Fall 2008 Honors Seminars

IN203-01 Honors Seminar in Humanities, CRN 13987
Genius in Fact and Fiction
Dr. Michael O'Conner
Tues/Thur 9:30 to 10:45

What is genius? Is genius related to the mind only or to other qualities and characteristics of human endeavor and achievement? Can there be "sports" geniuses or only intellectual, artistic, musical or mathematical geniuses? How are geniuses treated in our society? Is there a connection between genius and insanity? This course will explore the concept of genius in the academic world and in our popular culture through books, essays, fiction, film, television, and the web. Through a study of Gardner's multiple intelligences, we will attempt to come to some understanding of genius, geniuses and the manner in which they interact within and are portrayed in our world. Other than academic books and articles dealing with genius, possible fiction texts we will read include C. August Dupin tales, Sherlock Holmes stories, Chasing Vermeer, Flowers for Algernon, Ender's Game, Oryx and Crake, and others. Possible films we will study include Rain Man, Good Will Hunting, Little Man Tate, and A Beautiful Mind. (Counts as a literature distribution requirement for College of Arts and Sciences students and may count for a Category II division distribution requirement for College of Fine Arts students)

IN206-01 – Honors Seminar in Social Science, CRN 12768
Campaigns and Elections
Dr. Keiko Ono
Tues/Thur 2:00 to 3:15

In a democracy, the government derives its “just” powers from “the consent of the governed” (The United States Declaration of Independence). The principal method through which the public bestows this “consent” upon political leaders is campaigns and elections. This course critically examines how the electoral process has evolved since the founding and how it functions today: does it or does it not fulfill its promised role? What is the nature and quality of the “consent” given today? What are the shortcomings of today’s practice of campaigns and elections and what can we do about it? (Can count as an IN250 in the MPSL curriculum or a Social Science division requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences)

IN206-01– Honors Seminar in Social Science, CRN 13606
Creating the Documentary: Making the Story of a Lifetime
Professor Ngozi Onurora
Monday/Wednesday 8:00 to 9:15

This 3-credit hour course allows students to research and create a 10-minute documentary about an issue for which they are passionate and want to bring to the consciousness of the campus and the greater community. Working in teams of four or five (depending on class size), students will take on different roles as they engage in critical thinking, critical reading, critical writing, and extensive research in planning the content of the documentary and the execution of filming and producing the final movie to tell the story they have always wanted to tell. Students will also watch and critique several documentaries, learn about copyright laws and fair use policies, address ethical issues in documentary storytelling, learn how documentaries address historical, social, and political issues, practice effective use of mini DV camcorders, and edit footage using iMovie software. The culminating event will be Millikin University’s first (and hopefully, annual) Blue Docs Rock documentary film festival for which groups will generate a publicity campaign to garner support for the premiere of their documentaries. Finally, students will be expected to submit their documentaries to other select film festivals as a means of experiencing what it is like to enter a film contest. (Can count as an IN250 in the MPSL curriculum or a Social Science division requirement for the College of Arts and Sciences)

IN207-01 – Honors Seminar in Mathematics, CRN 13970
Infinity
Dr. James Rauff
Tuesday/Thursday 11:00 to 12:15

In this seminar we undertake an exploration of the mathematics of infinity. Our travels will take us to the higher mathematical infinities. Along the way we will encounter surreal numbers, robot consciousness, shamanistic transcendence, parallel universes, mysticism, chaos, truth, and beauty. Our main guide to the infinite will be mathematics, but we will also be assisted by anthropology, art, linguistics, literature, philosophy and physics. (Can count as fulfilling the Quantitative Reasoning requirement in the MPSL curriculum)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Immersion Honors Seminar Option in May/June 2008
IN204-01 Honors Seminar in Natural Sciences
crosslisted as PY160 or IN350

Inca Astronomy, Ruins, and Culture in Cuzco, the Sacred Valley and Machu Picchu
(3 credit hours), Dr. Dan Miller and Professor John Werner

Immersion Option: May-June 2008,
can count as your Fall or Spring Honors Seminar
JMS students can also take this course as an IN350 Global Studies course
Estimated costs: $3200 for tuition and travel
Immersion 2008, May 31—June 8
Course Goals This course will take its participants into the Andes Mountains of Peru to learn in the heartland of Inca civilization. Students will learn about ancient Inca culture, their origins, social organization, religion, astronomy, and, of course, their legendary skills as architects, engineers, artists, and medical practitioners. Topics in astronomy include understanding of star and planetary motions, constellation identification, our solar system, our galaxy, and introduction to digital astrophotography.

At 11,000 feet above sea level, the first two days of the course will be spent adjusting to the altitude by attending lectures and visiting nearby museums. The scope will then expand, first to the ruins around Cuzco, then by train to the ruins of Machu Picchu. On the way back from Machu Picchu, a day will be spent in the ruins and modern Inca villages of the Sacred Valley. (Can count as fulfilling the Natural Science with Lab requirement in the MPSL curriculum)