Congratulations, Honor Students – we have made it to the end of another academic year in the Honors Program. Having served as the Honors Council President this year, I feel that we have accomplished some good work this year in the Honors Program and the Council, and there are also areas in which we can still continue to improve. This year in the Honors Council, we took on a few different projects for MCHP. One major task, the reevaluation and recreation of all Honors forms, was completed by Council Vice President Leanne Magestro. This was an important venture, as the results will hopefully help to make distribution of information simpler for the program at large. The return of the Research Symposium was another major project for the Honors Council this year. As Mercyhurst is not a major research university, I felt that it was important for the Honors Program to provide a venue for research presentation, and thus the 2010 MCHP Research Symposium was born. There have

been some bumps along the way, but I see this project as a success, if for no other reason than that it has revitalized the notion of an annual research conference through the Honors Program. As far as future improvements for the program are concerned, I hope that MCHP will continue to grow in three major areas: organization, community, and service. The new Honors forms should help with organization of information, but other areas might still need to be explored as well. Creating a community of scholars was another goal of the Honors Council this year, and we hosted several social events throughout the year partly to that purpose. We have also begun to work toward structural changes that could promote greater community in the program, which is an area I hope the Council will continue to explore. Furthermore, I would like to see the Honors Council work further on implementation of service for MCHP. Since service is a central part of the Mercyhurst mission, it is important for the Honors Program to

also embrace service, even, I would argue, beyond the Service Activity Card. The Council has begun this process with projects such as the Box Tops for Education collection and Habitat for Humanity Project, spearheaded by Junior Council Representative Sarah Heuer, and the MCHP Relay for Life team, organized by Leanne Magestro. Earlier in the year, the Council also participated in Christmas on Campus and made a book donation to Jefferson Elementary. In the future, I would like the Honors Council to continue and expand such projects. For example, the Council hopes to expand the Box Tops collection to be a year-long project involving the entire Mercyhurst campus. With both success and room for future growth, I believe that the Honors Council and MCHP have done pretty well this year as a whole. I look forward to more great work from the students of the Honors Program in the future.

This spring term, a select group of students from Mercyhurst College got the chance of a lifetime: a travel abroad experience in the enchanting and culture-rich country of Ireland. Students who chose to embark on this adventure arrived in Ireland on March 5, 2010, to a very hospitable welcome from the Irish community. Signs and banners decorated the streets welcoming Mercyhurst College students and faculty to Ireland. Immediately, the visitors were whisked away in a fl urry of excitement to meet with the mayor and other prominent members of the community. For the following weeks, students will be staying in the townhouses located in Dungarvan, a southeast seaside market town located near a beautiful bay. At this time, students are only a couple of weeks into life in Ireland and already are thrilled by all this country has to offer. The students have had the opportunity to travel to other cities and enjoy a variety of activities. There are ancient-time castles and cathedrals to be explored and admired, hurling matches to cheer on, pubs to be visited and culture in which one can immerse

oneself. Although many activities have been set up by the college, students enjoy the freedom of investigating the wonders of an unfamiliar country on their own. Some of the available activities include surfi ng, sailing and hiking. Moreover, during their time in Ireland, students have chances to go to other places like Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; and Portugal. However, since this is still a college experience, the students are expected to take classes while they are living there. The schedule for some students include a somewhat lighter course load for the fi rst fi ve weeks of the term to accommodate travel and exploration of Irish culture and sights and an intense fi ve weeks to fi nish the term with classes such as Ethics, British and/or Irish Literature, and Political Theory; other students’ schedules are very similar to what Mercyhurst students are taking back here in Erie. Because this trip has been such a success so far for everyone involved, Mercyhurst College is planning for more study abroad opportunities in Dungarvan next year. So if Ireland sounds like your kind of country, be sure to check it out.

