Spring 2018 | University Honors Program

Spring 2018 Honors Seminars

Seminar Registration for Spring Semester begins: November 15th at NOON

WARNING!

If you try to register for seminars before that day and time, you will be unable to add the class. Also, the system will exclude you from the wait list after the class is full. If openings become available after a seminar is full, Honors staff will contact those on the wait list.

Reference numbers will be posted a couple of days prior to registration.

Make sure you plan ahead and take the number of required Honors courses and seminars as prescribed by your college Honors committee. Don't wait until your last year to meet the requirements because you may find that you will have some scheduling conflicts.

Important: Attendance at Honors seminars is expected. Be sure to read the entire seminar description and requirements. Be courteous and notify your instructor in advance if you are unable to attend class.

Check back regularly for updates.

HON 322A: Ghosts of the World
HON 322B: Ghosts of the World
HON/LAS 491C: Service-Learning in Punta Gorda, Belize
HON 322C: Lincoln: History and Legend
HON 322D: Christianity & Science
HON 322E: A Good Place: Planned and Ideal Communities
HON 322F: Loud and Proud: Spoken Word & Performance Poetry
HON 322G: Islamic Spain: A Merging of Cultures
HON 322H: From Buffy to Wonder Woman: Exploring the Heroic Women of Pop Culture
HON 322K: From Buffy to Wonder Woman: Exploring the Heroic Women of Pop Culture
HON/INDST 395EN: Here, There and Everywhere: A Beatles Retrospective with London Experience
HON 322L: Performing Arts Explorations – Live!
HON 322M: Photographing Place
HON 322N: Psychology in the Movies
HON 322P: LGBTQ: Representations in Film and Literature
HON 322Q: Human Trafficking in the United States and Beyond
HON 322R: Money Management
HON 322S: Conflicts in the Middle East
HON 322T: That's Me in the Corner
HON 322U: From School to Work: Surviving Your First Job
HON 322V: The Worlds of Ursula LeGuin
HON 322W: Judgment and Decision Making
HON 322Y: Exploring Systems: A Worldbuilding Workshop

1st Half HON 322A, Ghosts of the World, W 10-11:50 a.m., 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4651005

About the Course: In this seminar, we will investigate how hauntings and ghosts differ and proliferate across different world cultures, from the haunted houses of America to the yurei of Japan and the soucouyant of the Caribbean and beyond. Throughout the course, you’ll read short ghost stories (featuring authors that span the globe), view portions of films and other media dealing with ghosts and the culture of hauntings, and explore why ghostlore has such a global fascination. You’ll also create your own ghost story, encouraged to think about ghost stories beyond traditional texts.

About the Instructor: Chloe N. Clark holds an MFA in Creative Writing & Environment. Her poetry and fiction appears in such places as Apex, Gamut, Supernatural Tales, and Uncanny. She writes about horror, science fiction, and monsters for the website Nerds of a Feather. A lecturer at Iowa State University, she teaches composition and creative writing.

2nd Half HON 322B, Ghosts of the World, W 10-11:50 am, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, second half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4652005

Full Semester LAS 491C, , R 4:10-6 pm, 1151 Jischke, 2 credits, International Perspectives credit, full semester, . Enrollment limit: 17. Ref. No. 3791800

About the Course: You may have come to the university with some language skills and/or trips to international destinations in high school. In this seminar, you’ll be able to gain or build on such experiences by learning about and traveling to Punta Gorda, Belize, for a service-learning experience. Through this semester-long course, you’ll explore learning about and doing service in Belize. You’ll apply new understanding and reflect on how these experiences affect the five dimensions of culture (products, practices, persons, perspectives, and communities). We will use Linda Chisholm’s Charting a Hero’s Journey (International Partnership for Service-Learning Press, 2000). Other readings will be provided.

About the Instructor: Laurie Law, Administrative Director of the University Honors Program, has worked with high-ability students for several years and has taught Honors seminars on Jack the Ripper, language, and social discussion. With a background in student affairs, she has worked with several learning community programs. She is familiar with service-learning programs and has previously supervised students on alternative spring break programs.

1st Half HON 322C, Lincoln: History and Legend, TR 10-10:50 am, 1155 JIschke, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4653005

About the Course: Abraham Lincoln is an American icon, but do we really know the man called “the Railsplitter,” “Honest Abe,” and “The Great Emancipator”? In this seminar, we will read elements of Lincoln’s biography, watch two of the many films which tried to capture the man, and investigate Lincoln’s legacy in the U.S. and especially in the Midwest. We’ll try to uncover the clever, ambitious, wise and troubled man who was the 16th President of the United States.

