"Nerd should be bigger...." - Honors Dinner Report

Vol 4 No 7

On the day of the Honors Studies dinner, I decided I wanted to pose a freewrite prompt in my two Honors classes to find out what Honors meant to them.  In one class. I had 19 students who were mostly all first semester students.  In the other, 8 students who ranged from brand new to the college to about to graduate.  I then went through I made a list of the general tenor of each response = grabbing phrases and sentences that stood out to me for whatever reason.  I tried not to overthink it, but rather grab what felt like the heart of each response.   The results were powerful to me for a variety of reasons – all of which hit the heart of what Honors means to ME. 

As I looked at the list, I was suddenly struck with an idea.  Rather than share the list with you, I’ll share the idea.  I threw all the phrases a I grabbed into an online tool that created a picture of the most repeated words.  This is the result.

I love this for so many reasons.    Look at the biggest words – learning, community, sharing, deeper, comfortable, knowledge, enthusiasm.  And things.  I’m not sure what that last one is doing there, but all the others, as well as the rest of the image, really capture the power of Honors.  And yet, when I took the image to the Honors dinner and invited those in attendance to share things they thought were missing, they added these things:

• Enthralling…twice
• Judge-free zone…
• Resourceful…
• Intersectional…
• Awesomeness…
• Making dreams come true…
• Our own Disneyland…
• Home…
• Hugged stuffed animals…
• Redemption…
• Everything…

Quite the list of ideas inspired by what was said and heard - and the emotional support badger that helped when courage was needed.   Redemption is powerful.  Intersectional is amazing.  Everything is telling.

There isn’t much else I want to add to this description of the dinner – it was everything it always is and yet it was also its own unique version.  Someone cried, someone they didn’t know joined in, voices shook as one by one people pushed themselves to add their thoughts to the evening.  Provost Jonathan Keiser challenged each student to find a friend to sign up for Honors classes.  We threw people under the bus and ‘made’ them speak and, each time, they said something profound and beautiful.  We laughed, we ate too much, we packed take home containers, we milled about and afterwards, we met new people and forged plans for the coming semester.  And we got rocks.

And later, when a class reflected on the experience, they added even more to the larger conversation of what Honors means. 

• safe, supportive, and understanding
• we all care about our identity as Honors students
• we are all really connected
• a sense of home and safety
• right away I felt included
• part of the in group for once
• could help you come out of your shell

What an amazing experience for all of us. For the staff, the faculty, and the students who gathered together to share food and laughter and stories of inclusion and community, one thing became abundantly clear and it can be summed up with three words with which one student ended their response paper….

WE ARE HONORS!!!!!!

Fall 2019 Honors Studies Dinner

Vol 4 No 6

The Honors dinner is one of my most treasured experiences in a semester.  I sit and listen to students from our Honors courses talk about how much their Honors experiences mean to them.  Faculty and staff know what we are trying to do with Honors, so to hear students echo those goals is one of the most rewarding times we can share with them.  I remember the first time that I decided I would throw caution to the wind and just start handing the microphone to people with no real plan for what to do if no one wanted to talk.  But, they did.  And they have ever since.  Once one student speaks up, the rest seem eager to share how special Honors is to them - for the learning they engage in, the encouragement and support they receive, and the people that they meet.

Come see just how many Honors friends you have that you haven't even met yet.  Come get fed and clothed and celebrated for the person you are and the person you are striving to be.

We will see you there.

I hope you can join us -  and bring your friends!  This dinner is open to ALL FLCC students, so come one, come all.  

Upcoming Honors Events

Vol 4 No 5

Hello!

I just thought it might be a good idea to let you know of some up and coming dates of interest in regards to Honors activities and events.  Remember, for each of these, you can earn an Honors point for attending, journaling, and then reflecting at the end of the semester.  Email me at Trista.merrill@flcc.edu for more information on how to do that.  Whether you seek out the points or not, I hope you can attend one or more of these amazing opportunities for learning, laughing, and (sometimes) eating!

