Gender, Self, and Respect

Vol 3 No 7

I borrowed this blog from a Facebook post and changed nothing about it except to write this intro.  This is not a post that is directly related to Honors Studies, but it conveys a message that I think many Honors students can relate to.  This is a manifesto of someone who doesn’t fit into what society has decided is a mold and has had enough.  They are speaking up and becoming a voice for what they believe in and, more importantly, for who they are.  In Honors, and beyond, the people are dedicated to supporting students as individuals who are looking for a place to fit in.  Who may be looking for home.  There is adamancy in this post.  There is anger.  There is a determination that many of you will recognize.  There is also bravery…and I encourage all of you to hear the voice, and then to share your own voice, tell your own story, stand up for what you believe in and who you are.  And, when you’re ready, turn to the person next to you and do the same for them.

The author of this blog is April Broughton, Honors Studies librarian and adjunct faculty member, and one of the amazing library staff here at FLCC.  They fully embrace the message of Honors and many of you will know how dedicated they are to bettering the lives of students.  They carry a special torch for Honors and I think many of you will see why…

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This post brought to you by current political and social discourse and some stunningly callous, cruel, and inhumane comments read online.

My pronoun is ‘they’. Simple as that. I am not going to force you to use my preferred pronoun, I am not going to enforce compliance to my preferences. I simply expect you to respect me as a person enough to respect that preference and to act on it as best as you can. To not argue the invalidity of my preference, as to do so would suggest such a deep lack of regard for myself as a person that perhaps it would be best if you moved along.

Most importantly, your opinion does not invalidate my existence. Your denials flung in the name of grammar, of religion, do not invalidate my existence.

Grammar is a weak shield to offer. It is an avoidance of the fact that language is a living thing, and needs to be. I say this as an academic, a librarian, and an author. We need words to describe the world around us, to describe us. We sit in our meatspace, engage in slacktivism, and fuss about our First World Problems. Language has to be able to shift. And you do not get to pick the shifts you approve of while denying others. That aside, if your argument against using ‘they’ to refer to an individual of undefined or undesignated gender is a grammatical one, you have no ground to stand on. Yes, the use for it in regards to nonbinary individuals is more recent, but it has evolved from precedent where it has been used as an identifier for individuals where the gender is unknown or not important. Which seems to fit rather perfectly within the modern nonbinary usage. Merriam-Webster has an excellent brief discussion that can be read here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/wor…/singular-nonbinary-they

Religion is a weak shield to offer. We do not live in a theocracy, despite attempts to the contrary. I am free to practice my beliefs and not impose them upon you. I kindly ask the same respect from you. Refusing that request puts you as the aggressor and not as the self-righteous element you try to present as. My identity has no effect on your religion as I am not a part of it. Your choosing to be impacted by me is simply that, a choice. And it does not bear the weight you would like it to.

I repeat, your opinion does not invalidate my existence, does not invalidate me.

My personal identity, my ‘me’, consists of what makes me a person. What makes -me- a person. Not the bits you have decided should make up a person. The bits of my identity, the things I identify and hold dear. Only I am responsible for my self, my actions. You see the me that is specified by my attributes. You see my social roles, my habits, capacities, my skills. You may even be inclined to push an identity onto me, seeing my base biological attribute of girl-ness, and determining how I should fit in socially and culturally. You don’t take into account my identity, my inner coherence relating to emotional and cognitive states, the way I experience a sense of continuity of the self. Identity in the sense of a continual creation and integration, of self-consciousness and awareness. The me of self-determination. The me that you ignore in your drive to push an identity upon me, one that fits your narrative. I am responsible for my own narrative self. That self persists and exists despite your perceptions and opinion.

***

Let's say it again...

...your opinion does not 

invalidate my existence...

Honors Under Advisement...

