To graduate with honors, students must complete two honors seminars. These courses, taught by professors from across the disciplines and open only to students in the honors program, explore focused topics in greater depth than would possible in a course within a normal major or minor.

The following are descriptions of the honors seminars offered in spring 2005:

HONR 300A Bach and Handel: Twin Peaks of the Late Baroque
4 Semester Hours
T. Faber

Bach and Handel, two of the greatest composers in Baroque music history, were both born in 1685 in Germany. Yet they never met. Although both were famous as keyboardists (organ and harpsichord), their careers followed widely divergent paths. In addition to studying the greatest musical compositions of each composer, we will examine the historical, political, and religious contexts in which the music was written. If there are performances of the music of either composer presented within a reasonable distance, we will attend such concerts. The course is intended for all those who wish to gain a broader and deeper appreciation of the lives and music of these Baroque masters. There will be quizzes, a midterm, and final, as well as two medium-length research papers, with topics selected which are of special interest to the student. WRITING INTENSIVE.

HONR 300H Existence or Essence
4 Semester Hours
Cothran

Through readings of major works in twentieth century French literature (primarily novels and plays) the course explores ways in which major questions of the human condition are confronted. The main focus of the course is the relation of these texts to Western intellectual history from Plato and Aristotle to Derrida. Issues of special importance are the various ways in which French literature rebels against the rationalist tradition of the Enlightenment, the relationship of existentialist and absurd thought to postmodern constructions of the world and the illustration in the literary text of postmodern notions that meaning is created, plural, shifting. Authors to be read include Proust, Sartre, Camus, Beckett, Ionesco, Robbe-Grillet, Genet, and Wittig. All work for the course is in English. No knowledge of French is assumed. Evaluation will be based on a course paper (a series of short papers brought together in a long paper), exams, and the student's participation in discussions. WRITING INTENSIVE.

HONR 300R Bioethics
4 Semester Hours
Nelson

This seminar introduces students to basic concepts and contemporary discussions in bioethics. Topics may include organ procurement, abortion, reproductive technologies, euthanasia, use of human subjects in research, genetic engineering, cloning and stem cell research, autonomy, consent, truth telling and deception, confidentiality, access to health care, rationing, allocation of scarce resources, use of animals in research, and environmental concerns. Readings from a wide variety of disciplines - medicine, law, economics, and literature as well as philosophical and religious ethics. Oral presentations and papers will develop students' ability to identify moral issues, analyze moral arguments, and make and defend moral judgments. WRITING INTENSIVE.