2016 Fall Honorable Mention

Honorable Mention MENTIONING WESTMINSTER HONORABLES SINCE 2002 First lateral-entry cohort joins the Honors program New system welcomes transfer and sophomore students to honors The first lateral-entry cohort participates in a discussion led by professor Nick More. Lateral-entry students take the introductory course “Welcome to Thinking III,” which stands in place of Welcome to Thinking I and II offered for traditional-entry students. Photo courtesy of Calen Smith By Stephanie Held Orange textbooks sit face-up in front of each student, joined by coffee cups and water bottles. It’s 10 a.m., which means little morning light filters through the classroom’s four small windows. In fact, most of the space is lit by overhead fluorescents. When the door is shut, noise from the hallway ceases and Gore 108 becomes its own world. Conversation begins as everyone sits around the circle of tables. All the seats are full in Welcome to Thinking III, the new gateway seminar for lateral-entry students joining the Honors program. The Honors Council began discussing a lateral entry option in 2013 in conjunction with the larger curricular reform process at Westminster. By 201415, eight students were participating in Honors classes as part of a studentdriven pilot program. Encouraged by the positive experiences of these pilot students, the Honors Council created an official lateral entry option for a fall 2016 start. “ You get a lot more e x perience and pers pect ive and you als o get people who really want t o be t here....” Olivia Perez The lateral entry option was designed to offer the Honors experience to students who were unable or uninterested in applying via the traditional entry route. This new pathway makes Honors welcoming to Fall 2016 - Volume 15 - Issue 1 all types of students and adds different life experiences to classroom discussions, according to Honors Director Richard Badenhausen. Many Honors students also said it’s a positive expansion of the program. “I think [lateral entry] is good for the Honors program,” said Olivia Perez (‘18), one of the original pilot students. “You get a lot more experience and perspective and you also get people who really want to be there, and I think that adds to the experience.” The first formal lateral-entry cohort joined the Honors program this fall, comprised of internal and external transfers, a group made up of traditional age students, adult learners, international students, and veterans. Despite their varied backgrounds, these students were brought together by their shared motivation and dedication to academics. Continued on page three Honors students create first global awareness conference Elhom Gosink and Tim Lindgren spearhead campus global community By Catherine Blakemore In the spring of 2016, two Honors students pioneered an undergraduate research conference called “Global Crises Global Change” (GCGC). Honors student Tim Lindgren, a senior from Sweden, was one of the conference’s co-founders, alongside Honors senior Elhom Gosink. Westminster junior Luis Mario Ruiz joined the team in fall 2015. Lindgren, previously quoted in an article by The Forum: Westminster College’s Student News Source, said he had desired for a long time to create a conference to address global challenges and provide a space for cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural multilateral knowledge exchange. The purpose of the conference, as noted in the GCGC agenda booklet, was to address roots of convergent global crises, creatively explore possible solutions and alternatives, and collaboratively facilitate connections across multiple campuses, communities, organizations, and social groups. Gosink indicated that several local NGOs and other organizations were invited to host an informational table throughout the conference. “Students and community members were able to make connections with these organizations who are committed to change in our community,” Gosink said. “Many of these organizations have expressed an interest in continuing their relationship by coming to future conferences.” The Westminster College Griffin Grant funded the 2016 conference, awarded to Lindgren and Gosink after they applied for the grant during the spring 2015 Honors seminar “Political Economy of Conflict.” The four-day conference consisted of five panels and roundtable discussions with students from Westminster College, Utah State University, Brigham Young University, Northern Arizona State University, and Boise State University. Westminster juniors Cozy Huggins and Josie Stoker presented their work “Political Studies Don’t Have to be so 2 Seniors Elhom Gosink and Tim Lindgren collaborate in the planning of the first ever Global Crisis Global Change Conference. This event, focusing on fostering a global community, took place in spring 2016. Photo courtesy of Catherine Blakemore Goddamn Heterosexual: Your Mindset is Exhausting and We’ve had Enough” in the fourth panel on gender and sexuality. They said the GCGC was an amazing opportunity for students to present research in an academic setting, though certain topics did lack proper