Shine and Rise
An Annual Report
WELCOME
TO THE WORLD OF HONORS
Greetings Honors College Students, Alumni and Friends,
My final semester has recently prompted a flurry of thoughts and reflections. In many
ways, I feel eminently prepared to navigate the challenges and opportunities that await
the recent college graduate. At the same time, though, I can’t help but look around the
Honors College and the UH campus wistfully, searching for some excuse to take just
one more course, to join just one more student organization, and simply to prolong my
undergraduate tenure, because of all the excitement and transformations that are afoot.
This past year in the Honors College has been full of change and advancement, both
figuratively and physically. I have been able to experience many of these events
firsthand, such as listening to Sabita Soneji introduce Founding Dean Estess at
Convocation, spending the night reading Camus at the Dean’s Marathon Reading,
celebrating Halloween with SGB, and enjoying the lecturers who have spoken in the
Human Rights and Social Justice Speaker Series. Meanwhile, the Honors College Gardens
have been christened and students have moved into the new Cougar Place complex as
Honors continues to expand across campus. Looking ahead to this spring semester, I am
also eager to return to Washington, DC to continue our success at the Model Arab League
and to reflect on my undergraduate career at the graduation banquet.
I must admit that my excitement for what is to come in 2014 is tinged with a healthy
dash of envy for all that Honors has in store. With all of the new construction across
campus, including new Honors housing and facilities, it is clear that even more exciting
prospects await our community. With the introduction of new programs and minors
housed within Honors, and the ever-increasing collaboration between the college and
the city of Houston as a whole, there will be even more reasons for students across the
country, such as my sister, to keep choosing the Honors College.
I hope you’ll enjoy flipping through the following pages and finding out more about this
past year in Honors.
Go Coogs!
Nicholas Heisig ’14
ILIAD UNBOUND
LENCE MASTER TEACHER RESIDENCY
The goal of the program was two-fold: to help high school students from underserved
communities engage with and find meaning in an ancient text and to give them certain skills
that they can carry with them into their university studies, and to allow our Honors College
students a way to serve their community by putting into practice some of what they have
learned in Human Situation.
Dr. Bill Allen knew Ross Lence as
both a friend and colleague, and
they share an astonishing ability to
bring students into the depths of the
text. Xenophon beat Hemingway
at iceberg-writing by 2,400 years,
so Bill Allen leading us through
Xenophon showed how much
profundity could be packed into
even a short, “simple” sentence.
—Dr. Kim Meyer, Coordinator
—Andy Little, Honors College
instructor and former
Lence student
JANUARY
DEAN’S
MARATHON
READING
KIPP SCHOLARS
OPEN HOUSE
LENCE MASTER TEACHER SERIES
TEDX YOUTH @ UH
I didn’t go to Ukraine as a tourist or a student. I worked. I met a community need. Because I
dedicated time and energy to that community, I was able to learn, both about Ukraine’s culture and
how to approach life differently. Learning is a process of transforming the unfamiliar—what we don’t
know or haven’t experienced—into the familiar. We engage most effectively in this process through
output. We won’t learn much about our massive and mostly unfamiliar world by input, absorbing
facts from books or even observing firsthand. We must learn through invested immersion.
—Chris Powell, ’13, from his talk “Bigworldedness: Redefining Foreign”
THE GREAT CONVERSATION DECORATIONS
CAUSE A SENSATION
The Great Conversation is no ordinary fundraiser, so for the past 21 years, the Honors College has
steered away from traditional floral centerpieces for the tables. Instead, a team of Honors students
is responsible for creating unique designs to correspond with each conversation topic. Last year’s
team crafted thematically linked centerpieces for 35 tables, using found objects, art supplies, and
various “treasures” the College has accumulated over the years. One student, Minette Vasquez
(’15), actually built a miniature television set for Steve Smith’s table on “Liars, Hackers, Swindlers
... and Those Are Just the Journalists.” As a thank you for their hard work, all students on the
decorations committee were invited to attend the event.
—Mallory Chesser, ’08
...AND THE UNDERWRITERS GATHER AT THE PRESIDENT’S HOUSE
FEBRUARY
PHILIP LOPATE
READING
KIPP SCHOLARS
It’s always a treat to go to the Wortham House. The Underwriters’ Reception is a great way to
recognize people who are supporting The Great Conversation, and it’s a great way for alumni to stay
connected to the Honors College.
