Spring 2004 Honors Seminars

Spring 2004 Registration Information
Spring 2004 Courses

Honors Seminars in General Honors:
HNR 100  Orientation Seminar
HNR 210  Arts in Society
HNR 220  Introduction to Political Culture and Practice
HNR 230  Scientific Issues and Practice

Honors Thesis Project Seminars:
BEN 498 Senior Thesis II
BIO 419  Biology Honors Seminar
HNR 309  Thesis/Project Planning Seminar
HNR 409  Thesis/Project Execution Seminar

Last updated: October 21, 2003

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.

All newly-admitted first-year students are asked to reserve their calendars for a gathering and Opening Dinner on
Thursday, January 15th, 2004.

We will gather in Suite 306 Bowne Hall at 4:15 p.m. in order to attend the Phi Beta Kappa Lecture as a group before the dinner.
[Students who have class should attend class as scheduled.] Then all the newly-admitted students are asked to come to the Honors Suite by 6:00 p.m. for the Opening Dinner (Dinosaur B-B-Q). We anticipate concluding by 8:00 p.m.

Important: Any student who can't attend the Opening Dinner should contact us at the Honors Program in 306 Bowne Hall, either in person, by phone (443-2759), or by email to honorsws@syr.edu

Seminars will start meeting at the regular time during the second week of class.

The Scientific and Philosophic Quest to Understand Beauty and its Various Effects
Aging:  It's About Your Life!
Triploid Obsession:  The Figure Skating Hostas of Opera

The Scientific and Philosophic Quest to Understand Beauty and its Various Effects
Sec M001: W 7:00-9:00, NCCI Lounge, #34990
Start date: January 21, 2004 (Wednesday)
Instructor: Professor Larry Mason

This seminar group will consider beauty from a variety of perspectives. Is beauty recognition hard-wired into the human genetic makeup, or is it an artificial concept that bolsters the fortunes of some, while enslaving others? How, and why, have notions of beauty changed through the ages? What advantages or disadvantages are inherent in physical beauty?

We’ll have some fun considering these and other questions regarding the ever-increasing attention that seems to be paid to physical beauty. Also, we’ll have some social events and do some bonding both within our group, and with the University as a whole.

Aging:  It's About Your Life!
Sec M002:  Th 4:30-6:30, Room TBA, #34991
Start date:  January 22, 2004 (Thursday)
Instructor:  Professor Eric Kingson

It is 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 the cultural and civic life in the wider Syracuse 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, #32653
Sec M002: T 5:30-6:50, 304C Bowne, #32654
Sec M003: W 4:30-5:50, 304C Bowne, #32655
Sec M004: W 3:00-4:20, 306A Bowne, #32656
Sec M005: TH 4:00-5:20, 304C Bowne, #32657
Sec M006: TH 5:30-6:50, 304C Bowne, #32658
Start Dates: Second week of Classes (January 20, 21, and 22, 2004)
Instructor: William D. West

This seminar is an experienced-based introduction to the Arts in the City of Syracuse. Students will attend a production at the Syracuse Opera, Syracuse Symphony, Syracuse Stage (an Equity theatre), an event at Crouse College, and will visit the Everson Museum. Background information is presented in class prior to each event. Students write reviews of each event afterwards and discuss the performances in class.

Note that there is a $43 course fee to cover costs of tickets.  For more information, see the on-line syllabus (as of early January 2004).

HNR 220  Introduction to Political Culture and Practice
Each section is 1 credit, pass/fail grading.  The various sections of this seminar will focus on the exploration of civic life in the wider Syracuse community.  Different approaches for this exploration will be explored in different sections:

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

Islamic Community
Sec M001: W 4:30-5:50, 201 HL, #32659
Start Date: Wednesday, January 21, 2004 (Second week of classes)
Instructor: Professor Shaw J. Dallal, Maxwell School

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 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.

"EndInjustice: Race Dialogue Circle" 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 members, Professors Carrie Jefferson Smith and Margaret Miller, 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 the discussions, 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: January 26, February 2, 9, 16, 23, and March 1, 15. New facilitator training will be offered to selected students in three additional sessions, held on March 22, 29, and April 5, 2004.

Culture of Violence
Sec M006: Th 4-5:20 p.m., 113 Euclid Avenue, Room 200, #38769
Start Date: Thursday, January 22, 2004 (Second week of classes)
Instructor: Professor Mark Muhammad, Speech Communication

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.

HNR 230  Scientific Issues and Practice
Each section is 1 credit, pass/fail.  These seminars focus on the exploration of scientific issues and practices in Syracuse and the wider region of Central New York. Methods of inquiry and exploration differ between sections.

Natural History of Onondaga County
Sec M002: M 4:30-6:00, 306A Bowne, #36269
Start Date: Monday, January 26, 2004 (Third week of classes)
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.

Honors Thesis Project Seminars:

BEN 498 Senior Thesis II
1 credit
Sec M001: Time and Place TBA, #11301

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

BIO 419  Biology Honors Seminar
1 credit
Sec M001: Junior Honors Seminar,  T 5:00-6:00, 304C Lyman, #11999
Sec M002: Senior Honors Seminar,  T 5:00-6:00, 304C Lyman #12000
Professors Larry Wolf and John Belote

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.

HNR 309  Thesis/Project Planning Seminar
1 credit, pass/fail grading
Start Date for all sections: third week of classes

1 credit, pass/fail grading
Sec M001: M 4:05-5:00 and F 3:00-4:00, #32665
    Start date: 3rd week of classes (January 26)
Sec M002: Th 4:05-5:00 and F 3:00-4:00, #32666
    Start date:  3rd week of classes (January 29)

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.)

HNR 409  Thesis/Project Execution Seminar
1 credit, pass/fail grading

Sec 1:  #15359
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Marla Bennett.

Sec 2:  #15360
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Judy Hamilton.

Sec 3:  #15361
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Patricia Moody.

Sec M004:  #21546
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Gary Radke.

Sec M005:  #21547
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Deborah Dohne.

Sec M006:  #21548
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Bruce Carter.

Sec M007:  #21549
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Michael Gaddis.

Sec M009:  #21551
Students will meet individually with the instructor, Dr. Sharon Hollenback.

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

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.