Honors Seminars 2025-2026
*Seminars will be added throughout the year so check back often.
Fall 2025
HNRS 299-02; M 4:10am-5:00pm
Madness
Department of English
Aristotle’s observation of an alliance between madness and creativity has enjoyed a remarkable endurance. Literary artists, in particular, seem especially keen to riff on the philosopher’s sentiments, and writers otherwise separated by space, time, and temperament find a curious solidarity in the creative expression of mental anguish. The history of literature may very well be a history of madness, but why, after all, should an aesthetic discourse be so very invested in a psychiatric one? In this seminar, we will examine the mutually constitutive relationship between these fields by engaging with a range of work from the areas of literature, cinema, history, psychology, and psychiatry, focusing specifically on the ways madness and the myriad mental illnesses it signifies are represented aesthetically and situated historically.
HNRS 299-03 M 1:10-2:00pm
The Science and Technology of Timekeeping
Physics Department
The playful question of "what is time?" occasionally comes up. The answer usually involves philosophy, religion, and even Einstein’s theories, and generally leaves us even more confused. Let’s instead ask a simpler question about time, which is "How is it measured?" whose answer is simply "with a clock." In this seminar, we'll take a whirlwind tour of the past 700 years of humankind’s quest to build clocks. We'll see how human ingenuity in both science and technology has progressed from clocks that used large rocks to tell time, to “atomic clocks” that use atoms to tell time. We'll see evidence of humankind's strange and persistent need to keep ever more accurate time, and how desperately our daily lives depend on it.
HNRS 299-04; F 10:10-11:00am
Joy to the World: Global Strategies for Bliss
Dr. Devin Kuhn, Lecturer, she/her
Philosophy (Religious Studies)
What constitutes “the good life,” and what are the secrets to achieving one?
This course examines communities around the world renowned for happiness, exploring various cultural and religious techniques that cultivate joy and bliss, such as meditation and mindfulness, appreciation of nature, strong social connections, and more. Each week students will investigate different practices designed to elicit contentedness, joy or bliss, culminating in a final project of the students’ design aimed at increasing happiness at Cal Poly.
HNRS 299-05 T 9:10-10:00am
Find Your Fit: Careers, Strengths & Next Steps (This seminar can be used to substitute for HNRS 261)
Evie Kriegbaum (she/her), Career Counselor
Cal Poly Career Services
Embark on a fun and engaging journey to discover careers that align with who you are! In this course, you’ll explore how your values, interests, identities, personality, and strengths (VIIPS) shape your career path. Through interactive activities, discussions, and hands-on projects, you'll gain essential skills in communication, networking, resume building, and interview success. By the end of the course, you’ll have a personalized career roadmap to help you navigate your time at Cal Poly and beyond. Get ready to find your fit and take the next step toward a future that excites you!
