Spring 2015 Honors Colloquia
Last Updated: December 9, 2014
Notes
KSB Honors Students: Colloquia designated as “major credit” will count toward “free electives” and/or the
12-credits required for “University Honors in Business.” Colloquia may not be substituted for Kogod core courses.
Religious Studies Honors Students: Please see your Religious Studies advisor for approval to apply a religion-related
colloquium to your major.
SIS Honors Students:
You are encouraged to speak with your SIS academic advisor to determine whether a colloquium might be considered
for another functional area or regional field.
SOC Honors Students:
Many of these course offerings may meet the “hours outside of SOC” or the “Liberal Studies” requirement.
Please check with your SOC academic advisor to determine applicability.
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Honors Students:
Beyond any major credit indicated in this document, certain courses may count for credit in WGSS. Determination is made on a
case-by-case basis. Consult your faculty academic advisor for details.
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HNRS-300-001H Music and the Mind
Fernando Benadon
TF 1:10-2:25 p.m.
This course explores the mental mechanisms by which music is created, listened to, and ultimately enjoyed.
How do our brains convert raw sound waves (essentially molecular vibrations in the air) into meaningful
musical concepts such as dance beats, catchy melodies, and consonant chords? Why are there no human
cultures where music isn’t made? We will connect recent advances in psychology, neuroscience, music,
and evolutionary biology to understand the sophisticated cognitive systems underlying this universal human
art form. There are no prerequisites for this course.
MAJOR CREDIT: HEALTH PROMOTION; PERFORMING ARTS (All Majors); PSYCHOLOGY (Major and Minor Credit); SOC (Major
Credit with the permission of SOC advisor)
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HNRS-300-002H The Idea of Nature
Evan Berry
W 2:35-5:15 p.m.
The terms "nature" and "natural" are basic concepts that shape modern attitudes about food, recreation,
politics, and ecology; yet they remain notoriously difficult to define. This course surveys the historical
evolution of philosophical thinking about nature from ancient to modern sources, along the way exploring
some of the main differences between Euro-American ideas about nature and their counterparts in Islamic,
Indigenous, and East Asian cultures. The central focus of this seminar style course will be the role that ideas
about “nature” have played in modern political philosophy (i.e. “natural rights,” “natural reason,” and “the
state of nature” posited by Locke, Hobbes, Rousseau, and many others).
MAJOR CREDIT: LITERATURE; PHILOSOPHY; SIS (Justice, Ethics and Human Rights; Identity, Race, Gender, Culture); SOCIOLOGY;
WOMEN’S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
HNRS-300-003H Advanced Writing: Creative Non-Fiction
Patrick Kelly Joyner
MTH 8:55-10:10 a.m.
In this intensive prose writing course, students will come to define, study, write, and revise examples of
“creative nonfiction,” a broad term that encompasses many different forms of composition. Those forms will
invite both the use of memoir and the kinds of research that provide the foundation for literary journalism.
We will spend time on generative writing exercises and in workshops in which students will sharpen the
ability to consider critically both their own work and their classmates’.
MAJOR CREDIT: LITERATURE; SOC (FILM: Advanced Requirement; JOURNALISM: Skills)
HNRS-300-004H The American 1990s: Scandal, Conflict, and the Internet
W. Joseph Campbell
M 11:45 a.m.-2:25 p.m.
We take a look at a decade defined by a remarkable variety of decisive moments and developments,
including the emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web and the spectacle of the impeachment of a
U.S. president. As we’ll see, the 1990s were further defined by spasms of domestic terrorism, by war and
genocide, by a robust domestic economy in the decade’s second half, and by innovations in cinema and
popular culture. We’ll take our inquiry off campus on occasion, to conduct research at the Library of
Congress and to visit 1990s-relevant exhibits at the Newseum.
MAJOR CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDIES; CLEG (Communication); HISTORY; POLITICAL SCIENCE (Major Related Social Science
Requirement); SIS (Identity, Race, Gender, Culture); SOC (COMMUNICATION STUDIES: All Concentrations; JOURNALISM and PUBLIC
COMMUNICATION: Media Studies; FILM: Film and Media Studies); SOCIOLOGY
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HNRS-300-005H Nicaragua: The Unfinished Revolution
William Gentile
T 11:45 a.m.-2:25 p.m.
This course focuses on Nicaraguan history and its deep connection to, and dependence on, the United States;
the U.S. support of the Somoza dictatorship; the Sandinista Revolution of 1979; the Contra War of the
1980s; Daniel Ortega's ascension to power; the alternative trans-oceanic canal; why Nicaragua has been
largely immune to the gang violence that is bleeding other Central American nations; and, finally, how all
this is covered by Western media.
There will be an optional Honors Study/Travel trip to Nicaragua, HNRS-040-001H, during spring break for an on-site learning
experience based on topics covered in class.