representation or were addressed in ways that ignored intersectional perspectives. “ St udent s from t his year’s conference have crea t ed connect ions t hat will cont inue t o grow this conference and link with ins t it ut ions around t he count r y.” Elhom Gosink “We are very excited to have had this opportunity and were impressed by how smoothly the conference ran and how well organized it was,” Huggins said. “We were presenting on gender and sexuality minorities in political science and the need to include these intersectional voices. It was very empowering to have the chance to discuss ideas that affect our community and come up with ways to make those voices more intersectional.” They both indicated that they look forward to the future of the conference under the political science department and hope the future will bring more intersectional voices. “The conference provided a space for students to practice presenting in an academic fashion and meet with [others] from an array of majors and schools who might not otherwise have a platform to meet and learn from one another,” Gosink said. “They formed academic and personal relationships with one another. Students from this year’s conference have created connections that will continue to grow this conference and link with institutions around the country.” The global community the GCGC fostered wouldn’t have been possible without the ambition and dedication of these Honors students. GCGC cofounder Gosink said plans are already in motion to ensure the conference continues after she and Lindgren graduate. Both Honors seniors said they hope the conference will continue to provide a critical platform year after year for the community to foster personal and institutional relationships. Popich and Badenhausen reflect on Honor’s growth Program founder and current director share changes in curriculum and structure over last 29 years By Elizabeth Johnson Several key changes have shaped the course of Westminster’s Honors program since its founding in 1987. As the program moves toward more flexible curricular paths for students and different modes of entry into the program, the Honors program’s founder and original director, Dr. Michael Popich, and current director, Dr. Richard Badenhausen, reflect on the program’s journey. One of the key turning points for the program was when Dr. Nick More, the program’s second director, created the Honors Council with the goal of bringing an endowed chair to the program. Badenhausen said he credits this event with bringing him to campus. Likewise, Popich said he identifies Badenhausen taking over as director as a major turning point for the Honors program, since it has gained more national recognition under Badenhausen’s leadership. Popich described what Badenhausen has done with the program as “remarkable.” Another major shift for Honors was its establishment in Nunemaker Place at the beginning of the fall semester in 2004. Prior to the move, the program had no space to call its own. Having a physical location to host both academic and social events altered the atmosphere of the program, creating a stronger sense of community and a greater awareness of fellow students in the program, Continued from page one Lateral-entry students “know what it’s like to be in college and have had certain experiences with college level-classes,” said Sara D’Agostino (‘19), an internal transfer student originally from Milan, Italy. “But we still decide that we want more.” Before joining the cohort, students must have had at least 8 hours of general education credit, though most have many more. They are then required to take Welcome to Thinking III—co-taught this according to Badenhausen and Popich. The Honors program is now a community rather than just a set of courses for academically prepared students as it was in earlier years, Popich said. This sense of community is also fostered by a robust peer mentoring program, events hosted by the Student Honors Council, and Tuesday Conversations—events and opportunities that weren’t around 20 years ago. In recent years, the course of the Honors program has shifted yet again as its curriculum has been made more flexible. A curricular change two years ago resulted in the creation of new, redesigned classes to better meet student needs, as well as the lateral entry option, which offers multiple pathways to completing the program. With these changes in curriculum, both Badenhausen and Popich said they’ve noticed that the number of Honors faculty has grown and the professors have become more excited about team teaching and interdisciplinary thinking. When the program began, there were only 10 to 12 faculty members teaching. There are now 28 faculty members who regularly rotate through the Honors curriculum. Both Badenhausen and Popich said they look forward to seeing how eventually turning the program into an Honors college will grow and shape Honors in the near future. Over the past 29 years, the honors program has had three directors: Michael Popich, Nick More and Richard Badenhausen. One of the newest proposals for growth is the development of a new honors college