CAREER
FRIDAY
COLONEL LAWRENCE
WILKERSON LECTURE
POETRY & PROSE
WORLD AFFAIRS
COUNCIL WORKSHOP
OPEN HOUSE
MODEL ARAB LEAGUE REGIONALS
PHRONESIS:
THOMAS POGGE
INPRINT
CRAFT TALK
TEDX
YOUTH @ UH
—Trey Wilkinson, Honors College Advisory Board member
GREAT CONVERSATION
UNDERWRITERS’ RECEPTION
THE GREAT CONVERSATION
The town and gown
together again
for the 21st Great
Conversation
My wife, Janna, and I have had the pleasure of attending
many black-tie galas and fundraising events through
the years. While we always enjoy them, one tends to
look like another, and another and so on. In 2011, we
were invited to attend our first Great Conversation, and
we have not missed one since. What a breath of fresh
air! There is no other event like it! From topics as varied
as foreign policy of the George W. Bush presidency, to
art pieces and their authenticity, to [in 2013] the 1960s
in America, the discussions at our table have been
both stimulating and enlightening. We genuinely look
forward to the next Great Conversation.
—Chuck Gremillion, Honors Advisory Board member
ARTISTS & THEIR REGIONS:
CLASS & STUDY AWAY
One purpose of the trip is for students to witness, first
hand, the connection between the individual and the
environmental. I now realize there’s hardly a place
on earth better representative of this than Flannery
O’Connor’s Milledgeville, GA. In her bedroom, for
instance, a crucifix presides on the wall above her
typewriter. Few artists are as married to their ‘true
country’ as those of the American South, who cannot
and dare not escape it even at work.
—Sawyer Estes, ’14
NATIONAL MERIT LUNCHEON
MARCH
CAREER
FRIDAY
GENOCIDE ART EXHIBIT
THE GREAT CONVERSATION
TIER ONE SCHOLARS
RECEPTION
DR. RICHARD ARMSTRONG:
DEMONS, SAINTS, & HYSTERIA
DIONYSIA 2013: ILIUM
A DRAMATIC INTERPRETATION OF HOMER’S ILIAD
Attempting to capture these stories and memories, submitted by
our own staff and faculty members as well as students, solidified my
personal sense of the grief of war. The authors and individuals who
shared these stories were compelled to relay the memories of their
fathers and mothers and of their grandfathers and grandmothers. The
destruction of war has leaked through generations of families. I came
to understand the importance and the necessity of story telling as a
way to heal not only nations but also the people in them. Being a part
of Ilium humbled me in the deepest way. War is something that takes
place not only on the actual battlefield, but also in the homes and
hearts of those who live it.
—Erika Lai, ‘15
MODEL ARAB LEAGUE
APRIL
CAREER
FRIDAY
CLUB THEATER PERFORMANCES
ARTS & MEDICINE
Last year, 21 Honors students participated in MAL. Of those students,
thirteen were participating for the first time. With more than half of
the team comprised of rookies, it came as a tremendous surprise
that our team representing Saudi Arabia—we also had a team
representing Morocco—was awarded Outstanding Delegation for
their participation in the regional model. Both teams also earned
numerous individual awards. The team’s success continued when they
traveled to D.C. for the National Conference, where Sidoney Sturrock
and Peter Zachry were named Honorable Mention for representing
Morocco in the Council of Social Affairs Ministers. Markley Rodgers
and I were awarded Outstanding Delegate for our representation of
Morocco in the Special Committee on Arab League Reform. I then
was named the Assistant Secretary General for the National Model,
making me the second highest officer for the organization nationally.
Now with a roster full of returning veterans, the whole team is hard
at work preparing for future successes.
PHRONESIS:
ANNE APPLEBAUM
SPRING UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCH SYMPOSIUM
—Tyler Swensen, ’15
O’CARNIVAL
PHRONESIS:
GOVERNOR HOBBY
COFFEEHOUSE
POETRY & PROSE
DIONYSIA
SGB SPRING FLING
SCHOLARS INVITATIONAL
EKPHRASTIC
ARTS EXHIBITION
2013
GRADUATION
BANQUET
A
Ω
MAY
KIPP SCHOLARS
The Honors
College
welcomes the
newest Honors
alumni at the
2013 graduation
banquet
GRADUATION
BANQUET
A
Ω
BOLDFACE
WRITERS’
CONFERENCE
What made this ceremony special was the personalized
recognition given to students. Each announcement of
achievements, awards, and honors told an individual story of
success.
