Past offerings for Honors Colloquia (HNRS 192)
The Art of Experiment with Professor Justine Dymond
In many of the science disciplines, experiments are the conventional method of inquiry. But in art, film, music, theater, dance, and literature, the experimental is often associated with the fringe, the margins of the mainstream, even the incomprehensible. And yet artists and writers who explore the limits of sense-making in their craft also expand the range of what’s possible to understand and know, much as scientists do. This 1-credit Honors Colloquium focuses on the avant-garde in a range of visual, performative, and literary art from the early 20th century to the present. (Fall 2020)
Big Questions with Professor Robert Gruber
Each week, we will outline (briefly) a big question that has plagued philosophers for thousands of years, such as "Does God exist?," "Do humans have free will?," "What is time?," and "What does the perfect society look like?." The focus will not be on answering these questions, but simply on the pleasure of thinking deeply about them. (Spring 2020)
Bikes, Bars, and a Revolution with Professor Anne Wheeler
Since the first pride parades were held in Chicago, New York City, and San Francisco in 1970, the Dykes on Bikes have led the way. Historically, this has been a way of honoring the (self-identified) butch dykes who started the Stonewall Riots and sparked the revolution that paved the way for generations of LGBTQ* individuals to live more authentic lives. This course will explore 20th century LGBTQ* history. Beginning with the activists who were working before Stonewall. We'll engage in discussions about the evolution and ramifications of the queer revolution. Along the way, we'll consider the history of policing queer bodies, as well as how the AIDS epidemic shattered and united the community. This course will not only provide an overview of queer history, we will also have the opportunity to think about the evolution of activism and the distinctions between what Jeffrey Bennett has called "passing, protesting, and the art of resistance." (Fall 2021)
Current Events with Professor Ian Delahanty and with Professor Laura Dubowski
In this colloquium, our tasks involve not only figuring out what is happening in the United States and across the world but also considering how we can best be informed global citizens. We will explore the plethora of news sources in our modern media landscape and debate what it means to be “informed” in an age of 24-hour news cycles. We will also interrogate news sources themselves, asking how their biases shape our understanding of current events and how they acquire their information. Special emphasis is placed on investigating the historical roots of present-day issues. (Fall 2019)
“Dessine-moi le monde” [Draw me the world] by Dilem with Professor LeThuy Hoang
This course studies Ali Dilem’s cartoons published daily on TV5monde, the French-speaking TV channel broadcast internationally. In this course, students are exposed to the art of caricature, while learning about events occurring in Europe, North Africa, the Arab-speaking world, and other international happenings through Dilem’s eyes. Some knowledge of French is useful but not required. (Fall 2020)
Fundamentals of Event Management with Professor Ariel Rodriguez
This colloquium engages Honors Program students with the fundamentals of event management. By the end of the semester, students will have implemented an honors end-of-the-year event celebrating the achievements of Honors Program students. (Spring 2020)
Gender Equality in Families with Professor Susan Joel
What makes us and keeps us happy? An increasing amount of research suggests that a key factor is gender equality. Gender equality promotes life satisfaction and happiness for both women and men. But what's happening in families? This colloquium explores the social, cultural, economic, and psychological factors that make gender equity in families a challenge. (Spring 2020)
How We Think about the Universe: Major Scientific Theories with Professor James O’Brien
Have you ever read a book by Neil deGrasse Tyson and thought to yourself..."That sounds cool, wish I could know more about that"? In this colloquium, students will explore some of the major scientific theories which lead us to the way we think about the universe in 2020 and beyond. Some specific examples will be the big bang, special and general relativity, quantum mechanics, holography, black holes and time travel. (Spring 2021)
Major Diseases of the 21st Century with Professor Sofija Zagarins and with Professor Megan Harvey
This Honors Colloquium provides students with the opportunity to read and discuss popular nonfiction texts that describe the impact of and the human response to some of the important diseases of our time, including AIDS, Ebola, and cancer. This colloquium emphasizes the political and societal forces that affect the interactions between humans and diseases, as well as the scientific advances that have influenced how humans perceive and respond to these diseases. (Fall 2020, Spring 2021, Fall 2021)
The Meaning of Healing with Professor Julia Chevan
The WHO and many other organizations provide clarity on a definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” but those same organizations give us little insight into what healing means and how people heal from physical, mental and social conditions. In this colloquium we’ll explore the meaning of healing, and we’ll consider what it is that happens when healing occurs. Excerpts and readings will come from the fields of medicine, nursing, social and behavioral science, philosophy and religion. (Spring 2021)
Poetry and Hybrid Forms Workshop with Professor Alanna Grady
Can we ever truly understand something that we can't experience with, or from, our own bodies? How can we use language as a tool to achieve an understanding of the things other people go through that we ourselves may not? If language seems to be somehow incomplete, what do we then turn to in order to fill in the gaps it leaves behind? In this class, we will explore how hybrid and experimental forms of writing, particularly poetry, can help us as readers, viewers, and listeners to access a unique “third space” between the physical and metaphorical worlds that we live in to create a place of imagination and possibility where, like the poet Richard Hugo says, “all things belong.”