that would allow for more students and faculty to participate in the program. Cartoon by Jessica Taghvaiee fall by anthropology professor Connie Etter and philosophy professor Nick More— as well as three additional Honors core seminars. Students who complete these requirements earn the Honors Certificate. As the Honors program works to promote Westminster’s goal of a more diverse and inclusive campus, senior global studies major Tim Lindgren (‘17) said the lateral entry program is a step in the right direction. This option offers another opportunity for high-achieving students to join a supportive community of like minded people, said Jen Youngblood (‘20), a psychology major and transfer student from Washington. In short, the expansion of the Honors program has both students and faculty excited for the future. “[Welcome to Thinking III] is a great experience so far,” said Jared Rich (‘18), an external transfer student to the Honors program from Salt Lake Community College. “I mean, it’s only been a couple weeks and I’m already calling it my favorite class ever. So yeah. It’s pretty cool.” 3 #ThrowbackThursday Professors look back on the good ol’ days. Phone books, old cars and poofy hair. By Aaron Smith Throwback Thursday (TBT)—a day when Honors students run to their computers to compete in the field of (online) glory to find out who can correctly guess the following about a photo posted on the Honors program’s Facebook page: 1) the Honors faculty member in the photo, 2) the year the photo was taken, and 3) the circumstances surrounding the picture. As an exemplar of staying true to your passion despite external pressures is Dave Goldsmith. This photo gives a brief glance into the life of a young Goldsmith, whose side job was almost certainly running an underground gambling ring. Honors sophomore Calen Smith commented this photo shows Goldsmith “checking the books.” We personally are looking forward to Goldsmith’s Tuesday Conversation “Underground Gambling and You.” David Goldsmith Attempts to find help from a barber, a tailor and a personal trainer with Siri’s predecessor: the phonebook. 25 years ago Like Fashion is another passion of the Honors community. Inspired by Heidi Van Ert’s photo, Goldsmith posted that Heidi and her stylish ski-wear of 1971 “proves the axiom that fashion is wearable art.” Whenever first-year Honors students wonder, “How am I going to write a prompt relating a 21st century axiom and fashion?” they need look no further than Goldsmith’s wise words. Heidi Van Ert Sporting the team uniform for the learn-to-race ski program at snowbird. Praying for snow. 45 years ago Like Michael Chipman invited the Honors community to remember the fading fashion of puka shells. The (un)official winning comment on this post was from Marya Tykal, who wrote, “Michael Chipman, around 1995, taken in a brief pause from fending off the hordes of high school girls drawn in by the puka shells.” Chipman responded, “Don’t underestimate the power of puka shells and hair gel, people.” Throwback Thursday has become a staple of the Honors program and is here to stay. We may not have any SNL Writers in the Honors program, but we do have Throwback Thursday comments. Michael Chipman Rocking puka shells and an entire jar of hair gel. Some school pictures do leave the yearbook. 27 years ago Like 4 Honors diversifies program’s experience with new seminars By Calen Smith and Maggie Fischer Students engage in lively discusion in Data, Society and Decision Making, led by professors Sean Raleigh and Julie Stewart. Photo Courtesy of Calen Smith CAPSTONE CONVERSATIONS The Honors program has recently undergone many exciting curriculum reforms with both new and existing classes providing more flexibility and variety for Honors students. Classes such as Environments and the Space of Art, Welcome to Thinking III, Capstone Conversations, and Data, Society, and Decision Making, are brand new to the Honors program. Meanwhile, existing classes have also changed, including Tuesday Conversation (formerly Living Arts) and Global Welfare and Justice (formerly Political Economy of Conflict). Finally, a course that returns once every four years, Presidential Elections: Strategy and Substance, was offered for fall 2016. Richard Badenhausen, director of the Honors program, said he welcomes the curriculum changes. “We’ve been waiting for a while for college-wide gen-ed reform so we could try new things we have been excited about,” he said. The Honors program will offer the Capstone Conversation course in the 2019–2020 school year, with a potential pilot course in the 2018–2019 year. Capstone Conversations will be informed by students’ thesis work across many disciplines and will draw on the skills they have learned over the course of their college career. The course will also provide an opportunity for senior students to reconnect with their firstyear cohort right before graduating. TUESDAY CONVERSATIONS Living Arts, now known as Tuesday Conversations, was originally designed as a lab to Humanities I to satisfy the college-wide living arts requirement. With Westminster’s removal of the Living Arts requirement during the adoption of the new WCore, Honors had the option of removing the two-hour discussions every Tuesday night. However, in the spirit of providing a weekly community-building opportunity for the entire Honors first-year cohort and information they may not learn in the classroom, Living Arts evolved into Tuesday Conversations while still being attached to Welcome to Thinking. 