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Men’s RDs Depart at End of Spring

Courtesy of Isabeau Higdon

The Residence Life staff is anticipating a smooth transition as Resident Directors Steve Mattiace, of Shenawana Hall, and Marc Smithers, of Rothenbuhler Hall, plan to leave their positions at the close of this spring semester.

Houghton already posted advertisements designed to find replacements for the two RDs.  Jacobsen hopes for applicants who will potentially encourage variation among the Resident Life staff.  He said, concerning any Resident Life applicants, “We like to get a little bit of variety in terms of experience and perspective.”

But such variety will not necessarily change the traditions and dynamics of Shenawana and Rothenbuhler Halls.  While new staff may bring new ideas and skill sets, through deliberate transitional processes, former policies tend to remain in place.

In order to encourage a smooth transition between Resident Directors, Jacobsen said, “Typically we have the current RDs write something like an information packet for any replacement that comes in.”

Marc Smithers, current Resident Director of Rothenbuhler Hall, explains one detail of the transitional practice of passing on knowledge and experience to his future replacement.  He said, “The outgoing RD [writes] a letter to the incoming RD informing them of hall culture/traditions and explaining the vision that we have had for the hall and what we hope it to be in the future.”
The future RD uses this information in adjusting to the new role.

In addition, incoming Resident Assistants for the 2013 fall semester receive hiring and training from the current Resident Directors, so that they might aid in making the transition from one RD to another a smooth one.  Thus, being familiar with current tradition and policies, the RAs possess the abilities to help the prospective RD adjust to managing the dorm.

In addition, Jacobsen said, “We do try to get students on the RA staff in on the actual hiring process.”  The RA’s play an important role in the transition between Resident Directors, not only by helping the replacement Resident Directors, but also by actually helping to choose who among the applicants might best suit their dorm.

Courtesy of Isabeau Higdon
Courtesy of Isabeau Higdon

Concerning the fluidity of the replacement process, Smithers said, “The RD position is one that typically has a fair amount of turnover.”  As Resident Directors often come and go, the hiring process for the position is a familiar and relatively frequent occurrence, and Houghton seems to maintain a good system of transition.  Jacobsen voiced his confidence in the system as well, and said, “Typically I feel positive about our hiring process here.”

According to Smithers, Rothenbuhler Hall in particular will hopefully function the same as always, even as he will be absent next semester.
Smithers said, “I think an RD does his or her job best when the success or failure of a hall does not depend solely on his or her talents. I firmly believe in empowering my staff to cultivate and carry on the culture and vision that we have collectively forged together in Roth, so that when I’m gone, there isn’t a big hole in the life of the hall but that somebody new can come in and add to what we’ve created.”

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Purple and Gold Basketball Spirit

Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook
Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook

If you weren’t among the dual colored throng of fans crowding the Nielsen bleachers last Tuesday night for the women’s and men’s Purple and Gold week games, you missed out on a night of collective school spirit, CAB prizes, a chance to show off a snazzy gold shirt, and some pretty entertaining basketball.

Although the men ultimately lost to St John Fisher with a final score of 75-62, head coach Drew Hannan said that “the game came down to the last minute” and that he’s optimistic for the success of the team’s near future, despite setbacks.

“We have struggled all year to put together a forty minute team effort, but of late we have begun doing that and putting ourselves in position to beat some of the best teams in the conference (Nazareth, Ithaca, St. John Fisher, etc.),” said Hannan. “The last five games have been by far our best games all year and, as a coach, all I can ask is that our guys continue to work and continue to get better.”

Although Hannan said the team needs to hone their ability to “make plays late in a game, whether it be executing on offense or getting stops on defense,” he’s exceedingly proud of their “resilience and perseverance.”

“The sheer amount and types of adversity we have faced this year would cause most people to lose their edge, their motivation,” said Hannan, “but not these guys, which is our biggest asset.”  Hannan attributes the team’s positivity and determination not only to the character of individual players and the moral of the group but also to the enthusiasm of fans.