—Keri Myrick, ‘13
The Honors College stands for many things, but none more
important than the highest quality teaching and learning in
the core, that part of a college education that examines the
recurrent problems, challenges, ideas, and data points that are
part of the human situation, which is, not coincidentally, the
title of our signature course.
What is at the core of the American university system is a
belief that in a democracy, every student should be liberally
educated; should know something about history, philosophy,
and literature; should be trained in mathematics and science;
and should be able to tell the difference between logic and
logical fallacy, between insight and hype, between beauty and
adornment.
—Dean Bill Monroe, Honors Graduation Banquet speech
HONORS TRAVELS TO
GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND
On our last day in London, Erika Lai and I were standing on London
Bridge, looking out over the water towards Tower Bridge. We spent at
least half an hour standing out there, in the cold, lamenting over the
fact that we had to leave this wonderful place the next day. There is just
an atmosphere and an attitude about London, Bath, Galway, and all the
places that we had the opportunity to visit that you can’t find anywhere
else. Going on this trip was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
—Katie Jewett, ’14
PHI BETA KAPPA HONORS ACADEMY
“[ The Engaged Education presentation] was interactive, interesting, and
Dr. Hamilton was a great speaker.”
“[The] essay workshop was very helpful.”
“This Honors Academy made me consider going to UH.”
—Reactions from high school student participants, all nominated by
counselors for their academic achievements
COMMON GROUND TEACHERS INSTITUTE
“This was my first experience with Common Ground, and it is the best
professional development I’ve ever taken. I feel valued and loved
as an educator.”
“The small-group seminar made difficult literature more accessible.”
“Only in Common Ground can I gain a deeper understanding of local
and regional writers and the unique challenges they face.”
“Common Ground is a unique opportunity for Houston teachers to relax
and intellectually rejuvenate.”
—Institute Fellows, Houston-area high school teachers
JUNE
STUDY ABROAD TO GREAT
BRITAIN & IRELAND
PBK HONORS
ACADEMY
WORKSHOP HOUSTON
COMMON GROUND TEACHERS INSTITUTE
COUGAR JUNIOR SCHOLARS
As more and more teachers hear about this program, and
recommend it to their most gifted students, we can offer more
to the participants. This year, the students read a Sherlock
Holmes mystery, as they have done in the past, but they went
a step further and wrote their own mystery, using the elements
of mystery writing taught by Honors College professors Robert
Cremins and Jonathan Zecher. And that is part of the college
experience that we want the Cougar Junior Scholars to take away
with them. As college students, you are not just consumers of
ideas, but creators of ideas.
This experience has allowed
us to work with engineers
out in the field to solve actual
engineering problems and to
apply what we learn in class
to real-world situations. We are
extremely appreciative to the
Honors College/Honors Engineering
Program, the entire UH faculty and
staff ... and NASA’s Microgravity
Undergraduate Research Education
Program for giving us this amazing
opportunity.
—Dr. Christine LeVeaux-Haley, Director, Cougar Junior Scholars
THE GREAT BANQUET
The course ended with a performance at one of Houston’s
premiere art galleries, DiverseWorks, where we prepared and
served a five-course meal and told stories connecting food to
transformative moments in our lives.
—Dr. John Harvey, Director, Center for Creative Work
SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH
In the SURF program, every day was an exciting challenge to earn
a small piece of understanding in the broader research project.
Although the research process was difficult and the rewards
were only reaped little by little, I enjoyed every second. And the
presentation at the end made me collect all the different pieces
of work into a whole that I could appreciate as a monumental
personal accomplishment.
—Steven Hong, ’16, part of the
Cougarnauts
Microgravity Team
—Gerry Espinal, ’14
JULY
WORKSHOP HOUSTON CONTINUES
THE GREAT BANQUET BEGINS
COMMON GROUND TEACHERS’ INSTITUTE CONTINUES
COUGAR JUNIOR SCHOLARS
THE BONNER LEADERS
With the launch of its Bonner Leaders Program this year, the Honors College joins more than 80
schools nationwide in offering developmental and educationally meaningful service opportunities
for students. Bonners dedicate at least ten hours each week and 270 hours in each of their four
years to direct service in partnership with community organizations. The program is a structured
way for students to learn and lead by working on projects that are bigger than a semester or
academic year and that require teams.