About the Instructor: Logan Heim is a second-year Literature M.A. student with research interests in Victorian literature, especially that of Dickens, and issues of social class. While interested in nineteenth century history as well as literature, he also has interests in Shakespeare and gender studies, on which he presented at a conference in Gothenburg, Sweden in November.

1st Half HON 322D, Christianity & Science, R 11 am-1 pm, 541 Sci II, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, International Perspective credit. Ref. No. 4654005

About the Course: Religion and science, two of the greatest forces that influence mankind, are generally interested in different aspects of reality. Science addresses “how” questions while religion answers “why” questions. However, an area of common interest is the origin and history of life. In this seminar we will explore the interaction and boundaries between science and theology in this area of common interest through the writings of well-known scientists and theologians with expertise in these areas. We will discuss weekly reading assignments not only to develop critical thinking skills but also to learn more about 1) the nature and practice of science, 2) different views about the interaction of science and theology, and 3) boundaries between science and worldviews with common interests with science.

About the Instructor: Thomas S. Ingebritsen is an Associate Professor Emeritus in the Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology. He received a Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Indiana University in 1979. He did bench research for more than 20 years, primarily in the area of signal transduction. He also was Director of the LAS Center for On-Line Learning. As a scientist and a Christian, Dr. Ingebritsen has a strong interest in this seminar topic.

Full Semester HON 322E, A Good Place: Planned and Ideal Communities, W 4:10-5 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4655005

About the Course: In this seminar, we will learn about the human drive for a perfect society, and the more accessible goal of a planned and orderly one. Beginning with a brief look at Thomas More’s Utopia, we’ll explore the history of the utopian ideal, and about how utopian and egalitarian ideals, as well as planned communities, developed in various places across the U.S. We will learn about and also visit the Amana Colonies, seven villages in eastern Iowa which were governed communally until the 1930s. In addition to readings, you’ll collectively plan a community which may well be established in your lifetime: A settlement on Mars.

About the Instructor: Susan Yager, Professor of English and Faculty Director of the University Honors Program, has led Honors Seminars on many topics, including Frankenstein, banned books, and Magic: The Gathering. Her academic specialty is medieval English literature, but her many seminars on Harry Potter have helped her develop a second field in children’s literature.

Full Semester HON 322F, Loud and Proud: Spoken Word & Performance Poetry, F 1:10-2 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4661005

About the Course: Like its page-bound cousin, spoken word poetry contains infinite voices, forms and subjects. Its most masterful practitioners fill concert halls with fans who hang on every pregnant pause and resonant phrase. So why the distinction (and the dis) between the page and stage? Using readings, videos and audio as our guides, we will analyze and discuss the differences, and what qualifies as excellence in a spoken word poem, as well as the genre’s historical context and evolution. You’ll learn about seminal spoken word artists – some of whom will visit our class via Skype along with local activists on the spoken word/slam scene. You’ll attend a spoken word/performance poetry event outside class and present on his/her experiences to the class, and as a finale, you’ll write and perform a spoken-word poem for an in-class open mic.

About the Instructor: Jennifer L. Knox is a former six-time Milwaukee poetry slam champion and three-time National Slam contender. Her poems have appeared four times in The Best American Poetry series as well as in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and American Poetry Review. Author of four books of poems, she is a lecturer in Creative Writing and Communications at ISU.

Full Semester HON 322G, Islamic Spain: A Merging of Cultures, R 2:10-3 pm, 3158 Pearson, 1 credit, International Perspectives credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17. Ref. No. 4664005

About the Course: Spain’s unique culture is the product of the collisions of many cultures. Beginning with its ancient foundations under Roman and Visigothic rule, Spain developed in a distinct way due to its long Muslim occupation beginning in 711 and ending in 1492 with the conclusion of the Reconquista. The impacts of these eight centuries of occupation and their legacy endure today in Spanish culture through language, technology, architecture and art. Contact with the Muslim world after 1492 also endured due to Spain’s unique geographical proximity to North Africa. This seminar will explore the historical and modern impact of Islamic culture on Spain to offer a better understanding of how elements of Islamic culture have been infused into modern Spanish culture, as well as modern issues related to the interaction of Muslim and Spanish cultures.

