing ushers at events, organizing the upscale dinner for over 200 people–including finding decor and planning a menu in conjunction with Sodexo–that precedes the performance, and developing the budget alongside other administrative offices.

John Buteyn also gives much of his time to making Prism the astounding display it is. He is both the designer and engineer of the lighting at the performances not just in Houghton, but also in Rochester and Buffalo. Additionally, Buteyn will be assisting with the live sound and recording for each performance, and in order to organize everything, he begins his work months in advance.

This year, Buteyn said that the budget was used to purchase lighting gear, instead of merely renting it. Although this is believed to be a better use of the budget, there is now much less lighting gear available than in the past. To create a visual experience on par with previous years will be quite a challenge. Buteyn joked, “I think I’m up for it.”

Buteyn describes other challenges such as older venues in Rochester and Buffalo that sometimes aren’t equipped to handle Prism’s power demand, where he “can’t tell you how many breakers I’ve tripped…Last year, I even stationed a student worker at the breaker box for the entire performance just in case.” Challenges allow an opportunity to improve though. Such as switching to LED lighting to reduce the power required. He said, “There is always something to learn, each year, at each performance, at each venue…  I better understand the layout, architecture, and natural beauty of the venues to highlight with the lighting design.”

It is not without a humorous side though. “Let’s just say, when all the techs are working on very little sleep and very few calories, laughter keeps us going.  Well, laughter and caffeine,” Buteyn joked.

Gaerte sums up Prism by telling a story from Houghton’s first year in Buffalo. This young woman came out to the ticket table with both her mother and grandmother: three generations of people familiar with the church. “Her words to me were: ‘This church seems to be dying, but it came to life tonight.'”