The inaugural cohort is off to a running start. In addition to logging hundreds of service hours with
partners like Habitat for Humanity, Urban Harvest, and METRO in the fall semester, they have also
made significant progress on several of their own Big Ideas. These include working with others
to plan and plant a community garden on campus that will provide fresh food for our neighbors
in the Third Ward, a large-scale recycling project in Cougar Village I, the design of a new set of
educational field trip experiences for middle schoolers, and planning for a university-wide annual
day of service.
The program, which admitted the largest first-year class in Bonner history, will add 30 more
students next year. It will soon be the largest Bonner program in the country.
—Andrew Hamilton, Associate Dean for Student Success and Director, Bonner Leader Program
AUGUST
POLICY DEBATE
TEAM RETREAT
BONNER LEADERS
ORIENTATION
HONORS
COLLEGE RETREAT
TERRY
SCHOLARS
ORIENTATION
HONORS
MENTORS
TWILIGHT
CAMPUS TOURS
RETREAT
CONVOCATION
This year’s event was one of the largest
we’ve ever had, and with that size, we had
a large group of talented students audition.
We included some faculty members to really
emphasize that retreat, especially follies, is
a great way for people to get to get to see
our honors community outside of academia.
I think that goal was accomplished since
our students and our faculty really showed
some unique talents and gave us memories
that will stay with us for a long time.
It always felt like storytelling was the
foundation upon which Ted Estess built
this college. For me, this place felt like a
community—full of these incredibly bright
students from around the country, finding
their way and helping others find theirs; a
place in which Dr. Estess and the rest of the
incredible Honors College faculty are slowly
and gently inviting you to see the stories
everywhere.
—Nam-my Le, ‘14
FALL 2013 CONVOCATION
—Sabita Soneji, ‘97, Georgetown Law School
‘02, from her introduction of Founding
Dean Ted Estess
The purpose of the dinner is to provide new honors students
with a chance meet their professors in an informal setting. The
Mentorship Program wants to bring students into an involved
learning community, so they can succeed in their college career.”
—Franco Martinez, ’10
Honors Mentorship Program Coordinator
THE HONORS MENTORS &
DINNER WITH THE PROFS
DEAN’S MARATHON READING:
CAMUS’ THE STRANGER
It is great when a student then takes
advantage of [the] newly developed
rapport to ask a professor for an
internship or research opportunity, a
recommendation, or simply to ask for
additional help outside of class. However,
we primarily want incoming students
to be fully integrated and engaged in
the honors community since research
indicates that integrated students will
persist and be retained at higher rates.
Experiencing the Camus Reading was like
a study abroad trip that never physically
left the Honors Commons. I experienced a
foreign land with foreign customs and ideals,
and met people who shared my dream for a
better future.
—David Zinsitz, ’14, Honors Mentorship
Program Student Coordinator
SEPTEMBER
CLUB THEATER AUDITIONS
CAREER FRIDAY
DEAN’S MARATHON READING
HONORS FILM SOCIETY INAUGURAL MEETING
—Kelsey Braxton, ’17
This year, the Policy Debate team began
its academic season at the Georgia State
University Debate Tournament. Eight
preliminary debate rounds took place
back-to-back over the course of two
days with one of our teams reaching the
elimination rounds. It was exhausting,
to say the least, but very rewarding as
well. In the Honors College, I have found
a new home, and in the Honors College
Policy Debate team, I have found a new
family. I am very proud of all that we
have accomplished over the past two
years, and I am hopeful for the future.
—Tanweer Rajwani, ’16
COFFEEHOUSE
WRITING CRAFT TALK
WRITING CRAFT TALKS
They really laid out what professors are
looking for in an essay ... how to get there
and how to write a great paper.
POLICY DEBATE TEAM
WRITING
CRAFT TALK
—Nathaniel Stich ’14
COFFEEHOUSE
Coffeehouse is a talent show held once a
semester in which Honors students get
to show off their hidden talents. Students
come to relax from their extensive studies,
sip free coffee, and enjoy the artistic side
of their fellow classmates. It is a chance
to amaze and be amazed. This is one of
the traditions of the Honors College that
shows our diversity beyond academics.
—Whitmire Vo, ‘14
POLICY DEBATE COMPETES AT GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY
WRITING CRAFT TALK
Pre-med prepares you for obtaining your
medical license, but the humanities teaching
in Honors lets you be the kind of doctor you
want to be once you’ve passed all the hurdles.