About the Instructor: Erik Ladner, a Lecturer in Spanish and Portuguese, received his BA in Spanish and French and his MA in Spanish from the University of Northern Iowa. He later received a Ph.D. in Hispanic Literature from the University of Texas at Austin. He has studied and researched abroad in several locations in Spain and has also traveled extensively in France, Mexico and Brazil. He tentatively plans to co-direct a short-term study abroad program about Islamic Spain in Andalucia and Morocco with Jean-Pierre Taoutel, Lecturer of French and Arabic, in May 2018.

Full Semester HON 322H, From Buffy to Wonder Woman: Exploring the Heroic Women of Pop Culture, R 4:10-6 pm, 145 Bessey, 2 credits, U.S. Diversity credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4668005

About the Course: From Wonder Woman to Katniss, images and representations of the female hero of pop culture have evolved over the last seven decades. With the introduction of each new hero, cultural perspectives on and attitudes towards women are reflected and reinforced. Over the course of the semester, we will cover topics like the representation of women in media, superheroes in popular culture, and the lack of diversity in our super-powered female heroes. This class will also use film, television, and graphic novels as background references to class discussions.

About the Instructor: Jacki Hayes received her M.S. in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies from Iowa State in 2012. Her post-graduate program focused on Religious Studies, Women’s Studies, and Psychology, and concluded with an examination of the female comic book super heroes as goddesses of a modern mythology. She has since taught Goddess Spirituality and Women and Religion for the Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies.

1st Half HON 322K, Here, There and Everywhere: A Beatles Retrospective, 1 credit, International Perspectives credit. first half; 2030 Morrill Hall; no travel, class only. Enrollment limit: 10, Ref. No. 4679005

1st Half HON INDST 395E EN, Here, There and Everywhere: A Beatles Retrospective with London, T 6:10-8 pm, 2 credits, International Perspectives credit. first half, 2030 Morrill Hall spring break travel. Enrollment limit: 10, Ref. No. 7940800

About the Course: The Beatles have influenced generations of musicians and music fans since their first album was released in 1963. This seminar will explore the compiled works of The Beatles’ albums, TV appearances, and movies. You will survey 1960’s culture through the lens of a Beatles album and explore how Beatles music and the band’s personalities helped shape a generation’s understanding of Eastern religion, recreational drug use, and the 60’s counter-culture. This course may be taken for one credit, or as a two-credit course that includes a Spring Break trip to London and Liverpool.

About the Instructor: Jennifer Leptien has a Ph. D in Human Development and Family Studies. She currently serves as Interim Director of Learning Communities at Iowa State. An avid music fan, she has a particular affinity for the Beatles and is excited to share her passion for “the greatest band of all time” through this Honors seminar.

1st Half HON 322L, Performing Arts Explorations – Live!, T 4:10-6 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, International Perspectives Credit, first half (unusual). Enrollment limit: 20, Ref. No. 4680005

About the Course: Would you like to attend events at Iowa State Center, but can't find the time? Wondered how the arts intersect with your academic field? Through performance attendance, discussion, tours and readings, you’ll have an opportunity to experience international music, a Broadway musical and a Russian ballet. You’ll understand the importance of these art forms and explore the connections between the arts and your chosen curriculum. And we bet that having had a taste of events at Stephens, you’ll be on the lookout for more! Please note: This course may have a ticket fee.

About the Instructor: Laurie Law, Administrative Director of Honors, and Sara Compton, Iowa State Center Outreach Manager, will facilitate this seminar, including in-class discussions. Laurie has led Honors seminars on a wide variety of topics. Guest speakers will appear in the classroom or via Skype, and additional ISC staff will offer a backstage tour.

Full Semester HON 322M, Photographing Place, M 4:10-5 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4681005

About the Course: In this seminar you will use photography as a tool for narrative, deep mapping, and creating a sense of place. Over the semester, you’ll learn how to build or modify a camera to use as an important tool. Using digital and analog techniques, you’ll capture and develop a narrative that explores space and time. This narrative woven, with the photographic work, will create a deep map. The result could be a photograph, video, installation, or multimedia piece that fully defines a place. The work itself will be an expression of a memory, and the act of engaging with the work should take you into this place, creating a vivid memory of it.

