Category: News

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Campus News

Thanksgiving At Houghton

Thanksgiving fall graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Olivia Kleinau ('23)

On Oct. 9, Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated at Houghton University, Rothenfeast occurred on Nov. 11, and Gillette Thanksgiving will be hosted on Nov. 18 in the KPAC.

“Canadian thanksgiving is attached to the harvest celebration in Canada,” Ethan McCarthy (‘25) shared, “since our harvest starts earlier [than] it generally does in the states. It became a national holiday in 1879 as a way to thank God for the harvest. It happens the second Monday of October.”

Houghton University celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving with all Canadian students who wish to join. McCarthy explained that it’s a positive way to have staff and students come together to celebrate, it especially helps to break barriers down between them.

Rothenfeast is a tradition started for the residents of the men’s dorm Rothenbuhler to share a thanksgiving meal. 

Andrew Hotchkiss (‘24), an RA of Roth, explained that Rothenfeast is an opportunity for the men to gather and have, “a time focused on giving thanks, it helps all residents remember what they are blessed with, including each other. This helps the community grow together even more.” 

Although Hotchkiss isn’t entirely sure how the tradition got started, he stated, “my freshman year it was treated like an old tradition so I imagine it has been around for a long time.”

In terms of preparation, Hotchkiss explained that it is a straightforward process, “We have people register on campus groups, then we send a list to Mets and they do a meal exchange for those people.” 

When it comes to activities, Hotchkiss added, “We usually have board games, some video games, and an outdoor game like flag football or ultimate frisbee. It is an opportunity for the guys of Roth to get together and show thanks for everything this community has to offer, education, friends, and Christ-centered interactions.”

However, Rothenfeast is not just for the residents of Roth.     

“The Custodians of the dorm,” Hotchkiss explained, “Are invited to the meal since they do so much good work for all of us in the dorms.”

Jenna Strahan (‘24), an RA of Gillette, explained that Gillette Thanksgiving is a “tradition done for many years where we get together for a space and have dinner together. In the past there’s been activities, we’re not just eating a meal, also playing games and spending quality time together.”

Strahan also said this is a great way to be together during a busy semester and that it helps to reconnect people. 

The RA’s have met to discuss the preparation process and also how to best accommodate everyone. Similarly to Hotchkiss, Strahan’s favorite part of the thanksgiving gathering is the community. 

Strahan shared, “My favorite part is the community aspect of it people choosing to be with one another and have those connections shared over a meal.” ★

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Campus News

Lyric Theatre’s Our Town

Our Town Cast and Crew - Courtesy of Andrew Reith
By Jiana Martin ('26)

Tonight, Friday, on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m., the Lyric Theatre will hold its second performance of Thornton Wilder’s play “Our Town” in the CFA Recital Hall. A third and final performance will take place on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

“I’ve enjoyed the whole process and it’s been an honor to do it,” Professor Cox reflected.

The play “Our Town” has already been done at Houghton a couple of times, however, this was Professor Cox’s first interaction with it in any capacity. 

“I’ve wanted to do Our Town my whole life,” Professor Cox enthusiastically expressed, “it’s a gorgeous play and it needs to be done.” 

The two-and-a-half-hour production follows the lives and families of the people in a small New Hampshire town called Grover’s Corners during the early 1900s. Specifically, the storyline focuses on George Gibbs (played by Senior Jonathan Hutmire), and Emily Webb (played by Junior Lydia Rech) as they grow up together.

“George is a boy whose thoughts are mostly occupied by baseball, agriculture, and Emily Webb,” Hutmire described. 

Within three acts, the audience watches the daily life, marriage, and death of these characters.

“This play highlights the beautiful moments that we’ve all experienced in everyday life, and it encourages us never to take these moments for granted,” explained Rech. 

Both Hutmire and Rech loved bringing this beautiful story to life. It has allowed them to get to know their fellow cast and crew members, and to create beautiful on-stage scenes with them.

“I simply love seeing and creating genuine moments on the stage,” Hutmire commented.

Professor Cox appreciated how vulnerable all of the students were willing to be with their emotions in order to bring themselves into their characters. She also admired the connection, genuine care and support they always have for one another. 

“I am also so, so grateful for the chance I’ve had to learn from Professor Cox’s experience. I really appreciate how she takes the time to continually tell us that we are not loved simply for what we do or how well we perform, but for who we are – children of God,” Rech thoughtfully said.

Hutmire, Rech and Professor Cox are excited to share the story of Grover’s Corners. Every personality and type of person in the town is represented, so they hope this thought-provoking play will connect the audience to the characters. 