—Dr. Ricardo Nuila,
physician, writer, and
Honors instructor
OCTOBER
CAREER FRIDAY
POETRY & PROSE
POLICY DEBATE
TEAMS COMPETE IN
LEXINGTON, KY
UNDERGRADUATE
RESEARCH DAY
WRITING CRAFT TALK
PHRONESIS:
PETER GROSSMAN
HOMECOMING
NEW FACES
RECEPTION
CCW ARTS IN HOUSTON
ELIZABETH HUNTER READING
SGB HALLOWEEN PARTY
POLICY DEBATE COUGAR SCRIMMAGE
CCW ARTS IN HOUSTON
A LIFE WORTH LIVING: ALBERT CAMUS CENTENARY CONFERENCE
“Albert Camus and Civil Rights:
A Journalist’s Brief”
JASON BERRY
Author and religion blogger
for The Global Post
It was one of the most intellectually
stimulating experiences I’ve had
in a long time. The students were
focused, curious and engaged in
the discussions. It was a long Friday
afternoon. I only saw one person
check the iPhone.
“To Kill a Human Being: Albert
Camus and Capitol Punishment”
EVE MORISI
University of California, Irvine
Winner of the Phi Beta Kappa
Sibley Fellowship
“The Just Assassins”
Albert Camus
A dramatic reading by
University of Houston students
—Jason Berry, acclaimed author,
investigative reporter,
and documentary filmmaker
NOVEMBER
CAREER FRIDAY
HOUSTON URBAN DEBATE POLICY DEBATE AT CALIFORNIA
LEAGUE FALL SEMINAR
STATE UNIVERSITY
POETRY & PROSE
OPEN HOUSE
HUMAN RIGHTS &
SOCIAL JUSTICE:
GEOFFREY CORN
CCW ARTS IN HOUSTON
PHRONESIS: WALTER
SINNOTT-ARMSTRONG
COUGARNAUTS GO UP IN ZERO-G
POLICY
DEBATE AT
WAKE FOREST
UNIVERSITY
HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE:
NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER JODY WILLIAMS
CCW ARTS IN HOUSTON
CAMUS CENTENARY CONFERENCE
OPEN HOUSE
HONORING JODIE KÖSZEGI
You were a guiding force in my college experience. When I didn’t
believe in myself, you believed in me. When I didn’t think that I
could do what I set out to do, you reminded me that I was capable.
And your belief in me—and all the students you encounter—has
always been unwavering.
—Krystafer Redden, ’13
THE NEW HONORS COLLEGE GARDENS
The Honors College, as the campus’s hub for liberal learning, serves the entire University of Houston.
For that reason, we can’t think of a better problem to have than outgrowing our beautiful space in
the MD Anderson Library. We’re happy to expand the College into repurposed space—to be used for
both curricular and co-curricular activities—in the campus’s residential district. The presence of our
students, faculty, and staff in the Honors College Gardens will naturally animate and revitalize the
space as we look forward to expanding our Honors College programming.
—Dr. Andrew Davis, Associate Dean
HUMAN RIGHTS & SOCIAL JUSTICE SPEAKER SERIES
One speaker was Professor Jody Williams, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for her remarkable efforts to
ban the use of landmines. She spoke less about the work for which she was awarded the peace prize
and far more about the fact that ordinary citizens, like her and the students she was speaking to, can
accomplish extraordinary things to benefit the human community if fueled by “righteous indignation.”
Professor Williams urged students to begin actively responding to injustices, however small they
might appear. Her talk electrified and engaged everyone who heard it, so much so that despite the
semester’s end, students have organized a twice-monthly “conversation” to discuss where and how
best to direct their efforts to make this world—locally, nationally, and globally—a better, kinder place.
—Dr. Irene Guenther, co-organizer with Dr. Shasta Jones of the speaker series
DECEMBER
DISCUSSIONS ON HUMAN RIGHTS
CAREER
FRIDAY
HOLIDAY OPEN HOUSE
THE MOVE TO
THE GARDENS
MARGINS OF EXCELLENCE
Dear Colleagues, Alumni, and Friends,
What you “hear” in the preceding pages is just one register of the polyphonic
story that is the Honors College. In developing this inaugural issue of Shine and
Rise, we wanted to convey what Founding Dean Ted Estess calls “margins of
excellence”: those projects, activities, and experiences that foster deep learning
and transform good to great. Rather than attempt to be exhaustive, we are
consciously presenting a picaresque tale, showcasing but a few of the exemplary
moments of 2013.