Vol 2 No 6

It’s that time again!  We are moving into those weeks and months where everyone seems to be looking towards next semester – deciding what courses to take and what paths will lead them to their ultimate goals.  Or to determining what those goals are.  Here at Honors Studies, we want to encourage you to come explore what we have.  So many fun things are coming and while you COULD just look them up on WebAdviser, we thought it might be easier to list them here for you!  So, without further ado, here are the Spring 2018 offerings in Honors:

HONORS SEMINARS

HON 200-50 – A Writer’s Retreat -- This course provides a unique opportunity for aspiring, and accomplished, writers to gather in a supportive community to practice and discuss craft and aesthetics. We will meet for four weekends (10:00 am Saturday through 1:00 pm Sunday) at FLCC's inspiring Muller Field Station at the south end of Honeoye Lake where we will nurture, nourish, and revitalize our individual writing practices through weekend workshops and feedback sessions. With an emphasis on poetry and creative non-fiction the semester culminates with the creation of individual manuscripts, a course anthology, and a final public reading. (February 3 & 4, March 3 & 4, April 7 & 8, May 5 & 6 – Nehring Bliss / Palzer)

HON 200-90 – Women Who Kill -- Society seems darkly fascinated and quick to misunderstand the motives and minds of women who kill; we seem to think that murder is a predominately masculine crime. Studies reveal, however, that it is not gendered and female murderers have been around as long as male ones. But there are differences, and so we will spend this semester exploring what drives a woman make this choice and why it seems to enthrall, fascinate, and sometimes amuse society. We will look into positive and negative images connected to the feminine and also explore the psychological links between our myths, the collective unconscious, and the human brain. Opportunities for self-reflection will add context to student thoughts and feelings related to their experiences as critical readers and thinkers. (Tuesdays @ 6:00 – Ross/Merrill)

HONORS IN THE DISCIPLINES

COM 115 – Interpersonal Communication Honors – The course focuses on the development of the interpersonal communication skills necessary for building and maintaining positive relationships in both a personal and professional environment. Topics of study will include an orientation to interpersonal communication, verbal and non-verbal communication in career and personal relationships, perception of self and others, listening, managing conflict, response skills, cultural and gender considerations, characteristics of leadership and effective work groups, and job interviewing. Students will study various theories and practice skill development. (MW @ 2:00 – Flager)

ENG 101 – Composition I Honors - The goals of Composition I are to develop students' abilities to write at a college level and to think critically. Students will learn to make decisions based on rhetorical concerns of a writer's purpose, the readers' needs, and the context in which documents are read. As using sources effectively is one of the goals in the course, research will be interwoven into documents as a way to support ideas and connect with the audience. The course emphasizes process-based writing, student reflection of their learning progress, and it culminates in a learning portfolio.  (MW @ 11:00  - Murphy)

ENG 102 – Introduction to Literature -- ENG 102 introduces students to a range of literary genres that may include poetry, drama, fiction, and creative non-fiction and develops skills in reading, interpreting, and evaluating literature. Students will learn and practice the skills of close reading through discussion and writing.  (MW @ 11:00 – OR- TTH @ 11:00 – Nehring Bliss)

ENG 103 – Composition II Honors -- Continuing the educational goals of Composition I (critical reading and thinking, focused research, reflective writing, and process-based writing), Composition II shifts the focus to the rhetorical concerns of persuasion and argument. The course provides students with increased practice in research, analysis, and genres of writing done throughout college as well as in the professional realm. The course emphasizes academic research-based writing and culminates in a best-works portfolio.  (MW @ 9:30 – Gillio)

MUS 117 – Master Composers II Honors - The complimentary study (with MUS 111) of canonic pieces of Western Music Literature as well as critical issues involved in the assertion of canonicity or "greatness" (MW @ 3:30 – McGuire)

PSY 100 – Introduction to Psychology Honors – This course is a comprehensive overview of the scientific study of behavior and mental processes. It will familiarize students with the scientific methods used in the field of psychology. It will also introduce various topics within the field, such as consciousness, motivation, learning, memory, cognition, development, personality, psychological disorders and their treatments, social psychology, and the biological bases of behavior.  (TTH @ 3:30 – Ross)