“The fans of late have been the best, most supportive group since my time here,” said Hannan. “Their support during games and encouragement away from them is what is helping to keep these guys going through this tough stretch.”

Hannan added that the fans were particularly uplifting. They were “amazing and into the game,”

Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook
Courtesy of Kathryn Hornibrook

said Hannan. “The effect is obvious if you just read some of the posts our players made after the game. They were all about how great the fans were and how much the guys love, appreciate, and need it.”

Team member Seth Shay agreed with Hannan’s appraisal of the spectators. “Our fans were extremely involved and supportive. This kind of home court support is crucial in close games and I truly believed it affected the way we played,” said Shay. He added “ The school spirit here at Houghton College is as good as I have ever seen it in my 4 years. I’m proud to be a Highlander when I look to the stands and see a mass crowd of purple and gold. As a team, we want to thank all of you for your support!”

The women also lost their game to St. John Fisher with a final score of 70-80, but senior team-member Michelle Persons said that the Houghton team rallied during the second half. “The second half was much better offensively and defensively,” said Persons. “We talked at half-time about communicating better on defense, which in turn would help our offense flow better as we made it a team effort.”

Persons said that the accuracy of the Fisher player’s foul shots hurt the Houghton team and that if the women “had played a better first half, the outcome definitely would have been different… The team stepped up the intensity the second half immensely, we just couldn’t close the gap.”
Several players are currently recovering from injuries which have created additional obstacles for the team, and Persons said, “They bring a lot to the team and we would be very glad to have them back.”

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Houghton Students Attend Calvin Conference

Fifteen Houghton students and two professors attended the eighth-annual Faith and International Development Conference at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, last weekend.
The conference, subtitled “From Here to Shalom: Participating in God’s Plan for Universal Flourishing,” was intended to inform students of current development issues around the world, and to supply them with new perspectives on how to address them. For conference attendees it was also an opportunity to interact with potential employers.

Courtesy of Derek Schwabe
Courtesy of Derek Schwabe

“It was a great chance to network with NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations), some that I would possibly like to work with in the future,” said Moeun Sun, sophomore.
Approximately three hundred and thirty students from thirty colleges and universities attended the conference. It was organized by Calvin students with the assistance of their International Development Studies faculty, and featured representatives from twenty-five different NGOs. It lasted four days, during which attendees were able to enjoy the full extent of Calvin’s snow-covered campus and ventured into Grand Rapids.

The conference was constructed around a number of general plenaries for all to attend, which were interspersed with smaller sessions, in which representatives of various NGOs gave presentations on the nature and goals of their organizations. These presentations ranged the full spectrum of developmental issues, including peacemaking, healthcare, advocacy, and the environment.

Sun said, “I was pleasantly surprised at how many different kinds of FBOs (Faith-Based Organizations) were represented there.” The individual NGOs held smaller sessions to discuss general ideas or issues and the means by which the NGO seeks to address them.

Senior Andrea Pacheco said, “As someone who has attended the conference for two years now, I found it to be very instrumental in learning about the field of international development, and what it involves.” “This year there were key speakers, such as Steve Radelet, that I think added much more academic and professional credibility to the conference,” Pacheco continued, pointing out that many of the NGOs present have high-minded goals while not necessarily having the necessary expertise.

The conference was not simply a collaboration of NGOs from different fields, but also from multiple denominations. Among the speakers and leaders were Mennonite, Reformed, and Episcopalian Christians. Readers who know Church history might appreciate the ecumenical development exemplified at the conference.

While the conference was overall a success, the information which was presented tended to be fairly basic. There is an inherent difficulty in organizing such a conference, as the attendees all come from different backgrounds. While some might find the information to be basic, it might be entirely novel to others, who are more recent to the topic. This diversity shows up even among the Houghton students who went.

Freshman Matthew Munkittrick said, “I went because I am studying International Development and wanted to get to know a bit more about what I am going to be studying.”

Additionally, the speakers generally focused on their own experiences and contextual situations. Pacheco says, “I’d like to see some more presentations on concrete, current research of the field.” The attendance of Dr. Radelet was a step in that direction, but the vast majority of the speakers were still anecdotal.