About the Instructor: Clark Colby, a Lecturer in the College of Design, is an Honors graduate of Iowa State who studied Architecture, Environmental Studies, and Design Studies focused in Photography, Ceramics and Woodworking. He traveled and worked for Greater Des Moines Habitat for Humanity and Habitat for Humanity International before returning to Iowa State for a Masters of Science in Architecture degree. His desire is to continue his educational journey through collaboration. “With action, inquiry, and a creative open mind, I will work to save and create things and places of value for future generations.”

1st Half HON 322N, Psychology in the Movies, M 10-11:50, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 4687005

About the Course: In this seminar, we will compare readings that illustrate various psychiatric disorders, such as depression, or psychological constructs, such as racial identity, with films whose characters and plot lines illustrate these situations. We will watch films and discuss both their accuracies and inaccuracies with regard to how these disorders and developmental constructs are portrayed.

About the Instructor: Loreto Prieto is a Professor of Psychology at Iowa State. A Fellow of the American Psychological Association, he had conducted research on education and training in psychology for almost 25 years. He has always been an “arm chair” film critic; in another life he went to film school and directed Oscar-winning movies. He (sometimes) enjoys seeing how psychology is represented in contemporary film.

1st Half HON 322P, LGBTQ: Representations in Film and Literature, TR 2:10-3 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, US Diversity credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 5111005

About the Course: In this multimedia seminar, we will discuss the portrayal of the LGBTQ+ community in films, literature, Youtube series, and music. Through selected readings and videos, you will gain a deeper understanding of how writers, filmmakers, and other creators represent queerness to the wider world.

About the Instructor: Renee Christopher earned her BA in English and communication at UC-Santa Barbara. She currently studies Creative Fiction and Poetry at Iowa State. Her interests include sci-fi, fantasy, YA novels, and DND. (Shelby) Rae Stringfield received her BA in English and Creative Writing at the University of Tennessee. She is currently pursuing her MFA at Iowa State. Her areas of interest include contemporary literature and TV/film.

Full Semester HON 322Q, Human Trafficking in the United States and Beyond, W 2:10-4, 1151 Jischke, 2 credits, US Diversity credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 5113005

About the Course: This seminar will explore the phenomenon of human, sex, and labor trafficking in the United States and beyond. You will learn about the history of and concepts that define trafficking; the intersectionalities of race, gender, nationality, etc.; legal and political ramifications of trafficking, and how you can make a difference in your community by educating peers about this crime against humanity. Guest speakers include representatives from the Central Iowa Service Network Against Human Trafficking, Youth and Shelter Services, ISU Network Against Human Trafficking and Slavery, and others.

About the Instructor: Alissa Stoehr earned her PhD in Higher Education from Iowa State and is a Lecturer in the Sociology Department and the Women’s and Gender Studies Program. Her research interests include human trafficking, women’s and gender studies programs at community colleges, child support and welfare policies in the state of Iowa, racism within intercollegiate athletics, and work-life balance issues affecting female PhD students at Iowa State.

1st Half HON 322R, Money Management, T 3:40-5.30, 3164 Gerdin, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 24, Ref. No.

About the Course: This course is designed to help you acquire sound money management skills. It will include a series of seminars featuring experts in the field of finance. You will have an opportunity to directly interact with these finance professionals and to learn from their lectures. Our objective is help you learn to effectively manage student loans and credit card debt, create balanced budgets, develop good saving habits, identify profitable investment options, and follow proper risk management strategies. The last 30 minutes of each session are open for discussion and questions.

About the Instructor: Shoba Premkumar, a Senior Lecturer in the College of Business, will coordinate this seminar. Guest speakers include Chad Olson, Assistant Director, Office of Student Financial Aid, ISU; Tom Coates, CEO, Consumer Credit of Des Moines; Rick Reger, agent for American National Insurance Co.; Mitch Peterson, Branch Manager, Stifel Nicholas & Co.; and Jake Zehr, Wealth Management Advisor, TIAA-CREF.

Full Semester HON 322S, Conflicts in the Middle East, T 2:10-3 pm, 3158 Pearson, 1 credit, International Perspectives credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 3570005

About the Course: What are the current political conflicts in the Middle East? How should we understand the wars in the Middle East? In this seminar, we will examine the current political conflicts and wars in this region. We will examine in depth the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Lebanese War, the Palestinian question and other regional issues (Iraq, the Kurds, Iran, Syria, etc.). You will better understand the “complicated Middle East” and how these conflicts affect the war on terrorism.