I was asked for this issue of Quest to write a sort of refl ection on my two years as director of the Honors Program: what I’ve learned, what changes I’ve noticed and/or would like to see happen, etc. I won’t be writing about that. It’s not that I haven’t learned anything or that I haven’t noticed any differences between the Mercyhurst College Honors Program now and the MCHP of three years ago, but to be honest what I have learned is probably only interesting to me and it would take real imagination to see anything like a dramatic difference in the MCHP over such short time period. On the whole I am very pleased with how things are going and am particularly excited to note that in May we will induct the largest group of new members to the MCHP in at least the past six years. Rather than write a retrospective, I’ve decided to write about Spring instead. Why? As I write this, it is not yet technically Spring but the sun is shining today and it is warm enough to walk outside without a coat on. The bulbs have started to come up in my garden and this, too, makes me think about Spring. Spring is a season of growth and renewal. That’s a cliché, I know. (I am trained as a scholar of literature.) However, this does make a useful metaphor for what is—or should be—going on in the Honors Program right now. By the time you read this, we will have just inducted (or be about to induct) the new members of the MCHP out of this year’s class of Honors Preparation Year students, and one of the larg-est classes of new Honors students in recent memory. We will also be honoring (or will have

just honored) this year’s class of graduating Mer-cyhurst Honors Scholars as they prepare for their new lives post-Mercyhurst. Is change and renewal coming to the program itself ? I hope so. This year we had two new course offerings—Energy Science and Macroeconomics—from departments that had not offered Honors courses before and next Fall all HPY students will be enrolled in an Honors section of the Interdisciplinary Studies course. If there is something in particular that you would like to see happen, you should bring it up to one of the mem-bers of your Honors Council. Beyond these sort of obvious signs of growth and renewal, the metaphor of Spring for Honors also works in other, more profound ways. All of us who have a hand in the MCHP hope that the requirements of the program help you the students to perceive what it is you know and what it is you think you know in new ways. Your Honors classes, taken in the variety of academic disciplines required by the Core and taken with students from a range of majors are a valuable opportunity for cross-pol-lination of ideas (notice how I worked in the nature theme again!). We also hope that the opportunities you are encouraged to explore through the Activity Cards help you see how what you learn in the class-room can infl uence what you do out of the class-room and vice-versa. Springtime is also a time for action. The saying goes, “as you sow, so shall you reap.” This is a good time to think about what you are sowing. Do you know what kind of harvest you want to reap by the time you graduate? The time to plant those seeds is now. Come see me in my offi ce if you need any gardening tips.

Each year the Mercyhurst College Honors Program (MCHP) has different requirements of its students. In order to make MCHP students aware of the requirements they must meet, the basic requirements for both Honors Preparation Year and each successive year of MCHP have been out lined in the following paragraphs: During the HPY students are not offi cially members of the MCHP. They are required to maintain a GPA of at least 3.0 and complete two honors courses with a grade of C+ or higher. One of these honors courses must be completed spring term. While HPY students are not required to earn any activity cards, they are encouraged to do so, as the Event Attendance and Service Learning cards are easy to complete. In addition to the scholastic requirements, HPY student must attend all three mandatory meetings of the MCHP and submit a completed HPY portfolio by the third Wednesday of Spring Term. This portfolio includes: an HPY portfolio form, a formal letter of application no more than two pages in length, two letters of recommendation from Mercyhurst College faculty, an offi cial student copy of the candidate’s transcript, and any activity cards that have been earned. In the Fall Term of the MCHP student’s sophomore year, the student is required to complete the Sophomore Review Form. This form asks the student to identify opportunities that will be made available in his/her academic major, such as clubs or professional organizations, student research, awards or scholarships. During the sophomore year, the MCHP student must maintain a GPA of at least 3.30 and have completed a total of four honors courses with a C+ or higher. The student is also required to complete at least three Activity Cards. In the Spring Term of the sophomore year, the MCHP student should also be prepared