LAKER DAY is October 15^th!  This year, be sure to attend Comicon.  Taking place from 8:00 until 3:30 in the library, this event is all about comics and the culture surrounding them.  The library describes the day by saying:  “Among this year’s presenters are FLCC’s own Bill Pealer, talking about making awesome costumes even more awesome with a bit of tech wizardry, local toymaker Aimee Cummings discussing her process and methods, Professor Erin Brewer presenting on the ever evolving definition of the Super Hero and its place in society, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles artist Sal Otero telling us all about the professional comics business. We’ll also be running costume contests, serving free pizza, holding playing comics trivia, and there will be plenty of opportunity to bond with your fellow nerds over your shared obsessions.”

FLCC CAMPUS CLEANUP -  Thursday, October 17^th from 12:00 – 4:00.  John Bateman, organizer of the event invites you to “show up and help for as long as you like!”  Pizza will be provided and it is recommended that you bring gloves and wear books if you have them.  They will be meeting in the arboretum across from A-lot – just look for the tent.  For more information, contact John Bateman at salamanders@flcc.edu.

Also on Thursday, October 17^th  is a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month with Dr. Anne S. Macpherson, Professor of Latin American and Caribbean History and chair of the History Department at Brockport.  Her talk, entitled Puerto Rico and the US Empire:  Making the Most of Second-Class Citizenship, will take place from 12:40 to 1:50 in Room 2775.

On Tuesday, October 22^nd in Stage 14, we will be hosting the bi-annual Honors Studies Dinner from 5:00 – 7:00.  There are Tshirts, giveaways, a pasta dinner, and lots of conversation and sharing of cool stories about Honors.  We will also be talking about course offerings for the Spring 2020 semester, so be sure to come.  Bring your friends, as this event (like all the events listed here) is open to all students.  For more information, you can email me at the address at the beginning of this blog.

Remember, you can also advocate for an event that you are participating in be counted as Honors even if it isn’t designated as such.  To do so, simply fill out the form located here.  

I hope you will attend as many of these events as you can – each one has something special to offer and each one touches on elements of what makes Honors what it is.  They focus on learning, curiosity, community service, interaction and networking, and a place where you can find others who are equally passionate about the world around us as you are.  

If you need help with the journal aspect of attending Honors events, please see the end of this blog for a list of prompts that might help you get started and remember, you are always welcome to email me and ask questions.  I’m here to help!

STAY CURIOUS! 

• The first thing that comes to mind when I think about this topic is….
• I took this class / went to this event because….
• The thing I am most curious or confused about is…
• My ideas about this course topic or event come from/are informed by…
• I hope to connect this to my academic/professional/personal life through…
• I’m interested in this topic because I want to find out…
• An example of how it is affecting/will affect the way I think, act, or feel in the world is…
• Probably the most compelling/disturbing/lingering question raised by this topic is….
• My hopes/goals for the remainder of the semester/ assignment are…
• In the process of completing this task or assignment/participating in this event, I noticed…
• Compared with my expectations, this class/event/assignment/topic was…
• The biggest risk I took in completing this assignment or going to this event was…
• The next time I encounter a project like this one, I might do a few things differently, namely…
• Overall, the most meaningful/surprising thing I learned from this was…
• Identify and reflect on specific moments in which something significant occurred (a realization, an obstacle overcome, a setback encountered, etc.).
• How did your experience as a learner in this course/event complement or complicate your personal habits, behaviors, and personality traits?
• What prior skills and experiences did you bring to the course/event which either helped or hindered your learning process or your participation?
• How did your initial preconceptions and expectations of the course or topic compare with what actually happened or what you learned?
• Describe your feelings and emotions about aspects of the course or event. When/about what did you feel most comfortable? Most uncomfortable? Why?
• What three aspects of the course or event were most beneficial to your learning process? Why?
• What experiments or risks did you take in this class? Discuss strategies that worked as well as those that you tried but abandoned.
• What was new or unique about this learning experience? How did you respond?
• Discuss any ethical considerations that the course or topic prompted.
• How did non-academic issues and events affect your learning process this semester or your ability to focus at the event?

