Honored in Honors

This last week has been incredible. Since returning from the Honors Conference in DC, I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support and enthusiasm from the most unexpected people. I have been deeply grateful and humbled.

Saturday, October 31, I learned that I was named National Honors Student of the Year. I knew of my nomination before embarking on our trip, but didn't think I stood a chance. Let's just say, people at the National Collegiate Honors Council know how to keep a secret. And do it well. It was gratifying to meet the panel of judges who made the decision before I left, none of whom I had ever met before, but all of whom made a lasting impression.

Though the honor itself is overwhelming and incredibly appreciated, and though I am proud to represent my college and our Honors program on a national scale, I suppose what I am proud of most is how much our little Honors Program and Honors Student Association has accomplished. As I made rounds of the presentations at NCHC, it was amazing how many times I thought to myself, "hey, we already do that!"

It is a shining moment and a wonderful capstone to years of being a part of the Honors Program, to know that our efforts - monthly meetings, on and off-campus service projects, collaborative discussions, fundraisers, activities, social events, and conferences - are now appreciated and understood on a national level. We may be a smaller program than many of the institutions represented at NCHC, but we have a mighty heart and strong will and dedication that is unstoppable.

What an honor to receive this recognition during our Silver Anniversary year. I could not be more grateful.

Crawling into Someone Else's Skin

Traveling is one of the highlights of my life. I have used it as a means of stretching my comfort zone and expanding my horizons. But over the last ten years, flying has been the bane of my existence. Racial profiling is bad enough, but on top of that, a perforated ear drum leads to excruciatingly painful flights.

Nonetheless, it has been during our flights to NCHC that I have discovered the admirable and noble characters of several of my colleagues. After yet another unpleasant security check en route to DC, many of our presenters asked if I was doing ok. Frustrated, I explained that as an American citizen, it was very unnerving to be treated as a second class citizen everytime I fly.

I have only seen it on my trips with Honors, and perhaps it was the nature of the conference and the trip, but two of our students, Diana Lynde and Haley Marie Archer, went beyond Harper Lee's idea of climbing into someone else's skin and walking around in it, by actually doing it. Of no persuasion of my own, they asked to borrow hijabs, the traditional Muslim headscarf, to wear on the way back from NCHC as a symbol of support and as a means of understanding my experience.

I suppose I simply want to say that Columbia College, and the Honors program in specific, has cultivated some fine, compassionate, and enlightened women. NCHC exchanged ideas of diversity and understanding, but the words, for me, would have fallen flat were they not reinforced by the integrity of my fellow Honors friends. Such a simple gesture, just to show support for another student who's problems need not be shared by others, means so much. That's what it is to be an Honors student, to be a real woman of character. I thank them both from the bottom of my heart, and implore you to inquire of their experience!

Washington, D.C.: the center of more than just a country but of cultures merging together and creating a unique balance and unity.

I have reached my senior year and my last honors conference. I have to admit I went to the conference with dread because this was the last. The past conferences have been amazing. I look back over each one and have special memories from each. Snow covered the beautiful mountains of Denver giving a breathtaking (literally, it was cold!) view of the surrounding land. San Antonio was filled with laughs and cowboy hats as I met new friends over Denny's food (an upset stomach didn't take well to Mexican that week). I could go on indefinitely about how each conference has left a mark on my academic career and on me. Attending the final conference in D.C. was a nice way of having a capstone experience and a great way to (sort of) say good-bye to the undergrad world of NCHC.

I have visited D.C. on numerous occasions. This time, though, was still special. The monuments and the museums can never get old; I notice new things each time I go. The memorials, because of close family ties to the events they depict, always bring tears to my eyes and deep reflection. The structures are the same but the thoughts and experiences I bring to them each time I visit are different.

I have been very blessed to be a part of an Honors community that strives for excellence and collaboration. The conferences have been amazing because of the camaraderie that is present among Columbia College women and professors, yielding the ultimate learning experience. Without each individual, something would be missing from the experience. Coming from a diverse campus, we each bring unique talents to the table. Like D.C., we are a combination of diverse backgrounds and qualities that coexist in such a way that we maximize each of our potential. Although my collegiate career is coming to an end, the ways in which I have been strengthened by my fellow Honors students will continue with me after I walk across the stage.

Goodbye DC...