Despite the criticisms some of the Houghton students had, they all enjoyed the conference, and everyone got more from it than they had anticipated. In the words of Munkittrick, “Overall, it was definitely worth the twelve-hour bus ride!”

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Jars of Clay’s Matt Odmark Lectures at Houghton

On Tuesday, January 29, Grammy award winning, Gibson guitar titlist of 2005 and platinum recording artist Matt Odmark  arrived at Houghton, not to stage a show or book a gig, but to teach a class. Odmark came to campus of his own volition and at his own financial expense to lecture during one of Houghton professor Kevin Jackson’s Pro Tools sessions, and the student response was overwhelming.

Courtesy of www.houghton.edu
Courtesy of www.houghton.edu

“The place was packed,” said Jackson, including attendance by his students, students from other disciplines, and even three area high schoolers. The question and answer segment in particular was so engaging that it lasted one hour beyond the designated stopping point without Jackson ever having to resort to his written stack of preconceived prompts. Odmark’s main focus was the concept of creative listening and what it means to genuinely and actively absorb, process, and be attentive to a song.
“He talked about what it means to really listen to music, something so deeply personal that it should be treated with extreme respect,” said Jackson. Odmark addressed the importance of “understanding the weight of music” and that the practice of “listening in that way is a sacred act.”

Odmark challenged students to “visualize” and internalize the music in a unique way, imbuing it with meaning specific to the individual. He urged the students to respect a body of music by interacting with it in full.

“Now…more and more, people use songs for playlists or background music, instead of absorbing the full collection or album as a complete work of art,” said Jackson. “We break music into pockets and the effect is like lopping a painting.”

Odmark also elaborated on the need to consider music as more than formulaic technique or advanced rendering of sound, namely as a relatable expression of the artist that is applicable the audience.
Senior Dan Austin said he enjoyed listening to a song that Odmark played not from the standpoint of a record critic, but from that of a participant in the emotive energy of the song and the feeling of the music.

“We didn’t have to worry about how the song was mixed, but what images and reactions it evoked,” said Austin. “You can pick apart a song from the technical side to make it more cohesive, more marketable, catchier, or more radio-friendly, but ultimately it’s about communication and there’s something to approaching a song with a certain amount of reverence.”
Austin also appreciated Odmark’s sincerity and willingness to make himself available to Houghton students.

“Matt is a minor celebrity who drove to Houghton in a minivan on his own dime and then thanked us for allowing him to interrupt our class time,” said Austin. “I mean this is a man who has been heard by millions of people, yet he doesn’t act like a rock star.”

Senior Nick Cannistraci agreed. “I was uncertain of where Matt was going at first, but as he spoke it became apparent that he really loves music. It was comfortable talking with him, because he’s just a humble, normal person. “He made himself vulnerable to us and it gave me a new way of looking at music,” said Cannistraci.
Jackson also commented on Odmark’s character; he said, “He truly has the scholar-servant attitude and mindset that we strive for at Houghton.”

When Jars of Clay performed at the college this past October the band set up all of their own equipment, exchanged tips with the student sound technicians, and took a strong interest in Jackson’s vision for the Houghton sound and recording department. After the concert, Odmark began communicating with Jackson via e-mail and phone conversations concerning the fruition of Jackson’s ambitions for the department and immediately consented to teach one session of Jackson’s Pro Tools class.

“Events like this create momentum and validate what we are trying to accomplish,” said Jackson, who has proposed some exciting major changes to the current structure of his music program.
Jackson is pleased to say that Odmark is offering the chance for Houghton students in the coming years to intern with Jars of Clay in Nashville for a period of two to three weeks over winter break or even a full three months. This experience will give sound and recording students the unparalleled opportunity to witness firsthand the inner operations of the professional music industry through the guidance of an acclaimed Christian band. Houghton students have the extremely rare possibility of being temporary apprentices to the man who won the Gibson Guitar Award over nominees like Bob Dylan.