5 Utah politicians Roger Livingston and Ted Wilson act as professors for an honors semoinar following the presidential election. This class is only offered every four years and provides students the opportunity to hear from prominent local politicians, while closely following the race for the White House. WELCOME TO THINKING III The introductory seminar sequence known as Humanities I & II is now called Welcome to Thinking I & II. Alongside these courses, the brand new Welcome to Thinking III seminar is available to lateral-entry students and follows a similar format. Welcome to Thinking III is a one-semester offering because many lateralentry students have already completed a significant number of general education requirements upon entering the Honors program. Much of what takes place in the introductory class to Honors has stayed the same, such as interdisciplinary course design, student-centered discussions of primary texts, and weekly writing of prompts. One reason for transitioning away from the “Humanities” title is that readings from these seminars now encompass non-Western texts and are drawn from a wide variety of eras and disciplines, including examples like “Medieval Islamic philosophy and Ancient Asian drama,” according to Badenhausen. A past Honors student looking over the syllabus of Welcome to Thinking III, for example, might be surprised to find readings like Freire’s “The Banking Model of Education” and Paul Cottell Jr.’s “A Queer Youth.” Despite the curriculum changes, the classes maintain their familiar focus on reading, writing, and discussion. Photo Courtesy of Calen Smith content now covered in the class. Cain, who taught one semester of Global Welfare and Justice, said she enjoys teaching in Honors. “It is exciting to be a part of a program that is continually updating curriculum and moving in more interdisciplinary ways,” she said. Global Welfare and Justice is just one example of that movement. GLOBAL WELFARE AND JUSTICE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: STRATEGY AND SUBSTANCE Global Welfare and Justice is another Honors seminar that has undergone changes in name and content. The class, which was originally called Political Economy of Conflict, focuses on different ideologies and philosophies and analyzes how economic decision making occurs within political systems. Professors Leonardo Figueroa-Helland and Peggy Cain coteach the Global Welfare and Justice course in the spring semester while Michael Popich and John Watkins run the fall version. Figueroa-Helland has taught the course a few times and said he noticed that “the class moved into a different sort of approach with more emphasis on engaging contemporary global issues, welfare, environmental issues, diversity of perspectives, culture, gender, race, and class.” The natural transition Figueroa-Helland described shows how the new title more accurately reflects the Offered once every four years in concurrence with U.S. presidential elections, the Presidential Elections: Strategy and Substance class is one of the most distinct courses in the Honors program. The two professors teaching the course this election, Roger Livingston and Ted Wilson, are experienced Utah politicians who also have taught regularly at the college level. Livingston is a former judge for the third district court in Utah and served two terms as a representative in the Utah State Legislature. Wilson served as mayor of Salt Lake City for three terms and used to direct the Hinkley Center for Politics at the University of Utah. Livingston, who has returned to teach the class through four election cycles said, “This class has the value of being current. We are learning about things 6 that have immediate application, where everything is important—from Trump’s tax issues to Clinton’s email scandal. We are teaching the present.” Both professors said they hope the class gets students interested in politics and helps them become more active, informed, and caring citizens. “Politics is a big slice of life,” Ted said. “By learning about politics, you become aware of how we solve problems, how we get to what’s important, how we project ourselves, and how we get along with others.” ENVIRONMENTS AND THE SPACE OF ART As the Honors program diversifies, it has introduced new classes to fill growing demands for a wider range of subjects. In an effort to bring in new topics that were not previously covered by the curriculum, the program decided to pair environmental science and art. Environments and the Space of Art was introduced as a cross-listed, special topics course in fall 2015 and will be offered again in spring 2017 by art hisDATA, SOCIET Y, AND DECISION torian and land art expert Hikmet Loe and art professor Matt