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Intro to Honors: Connection, Inquiry & Growth

Introduction to Honors, a gateway course, immerses students in the meaning of an Honors education through connection, inquiry, and growth. Students build relationships in the Honors community through discussion, collaboration, and engagement in campus and local events that highlight the richness of community. Through seminars and experiential projects, they practice inquiry, engaging texts, research, and dialogue to cultivate curiosity, critical thinking, and holistic problem-solving. This transdisciplinary course fosters growth by encouraging intellectual risk-taking, reflection, and habits that support lifelong learning, inviting students to explore not only what they know, but who they are becoming. 

Eddie Hill,  Abi Monsen & Aubrey Altenes

Women and Heavy Metal Music

Books, television, movies, and more stereotype heavy metal fandom as gender-exclusive, a “boys club.” Sociologist Deena Weinstein writes, “The stereotypical metal fan is male.” (Weinstein 2000). Documentaries like Woodstock 99: Peace, Love, and Rage portray certain heavy metal subgenres as inherently anti-woman. Women are seen, at times, as in need of protection from these scary things: heavy metal music and its fans. In this class we will explore different stories. We will read, watch, and listen to first hand accounts from women fans of heavy metal music. From Girlschool to Castle Rat, from Jinx Dawson to Amy Lee, from Wendy O. Williams to Carla Harvey, this class will explore the role of women in heavy metal music as producers and fans, with a priority on letting women in the fandom tell their own stories – good, bad, and ugly.

Jessica Fisher

The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: How Musical Scores Impact Art

For many today, opera and ballet are things solely formal affairs, meant for men in tuxedos and women in ballgowns. These forms of art can seem distant from popular art today, and yet in many ways the soundtrack fills a similar niche - music used to enhance the emotion of a scene and add to the storytelling in unique ways.

This course begins by first introducing students to the Western musical tradition, including its theory and history. Students will listen to different pieces and discuss how they exemplify the musical period focused on that week. The second half transitions to looking at different composers of film scores, analyzing not just the music they created, but how it shaped (and was shaped by) the films in which they feature.

AS

Garin Savage & Ana Savage

Healing and Resilience: Trauma Informed Perspectives

Trauma and stress can challenge our biological and cognitive resources. However, there is good news. Research on resilience and trauma-informed practice has revealed tools that can help us overcome challenges and thrive.  You will have the opportunity to practice these resilience-building strategies and determine which ones work for you. You will also have the opportunity to apply what you are learning to your personal and professional life, as well as to the community through community-based service projects.

Melinda Russell-Stamp & Lauralee Solimeno

Interdisciplinary Health Care Teams (Online)

This course offers an interdisciplinary learning experience with a strong focus on teamwork. Students will explore the roles and responsibilities of various healthcare professionals and develop the skills needed to collaborate effectively within a healthcare setting. Through research, interaction, and hands-on learning, students will gain practical insight into interdisciplinary healthcare practices.

In addition, the course emphasizes key factors that contribute to accessible and effective patient care, including sustainability, interpersonal communication, conflict resolution, emotional intelligence, personal resilience, and self-efficacy.

Justin Rhees

Chemistry of Cooking

Explore the science behind everyday ingredients and cooking techniques in this course. Want to know how to make popping boba? Want to know why baking soda makes baked goods rise? Want to know why sugar-free foods still taste sweet? Want to know the science behind ice cream, mayonnaise, and cheese? Answer all of these questions and more in the Chemistry of Food. No prior experience in Chemistry needed, just an appetite to learn and do some delicious science.

David Kirkland

Odes: Poems of Celebration

We will be studying odes, poems of praise and celebration, and doing what Ross Gay says, advocating for what we love, for what we find beautiful and necessary, because without this, he says, we cannot speak meaningfully even about our longings for a more just world, a more whole existence for all. This class will be discussion based on the books and selections of odes I provide to read. We will also put into practice a time to reflect and celebrate and write odes ourselves. 

Laura Stott

The Dark Side of Interpersonal Communication

Interpersonal communication has the power to connect, support, and strengthen us—but it can also be used to deceive, manipulate, control, or cause harm. In this course, we will explore both the “dark” and “bright” sides of communication, examining topics such as deception, infidelity, gossip, conflict, social support, leadership, affection, and relational power. We will consider not only what communication looks like in these contexts, but also how it can affect people, relationships, and well-being.

Content Note: This course explores sensitive topics that may be challenging or uncomfortable for some students.

Katie Kassler