To Jackson it’s unbelievably evident that “God has had his hand in all of this” and he cannot wait to see how the overarching vision will grow and materialize through connections such as Matt Odmark and others who are willing to invest in Houghton’s potential.              

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New Semester, New Opportunities

Here we are; a new semester is upon us! I present you with a question: What are you going to make of your time at Houghton for spring 2013? Our new Vice President for Student Life, Dr. Rob Pool, recently challenged the Senate to reach our “Big Hairy Audacious Goals” (BHAGs), and he explained that the Office of Student Life exists to facilitate students’ working toward their goals. In the words of Dr. Pool, I encourage you as students to attain your “BHAGs” this semester! (You don’t have to call them BHAGs though.)

Courtesy of www.houghton.edu
Courtesy of www.houghton.edu

How can SGA help you attain your goals as a student? Already this semester, the Senate has approved requests from clubs and student groups for over $1500 in student funds. If you are part of a Christian life club or a general student club on campus, we still have funds available. While I’m discussing clubs, I should point out that our student clubs have been very successful this semester—with a variety of activities hosted by Black Heritage Club, MercySeat, Global Christian Fellowship and Runnymede Pre-Law Society—just to name a few.

This spring offers you a great opportunity for community service, just as Make a Difference Day did last fall. Each year the college sponsors MLK Service Day in the spring, and this year’s event will take place on Saturday, April 13. Keep this event in mind, and look for ways to get involved in service to our surrounding communities.

On the topic of service, the SGA is working to expand opportunities to reach out to international students at Houghton Academy. One way you can start right now is by taking time to sit with Academy students who come to our dining hall on the weekends. And have you heard of the Highlander Commission? This is a student group working to promote school spirit by instating traditions including the Scottish Highlander mascot and our school colors of Purple and Gold. SGA Vice President Benjamin Hardy is heading up this effort, so ask him how the SGA is working to bolster our common identity as Highlanders in the next few months.
Speaking of purple and gold, be sure to thank the Campus Activities Board for their hard work on Purple and Gold Week!

As a fellow Highlander and member of the Student Government, I pose another set of questions for you. What do you think of SGA? How can SGA better represent the whole student body? How can SGA be a group in which you want to participate? The Senate wants to know what you think about these questions, as we are looking at our current structure to find what would be the best way to encourage student involvement and representation through SGA.

Also concerning participation, SGA election plans for next year are already underway, and Wynn Horton will be spearheading these efforts as Election Commissioner. Contact Wynn if you want to run for an SGA position for next year.

Moving through this semester, be assured that SGA wants to represent your concerns well. The Senate is working with the Office of Student Life to improve communication regarding changes on campus. Thanks to the work of Senator Wynn Horton and others, there will soon be a page on the Current Students section of the college website for you to submit your feedback on any student issues to be reviewed by individuals from SGA and from Student Life.

What are you going to make of your time at Houghton for spring 2013? Let us know how we can help by contacting your senators or contacting sga@houghton.edu. Happy Purple and Gold Week, Highlanders!

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Townhouse Kill-A-Watt Challenge Raises Sustainability Awareness

Courtesy of www.houghton.edu
Courtesy of www.houghton.edu

Seven townhouses are competing throughout the month of February in the Kill-A-Watt Challenge, an initiative to raise awareness of energy consumption and reduce energy use on campus.
The competition is based on each participating townhouse’s residents’ reduction of energy use, which will be calculated by comparing weekly meter readings to a baseline measurement taken before the competition began. The winning townhouse will receive a pizza party after the Challenge concludes.

Brian Webb, the Sustainability Coordinator at Houghton College, has partnered with Student Life to spearhead this effort. The key goal of the Kill-A-Watt Challenge, said Webb, is “to help students become aware of their energy usage,” especially because they do not pay electricity bills directly.
Gabe Jacobsen, Director of Student Life, said, “It is not just about reducing costs, though that is a benefit. Rather, it is about helping students become people who care about how they use resources.”

JL Miller, Resident Director of the Townhouses, said he supported the Kill-A-Watt Challenge because of his “professional goal of seeing the Townhouses as a place of preparation for students’ launch from Houghton.”