I promised Dr. Z that I would write, so I suppose I should. We are back in Columbia now, and I for one, am not too happy about it. I love being in DC and felt our trip was far too short. Basically, I love this city. At least, i love the snapshot encounters I have had during my brief visits I've made over the past two years. I was sad that we had only four days to take in a vast array of presentations, meet new people, as well as explore and take in just a few of the many opportunites and excitements that DC has to offer.
My suitemate is currently participating in the DC semester, so I was excited to see her again, and she proudly acted as a tour guide showing Michelle, Becca and me all of the sites. Wednesday we saw the White House, and has some dinner before settling in for the night.
Thursday we spent the morning in the Library of Congress were we got to see an exhibit of the Herblock political cartoons from the past 50 years, the Bible collection including the Gutenberg Bible, and Thomas Jefferson's personal library. After a crazy expensive lunch (I never thought i would pay upward of nine dollars for a combo at mcdonalds) we went to the air and space museum where Miranda and I sufficiently geeked out when we saw the original Starship Enterprise. Afterwards we went to the Museum of Natural History. We returned to the hotel by five thirty to listen to Dr. Freeman Habrowski who did an amazing job opening the conference. Although his entire speech was inspiring, one part that will always stay with me is when he shared that no matter how much it seemed the world was against him, his mother used to tell him "keep going, you do not have time to be a victim." That mantra set the stage for his life, and I found that line to to be very powerful.
Friday was full of presentations and discussion, along with some mingling with students and professors from other schools. Our group teamed with another and participated in a round table discussion on education and interdisciplinary learning, which turned out to be a lot of fun. After our group presentation, Rebecca, Michelle and I went to the Holocaust museum, followed by dinner and a great performance by the Capitol Steps. I was really impressed, and laughed so hard i couldnt breath. They were even better than most of us had anticipated.
Saturday was full of more presentations and Columbia College students turned out to show support for one another as every group finished up their projects. Sadly, it also brought the end of our conference. I already miss it, but I know that most of us are already looking foward to the next one.

~Jenn Rose

Nationals in the Nation's Capitol

No matter how many times I come to Washington, DC, my experiences are always unique and distinct. Having lived in DC for over 7 months, it felt great to return, and even more exciting to be coming for an Honors Conference, the last national conference I will get to attend as a Columbia College undergrad.

Though Honors conferences have taken me from Charlotte to Denver to Birmingham to St. Petersburg, none have surpassed the integrity and diversity of the conference this year in DC. Raised as a global citizen, it was amazing to finally see the nation's capital become one of the world's capitals. Enriched with a global focus, the content of the sessions this year pointed out how Honors programs across the nation are understanding the importance of cross-cultural interaction, broadening of horizons, and respect and understanding of the unknown.

Of course, of particular note, was the political junkie's ideal entertainment, the Capitol Steps performance satirizing current political events, which kept us rolling with laughter for a pleasant evening of after-dinner theatre, without the need to leave the hotel. Dessert afterwards sealed the deal.

After being a bystander for two and a half years, it was a rewarding experience to work behind the scenes and help bring the masterpiece to life. Draft after draft of schedules, maps, and e-mails finally became NCHC 2009. Furthermore, it was gratifying to see how much influence one of our own Columbia College members has, how much respect was afforded to this year's planner of the conference, Dr. John Z.

As I look over the day, I can't help but feel a calm satisfaction at having dedicated and devoted my college years to academic excellence through the Honors program. I am proud to be here representing my college, but I am even more excited about sharing it with our cheerleaders back home. We strive for you to not do more, but better.

Thinking Big

From Diana

The theme of NCHC this year is "The Global City." Washington, D.C. is certainly proving to be a city--and an experience--of international focus. When I logged on to post, for example, I was temporarily thwarted by the fact that the last student had set the language to Arabic. Unfortunately, knowledge of Arabic is not in my skill set. A brief experimentation of pushing various buttons produced the desired tongue, but not before I recognized this as a bit of global encountering.

As well, last night Katie and I met some international students currently studying in Georgia. While we wandered the streets of Washington in the wee hours of the morning, they made a picture of curiosity. In a way, they seemed to appreciate the city more than we did, seeing it much like we would take in a gigantic monument of Kaiser Wilhelm or Michelangelo's David. The historically international focus of DC also came through the monuments we visited, marble structures brightly lit, contrasting with the dark of the trees and the dusky orange of the cloudy night sky.

At the Jefferson memorial, I was reminded of the Founding Fathers' use of historical thought in formulating our Constitution. They pulled from political commentary from across the ocean in writing our foundational documents, much like we, as a nation, are progressively moving towards utilizing the minds and ideas of people of other cultures.

Overall, the conference has been enormously full of brainfood. People here are purposeful in their intellectual investigations, taking time and effort to probe further, think deeper. And that, my friends, is Honors!

Why we are going...

This week, the Columbia College Honors Program is proud to have 23 students making a variety of presentations in general sessions, workshops, roundtable discussions, and panels at the National Collegiate Honors Council conference in Washington, D.C. NCHC is the premier professional organization in higher education presiding over honors education. The students are joined by Dr. Joyce Fields and President Caroline Whitson, who are also presenting on the program of almost 2,000 participants from across the United States and other countries. Dr. John Zubizarreta, currently President-Elect of the NCHC and the conference organizer and chair, will become President of the organization at the convention.