Many of the stories captured in this annual report are made possible by the
generosity of our donors. The following pages listing their names are important,
but the photographs, timeline, and testimonials reveal the true value of their
contributions. The Lence Master Teacher Residency, the Artists and Their Regions
study away course, the Common Ground Teachers Institute, and of course the
many scholarships awarded to Honors College students—all are made possible by
supporters of Honors education at the University of Houston.
As you can see, 2013 was busy and fun, a time of growth and opportunity. Shine
and Rise complements our award-winning magazine, areté, as well as the Honors
Coursebook and our always-changing website, TheHonorsCollege.com. We hope
that you enjoy the report, take away some lasting impressions, and make plans to
be a part of these margins of excellence in the coming year.
Warm regards,
William Monroe
Dean
THE HONORS COLLEGE
ADVISORY BOARD
Truman Arnold
Gerald Balboa
Ron Bankston
Briana J. Bassler
Benadetto G. Bosco
Catherine Campbell Brock
Giugi Carminati
M.H. “Butch” Cersonsky
Jane Cizik, Chairman
Martin B. Cominsky
Ryan Crane
Jeff Dodd
Craig Enochs
Vincent D. Foster
Michael J. Gapinski
Sean Gorman
Charles “Chuck” A. Gremillion, III
Michael W. Harlan
Tim Headley
Steven Hecht, President
Clay Hoster
Scott Lemond
Kenneth M. Mercado, P.E.
Carl H. Moerer, Jr.
Lou Pelz
Troy Pike
Christian Sarkar
Jeff Shulse
Steve Smith
Matthew B. Steele
Jenni Rebecca Stephenson
Connie Simmons Taylor
Karen Webster
Trey Wilkinson
Amber Winsor
GENEROUS SUPPORTERS OF THE HONORS COLLEGE
$50,000+
Jane and Robert Cizik
Mr. and Mrs. Matthew B. Steele
UH Women’s Association
$20,000 - $49,999
Dr. and Mrs. Gary T. Brock
Mr. and Mrs. Vince D. Foster
Fred and Mabel R. Parks Foundation
John P. McGovern Foundation
Mark and Judith Cook Foundation
$10,000 - $19,999
Bracewell & Giuliani, LLP
Mr. Alejandro Capetillo
Mr. S. Tyler Crabtree
Denham Capital Management, LP
Ms. Susan A. Ohsfeldt and Mr. Jeff C. Dodd
Mr. and Mrs. Kim L. Hales
Ms. Deborah Brochstein
and Mr. Steven A. Hecht
Mr.and Mrs. Frank J. Hevrdejs
Mr. Robert C. Kramp
Oar Energy LLC
Waste Connections of Texas
$5,000 - $9,999
Mr. Benadetto G. Bosco
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas P. Callahan
CenterPoint Energy
Mr. and Mrs. M. H. Cersonsky
Mrs. Eilish E. DeJager
Ms. Hanneke Faber
and Mr. Aristotle James Economon
Mr. and Mrs. Craig R. Enochs
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Gapinski
Mr. Mark Monroe
Morgan Stanley Commodities
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffry Muffat
Mr. and Mrs. Walter Edward Noack, Jr.
Parker School Uniforms LLC
Rice University
Mr. Faisal A. Shah
Mr. and Mrs. John Steele
URSA Resources Group LLC
Mr. and Mrs. Michael J. Webster
Wells Fargo Energy Group
Wells Fargo Foundation
$2,500 - $4,999
Mr. and Mrs. Gerardo E. Balboa
Bank of Houston
Dr. Sara M. and Mr. Mark H. Bettencourt
Mr. and Mrs. Bill Bonham
Mr. David C. Brinkley
Ms. Michelle Devor-Brown
and Mr. Timothy A. Brown
Mr. and Mrs. George Fereday
Mr. Shaun Finnie
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Gremillion, III
Mr. and Mrs. John L. King
Mr. and Mrs. William R. Marlow
Mr. Carl Henry Moerer, Jr.