Elizabeth Bailey, Assistant Resident Director of the Townhouses, said, “I think it’s a neat idea and a great opportunity for upperclassmen to learn how to save on energy costs as many of us will be paying our own water, gas, and electric bills soon.”

Senior Dianna Cornell is among the students participating in the Challenge.
She said, “I think it’s a good idea. Energy consumption is something we don’t really think about, so the competition makes us conscious of it.” Already, she said, she is more aware of ways that she can reduce her energy usage, such as unplugging her hair straightener and turning off lights that are not being used.

After one week of the competition, more than three quarters of all townhouses saw an energy reduction, reported Webb. The leader, with a 33% reduction, is Perkins 48.
The competition is limited to the townhouses for logistical reasons: while each townhouse is on a separate energy meter, the entire upper campus (every building from Rothenbuhler Hall to Shenawana Hall, with the exception of Steese Cottage and the MacMillan House) is on one energy meter. Webb is exploring options to install separate meters for each residence hall and hopes to have them in place for next year so that the Kill-A-Watt Challenge can include the dormitories as well.

Whether or not their energy consumption is measured separately, individuals across campus can reduce their energy impact in simple ways: Turn off electrical appliances, especially lights and televisions when they are not in use. Turn off power strips when they are not needed. Turn off computers at night (the myth that this harms computers is old-fashioned and untrue). Use microwave ovens rather than electric ovens, since they use less electricity.  Energy-saving practices such as these and others can help to reduce the amount of electricity that is wasted.
Webb said, “With energy, a lot of it comes down to habit, and it doesn’t take very long to develop energy-saving habits.”

By raising awareness of sustainability issues and reducing energy waste, the Kill-A-Watt Challenge marks a step towards sustainability at Houghton College. Jacobsen said, “Houghton is still in the infancy stage, in the residences at least, in addressing sustainability issues.” Both Jacobsen and Webb hope to see the Kill-A-Watt Challenge continued and expanded next year.

Although only students in participating townhouses are part of the Challenge, everyone on campus, from students to faculty and staff, can contribute. Simply knowing about the Kill-A-Watt Challenge raises awareness on campus and represents an opportunity to participate in Houghton’s movement toward greater sustainability. Jacobsen said, “From a theological standpoint, learning to be wise stewards of what we have fits in the general ethos of Houghton College.”

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Unauthorized Survey Causes Questions

On January 28, 2013, a survey was sent out concerning the performance of Greg Bish, the Director of Student Programs, which was approved by neither the college nor the Student Government Association.

Screenshot of the email containing the illegitimate survey. Image courtesy of gmail.com
Screenshot of the email containing the illegitimate survey. Image courtesy of gmail.com

Ultimately, the technology services determined that the survey was sent out by a student, who has since deleted the survey, according to the maker of the survey. Concerning the availability and approachability of Bish, “The questions themselves didn’t seem . . . biased in any obvious way,” said Dr. Pool, Vice President of Student Life, who thought that the survey was connected to an academic class  upon first reading it.

The student did not use a Houghton email address to send out the survey; however the email seemed official and legitimate.  Unsuspecting students could easily assume that it was simply another survey concerning any number of programs or offices on campus, which are not at all uncommon, and many probably took the survey without realizing its illegitimacy.
In regard to the content of the survey, Colin Belt, sophomore class president, said, “It seemed like the sort of thing that could really illicit a certain kind of information.” Belt was suspicious upon reading the email as it was sent around 3 A.M. by “Willard J Houghton.”

Belt then notified the VP for Student Life of the unexpected survey,  and Dr. Pool soon determined that it was not approved by any college authorities. He then contacted IT services, and they were able to identify the sender of the survey, a student at Houghton College.
When Dr. Pool talked to the sender, the student did not fully realize at first how they were in the wrong for sending the survey.

“Most of the time students don’t realize the implication of their actions until something bad happens,” said Dr. Pool, who went on to advise students to talk to a person directly if they have a problem with someone, or even to go to SGA or Student Life.