MAJOR CREDIT: HISTORY; POLITICAL SCIENCE (Major Related Social Science Requirement); SOC (Major Credit with the permission
of SOC advisor); SIS (Regional Credit: Latin American and the Caribbean; Foreign Policy and National Security; Peace, Global Security and
Conflict Resolution)
Note to Students interested in Major or Minor Credit for World Languages & Cultures: You are encouraged to speak with
Professor Courtney Pollack to confirm if this course is available for credit.
HNRS-301-001H Stress, Coping, and Emotion
Kathleen Gunthert
TH 11:45 a.m.-2:25 p.m.
The course covers theories, research methods, and applications of stress and emotion research. Reading
assignments and lectures will address the nature of psychological stress, its relation to appraisals, coping, and
emotion, and the specific methodological challenges of studying stress and emotion. Topics will include
models of emotion regulation and stress responses, stress and health, personality, gender, and culture. We
will also discuss personal growth, depression, and clinical interventions.
MAJOR CREDIT: HEALTH PROMOTION; PSYCHOLOGY (Major and Minor Credit); PUBLIC HEALTH(Public Health Elective in the
Social and Community Health Cluster); WOMEN’S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
HNRS-301-002H Infinity, Game Theory, and Fractals
Jeffrey Adler
MTH 10:20-11:35 a.m.
The twentieth century heralded amazing and interesting innovations in mathematics, like game theory and
fractal geometry. While these new areas have great ideas that would appeal to the general population, they
have often been coupled with technicalities that have restricted their study to only a few… until now! This
course will survey some of the fascinating modern developments in mathematics, including the study of
game theory, voting theory, infinity, dimension, and fractals. These are linked to current theory and practices
in many fields, such as economics, philosophy, political science and international relations. This course will
emphasize concepts rather than computations. It will encourage communicating mathematical ideas with
sentences, rather than equations and graphs.
Students taking this course need to be comfortable with high school mathematics, but no knowledge of Calculus is required.
MAJOR CREDIT: ECONOMICS (BA students only; MATH (minor credit only, by completing an extra project); PHYSICS (Traditional Track
Elective for BS Physics, General Elective for BA Physics); PSYCHOLOGY (Major and Minor Credit); SIS (The Global Economy); SOC (Major
Credit with the permission of SOC advisor)
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HNRS-302-001H Contract Law: The Law of the Deal
Michael Mass
T 2:35-5:15 p.m.
In our increasingly capitalist world, “the deal” takes on great importance and the law of contracts sets the
rule by which this game is played. This course will study the U.S. laws governing the creation, performance
and breach of contracts from the perspective of the allocation of risk, an element that exists in every deal.
For example, when is a “deal a deal,” and when do circumstances allow for releasing parties from their legal
obligations? It will examine the legal rules governing the sale of goods and services in the United States and
compare them to laws governing contracts internationally. Students will debate such politically divisive
topics as the use, or abuse, of punitive damages and the allocation of the legal fees and other costs of
litigation between parties. Emphasis will be paid to the distinctions between the legal and ethical obligations
of individuals and enterprises. Students will be introduced to legal research and writing.
MAJOR CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDIES; CLEG (Law); ECONOMICS; JUSTICE AND LAW (Elective); KOGOD; LAW AND SOCIETY
(Legal Theory or Elective); SIS (The Global Economy)
HNRS-302-002H National Security Debates
Jennifer Gumbrewicz
W 11:45 a.m.-2:25 p.m.
Surveillance. Enhanced interrogation. Unmanned aerial vehicles. There seems to be a news story every few
weeks, sometimes every few days, that relates to a national security issue. By the very nature of the topic and
the need to protect certain types of information and disclosures from enemies, the debate that is played out
in the national and international news media and blogs tends to focus on small parts of a larger program or
policy. This tends to lead to a conflation of two lenses in analyzing policy or program choices. Can the
United States act in this way? Should the United States act in this way?
This class will focus on current debates in national security and analyze them from both of these
perspectives. First, the class will identify and assess whether the policy or law can be implemented by
studying the national and international legal regime governing this action. Second, the class will then
assess whether the policy or law should continue to be implemented in the way that it has. In doing these
assessments, the goal is to have the students become more informed consumers of news and media accounts
of issues that are of intense concern for the foreseeable future in national and international policy.
MAJOR CREDIT: CLEG (Government Component); JUSTICE and LAW (Criminal Justice Concentration or Related Major Elective); LAW
and SOCIETY (Major Elective); POLITICAL SCIENCE (American Government or Policy Concentration); SIS (Foreign Policy and National
Security; Justice, Ethics and Human Rights)
HNRS-302-003H Bioethical/Legal Dilemmas in Healthcare
Daniel M. Freeman
TF 2:35-3:50 p.m.
