Honors Seminars in General Honors:
HNR 100  Orientation Seminar
HNR 210  Arts in Society (Sections M002/32846, M003/ 32847, and M004/32848 FULL)
HNR 220  Introduction to Political Culture and Practice (Section M003/ 32853 FULL)
HNR 230  Scientific Issues and Practice FULL

Honors Thesis Project Seminars:
BEN 498 Senior Thesis II
BIO 419  Biology Honors Seminar
HNR 309  Thesis/Project Planning Seminar (Sect. M002/ 32858 FULL)
HNR 409  Thesis/Project Execution Seminar (Sect. M008/ 40729 FULL)

 Last updated January 8, 2003, 10:00 a.m.

Honors Seminars in General Honors:

HNR 100  Orientation Seminar
Each section is 1 credit, pass/fail grading.  The three sections of this seminar are intended to provide intellectual enrichment, foster  academic pursuits, and introduce students to the world of ideas.  It is required for all freshmen who are newly admitted to the Honors Program in the spring semester.

Note that there will be an Opening Dinner for all newly admitted honors freshmen: Wednesday, January 15, 2003, 5:30-7:30 PM, in 306 Bowne Hall.

Homo Connectus:  Debates on Life in the 21st Century
Aging:  It's About Your Life!
Triploid Obsession:  The Figure Skating Hostas of Opera

Homo Connectus:  Debates on Life in the 21st Century
Sec 1: W 7:00-9:00, 304C Bowne, 35281
Start date:  January 22, 2003
Instructor:  Professor Mike Nilan

In an era of global electronic network connectivity, will human existence be characterized by corporate and governmental control in the form of "proper" or "necessary" behavior?  Or, because material requirements for living are readily available, will human existence be characterized by a renaissance of creativity and empowerment?  Dark visions versus light visions, which is likely to be realized?

This seminar will be run in alternating modes - one week we will watch a movie that portrays a vision of life in the immediate future (e.g., Contact, Total Recall, Blade Runner, Enemy of the State, Jurassic Park, Matrix) and select a theme or issue to focus on - the next week, seminar participants will be divided into two teams, one group presenting (in a debate format) the dark side's perspective and the other presenting the light side's perspective addressing the agreed-upon theme.

In the week after the viewing of the film and preceding the debate, teams will prepare a series of five minute arguments based upon the issues invoked by the film that they will present to a team of judges (graduate students from IST, Newhouse, Maxwell, Religion, etc.) who will determine which team's arguments are the most compelling by the end of the evening.  The range of argument dimensions should span a range including economic, technological, political, social (including family life as well as other models of pair relationships), cultural, spiritual, leisure/entertainment, work, etc.  The instructor will play the role of debate moderator.

It's 2055. America is older and more diverse racially and ethnically.  One in every five persons is age 65 and over; 15 million are over the age of 85 and 1 million are over 100.  One-half of the U.S. population is made up of groups that were called "minorities" in the year 2000, when only 28 percent of the population was non-white or Hispanic.

You didn't think it would happen, but it has; you are in your seventh decade of life -- a septuagenarian.

Have you made the right choices? Exercise, nutrition, stress reduction?  Have you focused enough on your family, friends, and community?  Did you pick the "right" major?  The "right" profession?  Have you saved for your retirement years?  Are you able to maintain an active, even athletic lifestyle?  Will you need to give care to a functionally disabled spouse/partner or older parent?  Are you about to experience chronic health problems and long-term disabilities?  And, if you do, will technology assist you in maintaining your connection to the people and activities that are important to you?

Has the nation made the right choices?  Have investments been made which grew the economy?  Have policy reforms strengthened Social Security and improved access to health and long-term care services?   Have new attitudes, values and expectations emerged about the role of the old?

In 2055, you can expect to live another 15-20 years, much of the time in good health.  How will you make use of this gift of long life? Will you continue to have an active love life?  Do you see yourself learning and taking on new challenges in your 70s and 80s?  Will your time be spent on golf, bingo and other forms of entertainment?  Will you take on new careers and/or engage in service activities (e.g., join the Peace Corps)?