Whether or not issues, personal or communal, actually exist concerning Greg Bish, steps are being taken to improve communication between the student body and Student Life. And thus far, administration has no reason to question his capabilities as the Director of Student Programs.
“There have been tensions between Student Programs and SGA, but we are working through those,” said Joel Ernst, president of the SGA.  Even before the survey was sent, meetings were conducted with the aim of improving communication and resolving issues.

Students can take some important information from this situation.
As Dr. Pool said, “nothing you do on the web is private.”
No matter how much confidentiality the internet alludes to, the IT department has access to the information accessed over the internet in the Houghton network.

There are also better ways of communicating in this type of situation.
“I think we would just all benefit better if it [communication] was transparent,” said Dr. Pool.
Overall the survey caught Student Life by surprise.
“I had never seen anyone, especially a student, do an anonymous survey about an employee of a college,” said Dr. Pool.

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Continued Closure of the Flats Explained

Early in the spring of 2012, Houghton College made the decision to close the flats for student housing. This was disappointing news to much of the student body for multiple reasons.
“The main reason for the uproar was because of the misconceptions surrounding the decision to close the flats” said Jim Vitale, junior.

College Flats. Courtesy of www.hagerengineering.com
College Flats. Courtesy of www.hagerengineering.com

The bulk of students’ arguments seem to revolve around financial issues and a lack of understanding thereof, especially given that the flats appear to have remained open and functional.
The decision to close the flats was sparked by a need to decrease spending across campus. Each department was asked to account for their spending and to make some cuts. In a campus-wide email sent out this last week, Dr. Robert Pool, who recently became VP for Student Life, said that, “We have also had to make some sacrifices.” He continued to say that “Necessary cuts were made with a wise eye toward optimizing learning and trimming excess.”

The decision to cut the flats boils down to occupancy management practices.
“We made the decision based on the information we had at the time” said Gabe Jacobsen, director of Residence Life.
During last spring—when the cuts were decided—there were roughly 90 rooms that were left empty in the resident halls.
“When we were making the decision to close the flats, we realized we could have done it the year before and still been able to house everybody; it just wasn’t on the radar” stated Jacobsen, “even if the incoming freshmen class surpassed 400,” a number larger than any of the current classes, “we would still be okay”

There are currently some possibilities being considered for ways in which the institution could change the structure of the flats to accommodate for future use. One suggestion proposed would be to change the requirements for living in the flats. Currently students must be in their second year at Houghton with a minimum of 60 credits and not be on disciplinary probation.

Nevertheless these changes exist only as possibilities for the future. According to Jacobsen, “at least as of this year the capacity of housing will outmatch the current projection for the incoming class.” However, the school will remain flexible. If the need for extra housing arises, the prospect of reopening the flats is not completely out of the question.

Currently the former student residence has been re-purposed for short-term housing for various groups and organizations that Houghton hosts such as youth groups and sports camps. Having the flats available for this purpose makes accommodating guests during these events more feasible for the Residence Life department. Previously the unused parts of the Gillette basement were utilized for this purpose.

Furthermore, being in such a remote location severely limits housing options for new faculty members, and so the flats have recently been utilized for long-term housing for transitioning faculty members.

“Having the flats available has made the transition to Houghton easier for several new faculty and administrators since I was essentially able to tell them ‘we have a place that you can rent for a while,’” said Dale Write, Executive Director of Human Resources and Administration.
Not only has closing the flats benefitted the institution by enabling Houghton to house faculty long term and providing room for groups and organizations to stay while on campus, but also, according to Mr. Wright, “The combination of additional revenue and expense reductions have surpassed our expectations.”

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Annual Internship and Summer Employment Day

news_jobfairHoughton College’s Career Services will put on the annual internship and Summer EmploymentDay on Wednesday, February 6th from noon to 3:00 P.M. in the Campus Center Van Dyk Lounge. Thirty-five employers will be on campus for the purpose of recruiting Houghton students for summer jobs and internships.  Camps and businesses will be looking to hire students from all fields of study. A complete list of attendees is posted on the HC Career Services Facebook page, as well as in the Career Services office.

