By Micah Mowry
As the end of the semester creeps along, students prepare for finals and rush to complete their last assignments. No FCC attendees are working as hard and tirelessly as the Honors College students. These students are tasked with creating a project based on an idea or problem that needs discussion or a solution.
The force that is prompting these students to work as hard as they do, is known as the Honors Forum. This event, which takes place on Friday May 8th at 8 a.m, allows Honors members to showcase their projects and breakthroughs with the rest of the school and general public.
There are a large variety of projects on the slate for the forum. According to the head of the Honors Program Dr. Bruce Thompson, there are “roughly 114 students doing projects, with possibly twenty to forty more not seeing the light of day.”
Often, Honors members will complete two or more projects in conjunction with their classes.
A student named Lola Keilty Austin is doing a project on Zoochosis (which is the study of abnormal, self-destructive behavior of captive animals) as well as a study on the effects of focus groups have on children of alcohol abusers. She stated that she is “very nervous for the forum and hopes to succeed.”
Leigh Wear, a Peer Mentor for the Honors program, is also attempting two studies. They are a bit stressed for the forum, but ready to present anyways.
Their two projects are about the gradual shift in negative LGBTQ stereotypes over the last twenty years, and the reason for Disney’s consistent remakes.
One project highlighted by Dr. Thompson specifically, discusses mental health providers and the hoops people have to jump through just to get help. The goal of this study is to limit those obstacles and the trauma that comes from detailing their mental health struggles.
The student hopes to build a webpage that works for all users whilst making receiving services and accessing resources easier without having to constantly relive the trauma. “The question they [The student] want to answer is if a single entry process process possible?” Thompson stated.
At its core, the Honors program is about problem solving. Students think of a problem, do some thorough research into the issue, and then conceptualize a solution, or way of application. Dr. Thompson called this process “applied learning.”
Applied learning is the overall goal of the Honors program. This research-based method is what Dr. Thompson hopes students will take away from Honors. “It also creates employment value.” he stated.
The official Honors College page on the FCC website states that “Students who complete honors projects, present at a conference, earn service or leadership certificates, and graduate from the Honors College gain a competitive advantage when applying for admission to selective four-year colleges and transfer scholarships.”
Students seeking eligibility for Honors college must enter with a strong academic record (usually 3.500 GPA) but also an open mind and a taste for learning.
To graduate with Honors at FCC, students must complete twelve credits and have an overall grade point average of 3.250.
The Honors Forum takes place on May 8th and will be followed by an awards ceremony for twelve-credit graduates around noon.
Micah Mowry is a dude who likes to write stuff. That’s all you gotta know.
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