Shenawana – Houghton STAR

This fall, Houghton College welcomed two new Residence Directors (RDs). A.C. Taylor joined Shenawana Hall and Beth Phifer became a part of Lambein Hall. As RDs, Taylor and Phifer will oversee their respective residence halls and are each responsible for the maintenance and residents of that building. They will report to Marc Smithers, the Assistant Dean of Students for Residence Life and Programs. With their past experiences in Residence Life and shared enthusiasm for the job, both Phifer and Taylor are well prepared for their new positions.

Phifer has known of Houghton College for many years, with one of her favorite college professors having graduated from Houghton. Her undergraduate work focused on counseling, but Phifer said that she felt led by God to do work in Residence Life. That work is not unfamiliar to Phifer as she was a Resident Assistant during her undergraduate studies at Grove City College in Pennsylvania, and most recently she acted as an RD at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia. Last year, she applied to Christian campuses with openings for an RD closer to her hometown of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. She wanted to work at a Christian establishment because she also received her education at a Christian liberal arts institution.

“In a Christian setting there is more freedom to help shape and develop students as followers in Christ,” Phifer said. She added that she is excited to talk about Jesus with her residents. Phifer plans to continue the work started by Krista Maroni, the previous RD of Lambein, in establishing a stronger sense of identity within the women’s dorm.

“There are three core values that Lambein embodies,” Phifer explained. “Those are compassion, courage, and wisdom.” She hopes to emphasize these three qualities throughout the year.

Taylor, who graduated from Houghton in 2014, is also thrilled to be an RD at Houghton. Like Phifer, Taylor worked in Residence Life as an RA when he was in college. His wife was looking to work in the admissions office at Houghton, so when a job opportunity as the RD of Shenawana Hall came up, Taylor applied.

“It is so great to be able to come back to Houghton and the amazing community that is,” he said. “As much of a buzzword as [community] is, it really is valid and unique. The kind of relationships among people that occur here really don’t happen everywhere.”

While a student and RA, Taylor lived in Rothenbuhler Hall. Even so, he is excited to work in Shenawana and experience the rich tradition of the building. He respects the culture and the identity that is Shenawana, and this year hopes to better understand the history and traditions that the dorm has to offer those who live there.

Both RDs expressed a desire to get to know their residents on a personal level.

“I am really excited to get to know each of my residents, although it is challenging to get to know every person,” said Phifer. “If my apartment is open please stop by, I really mean that. I want to highlight and bold that statement. I love opportunities to get to know people. I want to be there for them and be a person that they feel they can go to for support.”

Shen Olympics is a long-standing Houghton tradition that my family has participated in for years. Just like my father and brother, I lived on third floor Shen for my freshman and sophomore years. I first experienced Shen Olympics at nine years old, as I was visiting my brother.

Now that I am a senior living in the dorm, I often get asked why I stayed in Shen for four years. I smile and say “when else am I going to be able to run around with 100 other dudes and have other people cook for me?”

On a serious note, I stayed in Shen because it is more than just a building. I wanted to have the impact on younger men that the older guys had on me. One of the ways that Shen continues to build men of character is through its rich traditions.

When I asked fellow senior and E.P.C. President Anthony Cappello to describe Shen traditions, he said that “With traditions like Shen Bloc, Shen Olympics, and Shenanigans the men of Shen are able to enjoy times of fellowship, craziness, and I.B.C. throughout the school year.”

Shen traditions are much more than a bunch of men running around having a good time. They are historical ceremonies that promote unity and brotherhood.

Out of all of the Shen traditions Shen Olympics is probably the dorm favorite. R.A. Steve McCord simply said “secrecy” when asked about what he thought was cool [memorable?] about Shen traditions.

One of McCord’s residents, Matt Munkittrick, told him, “I don’t know what Shen Olympics is, but I just know it’s gonna be awesome.” The secrecy surrounding many of Shen’s traditions creates a lot of mystery on campus, but it brings its residents into a brotherhood that is larger than any one person.

On Friday February 1 the men of Shen will be kicking off the Olympics with Fancy Friday. After a time of bonding and fellowship at a community dinner, each floor will put forth contestants to participate in an array of activities. The entire event will literally take hours and go well into the morning of February 2, so you shouldn’t expect to see any Shen men at breakfast or even lunch on Saturday.

The stakes are higher this year because of the rumors of a new trophy and the promise of an engraving for the winning floor. Each floor takes Shen Olympics seriously, and some host training sessions to practice for events weeks in advance. Winning a Shen Olympics title is something that every resident desires and afterwards takes pride in.

Personally one of my favorite things about Shen Olympics is the vast array of events that residents participate in. This statement was echoed by Basement’s R.A. Elias Manzella who said “At the end of the day, we have all been blessed with our own gifts. The wide ranging event selection allows every resident the ability to represent their floor. The individuality contributing to unity is special and its impact extends beyond the night of the Olympics.”

Relationships are forged, renewed, and strengthened throughout the event by testing one’s endurance, perseverance, wits, strength, and skill. As an R.A. it is awesome to see my guys interact in ways that otherwise would not have happened.

I think a lot of people on campus would be surprised with Shen life and traditions. Aspects of the traditions have been changing the past few years in order to incorporate everyone in the dorm. I’ve always felt that people on campus assume that Shen is just a bunch of smelly guys running around doing crazy things, but Shen and its traditions are so much more than that. Every year we change some Olympic events to make sure we are safe, everyone feels comfortable, and that the events are fun.

Shen’s traditions emulate and foster the building’s core values of strength, honor, and brotherhood. As a member of the R.A. staff I can attest to the intentionality and time spent in planning to make sure that Shen Olympics is more than just a night of competition. It is a night of bonding and building Godly men. I am proud to call myself a lifetime Shen man and look forward to competing one last time on Friday.