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Climate Survey Takes Campus Temperature for Diversity Audit

With the Campus Climate Survey, issued this week by the Diversity Audit Committee, Houghton College has begun to “take the temperature” of the students, faculty, and staff on campus regarding topics of ethnic, racial, sexual, gender, and disability-based diversity.

Image courtesy of http://www.meridianschools.org/
Image courtesy of http://www.meridianschools.org/

Professor Intí Martínez-Alemán explained from where the need for a Diversity Audit came. In 2009 an incident occurred during a chapel celebrating Black History Month. Two students, one dressed as a gorilla and another in a banana costume, ran through the aisles. Professor Martínez-Alemán cited this event as a key piece of evidence in Houghton’s administration’s realization that diversity, and the way students perceive it, might be an important issue to address on campus.

Later in 2009, a few professors and college administrators attended a conference in Vermont which dealt with diversity topics on college campuses. Documents concerning the then-current state of diversity on Houghton’s campus and goals for where the discussion on diversity and the implementation of policies encouraging diversity should have gone in the coming years. According to Professor Martínez-Alemán, this document and its ideas were not explicitly implemented in any way. The Diversity Audit is ultimate result of earlier attempts to analyze Houghton in light of ethnic,
racial, sexual, gender, and disability topics.

Once the results of the survey are compiled, the Committee plans to analyze the results and then create focus groups based on these results. This April, Jane Higa, current Vice President for Student Life and Dean of Students at Westmont College, will be coming to Houghton to look at the Committee’s and focus groups’ findings and to help draft a final document to present to the Board of Trustees and Administration of the college.

Professor Martínez-Alemán said “[we] have this idea of an average Houghton student: white, female, and 18-22 years old. Anyone that does not fit that description [, on our campus,] is diverse.” And so the Diversity Audit’s purpose is to take a look at why Houghton is most attractive to young, white females and to discover how, once students enroll and spend time at Houghton, the college shapes their thinking about themselves and people from different ethnic and racial backgrounds, for example.

Dennis Stack, Houghton’s Dean of Students, emphasized this purpose as primary to the committee. The Diversity Audit, and particularly the Campus Climate Survey is not at all meant to target any one group or make individuals feel guilty for thinking or feeling a certain way about others. Stack described the survey as a “safe, risk free, and comfortable” way for people to share their honest feelings about people different from themselves.

“We really want to know, or it would be really great to know, what lens everybody is looking at life through,” said Stack. And he followed by saying, “it would be of course ideal for everyone to see through the same lens, and for that lens to be the same one Jesus sees through.”

In order to get an accurate idea of the campus climate as related to issues of diversity, the Committee hopes for people to be willing to participate. Stack said, “we want everyone to take [the survey] because we want everybody represented.” The number of responses to the survey has already surpassed Stack’s original expectation, and he is hopeful that the rest of campus will take the initiative and contribute.

Ellen Musulin, a sophomore, is one of the students who chose to participate in the Campus Climate Survey. After completing the survey, she said, “It made me think, and took longer than I expected.” Musulin also related the relevance and merit of the survey; she said “I think the survey will help begin the process of looking at the topic of diversity;  If this is truly an issue, then the college should really continue talking to students, faculty, and staff.”

President Mullen is also involved with the Diversity Audit. In response to a question that came up in the SGA student forum concerning the purpose of the Campus Climate Survey and the Diversity Audit, President Mullen said, “The Audit really should have happened three years ago.” And now that the Diversity Committee has been reformulated, with the President’s input, she is encouraging students to “participate thoughtfully.”

President Mullen also echoed and expanded upon the sentiments of Dennis Stack. She said, “we need to figure out a little more fully what it means to have a theology [in the realm of diversity] that is as rich and deep as the kingdom of God.”

In conclusion to the SGA Senate, President Mullen admitted that the process of a hard look at the college in light of diversity will not necessarily easy. She concluded her short address of the topic by saying “if we are going to go through with this, it is going to require some tough discussions, and I am committed to having those discussions.”