By ABIGAIL HOOVER ’27
Updated 11:50 a.m. EDT, 13 Mar 2026
It’s that time of the semester again, Highlanders—SPOT is here, and this year’s hosts have something extra special planned! This semester’s SPOT, taking place Saturday, March 14, from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. in Wesley Chapel, is a particularly exciting one, as hosts Marcus White ‘27 and Nathan Bliss ‘27 lead the night with the theme “Stories Around the Campfire.”
SPOT is a Campus Activities Board (CAB)-hosted event at Houghton University (HU) that usually packs a big crowd, and for good reason. There are“a wide variety of acts, from music to skits,” White said, so there is something for everyone.
“I see SPOT as an opportunity for the campus to get together and enjoy some time away from the stress of life and school,” White ‘27 explained. As students adjust to being back from break and get ready for midterms and the second half of the semester, SPOT is a welcomed escape, and an excellent way to celebrate each other’s “gifts and talents,” Tanya Perkins, Director of Student Engagement, said.
The idea for the theme came from the hosts’ time as camp counselors at Beaver Camp. The two met while working at this camp, even before coming to HU. At the camp, while “trying to gather campers or trying to burn some time between activities,” White said, “we would tell stories to keep them entertained.” White and Bliss love camping and storytelling, and they wanted to share this love with the HU community.
“We … believe that it fits the formatting of SPOT very well, and we believe that a lot of the audience here at HU has a very similar appreciation of campfires,” Bliss said. After having the idea in freshman year, they finally have the chance to bring a little bit of Beaver Camp to HU!
While the idea for this year’s SPOT is a couple of years old now, the event only recently came to fruition. “CAB typically begins preparing for … Spring SPOT within the first few weeks of each semester,” Perkins said. White and Bliss have been preparing since the beginning of the year, holding auditions for acts in February to give the performers “just under a month to prepare for their act or for their role in the band,” as White explained. Everyone’s hard work continues. Bliss shared that the band “spent the entirety of the week before break preparing, and they will continue to prepare this week as we lead up to the night itself.”
SPOT has much to offer this semester. Perkins said, “People can look forward to a fun night of acts and video clips from their fellow students … with ‘Stories Around the Campfire’ woven in.” There will be a live band playing Folk music and, according to Bliss, “many of your favorite tunes.” The musicians in the band include: music graduate student Jon Hutmire and Grace Bailey ‘28 on vocals, Chiara Iantorno ‘28 on keyboard, Ryan Kullander ‘27 on acoustic guitar, Kyra Binney ‘26 on fiddle, Wyatt Christiansen ‘28 on drums, Jackson Collins ‘27 on bass, Salim Ford ‘28 on electric guitar, and Alden Moeller ‘29 on mandolin.
Attendees can also look forward to talents like Ernest Lipscomb ‘28 telling his own story around the campfire, Dr. Andrew Walton’s return in what White called a “duel to remember” with Paul Clayton ‘27 and Seth Reitz ‘29, and Asher Knight’s ‘26 return in what White teased is “a favorite act.”
Since SPOT is not the Saturday after Hall Brawl this year, White hinted that there will be a “special Hall Brawl challenge,” where students “from each resident hall will be called up to participate in.” It is sure to be a versatile night, with “a wide range of acts, from music, magic, goofy bits, and fun stories,” according to White. “There is … a plethora of comedic acts and skits, and, of course, lots of stories,” Bliss added, “Attending SPOT this semester will not be a waste of your Saturday evening by any means.” ★