Kruback. Environmental studies professor Brent Olsen, who MAKING co-taught the first version of the seminar, said the class cenData, Society, and Deci“ By lear ning about polit ics , you ters on how the environment sion Making was first offered become aw are of how we s olve and art interact—both what art in spring 2015. That seminar can teach us about the environproblems , how we get t o what’s arose out of a desire to incorporate more quantitative-based impor tan t, how we project ours elves , ment and how the environment can influence the art created in courses into the Honors proan d how we get along w it h ot hers .” it. Like many Honors classes, gram. Sociology professor JuEnvironments and the Space of lie Stewart and public health Art allows students to choose professor Han Kim taught the Ted Wilson subjects of interest and explore original iteration of the course, them beyond what a traditional which was designed by a group classroom setting might allow. of QUARC faculty and students led by math professor Sean The changes in Honors curriculum reflect the program’s Raleigh. This semester, Stewart and Raleigh are teaching the commitment to meet growing demands for new and modified course. Like every Honors class, the curriculum varies semesclasses. The Honors program has capitalized on WCore tranter to semester due to shifts in teaching partnerships. Stewart sitions within Westminster to shape its own structure. The and Raleigh, for example, are focusing on outdated statistics improved and expanded selection of classes seeks to expand methods, data ethics, and the applied use of statistical meththe opportunities available to students to make for a diverse ods. and engaging educational environment. In her second year teaching the class, Stewart said she appreciated how much of a community it takes to create a course. For example, throughout the curriculum process Badenhausen, director of the Honors program, would suggest reading materials and information he thought the professors may enjoy incorporating into the learning environment of Data, Society, and Decision Making. Leonardo Figueroa-Helland and Peggy Cain helped lead the transition from Political Economy of Conflict to Global Welfare and Justice. The new, revised curriculum offers students an emphasis on current global issues Photo Courtesy of Calen Smith 7 Student Profile: Meet Sophomore Sabi Lowder By Taylor Stevens Sophomore lateral entry student Sabi Lowder became a passionate activist for diversity and women’s rights during her first year at Westminster College. The Utah native now serves as president of Westminster’s Feminist Club, a student adviser for Title IX, and a peer educator for the college’s sexual assault bystander intervention program. Despite her heavy involvement outside the classroom, Lowder said she felt something missing from her experience during her first year of college. She decided she wanted more of an academic challenge, which she found when she dove headfirst into the Honors program as a lateral entry student. “I like the fact that we can get in there and actually talk about ideas,” she said. Lowder has quickly immersed herself in the Honors community during her first year in the program. She said the best part about the class is the different perspectives the Photo Courtesy of Sabi Lowder members of the lateral entry cohort bring to the table, cultivated from their diverse lived experiences. Lowder said studying critical theory, philosophy and power structures in the Honors classroom has forced her to confront her implicit biases and has made her a better activist. “To me, academia and activism are one and the same,” Lowder said. “But Honors is forcing myself to think past what I normally think about. It pushes me to look at different possibilities of what people could be saying.” Lowder said Honors has provided her with a space where she can step out of her comfort zone and take risks. “When I go into that classroom, I sort of have to step out of my activist role,” she said. “I’m like, ‘Well, I need to be productive in here,’ and sometimes being productive isn’t critiquing what the material is saying and what it’s not saying.” Lowder is currently working on a program to bring peer advocates to Westminster to support survivors of sexual assault and is preparing for her second semester in the Honors program. An undeclared major, Lowder said she is looking forward to continuing her academic exploration in the Honors classroom for rest of her college experience. Professor Profile: Lifelong Learner Nick More about Honors, which has increased the diversity of fields represented within the Dr. Nick More, a professor of program. philosophy who often co-teaches the More said the Honors program Welcome to Thinking seminars, has had provides him with a platform for 22 years of experience teaching philosophy “perpetual learning,” which he feels is and Honors classes at Westminster. More one of the chief benefits of the program was the second director of the Honors for professors and students, along with program (after creating lifelong another philosophy “ I love havin g learners. At the