2020 Vision

Vol 4 No 10

Happy days and warm welcomes to one and all!

If you are new to Honors – we are so glad to have you!  If you’re returning to Honors, we’re glad to have you back.  It’s a new semester and a new year, and that is always a time for reflection and for new beginnings.  We hope everyone has a great 2020 and a wonderful, successful semester.  As we look to the weeks ahead, we know that the newness will wear off and you’ll be inundated with work and obligations of all kinds and yet we hope that a small part of you remembers these early days.  That sense of newness, of hope, of nerves but also excitement.  New courses, new faces, new names, new challenges all sitting in front of you, waiting to become familiar and waiting to be explored. 

We have so many exciting opportunities in regards to Honors this semester.  The Honors dinner, of course.  For new folks, think of this as an opportunity to get a free meal, some great conversation, and perhaps a new perspective on the power of Honors.  We also have a series of talks coming that come from the History folks in the Social Science Department.  Then on Laker Day, we will host the Human Library – an amazing event that lets you ask those questions you’ve always wanted to ask.  We will also have the Convocation – a poster session and a series of talks by Honors students.  You may be one of them!  The semester culminates in our graduation and awards ceremony.  This isn’t an exhaustive list, but it gives you an idea of the kinds of things you can expect this semester.

Most of you know by now that we are in a new place, and I’m sure that I will be writing about that in the near future in more depth.  I just wanted to say that Honors is more than a place, it’s a feeling.  The Owasco building may not be as cozy as the Honors House, and the lack of bathrooms is something of a hassle…but it can be just as important and vital if we make it that way.  Honors is the people, Honors is a feeling, and Honors is more than just what walls are around it.  Make that place your own and let us know if anything is truly lacking.

As for this virtual place, you’ll hear from me quite often on this blog and in other ways.  We have Facebook and Twitter, Flickr and this blog.  I try to be active in them all, and I’m happy to report that we will have some guest bloggers – faculty, staff, and even students who are (or have been) involved in Honors.  If you want to write a blog one week, just let me know and we will work out the details.

And so, there is much to look forward to and many things to experience as we begin this semester.  

Above all, I wish you the very best both in your Honors experience and beyond.  As I told new students at orientation earlier this month, celebrate your #nerdenergy and be proud of who you are.  Support your fellow students, reflect on yourself as a learner, and use all the tools you can to make the world around you a better place.