Family - Guest Blog

Vol 4 No 4.

The following blog was written by Blinne Krieger (Class of 2018). She has gone on to SUNY Potsdam, where she is majoring in History with a minor in Classical Studies. While at FLCC, she was extremely active in Honors Studies at FLCC, and I think we benefited from her involvement as much as she did....

Family.

A group of people that you are tied to not in blood but in bond, people that you choose to surround yourself with. I have always believed that your family is, above all, those who you make a conscious effort to become close to. It is not an obligation that has you dragging your feet, but a chance to form a connection with those you find exciting and engaging. Honors was my family at FLCC.

From the moment that I sat down in my first Honors class (shout out to my Development of Modern Horror 2018 crew) I knew that the students, and professor, surrounding me was the piece of the puzzle that was missing during my first semester at FLCC. Effortlessly I slid into place in this group that I affectionately called my Honors Family. Quickly, I met more and more people who were a part of this family, from faculty to students to staff, and with each new friendly face I became more and more excited about Honors and my part in it all.

We've all been struck with the urge to help some time or another. Big or small, from smiling at a stranger to donating a kidney to someone in need, we all have done something to help others. After only one semester, I knew I wanted to help my newfound family and potential family members by providing a space to indulge in the warmth of Honors outside of the classroom. I had already been helped so much by Honors, it seemed inevitable that I felt drawn towards fostering that effect for others. And so, with the endless encouragement of Dr. Trista Merrill and the collaboration of my classmates, the Honors Club came into being.

Don't get me wrong, it was not so simple as snapping my fingers and saying "okay we're a club now." No, it took time, dedication, a good deal of brainstorming, and, above all, a desire to make it happen. This process was quite similar to writing a term paper. The topic was something that I was deeply passionate about and I had a general idea of how to frame it, I just had to sit down and put my fingers to the keyboard. Easier said than done? Of course it was, but the satisfaction I got from working with my Honors Family on such an important project and seeing it come to life was more rewarding than spending hours on that essay, turning it in all bone and brain tired, then seeing that I got an A on it. It was the kind of satisfaction that sits deep in your bones, hollows them out, and lets you fly with your newfound lightness.

From the nitty gritty of writing the Club Constitution to chatting with classmates about why we loved Honors, each moment was well worth my time because I was creating something for others that, hopefully, would help them and bring them that special kind of joy you can only find surrounded by your Honors Family. You know the kind I'm talking about. That warm and fuzzy environment built on supporting your passions while challenging your thoughts to help build you into a better student, person, Honors Family Member. That is what I and my classmates set out to build with the Honors Club.

All the time I hear people say that they would do anything for their family. Well, Honors is my family, and I know that nothing could stand in the way of me helping them. Anything from hugging a classmate who needed it to taking the leap and presenting at the Honors Convocation, anything from grabbing a bite to eat at the bi-annual Honors Dinner to breathing life into a space for my family to thrive, I have done it and would do it all again. Think for a moment. No, really, stop reading and think about it. Does Honors call to you, even if its not how it called to me? What could you do to show your love and appreciation for this family? What will you do?

Mirror, Mirror, on the Wall...

Vol 4 No 3

We have just found ourselves at another Autumnal Equinox and for many, that means a slowing down and a time for reflection on the year.  It’s also a time when we begin to plan for the numerous days of celebration that we encounter between now and the close of the year.  The air is crisp and cool, the leaves are changing, and all of nature seems to be gearing up for the long winter ahead.

Students don’t always feel that slowing down though, because they are inundated with the work and growing responsibilities of the classes in which they are enrolled.  Like the animals who are busily gathering food to last them the winter, students are gathering all the knowledge they can find in an effort to acquire everything they need to move forward in their academic careers.

But still, it is a time to reflect.  Reflection is one of the cornerstones of the Honors Studies experience and we try to instill that sense of change and deep thinking in all our classes and events, regardless of discipline or instructor.  Three questions push Honors Studies students to contemplate the cycles of not just learning, but critical thinking, personal development, and growth.  Each answer to each question links each learning experience to every other learning experience, in a long chain of your development as a member of the great wide world of ours.

