WHY HONORS?

HNRS 1110

Constellations: Intro to Honors

In this class art, music, literature, and science collaborate as ways of understanding our place in the more-than-human world. From fusions of science, song, and story, we’ll think about relevant issues in our time, about our own lives, and about our connections with others. From the basis of this interconnection, we’ll consider our actions and our ethics.

Christy Call
Monday/Wednesday | 12-1:15pm | CRN 34618
Tuesday/Thursday | 9-10:15am | CRN 34604
LI 325

Meet Your Professor


Dr. Christy Call is the Director of the Honors Program & Associate Professor of English.

HNRS 2010

Travel Writing: Discovering
Self through the Other

We will explore the roles of travel writing across time, including an examination of key theoretical texts and concepts that have built the foundation for contemporary models within the genre. Through an examination of this rich history, you will create your own travel-based projects. You’ll also be given the tools to find publishers for your work!

Cynthia Jones & Jean Norman
Tuesday/Thursday | 1:30-2:45pm | CRN 34638
LI 325

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HNRS 1540

Bang Your Head: Heavy Metal Music & Society

“Metal confronts what we'd rather ignore. It celebrates what we often deny. It indulges in what we fear most. And that's why metal will always be a culture of outsiders.” In this class we will examine what makes metal music and its fans a culture of outsiders, as anthropologist and documentarian Sam Dunn suggests. We’ll consider metal music through a study of masculinity, class, race, and sexuality.

Jessica Fisher
Tuesdays | 5:30-8:10pm | CRN 34635
LI 325

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HNRS 1520

Tough as Woodpecker Lips:
Exploring & Defining Resilience

The joys of college can, at times, be paired with a lot of stress, pressure, and setbacks. Research has shown that learning resilience strategies can help people respond to these types of challenges in a more positive way. Learn and apply strategies that build resilience, including coping mechanisms, conflict management, and positive psychology. Develop a positive outlook and design a plan for resilience in your own life.

Jason Biggs
Tuesday/Thursday | 10:30-11:45am | CRN 34632
SW 231

Meet Your Professor

Jason Biggs is an advisor in Student Support Services who specializes in College Readiness.

Favorite TV Show: White Collar
Favorite Song: Things to Come by Dissie Gillespie
Favorite Book: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

HNRS 2050

The Color of Sex:
Beauty Standards Across Time

How did lipstick, once scorned as immoral, become indispensable to millions of women? How did home cosmetics become a multibillion-dollar industry? In this class we'll examine the change in beauty standards and industry over the late 19th - 21st century. You will leave with a better understanding of why we buy into conventional standards around gender and race. You may still love that red lipstick, but now you'll know why.

Leah LaGrone
Monday/Wednesday | 10:30-11:45am | CRN 34682
LI 325

Meet Your Professor

Dr. Leah LaGrone is an assistant professor of history and public history director.

HNRS 2050

Statistics in the Real World

Data is a constant presence in our daily lives. It is presented to us in various, sometimes inappropriate, ways across media. Yet, most people haven’t been taught how to critically engage with or interpret data. Properly used, it can address many problems, but its constant flow can also cause confusion and mistrust. In this course, you will learn to effectively read and interpret data, specifically as it applies to healthcare, crime, voting, and income.

Heather Chapman
Tuesday/Thursday | 3-4:15pm | CRN 34683
LI 325

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HNRS 1530 & 3900

Technologies of the Past

How did premodern cultures develop and advance technologies? In this course, you will explore answers to this question through experimental archaeology, academic resources, and lab-based activities to see how communities engaged with agriculture & food preparation, with textiles, painting, and ceramics.

Stephanie Kimmey
Tuesday/Thursday | 10:30-11:45am
CA CRN 35167 | Upper-division CRN 34695
LI 325

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HNRS 2020

Reframing Representation:
Unveiling Bias in Film & TV

Discover the hidden layers of your favorite movies and TV shows. In this Honors course, you'll explore how bias shapes storytelling and characters, and discuss its impact on society. Perfect for film buffs, aspiring actors, and future filmmakers, this class will challenge and inspire you to see media in a whole new way.

Francesca Mintowt-Czyz
Monday/Wednesday | 4:30-5:45pm | CRN 34643
LI 325

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HNRS 2040 & 4920

Interdisciplinary Healthcare Teams

In this course, medical professionals from all disciplines will learn how to master effective communication, collaborate, and build strategies to enhance patient care. You will gain insights into each other's roles and responsibilities, build resilience, practice sustainably, and learn to navigate team dynamics to produce optimal, patient-centered outcomes.

Justin Rhees
Tuesdays | 10am-12:20pm
LS CRN 34796 | Upper-division CRN 34679
Hybrid Format | MH 117

Meet Your Professor

Dr. Justin Rhees is an associate professor in Medical Laboratory Sciences.

Favorite Artist: Alphonse Mucha
Favorite Book: East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Favorite Movie: Edward Scissorhands
Favorite Band: The Cars

HNRS 2830

Frankenstein: Ambition, Longing, & Connection

Long before Marvel and The Walking Dead, there was Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus. This 1818 novel is recognized as one of the earliest and best works of science fiction. We will read Frankenstein to discuss its themes, including ambition, family, longing, isolation and human connection. We’ll think about this book in the context of its time and our own.

Paul Crow
Wednesdays | 10-10:50am | CRN 34685
TY 312

Meet Your Professor

Paul Crow is a professor of art & Chair of the Department of Visual Art & Design.

Favorite Movie: Festen (1998) or Totoro
Favorite Artist (right now): Mike Nelson
Favorite song (right now): We Can Be Anything by Baby Queen

HNRS 2920

Big Ships, Bigger Ideas

Science fiction gives us new ways of thinking about some of life's biggest questions. What is it that makes us human? What kind of society are we willing to accept in exchange for comfort? In this course we will consider works of sci-fi writing, film, television, and video games to analyze how the chosen media shapes the questions. And we’ll discuss how we might answer these questions for ourselves.

Garin Savage
Mondays | 1:30-2:20pm | CRN 34689
LI 325

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HNRS 2830

Odes: Poems of Celebration

We will study odes, poems of praise and celebration, to do what Ross Gay says we should do: advocate for what we love, for what we find beautiful and necessary, because without this, we cannot speak meaningfully even about our longings for a more just world, a more whole existence for all.

Laura Stott
Wednesdays | 1:30-2:20pm | CRN 34687
LI 325

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HNRS 3110

Nordic Noir: Fiction & Film

Set in cold, dark, Scandinavian countries, Nordic Noir features emotionally troubled detectives and grisly crimes. The overarching sense of despair is off-set however by the compelling quality of the narratives. We’ll investigate the origins of this internationally popular genre and uncover the motivations behind these brutal murder-mystery plots in fiction and film.

Becky Jo Gesteland
Monday/Wednesday | 9-10:15am | CRN 34692
LI 325

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HNRS 4900

Meditation & Mindfulness

Embark on a transformative adventure where you’ll master the healing arts of meditation and mindfulness. Through hands-on practice and immersive learning, you’ll gain the tools to enhance your mental health and change your daily life profoundly. Whether you’re seeking to improve your focus, manage anxiety, or find more joy in the present moment, this class offers a unique opportunity to elevate your well-being and experience a more calm, serene existence.

Michael Olpin
Mondays | 12:30-3:10pm | CRN 34708
SW 225

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