Honors College
Honors Seminars: Fall 2018
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The Encyclopedic Epic: Paradise Lost in Context
Dr. Jameela Lares, Department of English
MW 11:30–1 p.m.
The literary genre known as the epic is not only extensive, heroic, and gripping,
but it also represents an encyclopedic inclusion of information deemed important by
the culture for which it is written. Published in 1667 and often called "the greatest
long poem in English,” John Milton's epic, Paradise Lost, arguably summarizes everything that was written before it, and it influences everything
that came after. Indeed, scholarly studies of the epic include such "Milton and" topics
as the law, science, medicine, history, music, theatre, art, film, philosophy, psychology,
education, and disability studies. In this seminar, we will read one or two “books”
of the epic per week, seeking to understand how it emerged from and informs modern
thinking about such topics. In the course of the seminar, students will develop a
research topic of interest to them, one that can be included in the website for my
project, "Milton in Mississippi,” part of my distinguished Charles W. Moorman professorship
for the years 2017-2019.
Music, Propaganda, and Resistance
Dr. Ed Hafer, School of Music
TTH 3-4:30
By examining case studies drawn from various historical and cultural contexts, this
seminar will consider music’s ability to persuade, comfort, unite, and divide. In
particular, we will study music’s role in World War II from the perspectives of the
governments of Germany, the Soviet Union, and the United States, as well as from prisoners
in Nazi concentration camps. We will also discuss the music of the American Civil
Rights Era (on both sides) and, more recently, the musical responses to 9/11 and the
police killings of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri and Eric Garner in New York
City. Additionally, students will investigate music used as propaganda and/or resistance
in a context of their choosing, in consultation with the instructor. Their results
will be compiled in a term paper and final presentation.
Conflict & Culture: The Interaction of Violence and Humanity in the Modern Age
Dr. Andy Wiest, Department of History
TTH 1:15-2:45
War is a staple of the modern age – a staple covered in nearly every textbook. But
those books rarely go beneath the surface history of great leaders, titanic battles,
and flawed peace treaties. War, though, is much deeper; much more visceral than that.
This class will certainly look at why and what modern (read Napoleon and beyond)
wars were. But it will also look at the humanity of war, using tools like prose,
poetry, letters, diaries, and veteran visits to the classroom. War is violence at
its most horrific; humanity at its most barbaric. I want to investigate the question
of how this barbarity and violence interacts with the souls and psyches of the young
men and women sent to fight war and with the families that they left behind.
Social Justice in Higher Learning: Exploring Marginality and Difference
Dr. Jennifer Anderson, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies
MW 3-4:30
Institutions of higher learning—such as the one of which you are a part—can both reinforce
dominant social and cultural identities and serve as sites of resistance and challenge
to those identities. In this course, we will explore the concepts of difference and
marginality in higher education, with a particular emphasis on issues of race, gender,
nationality, disability, and mental health. Through such readings as "Becoming Educated:
A Journey of Alienation or Integration?" (Jane Rowland Martin), "What About the Boys"
(Michael Kimmell), "Race and the Achievement Gap" (Harold Berlak), and "What Matthew
Shepard Would Tell Us: Gay and Lesbian Issues in Education" (Doug Risner), we will
try to understand the ways that institutions of higher learning at once reflect and
shape who we are and who we can become. Among other activities, students will produce
public service announcements for the USM community (to inform and inspire community
members to join the conversation about marginality and difference on our campuses)
and engage in Lincoln-Douglass style debates on the issues at hand.
The Science of Happiness
Dr. Randy Arnau, Department of Psychology,
MW 9:45-11:15
Many of us believe that we will eventually be happy once we achieve our goals and
get what we want – a college degree, the right job, the right income – not realizing
that the happiness that results from getting what we want quickly fades, and that
happiness is actually a skill that can be cultivated. In this course, we will engage
in a scientific and practical exploration of happiness, including factors that contribute
to happiness, including character strengths, positive emotions, motivation, relationships,
positive mental health, and physical health. We will explore theories of happiness
and positive emotions, as well as what the research says about character strengths
that are associated with happiness and well-being, such as gratitude, sense of humor,
optimism, and perseverance. You will learn what your own character strengths are and
how to use that knowledge to capitalize on those strengths. We will learn about scientifically
supported methods for increasing happiness, and you will be applying these interventions
on yourself, so that you can learn skills to help you become the best version of yourself.
Performing Cosmic Geography: Land, Sea, and Sky in Amerindian Life
Dr. Jeanne Gillespie, Department of Foreign Languages & Literatures
TTH 9:45-11:15
This class will examine the voices of Native communities in the Americas as they explain
and record important events and details of their lives. These details are always integrally
connected to their local geography as well as with their place in the cosmos. Students
will explore this cosmic geography that situates the human experience within ritual
and performance practices in sacred landscapes and records ancient and modern events
through oral, pictorial, and hieroglyphic narratives.
Modern technologies have allowed many insights into our ancient past, but some contemporary Amerindian communities also have been able to preserve much of their pre-European heritage. Often, a consideration of the ancient and the contemporary reveals dynamic links that help us better understand cultural practices of the past and the present. Students will reflect on Native and non-Native accounts of contact with people from other continents, and have conversations with members of contemporary Native communities in order to cultivate a deeper understanding of the vast amount of knowledge the indigenous peoples of the Americas have to share.
Feeding the Body and Soul
Dr. Jennifer Regan, Department of Biological Sciences
Dr. Holly Huye, Department of Nutrition and Food Systems
MW 9:45-11:15
What we eat means so much more to us than just the nutrients that our physical body
needs. In this seminar we will explore the myths, history, and physiology of food
and nutrition, highlighting some interesting food trends and themes along the way.
This interactive class will use the sciences, the arts, and the literature to learn
more about how the foods we love to eat affect our mind, body, and emotions and conversely,
how our culture affects the foods we eat. Take a journey into the world of food and
nutrition that travels beyond our kitchen table.
