Fall 2009
The "Pink Book" for Summer & Fall 2009 is now available! Pick up a copy at the Honors House or click the links below to get the PDF version.
Honors Courses Summer/Fall 2009 (PDF)
Honors Network Sheet (PDF)
Honors Courses
HNR 301-001: Ecofeminism
What is the connection between global warming and women having the right to vote? Why should women who want to earn the same salary as a man care about the condition of our environment? Is the environment a feminist issue?
This course will explore the intersections of ecology, gender and culture by examining how environmental degradation, feminism and race theories have come together to investigate issues of social justice and its relationship to our ecological development and future environmental forecasts. We will study ecofeminist thought as it relates to religion, colonialism, class, science, literature and other disciplines as we consider the reasons why ecofeminism interrogates, challenges, and calls for the dismantling of Western patriarchal ideologies.
Donelle Dreese specializes in Multicultural and Environmental Literatures. A writer, poet, teacher, and trail walker, she is currently writing a book on natural areas of the northeast U.S.
HNR 301-002: Darwin & Philosophy
In this seminar we will examine neo-Darwinian views on evolution and natural selection. Critics suggest that these views force us to question, and perhaps devalue, important aspects of human nature like the nature of thought, morality, freewill, creativity and the effects of culture. We will consider several attempts that use evolutionary principles to provide naturalistic explanations for these important features of human existence.
Rudy Garns is an Associate Professor in the Philosophy Program. He has taught Honors courses on Androids, Zombies & Brains; Nanotechnology; and Creationism & Science. He shares more than 98% of his genes with the chimpanzee.
HNR 301-003: Evolutionary Psychology
This course introduces students to the relevance of the theory of evolution in understanding human behavior and mental processes. Readings, lectures and assorted educational media from the internet will be used to illustrate how principles of biological evolution can be used to explain personality traits, pro-social behaviors of altruism and cooperation, anti-social behaviors of aggression, warfare and deception, mental disorders, and the cognitive processes of perception, learning, memory and other aspects of human psychology, as time permits. The course will illustrate how modern evolutionary theory integrates behavioral data from human and animal studies in psychology, biology and anthropology to achieve a parsimonious explanation of human nature.
David Hogan has a Ph.D. in experimental psychology with an area of specialization in learning, cognition and behavior in animals. His formal education and research on behavior processes of animals introduced him to the relevance of evolutionary theory for understanding species similarities and differences at core behavioral levels. More recently, his research has focused on the influence of personality factors on the accuracy of causality judgments in college students and the efficacy of diversity courses in reducing prejudice.
HNR 302-001: Volunteerism & Social Change
In the Wingspread Statement on Student Civic Engagement, college students indicate that volunteerism is the primary means through which they participate in the political process and make change in their communities. Many of us have or do volunteer, but we often don’t think about what volunteerism means to our society. Volunteering makes us powerful, helps us and others, and addresses crucial issues and needs in our world.
In this course, students will learn more about:
- the cultural significance of volunteerism
- the many reasons people volunteer
- the variety of benefits reaped by volunteers and the communities they serve
- what it takes to keep volunteers happy and engaged
- the importance of volunteerism to community-building, cross-cultural awareness and civic engagement
- the role of college students as volunteers
Students will evaluate local organizations and become regular volunteers. Because of the volunteer requirement, the course will be web-enhanced, meaning that the class will meet on campus only on select days (approximately 25% of the time). Otherwise, students will be expected to contribute on Blackboard via essays and discussion boards.
Ali Godel is an Honors faculty member who is certified in Nonprofit Management, including volunteer coordination. She teaches services learning courses each year and has been the recipient of several course-related grants sponsored by government agencies and the Scripps Howard Center for Civic Engagement.
HNR 303-001: Supermen & Wonder Women
Look, up in the sky! Is it a bird? A plane? A cultural icon?
For seventy years, Superman and the super hero have been apart of American culture. In this class, we will look at super heroes throughout American history and discuss what those heroes represent and stand for. We will be taking a critical look at Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, the X-men, the Watchmen, and other super heroes in a variety of mediums. You will discover why Superman is so popular, why Wonder Woman has her magic lasso, and what mutants might really represent.
Students will be writing a major research paper on a super hero, exploring the character’s relationship to American culture. Student will also be asked to create their own super hero and villain at the end of the class.
Spandex suit and cape not required.
P. Andrew Miller is Associate Professor of Creative Writing and English in the Department of Literature and Language. He has published his poetry and fiction in magazines, anthologies, and online (www.alwaysi.com). He teaches creative writing and a variety of literature courses, as well as a course on gardening and writing in the summer.
HNR 303-002: Dream of a Perfect Language
What are the limits of language? What lies beyond? Is language all there is? Is it a prison? Is it a virus? Does it have a body? Can it be perfected? In this seminar we will examine what has engaged and confused humans past and present as they have reflected on the science and myth of language.
In the first part of the seminar we will read The Search for the Perfect Language by Umberto Eco. We follow Eco’s path from the languages of Eden, past the tower of Babel, on to linguistic mysticism (especially the kabbala), pictorial languages, and the languages of artificial intelligence. Along the way we will read fiction by Borges and Delany, view a few unusual films (Pi, for example) learn some Chinese characters, and weave some hypertext.
In the second part of the seminar, we want to get a sense of the extremes of language. We explore issues of linguistic diversity, cultural-linguistic relativity, and language death. To make this concrete, we study a fragment of Mayan grammar. We end by seeking the limits of language in poetry, music, and beyond. Participants are urged to explore connections with their own majors.
Kevin Kirby is chair of the Department of Computer Science. At NKU since 1994, his research areas include artificial intelligence and biocomputing, but linguistics is his enduring obsession. He is a past winner of the NKU Outstanding Junior Faculty Award and the Mathematical Association of America’s George Polya Award. He also writes a monthly column for the Korean-language newspaper Hanguk Ilbo, and has been taking students to Mexico in the Alternative Spring Break service learning program since 1999.
HNR 307-001: American Movie Musicals
American movie musicals have long been a part of our social fabric. The genre continues to earn new fans thanks to films like Moulin Rouge, Chicago, Rent and Hairspray. While some of these films first found their voice on Broadway, many in the genre's tradition were written specifically for film. We will examine the tradition of the Hollywood film musical from the 1930's to today. We will focus our attention on the critical reactions and social criticism these films have engendered, along with the social and historical contexts in which the genre thrives.
Jodi Ferner, long-time Honors faculty member, believes there is nothing better than “a willing suspension of disbelief and a good movie musical.”