SCI 137 -- Chaos Hybrid Honors – An innovative introduction to Chaos which brings the new scientific paradigm to the undergraduate curriculum. Starting from geometric fractals describing trees, leaves, and snowflakes the quantitative understanding of fractals is achieved through laboratory exercises including modeling on computers. Relevance of the Chaos theory is explored across scientific disciplines, and extended to non-science areas such as communications, economics, and arts. This course fulfills a science elective course requirement for students whose primary area of study is other than the sciences; however, interested science/mathematics students can take this course as an elective.  (F @ 2:00 – Samanta / Strieter)

SSC 215-01 Topics in Social Science: Gender and Women's Studies Honors – Gender and Women's Studies examines the social forces that shape our lives by gender, with a particular emphasis on women in the contemporary United States. The course emphasizes awareness of the many forms of diversity among women, and explores issues of race, class, and sexuality, as well as gender. The course will cover areas such as "gender and the body" (including beauty, sexuality, and interpersonal violence),"gender and social institutions" (including family, economy, politics, education, and religion), and "gender and social change" (including feminist, anti-feminist, LGBTQ, and other gender-related movements).  (MW @ 3:30 – Whisman)

Three things to remember:

1. GO SEE YOUR ADVISER!
2. Check Webadvisor for more details
3. If you declare Honors as part of your program, you can gain an Honors adviser who can help even more!

 Come to Wednesday's dinner to learn more!  Check your registration date and then come explore (more) Honors in the Spring!

Gender, Curiosity, and Spring 2017

Vol 1. No. 15

A guest blog this time around.  It may be a short blog - but it really packs a punch.  I hope you'll consider joining this important conversation with Dr. Vera Whisman:

You've heard statements like these, haven't you?  

You just need to man up!

         Hey, I'm just being friendly!  What are you, some kind of feminist?

    She had it coming, dressed like that.

                                     God made Adam and Eve, not Adam and Steve.

              Grab 'em by the pussy.  

     Hey, sweetheart, you'd be so much prettier if you'd smile!

Do you find these offensive?  Funny?  Puzzling?  Interesting?

Join SSC 215-01, Gender and Women's Studies (Honors), where we'll talk about all this and more.  It meets Monday and Wednesday, 3:30-4:50, Honors House.  

Image borrowed from "Genderqueer and Non-binary Identities"

Honors Spring 2017

Vol. 1, No. 7

SPRING INTO HONORS!!

Look at all the amazing offerings we have in Honors for the Spring!  See WebAdvisor for more details and remember....STAY CURIOUS.

TOPICS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE: GENDER AND WOMEN'S STUDIES

(SSC 215-01)

This course will lead students in an examination of the social forces that shape our lives by gender, with a particular emphasis on women in the contemporary United States. The course emphasizes awareness of the many forms of diversity among women, and explores issues of race, class, and sexuality, as well as gender. The course will cover areas such as "gender and the body" (including beauty, sexuality, and interpersonal violence), "gender and social institutions" (including family, economy, politics, education, and religion), and "gender and social change" (including feminist, anti-feminist, LGBTQ, and other gender-related movements).

***

TOPICS IN SOCIAL SCIENCE - LOVE AND ROMANCE: SCIENCE AND PSYCHOLOGY

(SSC 215-02)

This course is an exploration of the psychology of love and romance. We will focus on romantic or love relationships with particular attention to adolescent and emerging adult romantic relationships. Students will have the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of romance/love and likely will find that the literature contains unexpected findings that can change the way they look at relationships, both from academic and applied or real-life perspectives.

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SEMINAR – ANALYZING ALICE: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LOOK AT THE WORK OF LEWIS CARROLL

(HON 200-01)

The lasting influence and power of Carroll's Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There is undeniable - from Disney and Tim Burton to Jefferson Airplane and American McGee, Alice seems to have a firm hold on popular imaginations from all corners of the arts and beyond. The purpose of this course is to engage in traditional literary analysis and also explore a variety of disciplines such as art, psychology, math, theater, and history. Guest speakers and student presentations will foster an interdisciplinary and multi-faceted look at the power Alice has held over us ever since she first followed the White Rabbit in 1865.