“There are so many little themes, nuances, and messages that we can glean from this story,” Rech added.

Audiences can expect to be charmed by the characters, to laugh, to cry and to be reminded of the many things to be grateful for in their lives. ★

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Campus Stories In Focus

Inside the Board of Trustees

By Rebecca Dailey ('25)

The Houghton University Board of Trustees is a group of volunteers, mostly composed of alumni, who form the chief policy-making government for the university. 

The board is broken up into nine committees: Advancement, Academic Affairs, Audit, Enrollment, Finance, Investment, Student Life, Trustee and the Executive committee, which is composed of the chairs of the other committees, the board chair and the board secretary. 

James Eckert and John Lee, both board members, explained the Board of Trustees’ undertaking as, less reacting, more planning and student focused. 

The board’s role is to support Houghton’s president, and the president works with the university’s administration to keep the school running smoothly. In addition, there is a responsibility for the board to represent the Wesleyan Church, which Houghton University is affiliated with.

Rev. Johanna Rugh, an ex officio board member and the Executive Director Education Clergy Development of the Wesleyan Church, stated, “Giving support to the president, administration, business and building maintenance is a combined effort between the president and board.”  

While the board checks in with President Wayne D. Lewis Jr. on what the administration is doing, they do not have the ability to directly intervene with decisions made by the administration and the president.

President Lewis stated, “One of the phrases that gets used a lot is boards should have their noses in and their fingers out. Which means they should be asking questions, they should be making sure the [p]resident and administration are doing what they’re supposed to do but they should not have their fingers on the actual admission and management of the university.”

However, if the board believes the president is not meeting what needs to be done for the university, they can remove them. 

Many of the concerns arising during board meetings are in relation to building maintenance, the number of professors and the ups and downs of student enrollment. 

Gary Larder, Chairman of the Financial Board, said, “We go over the budget for every year and what is achieved financially. It’s a challenge for a liberal arts university to get students for the meeting of financial targets. We try to look ahead, where we will be in the future in regards to students, professors and facilities.”
The board also looks at and accepts audit reports, and reviews the financial progress in the fall and finish of the spring. 

Rev. Dr. Joseph Jennings, Chair of the Board of Trustees, explained, “We do have open seasons in which we invite resource people to the meetings . . . the vice president, representative from the student council, alumni board, the staff council and the faculty moderator.” 

Terms of board members are also reviewed and renewed during these meetings, along with the president’s term. One of the main decisions for the Board of Trustees’ meetings on Oct. 23-24, was the renewal of President Lewis’ contract for the next five years until 2028. 

Jennings said, “Dr. Lewis has worked tirelessly to help bring in a great incoming class this fall. We have every reason to think that we will continue to experience growth in enrollment . . . he and his team have made some great decisions and communicated the University’s mission with compelling clarity.”
The Board of Trustees’ vote for President Lewis’ contract renewal was unanimous, and they look forward to him continuing to serve Houghton. 

President Lewis notes, “The relationship between the board and the administration, especially the president, is a really important partnership . . . working together in partnership there’s so much you can accomplish together and we are tremendously blessed at Houghton to have that.” ★

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Campus Sports Stories In Focus

Social Division: Athletes and NARPs

Sports division graphic - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Sophia Vernon ('26)

“[Athletes] are a clique because they all know each other,” stated Abigail Franz (’25), adding that “sometimes it feels like because I’m not on a sports team, I’m on a different level, and there is a divide.”

Franz exemplifies an overarching feeling of detachment and separation between non-athletes and the third of Houghton’s student body that plays a sport.

Franz, a biology major, explained that “the bio department is pretty overrun by sports people wanting to do exercise science.” She stated that her experiences with getting to know athletes individually have been positive; however, “it’s hard because of that initial divide.”

On the flip side, Arija Grant (’26), a Houghton Women’s Tennis player, explained that she has often felt excluded from on-campus events due to practice and game schedules, highlighting specifically an away tennis match she had on the same night as a homecoming dance.

Jana Newberry, the Director of Student Engagement, emphasized that “the distinction between athletes and non-athletes is natural” and that she does not “necessarily get mad at it.” Echoing student concerns, Newberry stated, “I have a problem with athletes feeling excluded from things,” pointing out that “there is too much distance.” She attributes this problem in part to both groups “not knowing what they don’t know about how to get plugged in” and a “lack of understanding and stereotypes.”

Newberry spoke on the natural divides arising from the lack of athletic representation and participation in the Campus Activities Board (CAB) events. She addressed that “sometimes the (CAB) events can be echo chambers,” with the same people attending events, lacking expansion to wider audiences. 