About the Instructor: Jean-Pierre Taoutel has been teaching at ISU since 1999 as a Senior Lecturer of French and an Instructor of Arabic. He was born in Syria and grew up in Lebanon before moving to France. He holds an M.A and a D.E.A in French literature from the Sorbonne Nouvelle in Paris, France. He has taught several Honors seminars. Jean-Pierre enjoys traveling and he has been in over 40 countries.

Full Semester HON 322T, That's Me in The Corner, M 2:10-3 pm, 3158 Pearson, 1 credit, International Perspectives credit, full semester. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 2968005

About the Course: How much do you know about the problems that many people in the world face today? Are you aware of the plagues (organ traffic, modern slavery, child soldiers, forced prostitution, etc.) that are destroying the lives of millions of people around you? On the first day of this seminar, you will be given a photo that represents a random person suffering from one of today’s plagues. Who is this person? What is his/her problem? How come he/she has ended up in this situation? You will do research about the issue represented in the photo and present it in class. You will learn more in-depth about issues that, even if they don’t make the headlines, affect millions of people in the world. You could have been that person in the corner!

2nd Half HON 322U, From School to Work: Surviving Your First Job, W 5:10-7 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, second half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 2977005

About the Course: Your school life will end eventually. Soon you may be working for an employer in the public or private sector. Are you ready for the real world? How do you start to make the difficult but exciting transition from school to work? This highly interactive seminar will help you identify your strengths, polish the materials you need for interviews, improve your interview skills, and learn the nuts and bolts of surviving your first job and beyond.

About the Instructor: Sherry Xie is an MBA and has worked in the private sector for more than a decade, in companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small businesses. She is currently a Program Coordinator in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, where she works to facilitate research efforts. She advocates soft skills and mindset building for students transitioning to the post-college world.

2nd Half HON 322V, The Worlds of Ursula LeGuin, TR 1:10-2 pm, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, second half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 3552005

About the Course: American author Ursula LeGuin is known for her science fiction and fantasy novels and short stories, most popularly the Earthsea Cycle. She is one of our greatest living writers, as evidenced by her National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters and as one of the only science fiction writers whose works have been collected by the Library of America. In this seminar we will read and enjoy two of her shorter novels (The Dispossessed and A Wizard of Earthsea) as well as a range of short stories.

About the Instructor: Phoebe Wagner grew up in Pennsylvania, where she spent her days among the endless hills pretending to be an elf. She earned a B.A. in English: Creative Writing from Lycoming College, and is an MFA candidate in Creative Writing and Environment at Iowa State. Her work has been included in Rose Red Review, Allegheny Review, and elsewhere. Brontë Christopher Wieland, an MFA candidate in Creative Writing and Environment at Iowa State, spends time thinking about language, culture, nature, and storytelling. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with majors in Mathematics and Linguistics. Brontë’s fiction appears in Flash Fiction Online and Hypertext Magazine.

NOTE CHANGE 1st Half HON 322W, Judgment and Decision Making, MW 1:10-2 pm, 1155 Jischke, 1 credit, 1st half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 3675005

About the Course: The aim of this seminar is to acquaint you with current topics in a sub-area of social psychology, Judgment and Decision Making. During this seminar we will cover topics such as intuitive thinking or heuristics (i.e., “rules of thumb”), biases, and how people deal with uncertainty and randomness. Along with thoughtful discussions and critical thinking, we will consider how and why people make certain decisions, and how we can improve our decision making skills.

About the Instructor: Marielle Machacek, a graduate student in Social Psychology at ISU, has research interests focused primarily on attitude formation, morality, and gender bias. She earned her Master’s degree in Psychology from the University of South Florida in 2015. She plans to complete her PhD in 2019 and would like to continue working in academia as social psychological research and teaching are her passions.

1st Half HON 322Y, Exploring Systems: A Worldbuilding Workshop, TR 12:10-1:00 am, 1151 Jischke, 1 credit, first half. Enrollment limit: 17, Ref. No. 3725005

About the Course: Through short stories and novel excerpts, we will explore how authors create robust worlds from the ground up, such as William Faulkner’s fictional Yoknapatawpha County or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle-Earth. Because worldbuilding involves developing the systems that govern society, we will examine how political systems, environment, religion, commerce, sexuality, language, mythology, food, technology and other elements of society are created. The practical outcomes are understanding how a society is structured and how characters function within it. Since this seminar is a workshop, the main assignments will be brainstorming, outlining, and developing a world which will be workshopped at different stages by the class. We’ll start with the basics, so no creative background is necessary.