Students taking this course will explore the implications of their and the population's aging for themselves personally, for their parents' and grandparents' generations and for their communities.  You will be asked to discuss in class and with family members (e.g., great-grandparents, grandparents, great-aunts, great-uncles, parents, and siblings) what it means to get older, how people prepare for old age, and how different generations work and relate to each other.  You will also debate ethical questions such as whether health care should be rationed based on age and whether assisted suicide should be legalized.  And, you will discuss what the role of Social Security and Medicare should be in the future.

When this course is completed, you should have a better appreciation of what you, your family members, and the nation can do to prepare for old age and the Aging of America.

What links these three topics is that they are all activities that cut across American society in garnering their connoisseurs and obsessive fans.  The popularity of all three begs the question of just how essential such activities may be to our social fabric.  We will discuss the concepts of  "quality" in each of these pursuits.  Field trips for opera and hostas, schedule and weather permitting.

Sophomore Honors Seminars:
The sophomore seminars are intended to expose you to cultural and civic life in the wider community using a hands-on approach so you will have a more informed basis for participation later in life.  They consist of (1) HNR 210, (2) HNR 220 and (3) HNR 230.  While students intending to complete requirements for General University Honors must take (1) HNR 210 and (2) HNR 220 or HNR 230, they can be taken in any order.

HNR 210  Arts in Society
1 credit, pass/fail
Sec M001: T 4:00-5:20, 304C Bowne, 32845
Sec M002: T 5:30-6:50, 304C Bowne, 32846
Sec M003: W 4:30-5:50, 304C Bowne, 32847 FULL
Sec M004: W 3:00-4:20, 306A Bowne, 32848
Sec M005: Th 4:00-5:20, 304C Bowne, 32849
Sec M006: Th 5:30-6:50, 304C Bowne, 32850
Start Dates: Second week of Classes (Tuesday, January 21; Wednesday, January 22; Thursday, Jan 23, 2003)
Instructor: Bill West

This is an experience-based introduction to the arts in the city of Syracuse.  Students will attend a production each of the Syracuse Opera, Syracuse Symphony, Syracuse Stage, an event at Crouse College, and visit the Everson Museum.  Background discussion is presented in class prior to each event and the students write reviews of each event afterwards.  Note that there is a $43 class fee attached to this seminar which is used for the purchase of tickets to the events.  For more information, see the on-line syllabus (as of early January 2003).

Islamic Community
Flaunting it!  The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights and Culture
Women and Community
Jewish Community
Race Dialogue
Culture of Violence

Islamic Community
Sec M001: M 3:00-4:20, 105 Bowne, 32851
Start Date: January 27, 2003
Instructor:  Shaw J. Dallal

The word "Islam" means peaceful submission to God thus making Islam a religion devoted to peace. Islam is also the religion and culture of one and a quarter billion people throughout the world. Muslims are the majority in forty-five countries. It is the second largest religion in the world, and one of the world's five major faiths. It is the fastest growing one, the tenets and culture of which merit understanding, especially during these critical times. This seminar will explore some ideas about Islamic culture, civilization, and art. We will also discuss the present political and international environment. We will explore the question "Why do they hate us?" We will discuss also, in the context of the potential military attack against Iraq, the political ramifications of confronting Islam and Muslims militarily.

Special emphasis will be placed on the countries in and around the Middle East region, as well as the Muslim community in the Syracuse area and similar Islamic communities in the United States. In the current political environment, our local community is inextricably linked with the global community. Students are encouraged to come to the class with open minds and the willingness to explore these many issues.

This seminar examines the roots and growth of the gay and lesbian rights movement from a state of fearful invisibility to its present status as a provocative force upsetting assumptions about the nature of society's mythic values.  Material will explore how this very personal yet political and cultural struggle challenges society to embrace the inherent diversity of its minority citizens.  Sessions will include recorded and in-person accounts from gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered people who have survived the challenges of manifest prejudice to create lifestyles, relationships, and families on their own terms.

We will explore some of the issues and challenges facing women in the Syracuse community.  What is it that hinders women from full participation in the community as leaders and decision makers?  What are some of the strategies used by local women to ensure access to fuller participation?  Students will gain an understanding of the needs and status of women in Syracuse through readings, class discussions, guest presentations and their own explorations of the community.  Guest speakers will be women from the community who have expertise in specific areas.