So what are the questions?  Some of you already know them and have worked with them in different contexts.  Some of you heard them in passing, but that is all.  Some of you do not know.  All of you can benefit from hearing them early and often, so that when your formal reflection begins, it will be born from a semester long contemplation of who you are as a learner and a person.

Where have you come from?

Where are you now?

Where are you going?

They are broad questions – designed to begin a formal meditation on the work you’re doing in the class that you are taking and the experiences you had at the events you attended.  From here, your instructor will shape and mold the assignment to frame it within the specific content and exploration that was part of a semester long journey into art, math, composition, sociology, or literature.  Each will help you to celebrate your successes, consider your challenges, and explore the content of the   You will, in those pages, truly become a life-long learner and a scholar of the field that you have experienced in your time with that instructor.

course in detail.

I know I speak for many – if not all – of the instructors, when I say that the reflective essay is one of our favorite aspects of the Honors courses we teach.  We really get to see behind the veil, so to speak, of the students with whom we have shared our time, passion, and expertise.  We get to celebrate with you, share our sympathies for your struggles, and even call you colleagues of a discipline that we ourselves love and are continually students in.

And these prompts are never really limited to the classes you take or the events you attend.  

Reflection is an ever-happening experience for those who wish to enhance their strengths, smooth out their flaws, and work ever to become better people.  The only way to truly do this is to think about where we have been, consider where we are, and contemplate where we might be going.

But, it’s hard.

It is not always an easy experience, if we are being honest.  Self-reflection requires a certain level of vulnerability and honesty with yourself that can be painful, disappointing, or frustrating.  Humans, in most cases, are much better at finding fault in themselves than they are at finding strengths.  I encounter this every semester when I invariably get a student who writes two pages about how they cannot write.  Self-critique is one of the most powerful acts we can do as free-thinking humans and, doing so in good faith and sincerity can make us better people, and, in turn, make this world a better place. 

As Confucius said, “Study the past if you would define the future.”

So, tell me… where have you come from?

Courage and Passion

Vol 4 No 2

Reflections on courage - which seem particularly fitting for an Honors audience..

This past weekend I had the distinct pleasure and honor to be a guest at the VIP luncheon and then the induction ceremony for the National Women’s Hall of fame.  I was, for a brief time, in the presence of greatness and I cannot truly express what I was feeling at the time.  When Louise Slaughter’s granddaughter spoke in her memory and she categorized the experience as being both humbling and uplifting, I felt much the same.  I found myself thinking, more than once, that I needed to learn more and do more. 

Each inductee – from the fiery Angela Davis to the impassioned Sonia Sotomayor – spoke to us of their gratitude for the honor and the recognition.  And each directed their words toward, in part, the 300 students who were present from schools all around the area.  I began to notice a pattern in many of their words.  They talked about the environment, law, science, the arts, the rights of women, the battles won and the battles yet to come.  Each seemed to have her own issue upon which she focused, but there was still a pattern.

Courage.  Passion.  Working together.

Almost every one of the inductees or their representatives spoke about how important it was, in these most trying times, to be courageous, to find the issues that quicken your heart and then act on them through the courage of conviction.  In spite of the naysayers, in spite of the dissenting voices, in spite of a world that often seems without hope, we must find our voices and speak up and out.  We have to save the only world we have.  We have to shatter the glass ceiling.  We have to punish the wrong-doers and we have to give strength to the disenfranchised, the powerless, and the silenced.

We have come so far, and yet we still have so far to go.

The stories and celebrations were about women, but bettering the lives of women all over the world will also improve the quality of life for all humans and for the earth itself.   Many spoke about how the work they did was always in conjunction with others – and that they stood on the shoulders of the women and men who came before them.  The stories of struggle and milestones rarely are the work of just one; it is imperative that we come together to become stronger and more powerful forces of good.  But that means each of us need courage. 