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SEMINAR – PRESIDENTIAL GREATNESS: THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY

(HON 200-02)

In what presently would seem to be one of the most contentious Presidential elections in American History, it is very important that our students understand and participate in the political process. With that in mind, this course is based upon a study and analysis of the evolution of the office of the Presidency from George Washington to George Herbert Walker Bush. No one individual is perfect or without ever experiencing failure, frustration, tragedy, loss, and embarrassment. All whether Presidents, Senators, or everyday normal people have experienced or will experience in their lifetimes moments of victory, mediocracy, and failure. Together, we will examine the office of the Presidency of the United States and the lives and careers of those who led our country. By doing so, we will reinforce that we are all mortal and capable of experiencing in our lifetimes “The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly.”

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PLUS, MORE HONORS IN THE DISCIPLINES!

· ENG 101 – COMPOSITION I

· ENG 102 – INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

· COM 115 – INTERPERSONAL COMMUNICATION

· PSY 100 – INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY

· PHL 101 – INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY

· PHL 103 - ETHICS

· MUS 117 – MASTER COMPOSERS II

· SCI 137 – CHAOS THEORY

Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton asked why” – Bernard Baruch

Honors Voices

Vol.1 No. 6

This week, while I’m in Seattle and not quite ready to tell you all about what I’m learning here, I thought it might be fun to hear some other voices. So, this blog is going to introduce you to some of the faces behind Honors. The following burbs are from the five FLCC faculty and staff members who sit on the Honors Advisory Board. I rely on these folks to give advice, share ideas, explore possibilities, and work out issues of all types within Honors. I cannot express how valuable this group is to the future of Honors and to all the things that I’ve been working on since I took over the directorship. So, I thought you should get the chance to meet them. I asked each of them to share with me a little statement about why they agreed to serve on the Board. I think you will hear each of their voices coming through, and I think you will also feel their dedication and their passion for all things Honors. And I hope that in this introduction, you can hear my appreciation and gratitude for all they do. These are not the only ones who support Honors by any means, but they are the ones who’ve agreed to let me call on their expertise regularly and repeatedly. So here they are, in no particular order...

Dr. Linda Ross

Faculty Member

My name is Dr. Linda Ross and I am an Associate Professor of Psychology in the Social Sciences Department. My specialty in psychology is clinical psychology and I have many years of treatment and teaching experience. I have always been extremely curious about how and why people become who they are as an adult. I have wondered again and again why does a given individual do the things that they do and how did they become a person who thinks and feels and behaves that way? Honors Studies courses provide me with a venue for sharing with interested students some of the research that has resulted from this burning curiosity, exploring such topics as: How does a person become gay, straight, asexual or bisexual; what kind of person kills their own children; what is the impact on a person of killing another human being?

I am serving on the Honors Advisory Board because, quite simply, Honors Studies provides students with learning experiences that are not typically available to them through standard curriculum. Between the small class size, the emphasis on student-driven discussion and self-reflection and, the wide range of highly focused subject matter from many disciplines, students have the opportunity to indulge their curiosities. Honors Studies provide students and the faculty who teach them with intellectually rich learning opportunities to explore specific topics of interest in greater depth and detail than might otherwise be available. It is this combination of focus on a specific topic in greater depth and the opportunity for students to stretch both their thinking, their academic skill set and to have the opportunity to indulge their curiosity that makes Honors Studies experiences so important to support and develop.

Johnathan Murray

One Stop

Hi, curious ones. I am Johnathan Murray, the Assistant Director of the One Stop Center. I am an FLCC alum, RIT alum, and current Keuka College student (2017). I am an educator, student, bird watcher, gamer, amateur photographer, baker, and Tolkien fan. Why am I interested in Honors? I am proud of the Honors Program at FLCC, of its uniqueness, its mission, and the opportunities it provides to our students. I think the course offerings are cool! I am appreciative of our engaged and enthusiastic faculty involved in the program.

I was asked to be part of the Honors Group for my expertise in enrollment services, I stay involved because of my excitement for the program.

Vera Whisman

Faculty Member and Assessment Coach

Who am I? My name is Vera Whisman. I’m a sociologist, with a Ph.D. from New York University. I have taught, researched, and published in gender studies and social movements. I grew up in Oklahoma, but I’ve also lived in St. Louis, New York City, Provincetown, and until recently, Ithaca. My partner Shari and I have been together for 29 years, and married for two. Our son is a college junior.