Mr. David R. Nockolds
The Honorable Carroll Robertson Ray
and Mr. Hugh M. Ray
Ms. Lillie T. Robertson
Mr. Stephen Skinner
Mr. and Mrs. Steve Smith
Ms. Amber Winsor
Mr. and Ms. Charles Yates
$1,000 - $2,499
Anne Lamkin Kinder Foundation Inc
Ms. Susan Bennett
Mr. and Mrs. Louis Miller Bassler
BMW of Bridgewater
Dr. and Mrs. Louis J. Bujnoch
Mr. and Mrs. Thierry Caruso
Mr. Ryan Edward Crane
Ms. Erin Dietsch
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas A. Ebner
Dr. Ted Estess and Dr. Sybil Estess
Ms. Harriett S. Goodman
Mr. Ray Hafner
Mr. Raymond A. Hafner
Dr. and Mrs. Terrell L. Hallmark
Mr. Andrew Haney
Dr. and Mrs. Eric J. Hoggard
Mark Leifeste, M.D.
Ms. Heidi Gerstacker
and Mr. David A. McMillan
Dr. Brian C. Murray
Mrs. Lois Ann O’Connor
Mr. and Mrs. Larry A. Page
Ms. Kitten M. Muckleroy
and Mr. Ronald G. Page
Mr. James D. Parrish, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Todd K. Ramey
Rao Family Foundation
Robert and Vivian Gabel Family FCGF
The Honorable Wilhelmina E. Robertson
Silver Eagle Distributors, Inc.
Mr. and Mrs. Brad Suddarth
Suncoast Land Company
Mr. Larry Ting
Ms. Sara E. White
Mr. and Mrs. Trey Wilkinson
$500 - $999
Mrs. Merry L. Adamcik
Joan and Stanford Alexander
Ms. Briana J. Bassler
Mr. and Mrs. Hanskarl H. Borck
Dr. Thomas S. Carothers
Dr. and Mrs. William Min-Choy Chen
Mr. and Mrs. Martin B. Cominsky
Mr. Clarence W. Donnelly, III
Ms. Delaine Jonnell Foss
Raymond T. Garcia, P. E.
Mr. and Mrs. John Gayle
The Henley Foundation
Dr. and Mrs. William Frank Monroe
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey W. Nicholson
Mr. and Mrs. William A. Ramsey
Mr. and Mrs. Byron J. Smith
Mr. Marshall T. West
$100 - $499
Dr. Kevork N. Abazajian
Dr. Karen C. Adkins
Mr. and Mrs. Bryan L. Barreras
Ms. Maurice M. Bass
Mr. Gil A. Beer
Dr. Stacey and Dr. Robert W. Berry
Mr. Russell Lee Bird
Mr. and Mrs. John Charles Bode
Mr. J. Stephen Bonario
Dr. Ellen Florence Boudreau
Mr. Michael E. Buchanan
Ms. Mallory Lauren Chesser
Mrs. Bonnie Chickris
Dr. Rachel K. Boeckenhauer
and Mr. Paul A. Cianchetti, II
Dr. Nicola J. Clegg
Dr. Kelly M. Coleman
Ms. Emily C. Conley
Ms. Natalie N. Cooper
Mr. Anand Immanuel David
Mr. Derby Davidson
Dr. and Mrs. Bryan Charles Devault
Dr. Michael A. Dimock
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis W. Disney
Mr. James A. Dunn
Mrs. Andrea Lewis-Echols
and Mr. Roderick E. Echols
Mr. Howard Pierce Elton
Mr. and Mrs. Austin M. Evans
Ms. Heidi M. Lange Galito
Dr. T. Dennis Geary
Ms. Kathryn Gehbauer
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Dennis Gorman
Mr. and Mrs. Trevor Graham
Mrs. Lori Stevens Gray and
Mr. Thomas B. Gray
Mr. Paul D. Grossbard
H. M. Lange Consulting
Mr. Benjamin J. Hamrick
Ms. Jennifer A. Handa
Ms. Susan C. Hanes
Mr. Kevin Hanratty
Mr. Hasan Haq
Mr. and Mrs. Michael W. Harlan
Mr. and Mrs. John L. Haynes
Mr. and Mrs. John R. Heinemann
Dr. and Mrs. Ernest J. Henley
Ms. Rachel Anne Hodos
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey A. Hokett
Dr. Stephen B. Hollingshead
Ms. Brandy M. Holmes
Ms. Kathy L. Hughes
Dr. James D. Izer and Mrs. Gina Trigilio Izer
Mr. and Mrs. Robert W. James
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas R. Jay
Dr. Joel Patrick Jenkinson
Jerry and Nanette Finger Foundation
Mr. William M. Kelly
Mr. and Mrs. Sean Kennedy
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas M. Kirkendall
Mr. Keithtrik C. Knighten
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Harold Kubicek
Mr. David Byron Lasater
Mrs. Ashley E. Leman
Mr. and Mrs. Franklin A. Lemmon
Dr. Jerry Wayne Lester
Mr. and Mrs. Roy H. Lively, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Alan M. Matuszak
Mr. Thomas Patrick May
Dr. and Mrs. Stephen L. Meller
Ms. Danielle L. Muffat
Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey S. Myers
Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas J. Noecker, Jr.
Novartis US Foundation
Mr. James M. Patterson
Mr. William J. Phillips
Mr. and Mrs. Tom Phipps
Mr. Erich M. Ploog
Dr. Nancy S. and Mr. David D. Pollard
Ms. Maria V. Carminati-Garbino
and Mr. Alejandro Garbino Pronczuk
Mr. Edward C. Rammrath
Mr. and Mrs. Ricky A. Raven
Mr. James Michael Rincon
Dr. Kathy L. Ritchie-Fair
Ms. Regina J. Rogers
Dr. Carl H. Rose
Mr. and Mrs. Michael P. Ross
Dr. and Mrs. Herbert B. Rothschild, Jr.
Mr. Orlando Sanchez
Mr. Christian Sarkar
Mr. Duane M. Scardino
Mr. and Mrs. James Schmidt
Ms. Cindy Colgate Schuster
Mrs. Carey C. Shuart
Mr. Jeffrey M. Shulse
Ms. Anne Smith
Mr. William Shawn Staples
Ms. Jennifer Stephenson
Ms. Consuella Taylor
Dr. Stephen Alan Tsui
Mr. and Mrs. Christopher R. VanHoose
Mr. Mark E. Webb
Mr. and Mrs. Alan Lee Westwick
Mr. William M. Wilson
Mr. Chad Michael Wolf
Dr. Hettie A. Richardson
and Mr. Richard D. Young, II
Mr. and Mrs. Travis C. Zimmer
OUTSTANDING LECTURE AWARDS
Announced at the Human Situation Fête
Friday, July 19, 2013
Dostoevsky’s Notes from the Underground
Ian Morrison
“Dr. Morrison took ideas that were not obviously stated in the novel and exposed them
to bring clarity to an otherwise dense text. These ideas were articulated in such a way that
they tied together the two very distinct parts of the book.”
(With citation excerpts written by the student selection committees)
Plato’s Meno
Ian Morrison
“More than a month later the lecture continues to inspire discussion
among those of us at the committee meeting.”
“It’s a Plunderful Life”: The Book of Joshua
Jesse Rainbow
“It was organized and crafted to keep us engaged in the argument.
It opened up channels of discussion and explored the difficulties of using a historical
rather than theological context to speak of the Bible.”
Concluding Lecture on Dante’s Inferno
Ted Estess
“Dr. Estess’ lecture emphasized the need to read on more than just a surface level,
which reinforces the way to read within the Human Situation.”
“Pride and Prejudice as Bildungsroman”: Robert Cremins
“He began his lecture by introducing a light powerpoint,
and he engaged the audience through his ideas, voice, and physical movement.”
“Masks”: Plato’s Apology
John Harvey
“The concept of masks provided a rich connection to the Greek theatre,
a connection often lost in the silent reading of the text.”
Seneca’s “On Mercy”
Sarah Spring
“The lecture brought the concepts of Seneca’s argument into a contemporary situation,
demonstrating the relevance of Seneca’s writing to our lives today.”
Aeschylus’ Prometheus Bound
Robert Cremins
“His close reading of Prometheus’ encounter with Io rooted the argument in the text
and clearly exemplified the expectations made of the students.”
David Hume’s “The Sceptic”
Tamler Sommers
“One outstanding aspect of the lecture was Dr. Sommers’ ability to contextualize
the essay on a personal level and relate that to human sentiment and reason.”
Photography courtesy of Alexander’s Fine Photography,
Lucy Bonner, Taylor Chan, Ann Cheek, Mary Dahdouh of
the Daily Cougar, Michiko McMahon, Pathik Shah,
Helen Valier, and Joy Wilson.