same professor, Dr. Michael time, More said con versation s [in Popich), but said teaching Honors Hon ors semin ar s ] he stepped down courses gives him the because he enjoyed becau se I f eel like I ability to study what teaching more than he loves in a seminar am lear n in g j u st as the administrative setting. “I love having mu ch as the oth er aspects of directing conversations [in the program. stu den ts are.” Honors seminars] More served on because I feel like I am the search committee learning just as much Nick More for the current as the other students director, Dr. Richard are,” More remarked. Badenhausen, whom he said marked When More isn’t preparing for an one of the most significant transitions to Honors seminar or considering the the Honors program in all his years with “bigger picture,” you can most likely find the program. More said Badenhausen him listening to lossless music, playing was able to get other professors excited squash, or helping students “consider By Sammantha Rosales-Hernandez 8 Photo Courtesy of Nick More the possibility that doing fewer things well is better than doing a lot of things superficially,” as they make their way through the program. Overall, More said Honors “ is a great community, and I feel very grateful to be a part of that community.” How has being part of the Honors Program changed your approach to learning or teaching? The Honors program’s focus on engaging with primary texts has definitely influenced how I teach. I’ve always been a big believer in induction— having students work their way toward conclusions based on what they see in texts rather than front-loading what I expect them to learn. While they may feel flummoxed at first—“You really just want me to say Chris LeCluyse what I see?”—students stand Professor of English to learn more by trusting their perceptions and coming to their own conclusions. The first class I taught in Honors was Arts in Performance, so a lot of the texts I was asking students to engage with on their own terms (I’m keeping that pronoun intentionally ambiguous) were images and musical works. That experience encouraged me to focus more on primary texts in my other classes. In ENGL 310: Theory and Teaching of Writing, the course I teach every spring to prepare Writing Center consultants, I did away with a textbook and had students read articles written by leading proponents of particular approaches to teaching writing. The only drawback was that students might overgeneralize ideas particular to that theorist to the entire approach. Eventually I returned to including a textbook, but we still read a lot of primary texts, and the textbook I use foregrounds first-hand research conducted by undergraduates. Now that I teach Welcome to Thinking I, it’s invigorating “ W h i l e t h e y may f eel f lu mmoxed at f i r st — ‘ Yo u really j u st wan t me t o s ay w h a t I s e e ? ’—stu den ts stan d to lear n m o re by t r ustin g their perceptions and c o m i ng t o their own con clu sions .” Chris LeCluyse to be back in the world of “the whole text and nothing but the text.” I think the challenge for Honors students is to put out ideas about what they see or think even if they’re unsure. Together we can work through them and create meaning much more effectively than if people keep their thoughts to themselves. Like many, my first experiences in the Honors program resulted in mixed feelings of piqued interest and abject horror. In a particular instance, my introverted self stared blankly on as one of my fellow first years casually slipped the word “stimuli” into a sentence about English literature with sophisticated ease. Such empirical evidence confirmed my suspicion that Ashleigh Albrechtsen because I didn’t already verbally Senior Arts Administra- articulate myself like I had a PhD in molecular physiology, tion Student I really wasn’t that “smart.” Eventually, we realize being in Honors isn’t just about using impressive vocabulary but about experimenting with impressive ideas. I decided that feeling “smart” (as opposed to being “smart,” which is so nebulously defined) is vastly overrated, to say nothing of the dangers of comparison. Learning is not about knowing things. Learning is a process requiring intellectual leaps. It’s that terrifying gray area of not knowing but of still engaging with challenging concepts that can be legitimately rewarding—and a lot of fun! While this notion of learning as intellectually leaping can occasionally manifest itself as an original thought, it can also simply mean tackling unfamiliar theories, integrating interdisciplinary ideas, embracing areas of extreme ambiguity, or adopting a more pluralistic mentality. Fortunately, it doesn’t always have to be performative. It’s an approach to learning that is ultimately open and exploratory. To some, maybe my challenge to “rethink what it means to be ‘smart’” is implicitly obvious or sounds like a clichéd insight you might find in a Buzzfeed article titled “Top 10 Things You Learn in College!” But it’s no less worthwhile. Taking intellectual risks is something we best realize through experience, and Honors has served