Honors Seminars 2026-2027
*Seminars will be added throughout the year so check back often.
Fall Semester 2026
How do we imagine the future? As a genre, science fiction considers how science and technology reshape our society, commenting on contemporary social problems by defamiliarizing them through metaphors like alien invasions or robot uprisings. This seminar explores a selection of global science fiction films from the 1930s to the present, organized around common science fiction tropes like alien contact, time travel, mad science, artificial life, and post-apocalypse. Our discussions will focus on how shared genre tropes can engage differently with topics like race, gender, class, and queerness when imagining future worlds.
Why does the sound of the Theremin invoke a world outside of our home planet?
In this seminar we will survey the evolution and development of Film Scoring in the genre of Science Fiction, from Close Encounters of the Third Kind to Bladerunner: 2049 and Dune. Through examining technological demands & innovations, traditional film scoring techniques, and historically notable composers & films, we will discover and discuss the relationship between films and their soundtracks.
College is the perfect time to build strong financial habits that will last a lifetime. This seminar is designed to help students better understand their behaviors around money and make decisions with confidence. Topics include better understanding your financial values and goals, how to create and stick to a budget, savings, managing debt, understanding credit, and navigating tough money conversations with roommates, family, or partners. Through interactive activities and real-life examples, students will gain the tools they need to make informed financial choices that align with their values now and in the future.
