Honors Club Matters!

Vol 2 No 19

A guest blog this week from two Honors Studies students who have something important to share....

Hello everyone!

Our names are Jill and Blinne and we have some exciting announcements for anyone and everyone who is interested in digging deeper into the topics that spark their curiosity. How are we planning on doing that? By starting the Honors Club here at FLCC to offer the Honors Studies experience to all students.

What is the Honors Studies experience, you ask?

You may be thinking that Honors implies more difficult tests, challenging assignments, and classes capped off for “smarter” students. But that is NOT what Honors truly is. Here at FLCC, Honors means interdisciplinary seminars, discussion led courses, and classes that turn into communities. From classes on Women Who Kill, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Love and Romance, food and culture, storytelling in video games, and the Development of Modern Horror, as well as english, math, and social science courses, Honors is all about diving deeper into what makes you tick, and learning about who you are as a learner. 

For more on the Honors Studies experience, click here!

So, what exactly is the Honors Club?

The idea behind this club is to continue the Honors Studies experience outside of the classroom. If you cannot fit Honors into your semester, want to try a class but are nervous about the word ‘honors’, or just want to keep enjoying the same collaborative atmosphere, this club is here for you! We want to continually encourage self-reflective learning and expanding your horizons on an even more personalized level than taking an honors course. This club is all about what you want to explore, what you want to discuss, what you want to understand. Take that idea of ‘honors is for smarter students’ out of your mind, if you want to be a part of this experience then you can. We are here to welcome you with open arms and open minds.
More formally, the Honors Club’s mission is to:

• Develop multi-disciplinary self-reflective learning outside of classes and introducing it into extracurricular activities
• Help students meet who have similar interests and to develop more confidence in regard to such activities as open discussions
• Encourage students afraid to try Honors Studies to, at the very least, try the club
• Foster an environment of fluid curiosity, following what interests whoever makes up the club at any given time

Curious if Honors Studies is all it’s talked up to be?

Well… it 100% is, and we both know the power that an Honors class can have on not just a student’s semester, but on each student as an individual. We met each other last semester during the Honors Development of Modern Horror class, and by the second class we both knew that it was going to be something special. Within just a few weeks the entire class was slipping from just a course full of different people looking to know more about horror, to a community full of people who were truly interested in hearing, challenging, and debating what each other had to say. We learned from each other, helped each other, and truly found connections and friendships throughout the 15 weeks of classes. Leaving the Honors House was painful as our final class wrapped up, but the connections remain. And this is exactly what we are hoping to find and continue with this club. Nothing is as welcoming as a home away from home, and that is what Honors has become for the both of us.

Wondering how you can get involved?

We are looking for anyone and everyone curious about the Honors club and what it has to offer. Whether as a regular attendant of club meetings and events, someone who drops by when they can, or even as an officer- we have a place for you here. You do not have to be currently, previously, or planned to be enrolled in any honors courses to be a part of this club- if you are curious, you are welcome! As Dr. Trista Merrill, Director of the FLCC Honors Studies Program, says- come in and make yourself uncomfortable.

Curious about hearing more? Come to our information meeting on Thursday, March 15th from 1:00 to 2:00 pm (College Hour) in room 4245.

You can email us with questions before the meeting at:

jbond7@fingerlakes.edu

ckrieger4@fingerlakes.edu

We hope to see you there!

-Jill and Blinne