This colloquium provides students with a basic understanding of the relationships between bioethics and the
law, a grounding in the principles of bioethics, and introduction to the key bioethics debates. Students will
learn about a range of legal and bioethical issues that confront healthcare providers and patients in a time of
rapid technological change and about new ways of thinking about these issues. Students will relate
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fundamental principles of bioethics to several clinical topics and public policy problems, including informed
consent, diagnostic genetics, end-of-life care, advanced directives, the “right to die” and physician-assisted
suicide. A major portion of the course will be devoted to examining the evolution of bioethics decisionmaking in judicial contexts and where U.S. society is in the contemporary debate. Students will look at
recent bioethics issues that have stirred public controversy and have yet to be decided by the courts, and will
consider the role of bioethical issues in public policy making. This course is an excellent overview of
contemporary issues relating to law and medicine and foundational for student considering careers in law,
medicine or other healthcare professions. Beyond the substance of the issues it presents, this course will help
students to enhance their analytical thinking, public speaking ability and skills in writing clearly and
cogently.
MAJOR CREDIT: CLEG (Law); HEALTH PROMOTION; JUSTICE and LAW (Major Elective); LAW and SOCIETY (Major Elective);
POLITICAL SCIENCE (Law and Politics Concentration); PUBLIC HEALTH (Public Health Elective in the Policy/Program Planning
Cluster); WOMEN’S, GENDER, AND SEXUALITY STUDIES
HNRS-302-004H Who Killed JFK?
Donald Fulsom
TF 10:20-11:35 a.m.
This colloquium is a full examination of the many continuing mysteries and the latest findings about the
murder of President John F. Kennedy in the streets of Dallas more than 50 years ago. Questions of who
was responsible and why will be supplemented by a thorough look at the impact this tragic event has had
on America’s government and its citizens.
MAJOR CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDIES; HISTORY; JUSTICE, LAW and SOCIETY (Elective); JUSTICE and LAW; LAW and
SOCIETY (Major Elective); POLITICAL SCIENCE (Major Related Social Science Requirement)
HNRS-302-005H Uniforms or Pin-Stripes? Are We Militarizing US Foreign Policy?
Gordon Adams
W 8:55-11:35 a.m.
As the U.S. military forces left Iraq and leave Afghanistan, they are not withdrawing from the world.
Instead, a smaller number of U.S. military forces, many of them Special Forces, are more globally deployed
than ever. According to the Pentagon, they are “Building Partner Capacity (BPC).” Their mission is to fight
terrorist organizations and prevent the collapse of fragile states by participating, deeply and intensively, in
building the capacity of what is called the “security sector” of other countries. Today the U.S. military is not
only training, equipping, and advising the militaries of more than 80 other countries, they are also training
border guards, para-military forces, and internal security forces. They are helping build ministries of defense
and of the interior, advising court and prison systems, and training civilian and military lawyers. As a way
of “winning the hearts and minds” of local populations, the U.S. military are providing humanitarian, health,
educational, and development assistance, as well as engaging in psychological/propaganda operations. The
goal of BPC is ostensibly to help strengthen security in other countries, using their own security sector forces
and institutions to do so, instead of sending American soldiers in to stabilize those countries. Call it the
“anti-Iraq” strategy, at least in the minds of its supporters.
There is potentially a significant downside of this broad, global engagement by the American military.
Experience in Iraq and Afghanistan suggests the military may not be very good at this broader set of tasks,
which means the risk of failure could be high. Giving the US military the responsibility for security sector
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assistance could be having the effect of weakening the civilian institutions of U.S. foreign policy – State and
USAID. This global U.S. military engagement could create “blowback” – the assumption that the U.S.
should be the global cop is not welcome everywhere. And having the U.S. military perform missions that are
not their core competence – ministry-building, policing, justice and court systems, lawyer training, social and
economic assistance – may fly directly in the face of the advice the U.S. has been giving foreign militaries
for years – stay out of politics, stay out of the economy, focus on military missions. In the end, building an
intense relationship with the security sector in other countries could have the opposite of its intended effect drawing the US military and, thus, the nation, more deeply and more broadly into the internal affairs of
others countries, whether they are important to the U.S. or not.
This colloquium will explore this gradual “militarization” of U.S. foreign policy on a global basis and
examine its implications for U.S. foreign policy and U.S. national security. The class will do intensive
reading and discussion on Iraq and Afghanistan experience, on the emergence and recent history of the BPC
program, on the history of U.S. military involvement in the security sector, and on the broader historical
context for one nation seeking to arrange the affairs of another. Guest speakers from the Defense
Department, Special Operations forces, U.S. Department of State, National Security Council, Congressional
staff, and outside experts will discuss and debate the wisdom of this military engagement. There will be
field trips to the institutions involved in the program. And students will be asked to write major research
papers, which will evaluate the impact of BPC activities both on the U.S. and on the recipient countries, and
make recommendations for how BPC might be changed, how the civilian institutions involved in security
sector policy might be strengthened, how transparency and accountability for BPC might be increased, and
how the U.S. might construct a more balanced engagement overseas.
MAJOR CREDIT: AMERICAN STUDIES; CLEG (Government Component); JUSTICE and LAW (Criminal Justice Concentration or Major
Elective); POLITICAL SCIENCE (American Government or Policy Concentration); SIS (Foreign Policy and National Security Credit)
HNRS-400-001H “Revolutionary Aesthetics”: Art and Politics in the Nineteenth-Century France
Juliet Bellow
TH 2:35-5:15 p.m.
CANCELLED
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