Looking Ahead...

 Hello, Honors Friends!

Well, we are now at the end of week three of the semester and we've already had two snow days.  Texas is cold, we are covered in snow, Asian-Americans are worried about their safety, and the pandemic rages on.  But the world keeps turning in spite of all of these things.

I've seen the sun recently, and it was amazing.  I have talkative students in my classes and I'm rather caught up on my work.  Our near feral cat let me scritch her jaw just a little bit today.  My husband is vaccinated.  There are things to celebrate and take joy in.  I hope that you, too, have reasons to smile.

I have something to celebrate as we look ahead to the rest of the semester.  We are continuing our Honors Talk Series this semester and this is what we have on the docket so far:

March 23 (5:00 - 6:00) - Sean Maley will talk about meditation and finding some peace in his talk "Mindfulness for Busy People"

March 26 - (2:00) - Not part of the Honors Talk Series, per se, but another event at which you can earn an Honors point.  More importantly, you will be able to virtually listen to and talk with Anna Garner, visiting artist.

March 30 (5:00 - 6:00) - Blinne Krieger ('19) will talk about the world of Freelance Story Crafting and engaging in your writing passion from the first word straight through to getting published

April 5 (5:00 - 6:00) - Loren Manchester ('19) will talk about Facing One's Fears and how to accomplish interesting things in spite of - or perhaps because of - those fears.

April 13 - Not part of the Honors Talk Series, per se, but another event that you can use to gain Honors points and, more importantly, a broader perspective about the world around us.  From 12:00 - 4:00, the library and Honors Studies will be hosting a virtual Human Library.  Unjudge someone.

April 13 (2:00) - Not part of the Honors Talk Series, per se, but another event at which you can earn an Honors point.  More importantly, you will be able to virtually listen to and talk with Brittney Leanne Williams, visiting artist.

April 21 (5:00 - 6:00) - John Bateman, Instructor of Environmental Conservation, will talk about Earth Day and about changes you can make in your life to make a difference in his talk "Earth Day:  Looking Back, Looking Forward."

April 28 (5:00 - 6:00) - Burdock (April) Broughton, Access Services and Resource Sharing Librarian as well as the Honors Librarian, will talk about their belief system in their talk "All Are Welcome at My Table:  Inclusive Heathenry"

May 4 (5:00 - 6:00) - Bucket Abdallah ('21) - Bucket will talk about what it means to be Non-Binary and how it can impact family and friend relationships.

TBD - "So, You Want to Make Games" - In this talk, Ro Williams, narrative writer for Riot Games, will meet with folks interested in the gaming industry and how one might find their way into that world.  They will talk about their experiences, how they got started, along with answering questions about their field.

As you can see, we've packed a lot into the semester and we hope to see you at one or more of these talks.  Come if you want points, come if you just want to share in the experience.  You can earn up to 4 points of Honors through this talk series.

Resolutions and Revolutions

 Vol 5 No 8   

Well, here we are again - the start of a new semester.  A semester that is already strange.  It's day three and we've already had a snow day and a delayed start day.  We are still largely remote.  The pandemic is still ongoing, though there is hope in the form of vaccines.  We may be around the corner, but there is still a ways to go.  The future continues to be uncertain and yet spring WILL come.

A new semester, a new year, a new president.  We don't know what the future will hold, but I can tell you at least one thing that is coming.

I'm going to be better.  Honors is struggling a bit, as many of you may know.  Colleges in general are struggling.  We are not really designed for this kind of learning and community can be hard to build when you spend each day at home and your classmates feel like just a square on a screen.  But we are still here and I plan to work harder to keep this blog updated.  To find ways for us to 'gather' and see one another and learn outside of the classrooms.  Your Honors faculty remain committed to the mission of Honors and what it means for the students in it.  We are going to have speakers once more.  We are going to have new ways for you earn Honors points, starting with an opportunity this Friday evening.  We are going to get you a T-shirt if you don't have one.  We are going to have a virtual Convocation this semester, because we missed it so sorely last fall.  We are still here and we will endure.  Thrive, even, if we can.  Will YOU be part of our endeavors?

Please do, because we need you.  And maybe you need us, too....perhaps in ways you haven't even considered yet.  

Welcome to the Spring 2021 Semester.  Let's roll up our sleeves and see what we've got, eh?

-T

This Friday is the first opportunity to earn an Honors point! We have an artist's work on display at FLCC's ArtSpace36 and said artist will be giving a virtual talk and hosting an opening reception this Friday at 5:00.  Click on this link to find out all the information, including WebEx information needed for the event.