Fingers, Chocolates, and Home

Vol 3 No 17

In our ongoing series of student voices, this week's blog is brought to us from a current Honors Studies Student. This blog has a special aspect, as well. The author wrote this as a blog for The Finger Literary Magazine, which is published by FLCC students as part of a class - taught by Erin Brewer this semester. You can see the blog - as well as learn more about the magazine - if you head over here. You will see why we wanted to share it here, too, once you have a chance to read it.  So, sit back and enjoy the reflections of Lindsey Noble ('19), Liberal Arts and Sciences: Creative Writing student.

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Welcome back to my Box of Chocolates!

Today I’d like to discuss the Finger Lakes Community College Honor’s House. Not many people seem to know this part of the college exists and I personally believe that is a crying shame! This place has become something of a second home to me. If I could I would take every single class there. I have created many memories at the Honor’s House and this past week has been quite exciting there for me.

This semester I am taking three classes at the Honor’s House. I am taking American Literature 1865-Present, Literary Magazine Publishing and Harry’s Heroes.

Now the first two probably do not need much explaining, but for contexts sake I’ll let you know what Harry’s Heroes is about. Harry’s Heroes is an Honors class that focuses on young adult novels such as Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, The Hobbit, A Wrinkle in time etc. For someone who loves young adult novels and plans on becoming an author one day this class is beyond exciting and thoroughly though-provoking. If they ever offer it again – and I pray they do – I highly suggest taking it if you are an FLCC student.

However, I digress. The Honor’s House is a wonderful place. It offers classes that will challenge those of you who would like to be challenged. It is a place of acceptance and growth. Coming from someone with a variety of raging anxiety and panic disorders I hope you will believe me when I say, I have never felt more accepted and confident anywhere else.

This building offers staff who are passionate about what they do and teach. They genuinely want the students to thrive. The Professors encourage free thought and exploration. They are open to all opinions and questions. The feedback they give you is thoughtful, genuine, and is meant to help you grow and believe me you will grow.

Everyday I walk into that building excited for new adventures and experiences. I walk in content in the knowledge that no one will judge me there. I enter knowing that this is the place for the passionate, that this is the home for those that will never be quenched of their thirst for knowledge, for those of us who desire growth. I find great pride in these facts as well as vast comfort in the community of the Honor’s House.

As for my week at the Honor’s House…

I’ve had the great honor of joining a literary community, in helping this community grow and thrive through my work in Literary Magazine Publishing. In this class I’ve had the chance to be a part of a real team and it has been one of the coolest experiences ever thus far.

In American Literature 1865-Present I had the chance to debate with the class over the effectiveness of The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman as a piece of psychological realism. I was confident in my opinion, my class heard and understood me. They encouraged my view points while simultaneously challenging them. Every minute of that class I had my perceptions of stories and what it means to write in the realistic mode shattered over and over and over again, until they were inevitably rebuilt on sounder knowledge and stronger convictions.

In Harry’s Heroes I was able to hear the opinions of my classmates as I discussed what I would like to do for my final project. I was granted the feeling of acceptance and warmth at watching their faces light up with interest and excitement at my idea. The idea being to compare and contrast the archetypes of each of the Harry Potter novels and watch how they evolve.

So yeah it was a pretty great week for me. However, it is always a pretty great week at the Honor’s House!

Who are you, who are we?

Vol 2 No 30

Have you ever wondered who takes Honors classes?  I mean, you may have taken some and met some people - but what sort of person is attracted to these classes?  There's the topic, of course...that's definitely a draw.  But then, there's something else, too.  The Honors Studies student does not have a specific GPA or academic program or inclination.  The students who gravitate towards Honors Studies come from a variety of different walks of life, but they all share one thing in common:  curiosity.  The following is a scenario that many of our students find themselves as they enter into their Honor Studies experience.

It's the first day of class. You walk in to the familiar nervous silence that always accompanies the first day, but there's something different this time. First, everyone is sitting in a circle. You find a seat and sit, taking out a notebook and trying to casually appraise your classmates as you're sure they are doing the same with you. You expect the nervousness and awkwardness, but something feels different. There's an excitement in the room that you don't remember in your other classes. There's that same sense of waiting, but it feels eager and deeply curious. Everyone is impatient. You think about it for a minute and realize that you're feeling the same thing. But, why? The answer dawns on you in a moment of suppressed enthusiasm for the semester ahead.

Just like you, they all want to be here.

Thus begins your exploration into the world of Honors Studies. In these classes, you will experience all the joys and challenges of academics, but they will be driven by your own enthusiasm for learning, your own curiosity, and your own interest in the pathways of learning. Your classmates will share that same drive and excitement for the topic at hand, and your instructor's passion for it will match your own. This will be a shared journey of learning and self-reflection where you can celebrate who you are and who you might become. Along the way, you will be encouraged and expected to push yourself and your classmates through active participation and discussion. And it is our fondest wish that you will thrive here. This is a place where you can find the support you need to achieve your academic dreams, a place where you will be accepted and understood, and a place where we will help you reach your full potential as a learner.