This seminar will examine both Jewish religion and Jewish culture, here in Syracuse andthroughout the world. Topics of study will include the rituals and celebrations of the Jewish year; Jewish values; what, and who, constitutes a Jewish community; Jews as "one people" -- myth or reality; and the effects that community acceptance has on Jewish continuity. Current events both in America and Israel will be also be topics of discussion.

Down With Racism Now: Ubaguz'a Chini is a curriculum developed by SU faculty and students as well as faculty and students from the Syracuse School District. Racially-mixed groups of approximately 12 people meet for seven sessions of two hours each. These dialogue groups have their roots in the city-wide Race Dialogue Project and are intended to provide opportunities for honest conversations about race and racism, to offer a format for learning from the experiences of others, and to create practical recommendations for actions that organizations, institutions, and individuals can take to improve race relations and racial equality.

The group is facilitated by SU faculty member Carrie Jefferson Smith and student facilitators who are graduates of the program itself who are responsible for stimulating and moderating the discussion by asking questions, identifying key points, and managing the group process. The process builds trust through exercises that emphasize common ground, then leads to honest discussion of issues that affect this community. Participants learn how to be allies and how to work together to address racism.

While there are some outside readings that provide background for discussion, the primary focus of this class is on discussion among members of the dialogue group. Students will need to attend each and every one of the seven sessions, read the thought-provoking, assigned articles, and commit to participating in this honest dialogue of how we truly feel and how we can truly change  Honors students may participate in a dialogue group by registering for this section.

The group will be comprised of students in the Honors Program and students not in the Program, and will be facilitated by SU faculty. This Honors dialogue group will meet for seven weeks during the semester.

This seminar will provide an overview of the issue of gangs and juvenile gun violence. We will discuss the problem in Syracuse and examine some of the efforts to curb violence in our community. The seminar is designed to increase students' knowledge about, and reduce the fear of, organized youth groups (gangs) in urban areas, particularly Syracuse.

Natural History of Onondaga County
Sec M002: M 4:30-6:00, 306A Bowne,  36842 FULL
Start Date: January 27, 2003
Instructor: Jack Gramlich

Onondaga County has a number of natural areas that are truly special.  Many of these areas have been protected and preserved by government (both county and state).  Some possible field trips include the Jamesville Quarry, Clark Reservation, Beaver Lake, Baltimore Woods, Green Lakes, and Old Fly Marsh.

BEN 498 Senior Thesis II
1 credit
Sec M001: F 1:00-4:00, 152 Link, 31394

This is a senior honors seminar for honors students undertaking theses in bioengineering.

Juniors and seniors majoring in biology meet together weekly in this seminar. Honors students from other majors such as chemistry and psychology, who are doing biological research, are accepted into this seminar with permission of instructor only.

The purpose of HNR 309, the Thesis Project Planning seminar is to introduce you to thesis project Honors.  The goals of the course are to understand what a thesis project is, to understand what personal resources are necessary for successful completion of a thesis project, to clarify a topic for your thesis project, to find a faculty member who will advise your thesis project, and to develop an academic plan and a timeline for completion of the thesis project.   During the first half of the semester, there will be a series of seminar meetings, assignments, and exercises designed to meet these goals.  In addition to the regular weekly meeting, a couple of these meetings will be held on Fridays,  3:00-4:00.  During the second half of the semester, you must meet with your junior seminar leader at least twice to discuss the progress you have made on your thesis project.  (Note:  You will also be required to meet with your junior seminar leader at least two times during each subsequent semester in order to be permitted to register for thesis project credit.  If you are not on campus during a particular semester, you need to arrange with your seminar leader an alternative means of communicating during that semester.)

The purpose of HNR 409, the Thesis Project Execution seminar, is to ensure that you are making significant progress toward the completion of your thesis project.  You may register for HNR 409 any semester after you have completed junior seminar.  There are no class meetings for this seminar.  To complete HNR 409, you must meet with your faculty thesis project advisor regularly during the semester; meet twice during the semester with the person with whom you took HNR 309; and complete a thesis project status report (1-2 pages) by the end of the semester.  

Note:   Be sure to register for the section of senior seminar taught by your junior seminar leader.

Return to the Honors Courses for Spring 2003.