Enter Selah Kertz (’24), Tymber Wynn (’25) with Lander Nation. When asked about her experience with the social dynamics between athletes and non-athletes on campus, Kertz stated, “It feels really divided.” She related her experience during her semester on the track team of eating dinner with the team and sitting on the “sports side” of the dining hall, but that “looking from the other side (non-athlete perspective), it feels very separate.” She explained that this time on the track team assisted her in making athlete friends, stating, “I’m not sure I would have met a lot of the people I know without my previous connections to other athletes.”

Resulting from the lack of community and spirit between athletes and non-athletes, Kertz and Wynn started Lander Nation, a non-Houghton-affiliated group on campus that works through on-campus events, themes and representatives for each athletic team to foster school spirit and community. Kertz explained that she knows a lot of “NARPs” (non-athlete-regular-person), and Wynn, a Houghton Women’s Basketball player, knows a lot of athletes. The intention was to “bring NARPs in to participate in athletics,” as well as “bridging the gap and having actual school spirit.” 

Grant explained how easy it is for athletes to feel excluded from school events and isolated to teams, stating that “there is a divide because of how much intentional time you spend with your team” and that “it’s obvious you’re going to get closer with people you spend so much time with.” In troubleshooting the problem, Grant pointed out, “Houghton does a pretty good job emphasizing music and art, but there could be better advertising (for athletic events) on campus.” She concluded that “athletes could be encouraged to support other areas, and it could go both ways.” ★

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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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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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Campus News

Spooky Stories

Spooky Stories Poster - Courtesy of Savannah Stitt
By Olivia Kleinau ('23)

Dr. Douglas Gaerte, Professor of Communications, at Houghton University, shared two articles of spooky stories from the local area. 

The first article was shared from Angelica, N.Y., 21 minutes from Houghton. Cindy Wagner, writing for the Olean Times Herald, writes about an abandoned poorhouse. 

In the town of Angelica, Wagner writes, “some of the oldest graves in the Day of the Dawn Cemetery on the east side of the village have no names on the stones. Only numbers. The graves are those of long ago-residents of the Allegany County Home, one of the many almshouses—or poorhouses—opened around the country in the early 1800s.”

According to a 1857 state report regarding the Allegany County Home, the people within these poorhouses were treated barbarously. The poorhouse also consisted of terrible living conditions. 

Dr. John Norton, the county physician, wrote a report in 1864, describing the conditions as, “no ventilation, old, rotten, and filthy, and entirely inadequate for the purpose for which it is used.” 

On July 28, 1980, the house burnt down, but was rebuilt the next year. It remained open until the early 1960s and still stands today.

Another article, shared by Gaerte, is the tale of the disappearance of Flossie Wilbur from her home in Angelica, N.Y.  John Anderson, writing for the Tyler Morning Telegraph, breaks down the mysterious disappearance of Wilbur. Her disappearance was described as an unsolved murder for decades until a deathbed confession of a terminal cancer patient solved the case.

Wilbur had been missing since Aug 24, 1985, and all that was left of her were the groceries both in and out of her car.

Anderson writes that David Sherk, Wilbur’s neighbor, allegedly confessed to the murder while, “in a medical facility in Wyoming County, N.Y. with terminal cancer.”

According to neighbors, Sherk was well liked in the community, but Wilbur, however, was not. Two investigators on Wilbur’s case revealed that she kept a diary talking badly about many people in the town.

Rolland Rasmusson, who lived across the street from Wilbur, said in an interview, “Most people didn’t think very much of her. She kind of had a foul mouth when she was talking and a lot of people didn’t like her very well.” 

Despite the admission to the alleged murder, no charges were drawn against Sherk due to his condition and cooperation with the case.

Written in 2020, the article finishes by stating that the police would continue to look for Wilbur’s remains based on Sherk’s descriptions. However, the case still remains open as her remains have yet to be found. ★

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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.” ★

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Campus News

Kingdom Conversations Return

Kingdom Ambassadors with Professor Peter Meilaender - Courtesy of Michael Blankenship
By  Jiana Martin ('26)

On Tuesday, Oct. 24, the second Kingdom Conversation will be held at 7 p.m. in Schaller Hall located in the Paine Center.  

Professor Peter Meilaender and President Wayne D. Lewis, Jr. will continue their discussion on the classical debate between Booker T. Washington and W.E.B Du Bois regarding education’s nature and purpose. The first conversation centered around Washington and his emphasis on vocational training in education. In the upcoming conversation, the speakers will examine Du Bois’ viewpoint and his emphasis on a liberal arts education.  