The Real (?) Yoga with Professor Kate Dugan
Yoga is a very popular practice in the U.S. Kids in preschool do it to calm down, moms at the YMCA do it to stay physically fit, and athletes do it to be centered. Historically, yoga is a particularly Hindu practice with a particularly religious history. It is akin to attending Mass for Catholics or holding shabbat for Jews. In this colloquium, we will read Andrea Jain's new book, Peace Love Yoga: The Politics of Global Spirituality, and try to understand how yoga has become an ever-present part of United States cultural life. What role does yoga play in the 21st century? How has cultural appropriation shaped the place of yoga in our lives? What is it about yoga that allows it to be so malleable in our lives? (Fall 2021)
Research Ethics with Professor Chris Hakala
This class will learn about past research projects in behavioral and health sciences that provided new information, yet only could happen through unethical and/or immoral standards. Topics may include the Tuskegee syphilis experiment, Stanford prison experiment, Milgram shock experiment, and also ethical questions with animals like a Rhesus monkey experiment. Modern-day experiments can include cloning Dolly the Sheep and medical trials that test drugs. The goal is to compare the past to the present in order to evaluate the current ethical system in science– not only how we got to where we are but also what further improvements we need. This colloquium may interest students in many disciplines including history, medicine, psychology, research methods, and animal rights. (Fall 2021)
HNRS 192: World Diseases with Professor Megan Harvey
This Honors Colloquium provides students with the opportunity to read and discuss popular nonfiction texts that describe the impact of and the human response to some of the important diseases of our time, including AIDS, Ebola, and cancer. This Colloquium emphasizes the political and societal forces that affect the interactions between humans and diseases, as well as the scientific advances that have influenced how humans perceive and respond to these diseases. Upon completion of this Colloquium, students will be better prepared to answer that most pressing of disease-related questions: “how worried should we be”?
Science Literacy with Professor Melinda Fowler
This class will examine scientific method, science philosophy, critical thinking, and pseudoscience. We will discuss skepticism and how bias can affect the information we believe. Students will gain additional scientific literacy skills. We will read several chapters from Why People Believe Weird Things by Michael Sherman (2002). Weekly chapter readings will be discussed in class and supplemented by short videos and activities evaluating scientific evidence. (Spring 2021)
Uncovering Implicit Bias, Microaggressions, and Stereotype Threat in Classroom Spaces with Professor Stephanie Logan
This colloquium will provide an in-depth exploration of implicit bias and stereotype threat, along with a specific focus on microaggressions and how these commonplace verbal, behavioral, or environmental indignities communicate hostility towards individuals because of their disability, race, ethnicity, class, gender, religion, and sexual orientation. Essential to this exploration is to discover how these unconscious and conscious actions affect the academic, personal/social, and even career aspirations of pre-kindergarten to university level students. Through readings, personal reflection, class discussion, and presentations, participants will demonstrate an understanding of this modern issue affecting the development and cross-relationships and the climate of educational institutions. (Spring 2021)
Vocal Traditions of the World with Professor Alexandra Ludwig
This colloquium will analyze case studies of selected vocal traditions of the world using various critical lenses. It also will include a performance component. (Spring 2020)
Women in Leadership Positions and Athletics with Professor Kate Bowen
This class will focus on the history of women leaders and their contributions to athletics. Emphasis will be on the study of Title IX and its effect on athletics and women’s rights. This colloquium will focus on the struggles and successes of women in leadership roles. Through this class seminar, students will participate in authentic discussions concerning the issues of women leaders, not only in athletics, but in today’s society as well. (Fall 2020, Fall 2021)