Merriam-Webster defines courage as the “mental or moral strength to venture, persevere, and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty” and the challenges to finding one’s courage can seem insurmountable.  In fact, many of the women talked about how hard it was to do what they’ve done and continue to do.  But each found a way to do it, and so can we.  Chances are, we won’t have to do it alone because others will join us.  It begins with that first step.

In short, we must all have the courage to stand up for what we believe in.  Maybe that courage will begin for you in the classroom, in the halls between classes, or in an event you attend.  Next time a question is asked, an issue is posed, an opportunity presents itself – speak up.  Take that chance and make that choice.

If we form an army driven by the courage of conviction, we will be unstoppable.

@sarahtimmerman.  “I went to the national women’s hall of fame induction ceremony today and it was extreamly emotional and a truly inspiring day.”  Twitter, 14 Sept 2019, 11:44, twitter.com/sarahtimmerman/status/1173080006022574081.

Words of Welcome

Vol 4 No 1

Welcome (Back)!

I am so thrilled that you are reading this and have found the FLCC Honors Studies blog and judged it worth reading.  Summer is leaving us and fall is quickly coming on her heels and with that, comes so many opportunities for you to learn and grow and engage in so many interesting experiences.  I hope you take advantage of them all and I hope you find Honors Studies worth dedicating time and energy to.  But don't take my word alone as encouragement...

The following is a very special message to welcome you - or welcome you back - to FLCC for the Fall 2019 semester.  Brianna is a recent graduate who is now at SUNY Potsdam where she is pursuing a degree in Literature.  A passionate Honors student while at FLCC, I'm pretty sure she will ALWAYS be an Honors Studies student...

Honors Welcome

Hello! I would like to take this chance to welcome all students, faculty, and staff, whether new or returning, to FLCC for the Fall 2019 semester, and back into the open arms of Honors at FLCC. For those of you who do not know me, I am Brianna Smith, a graduate of FLCC and its Honors Studies and an alumna advisor to Honors.

This autumn is bittersweet for me indeed, as it is the first since beginning my collegiate journey that I will not be stepping into the Honors House within the first week of school, that I will not be wandering the grounds of FLCC. Yet I do not want to dwell too long on these melancholies – this post is for you, and there are many happy things which await you.

This semester is particularly encouraging for Honors Students, and many wonderful projects are currently underway. For those of you who are new to FLCC, or to its Honors Studies, I say “Welcome.” I do not doubt that you will find, as I did, the happiest of friendships, the kindest of professors, and the most wonderful experience that will leave you with a hunger for knowledge and an insatiable thirst for all the world’s offerings, as well as the certainty that you are deserving of them.

To returning students, I say “welcome back.” I hope that you find yourselves refreshed by the felicities of the summer, revived and ready to tackle another year.

And what a year we have planned for you! This is the most honors-intense semester in my recent memory. With a selection of eleven courses (nine of which are unique, I might add!) running the fall semester alone, academically there is a wealth of opportunity awaiting our new and returning students alike. Take an aesthetic and technical journey through the past with Art History, or wander the realm of Middle Earth with Perspectives on Tolkien! Want to learn more about yourself and the world around you? Try out one of the fantastic sociology courses, or otherwise take a peek into a new addition to the Honors catalogue, Who Are You: Identity Formation. Looking to dip your toes in with something a bit more course-standard? Honors Studies continues to run classes in Composition I, II, and Intro to Literature.

But Honors, of course, isn’t just about the classes. Honors is about curiosity, about being willing to wonder and to grow. It’s about the people, too. Each and every one of you who add to its beautiful, varied tapestry have something new to offer – a new perspective, a new voice, a new room to the home of Honors. So if you haven’t yet ventured into one of the Honors classrooms or its delightful events throughout the semester, I encourage you to take that chance, and remember…

All you have to do is be curious.

Find us.

Website:  https://www.flcc.edu/honors/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/FLCCHonors/

Twitter:  @FLCC_Honors

Flickr:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/flcc-honors/

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