What have I done in Honors Studies? I’ve been teaching in HS since I arrived at FLCC as an adjunct instructor. My first course was Green Grrrls and Earth Mothers, an interdisciplinary course in feminist and environmentalist movements. Since then, I’ve taught the interdisciplinary social science course, “Women in Society” as an Honors course. (That course will continue under the broader name, “Gender and Women’s Studies.”) I also offer an Honors section of Introduction to Sociology.

I sit on the Honors Studies Advisory Board, and I helped in the review of the curriculum for the Honors Studies Certificate.

What draws me to teaching in Honors Studies at FLCC? First, the students: HS courses draw students who are curious and interested, who want to learn--and to think, talk, and write about what they’re learning. Second, the structure: HS courses work for my students and work for me because they offer small classes in a seminar setting, encourage exploration of unusual topics and methods, and are supported by a pedagogy of reflective learning.

What are my hopes for the future of Honors Studies at FLCC? I’d like to see HS continue to lead the way in nurturing an intellectual campus culture. For example: at my son’s high school, students were encouraged to understand that “Everyone is an Athlete.” The idea was that athleticism is not for just a small number of gifted people, but rather something that everyone can and should participate in. I’d like to see HS communicating that “Everyone is an Intellectual,” that the life of the mind is something we all can participate in, that it’s not something to be left to only a small number of gifted people.

Jennie M. Erdle

Student Life

Some may think that a Student Life and Honors Studies pairing might not make much sense, but I hope the following may shed light on how this truly has been a relationship built long ago, and how this collaboration only enhances the holistic student experience for our students.

As a Higher Education practitioner, it is important to be mindful of the principles of good practice for Student Life. It is also important to be consistent with core values which have been documented throughout the literature of the profession to enrich each of our institutions mission. Since 1937 when the American Council on Education published the first Student Personnel Point of View, the field has produced many documents about student life work. These works span seven decades, examining student life from different perspectives and for different purposes. They demonstrate the long-standing belief that higher education has a responsibility to develop citizens capable of contributing to the betterment of society. These documents affirm the conviction that higher education professionals have a duty to help students reach their full potential.

Our beliefs about higher education serve as the foundation for our commitment to the development of "the whole person"; our collective professional values are derived from that commitment. Values evident across the history of student life work include an acceptance and appreciation of individual differences; lifelong learning; education for effective citizenship; student responsibility; ongoing assessment of learning and performance (students' and our own); pluralism and multiculturalism; ethical and reflective student affairs practice; supporting and meeting the needs of students as individuals and in groups; and freedom of expression with civility. Any statement of principles of good practice for student affairs must be consistent with our profession's values and must help us meet our founding commitments.

Do this beliefs and principles sound familiar? They should, because much of what is at the heart Honors Studies program fall within these same learning outcomes. With these thoughts in mind, to take part in the Honors Studies transition has been a blessing and an honor. I have enjoyed working with the academic side of Finger Lakes Community College from the inception of a new mission and vision, to the development of learning outcomes. It has been truly a joy to celebrate all that honors studies has to offer the “whole student”.

FLCC Marketing Office

The main function of the Marketing Office is to share FLCC’s unique features and benefits with future students and their families because we know that this information is critical during college selection. We also know that FLCC offers various opportunities that people expect to only find at a large college or university. One of these unique and interesting options is the Honors Studies Program, which marries creativity with intellect, features active group discussion, and is centered on personal reflection and reflective writing. As experts on the market and our audience, we know that a substantial segment of the population is seeking this type of college experience because it is challenging, dynamic, insightful, and unlike any other learning method they’ve ever experienced. Plus, the faculty and students in the Honors Studies Program are passionate about their in-class and out-of-class learning experiences, and their enthusiasm is contagious. For these reasons, the Marketing Office is thrilled to serve on the Honors Program Board and participate as an active supporter of this successful and expanding effort.

 “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much” - Helen Keller