as my impetus for learning this concept. It certainly doesn’t come naturally to me, but I am continually trying to be comfortable feeling uncomfortable when I’m learning. There is no better place than my Honors classes to nurture and practice this evolution. Where else could an arts student like myself get so many chances to casually drop words like “stimuli”? “ Taking int ellect ual ris ks is s om e t h i ng we bes t realize t hrough e x perienc e, a nd Honors has s er ved as my impet us f o r lear ning t his concept .” Ashleigh Albrechtsen 9 News & Notes Creed Archibald (‘09) recently returned to Salt Lake City with his family to teach 7th and 8th grade at Northwest Middle School. Sierra Kane (’16) has started an MA program in gender studies at Utrecht University in the Netherlands. Dallin Van Leuven (‘10) graduated last year with his master’s degree from The Fletcher School at Tufts University and is now working in Beirut, Lebanon with Search for Common Ground, a conflict prevention and conflict resolution NGO. Hannah Williams (’16) was hired as a community reinvestment act specialist at Zion’s Bank. Chris Roundy (‘11) was part of the first research team in the world to genetically engineer a clone of the Zika virus strain, which may lead to a vaccine and other therapies. Marya Smith (’12) started a program in MA Linguistics at the University of Edinburgh. Allie Roach (‘12) has accepted a new job in Biogen’s Neuroimmunology department, where she will be working to find new therapies for treating Multiple Sclerosis. Zak Burkley (’13) was one of a group of select young scientists to attend the Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting in Germany this past summer, where he participated in meetings with dozens of Nobel Laureates. He is working with ultraviolet lasers for cooling hydrogen and anti-hydrogen during his Ph.D. studies in physics at the Colorado State University. Jessie Smith (nee Aragon) (‘14) is director of marketing and sales for Monarch Mountain in Colorado. Chris Cunningham (‘15) was hired last spring as a staff assistant for Congressman Mike Thompson (D-CA) in the U.S. House of Representatives. Greg Yerkes (’15) is the business outreach coordinator for the Salt Lake City Downtown Alliance. Abbie McKinney (’16) has been selected as part of the 2016 teaching corps for Teach for America. She has been assigned to a school in rural North Carolina. Emma DeLoughery (’16) just started her training at Mayo Clinic Medical School. Nathan Holtman (’16) received one of the two Alpha Chi Region VII Graduate Scholarships in support of his studies at the University of Utah Law school starting this year. Elhom Gosink (’17) was recently named a 2016 Newman Civic Fellow by the Campus Compact. The senior captains of the men’s and women’s soccer teams are both Honors students—Warren Cook (’17) and Maddie Lewis (’17). Catherine Blakemore (‘17) started her own business, a graphic and web design studio that was successfully registered as a local Utah business. Arielle Horowitz (’17) and Hannah Fasiang (’17) are co-presidents of the American Chemical Society Club and are working as pre-professional health advisors for pre-med, pre-PT, pre-pharm, pre-dent, and pre-PA students. Riley Hodgson (’17) presented neuroscience research on attention at Westminster’s Geek Fest, and presented at the National Collegiate Honors Council conference regarding teaching science in the Honors classroom. Warren Cook’s (‘17) essay “The Mechanics of Scientific Belief ” has been published in UReCA, the peer-reviewed undergraduate journal of the National Collegiate Honors Council. Walker Sorlie (’18) is currently studying Spanish and Latin American culture abroad in Cusco, Peru. Taylor Stevens (’18) is the editor-in-chief of The Forum, Westminster’s student news organization. Claire Prasad (’18) began a conservation internship at Tracy Aviary this semester. Holden Rasmussen (’18) was awarded a grant this summer to conduct self-directed research in philosophy with the help of Honors professor Dr. Kara Barnette. He is studying the works of Walter Benjamin to explore the way society organizes itself around the Internet and smart city technology and how that organization changes our thought and perception. His research will be published in the coming academic year. Rachel Darata (’18) presented geochronology research work, conducted under the direction of Dr. Tiffany Rivera, at the Geological Society of America’s Rocky Mountain regional conference and will present that same research again, with additional paleomagnetic research, at the national convention of GSA in Denver. Charlie Saad (’18) won the statewide McCarthey Family Journalism Essay Contest for his paper “Subjectivity and Selectivity in Media Outlets.” He received the $2,500 award at a talk by retired NBC newscaster Tom Brokaw, this year’s McCarthey lecturer. Of the dozen Presidential Ambassadors this year, six are Honors students. Congratulations to Warren Cook (’17), Elaine Sheehan (’18), Grayson Massey (’19), Mariah McCoy (’18), Elhom Gosink (’17), and Kate Tsourmas (’19). Grayson Massey (’19) was selected as an inaugural