Honors Studies: All you have to be is curious.

So, the Honors Studies student is one who is willing to take their education into their own hands, explore themselves and their learning as well as the content of their courses, and really delve into the academic and educational experience.  Honors Studies is a place where students will find community, camaraderie, challenge, and contemplation.  From math to psychology and English to music, the topics are wide and varied, and so are the faculty who teach the classes.

If you want a more specific demographic - well, that's a bit tougher.  What I can tell you though, is that you will often find students who ARE academically inclined.  You are also likely to find a fair number of students who have been home schooled.  And, for better or worse, you'll find students who have been called geeks and nerds, you may find the socially awkward or even those who are on the margins.  All of that, however, just feeds into the scenario above - these are students who WANT to be students, who are passionate about learning and will encourage YOU to be passionate, too.  They will accept and encourage your passion and enthusiasm and will support you in the exploration of it.  Because what you absolutely will find is a community and acceptance for who you are as a learner and as a person.

S18 Honors Convocation (Student Words)

Vol 2 No 27

It is rapidly becoming a tradition to have a member of the audience writer their perspective of the Honors Convocation.  Last semester, it was Emily White.  This semester, the reflection on the convocation comes to us from Jill Bond, dual major in Writing and Graphic Design, class of 2019.

The end of the spring semester is often equated with stress, finals, and upcoming graduation, but it is also the time for sharing the amazing work that is completed by Honors Studies students at Finger Lakes Community College. The First Annual Spring Honors Studies Convocation was held on Friday, May 4th, with the goal of sharing the work of Honors students with rest of the student body, staff, and faculty. Fact of the matter is Honors classes prompt the creation of fabulous work, whether it be psychological, artistic, or literary, but often times only the students and faculty that are involved in the class get to see what is researched, written, and created – but the convocation is here to help show off what happens in that cozy house across the street.


The Honors Convocation has two parts, both of which are student driven. The first is the creation of posters based upon the work that students are doing in their classes, whether it be a final research project, creative endeavor, or reflection. Six posters were created this year, five of which revolved around the Women Who Kill class and one that was crafted out of work completed in Introduction to Literature. These posters were then displayed outside Stage 14 between 10:00am and 5:30pm, where anyone and everyone had the ability to see them. At 3:00pm, several of the poster creators returned to the hallway in order to answer questions regarding their posters and the work that inspired their creation.

The second part of the convocation started at 4:00pm in Stage 14, where four students presented work from their respective Honors class. The first to present was Eli Lorah, who spoke of his experience in Women Who Kill, a class co-taught by Dr. Trista Merrill and Dr. Linda Ross. During his strong and beautifully constructed presentation, he explained that while he has really enjoyed the group dynamics and psychological aspect of the course, he has also learned so much about how to handle the complexities of our everyday lives – showing how Honors can teach students so much more than just course content, which resonated with everyone in the room.

The next student to present was Brianna Smith, who read her raw and well-written literacy narrative from her Introduction to Literature class. Working her way through a lifelong relationship with books and the worlds she escapes into, from when she couldn’t get enough of Harry Potter at the age of five, despite the fact she didn’t understand it, up through her college days where the worn spines of books feel like home, Brianna communicated a passion for writing and reading that struck the audience.

Blinne Kreiger followed suit, who also presented her work for Women Who Kill, but took it in a completely different direction. Starting with a short presentation on the Night Witches, who were the 588th Night Bomber Regiment in World War II, she discussed the history of these women and their influence on a variety of different artists. Next, she read and discussed two striking poems that she wrote based upon her research, the first written from the perspective of the Germans and the second from the perspective of the Night Witches themselves – both of which left the audience inspired and fascinated by her writing and topic at hand.

The final presenter was Vicki Ilyssa, who read a beautifully written memoir crafted for her Composition I course. With an emphasis on atmosphere, naturalistic descriptions, and metaphor, she highlighted different struggles and events in her life, all while revolving the literary piece around her relationship with a shrine near her childhood home, which is now a symbol of peace – ultimately leaving everyone in awe, and some in tears, at the eloquence and exquisiteness of the writing.

Looking back upon this event it is easy to say that it was a success because it allowed students to share what they were curious and passionate about with other students and faculty who are also passionate and curious. And what I found to be incredibly fascinating about the presentations and posters this year, was the sheer amount of breadth in ideology and content that was covered, despite the fact only three classes were represented. From poems, short stories, memories, narratives, and comic book covers, to reflections and research that mixes mythology, psychology, and literature, this years’ convocation truly shows how open Honors is when it comes to exploring what you are curious about.

So, thank you so much to the students who presented and created posters for The First Annual Spring Honors Studies Convocation, you have inspired us all! And thank you to everyone who came to support these students and their amazing work. Make sure to stop by next semester for the fall convocation, so you can be inspired too.