This series of three conversations is the first of its kind hosted by the university’s new program, the Kingdom Initiative, in hopes of promoting academically oriented discussions.

“We thought a great way to introduce the initiative to the campus would be to start with an inaugural series of conversations,” President Lewis explains.

When thinking about the topic for the first series, Professor Meilaender wanted to work with President Lewis. He also searched for a topic that has academic seriousness drawing on classical discussions in American history. Together, they chose this famous debate, not only because of its importance in American history, but also because it is a part of President Lewis’ field of education. He has background and expertise in this area, and their works and scholarships significantly influenced his own. 

Furthermore, Washington and Du Bois’ debate continues to influence public discussions today around higher education. As a university, Professor Meilaender believes these conversations provide a great chance to look at pieces of historical literature that discuss education. 

“There’s still a lot of relevance to what they are talking about,” Professor Meilaender comments. 

In addition, he hopes these events are a chance for people to learn more about Washington, Du Bois and this part of America’s history and cultural heritage. 

The Kingdom Initiative plans to hold many Kingdom Conversations in the future.  

“The initiative is an effort to bring together several things that the college deals with in issues of race, diversity, equality, and God’s kingdom in the broadest sense,” Professor Meilaender states.

They do not have a planned schedule, but are open to suggestions relating to the above mentioned issues.

Along with this effort, one of their goals is to look at these topics through a distinctive and authentic Christian worldview. They hope the conversations will take people across cultural context and into different issues, in order to explore diversity in all its forms. 

President Lewis wants to see the campus community come together and engage with rich ideas, history and literature to have conversations that explore different viewpoints.

“I think we can create something really beautiful at Houghton,” expresses President Lewis, “when we bring together our diverse community through a decidedly Christ-centered lens and consider the gift of diversity.” ★

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Campus News

Professor John Rhett’s “Self-Evaluation”

By Kelsey Curtis ('27)

This October, Houghton’s Ortlip Art Gallery will host a retrospective exhibition of art by Professor John Rhett. The exhibition, titled “Self-Evaluation”, will open on Friday, Oct. 27, starting at 6 p.m., and feature a gallery talk with Rhett at 7 p.m. The reception will also offer an opportunity for students to earn Around the Table credit for their attendance. The exhibition will share select works from Rhett spanning nearly five decades in art.

Gallery Director, Professor Linda Knapp expressed her excitement for the show, praising Rhett as “such a gifted painter.” Knapp shares her love of Rhett’s perspectives illustrated in his paintings with Rhett’s long-time coworker and friend, Professor Ted Murphy. 

Murphy says he looks forward to seeing the progression of Rhett’s art and that it is valuable for students “to appreciate a painter’s evolution in skill, depth of ideas, experimentation, and maturity.”

Commenting on Rhett’s eye for subject matter, Murphy appreciates how he “paints the ordinary, banal landscape but finds great beauty in the edges and margins—parking lots, street lights, and roadway intersections.” 

Professor Rhett’s process of painting these ordinary landscapes contributes to their beauty as well. For many of his works, Rhett travels and paints what he sees, making an adventure out of his process. He says it forces him to “sit there and work until it is done.”

Murphy and Knapp expressed their gratitude for Rhett’s presence at Houghton and appreciate his contributions to the university.

Professor Rhett finds both professional and personal benefits in his exhibit. Rhett acknowledges that it celebrates his milestone of over 25 years with Houghton, and gives him a chance to reflect on his numerous years in art. Rhett says that although it was an “odd feeling to look back” it was valuable to see how he had progressed over his career.

He explained that looking back has helped him consider his failures and learn to move beyond pieces he hadn’t finished. Mentioning a river study he had done, Rhett realized even though he felt frustrated while painting it, he discovered the value of his work when he saw it apart from his reference. He found this as an example of, “getting out of your own way” and still being able to make something worthwhile.

Rhett drew attention to a set of smaller ink paintings he had done from photos. He recalls enjoying them and said, “Boy, I wish I could paint like that!” Even in his critical appraisal of many of his works, he is still able to appreciate successful moments in his creations.

Rhett will show work that has previously never been seen on display, as well as work from faculty shows over the years. He views his exhibition as a way to show more than just the curiosity and craft of a local art teacher. He believes that artists even in the smallest of communities, like Houghton, have the same integrity and skill as those found in large cities and the exhibition will mirror this idea.

“Self-Evaluation” will be in the Ortlip Gallery until Dec. 15, open Monday through Saturday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ★