By: Rebecca Nagel, Assistant Multi-Media Director
On Thursday, Feb. 8, the Honors Student Association (HSA) hosted a course unveiling in Old Main 225. At the event, HSA Vice President Hawa Saleh introduced the vast course options available to honors students during the fall 2024 semester.
The first course that was announced is HON215: Death and Dying, taught by Dr. Reed. This course qualifies for a philosophy requirement and runs every Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 5:20 p.m. Using dark humor, Reed explained how the class would reflect on the topics of death and dying, with subtopics aligning with the closeness of death and historical puzzles about dying.
Next up, HON219: Crime Fiction: Gender and Genre with Dr. Gregorek was announced. This course qualifies for the literature and diversity requirements and runs every Monday and Wednesday from 4 to 5:20 p.m. This class will focus on topics such as gothic novels and film noir, with discussions about classic mystery authors such as Sherlock Holmes and Agatha Christie.
The following introduction was for HON221: Religion, Peace, and Violence taught by Dr. Lawrence, which fulfills a religious studies requirement. This is the only summer course offered through the honors program and is an asynchronous course discussing war justifications from ancient civilizations to modern situations between religious groups.
HON228: Environmental Psych, taught by Dr. Lodi-Smith, was the next class introduced, with meeting times being Mondays and Wednesdays from 4 to 5:20 p.m., fulfilling the social science requirement. She described this class as focusing on caring for the environment and connecting with nature. Also, a bonus that every student wants to hear is that Lodi-Smith doesn’t “believe in paying for knowledge” which means that she is on the lookout for a free textbook for her course this upcoming fall!
What could be better than a free textbook? Well, if you’re a Johnny Cash fan, then you’re in luck! Dr. Bailey is teaching HON234: Walking the Line with the Man in Black: 20th Century America through the Guitar and Pen of Johnny Cash on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:20 a.m. This course will discuss history through the lines of Johnny Cash’s albums, biographies and poems, including exploring his radical activism and religious beliefs, as they relate to 20th-century America.
Now, Canisius wouldn’t be a Jesuit institution without a religious studies course. Fulfilling the religious studies and diversity requirements, Dr. Krawiec is teaching HON242: Cultural Constructions of Jesus on Mondays and Wednesdays from 1 to 2:20 p.m. Diving into topics of images and political constructions of Jesus, Krawiec will make you reconsider everything you have been taught about the good shepherd.
Speaking of religion, HON247: Islam: Religion, History, and Culture (filling the religious studies, social science and/or diversity requirements) is being taught by Dr. Lee on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 to 11:20 a.m. In this course, you will learn about the traditional study of Islam, interact with Islamic law and common law and also have the opportunity to visit at least three different mosques in the area throughout the semester.
Next up, Professor Mąkowska (a visiting professor from Warsaw, Poland) is teaching HON253: Polish and Ukrainian Literature in Times of Crisis on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:50 p.m., fulfilling the history, diversity or literature or social science requirements.
Of course, HON255: The Buffalo Experience is being offered once again, every Thursday from 4 to 6:45 p.m. this fall. Professor Wolf will teach you everything you need to know about Buffalo, visiting places that aren’t only educational but also delicious.
Following Wolf’s introduction, Professor Higgins indulged the HSA group with a sidetrack of how he recreated his voice through AI during his introduction to HON258: The Audio Essay, which fulfills the fine arts or literature requirement. Meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m., this course will dive into one of the most flexible forms of expression, focusing on personal essays.
Do you still need a Science/Math/Technology credit? Maybe HON354: Science in the 21st Century is the course for you. Debating topics of global warming, moral responsibility, and social justice, students will take on weekly discussions in Dr Grebenok’s class, meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9:30 to 10:25 a.m.
Dr. Robinson is teaching HON367: Navigating Social, Race, Gender, and Other Experiences of Everyday Life on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 2:20 p.m., fulfilling the social science requirement. Learn about sociological thoughts and patterns of social interactions in this fascinating course.
If you are a film buff, Dr. Reitsma’s HON369: Almodóvar: Filming Desire, Passion, and Art will teach you “how to properly watch a film.” This course will be offered on Tuesdays from 4 to 6:45 p.m. and fulfills the fine arts requirement. Alongside watching Almodóvar’s films, you will also learn about the development of Almodóvar as a filmmaker.
The final course introduced for the evening was HON391: Imagining Medicine: Healing Gazes, Powerful Stories, taught by Dr. Kryder on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:30 to 9:50 a.m. Focusing on the stories of physicians, patients and caretakers, this course fulfills the literature or math/science/technology requirement.
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