Randy Horiuchi Political interns, which allowed him to work with the Utah state political parties during the fall election cycle this year. Sally Miller (’19) and Naomi Shapiro (’19) have been named Mountain Research Fellows for 2016–2017. Did you do something notable? We want to know! Email your news and notes to Richard at [e-mail]. Meet the 2016-17 Student Honors Council Photo Courtesy of Aamina Kahleel By Diana Khosrovi Honorable Mention sat down with the Student Honors Council to ask them about new experiences and change throughout their lives. Zoey Gray, Junior Major: Public health Q: On a given day, how many times might you change your outfit in the morning? A: Well, for example, this morning I changed my outfit three times while I was trying to get dressed. I originally had jeans on and thought, “Maybe I want to wear a dress.” So I changed into a dress but ended up changing into a different dress. Because of that, I wasn’t really able to finish all the things I wanted to this morning and wasted a lot of time freaking out about what I was going to wear. Holden Rasmussen, Junior Major: Philosophy Q: What has been your most life-changing experience so far? A: I think my most life-changing experience was when I decided to leave the LDS church. I was raised LDS and made the decision to leave when I was a senior in high school for a lot of reasons. A lot of my family is still LDS, so it was a hard experience but a good one. It helped make me who I am today. Calen Smith, Sophomore Major: Neuroscience Q: Which teacher(s) changed your perspective on life the most? A: Leonardo E. Figueroa-Helland and Peggy Cain changed my way of thinking the most [in the Global Welfare and Justice Honors seminar]. Not only was the class super interesting, but also they both completely changed the way I look at global issues—be it economy, climate, things like that. They both challenged the way I knew things and taught me to always be critical of the status quo. Elizabeth Johnson, Sophomore Major: Marketing Q: Have you ever changed a habit that was dear to you? A: Well, I used to only drink coffee in the morning. But now I drink it all day every day because I am a college student who has to meet some deadlines. But in all seriousness, it’s so much more accessible here in college, whereas in high school I didn’t get as many chances to get my hands on some coffee! Elaine Sheehan, Junior Major: English and Spanish Q: If you could change one thing about Honors, what would it be and why? A: One thing I saw some change with, but would like to see more, is the emphasis on reading and writing throughout all the seminars. I think we focus on writing and “getting better” in Welcome to Thinking, but in later classes there’s this idea that we’re already good at writing, so we don’t focus on it anymore. I think it’s a constant process, so we should encourage Honors students to continue trying to write better. We should push the students to go to the Writing Center a lot more and seek help. HONORABLE MENTION EDITORS 2016-2017 Taylor Stevens (’18) Copy Editor Elaine Sheehan (’18) Managing Editor Calen Smith (’19) Photo Editor Living things change or die. Like an organism, the Honors program too has evolved, adapted, and changed over time. This flexibility ensures the program is capable of addressing the needs of its students and adapting to fit those needs in real time. The changes reflected in this issue are examples of the program adapting to survive new challenges posed by higher education while retaining its core values of interdisciplinary learning, personalized attention, and critical thinking. In every Honors class, we go to primary sources to understand and discuss complex concepts. In this issue of Honorable Mention, the professors and students of the program provide primary source accounts of the change occurring within the Honors program. The program promotes growth in its students Warren Cook (’17) Copy Editor Nathan Guyer (’17) Layout Editor Catherine Blakemore (’17) Layout Editor by teaching them to take nothing for granted, asking them to open up to new, uncomfortable ideas while cultivating a greater understanding of their own beliefs and the beliefs of others. Within itself, the program is growing by opening up to more students through its lateral entry program, creating a more flexible curriculum with its new menu of seminars, and moving to become a full-fledged Honors college. It’s no surprise that the Honors program is at the forefront of change within the college. The program seeks to drive positive change in the community, on campus, and within each student. The skills learned in Honors give students the capacity to change not only Westminster but also their individual post-collegiate worlds. Honors Program Westminster College 1840 S. 1300 E. Salt Lake City, UT 84105 westminstercollege.edu/honors We will be nationally recognized as an exemplary community of learners, distinguished by our distinctive educational programs, our record of preparing graduates for success in a rapidly changing world, and our commitment to continuous improvement, effectiveness, and value. Fall 2016