to submit a portfolio. This portfolio, which will be updated at the end of each successive year, should contain: a portfolio form, a resume or CV, an offi cial student copy transcript, and documentation for any activity cards earned that year. The Junior MCHP student is required to maintain a GPA of 3.40 and have completed at least two honors courses with a C+ or higher. They will also be required to earn three Activity Cards. To chart progress, the student is required to update his/her portfolio, which will have the same requirements each year successive from the sophomore year. In addition to these requirements, the student is also asked to submit an Honors Thesis Proposal. This proposal should contain information regarding the student’s selection of a thesis advisor, and should briefl y describe the nature and title of the project undertaken. While the Honors Thesis Proposal can be submitted at anytime during the Junior year, it must be submitted before the due date for the MCHP portfolio update. The Senior MCHP student is required to maintain a GPA of 3.50, earn three activity cards, and have completed at least two honors courses with a C+ or higher. As in the Junior year, the student will be required to submit an update for his/her portfolio. In order to graduate from the MCHP, the student must have his/her Honors Thesis completed, accepted, and defended prior to graduation. The Honors Thesis will be an original work completed by a single student. The thesis should have a written component approximately 25-100 pages in length and is to be done under the supervision of the student’s faculty advisor. The thesis must also be presented publicly in the form of either a formal defense, conference presentation, or a performance/show. All things considered, in order to graduate as a MCHP scholar, the student is required to have a minimum GPA of 3.50 at the time of graduation, complete at least nine Honors courses with a C+ or higher, earn at least nine Activity Cards in three of the different areas recognized by the MCHP, and present/defend an Honors Thesis. (See chart on following page)

Mercyhurst has many amazing Study Abroad programs for students to choose from. Numerous students take advantage of these programs; Hilary Maiorano is one of these students. Hilary chose to study abroad in Australia. She has loved it and will be there until June. She originally decided to participate in the abroad program to Australia because her sister went and had a fantastic time. They organization of Mercyhurst’s study abroad makes it easy for students to do so without having to deviate from their school work or miss out on classes that they need to graduate. Hilary chose to travel to Australia because it is the only place she has always wanted to go. She is immensely interested in the wildlife and animals because they are so different from our own. Hilary said that she likes “the people” best because they are all “very friendly and laid back and have excellent attitudes.” Apparently they tease her about the American stereotypes but it’s all in good fun. Also, she has made numerous friendships that will last a lifetime, which is really what the study abroad experience is about: meeting new people from different cultures and connecting. While the culture shock was a lot for Hilary to take in, she has adapted well and has come to understand the people she knows from Australia quite well. She loves the social component of the university she is at in Australia. It is quite different and every week they have leaders, similar to RAs, that put on activities for every day. Sometimes the entire dorms will go out together or have parties in their common rooms, which is a blast! Overall, Hilary said she would defi nitely participate in Mercyhurst’s Study Abroad programs. She loves being in Australia so much that she doesn’t “even want to think of coming home yet.”

As the end of the winter term fell to a close, honors students began to receive their registration dates and times through WebAdvisor. Even long before this, though, the Honors Department announced the honors classed offered for the Spring 2010 term. The courses included Macroeconomics, World Classics, Applied Ethics, Introduction to Psychology, and Energy Science. An extensive amount of planning can be involved in formulating the honors class schedule each term, and maybe even a good deal of planning and hypothetical thinking. Dr. Boudreau, the Director of the Honors Program, explains the intricacies of the honors program by looking at the fl uctuating needs of honors students: “The number of students using seats is unpredictable. Between students with advanced placement credits, HPY members, those who want core classes, and those who just choose not to pursue the classes offered, we have a huge selection of students to accommodate. The program does it as best as possible.” A problem to keep in mind is that the Honors Department cannot “force” departments to offer honors courses; they can only state a need for the offering of a class and students to take that class. For these and other reasons, predicting the necessary accommodations for the current honors students is very diffi cult to do; this can result in the fl ooding of some honors classes or the negation of others. In Spring of 2010, two courses in particular were in high demand – World Classics and Energy Science. World Classics, a class typically taken at the freshman level, quickly fi lled with a great number of HPY students looking to fulfi ll their requirements for their portfolios. Energy Science – a course new to Mercyhurst and the honors program – also

fi lled at a shockingly rapid rate. From my perspective, the class sounded interesting; my advisor strongly urged me to take it because of how conveniently it fi t into my busy dual-major schedule. Initially, the class was scheduled to hold a maximum of twelve students; the capacity has been increased, however, to eighteen. Many students have asked for more seats in a particular class; this is not possible because of a limit in the laboratory materials necessary for completion of the class. Also, each honors class is generally at a maximum of eighteen seats or less to maximize the learning potential of those involved. Thus, some students found themselves unable to register for their honors class(es) of choice for the spring term; plainly put, early registration was not early enough for them. Of the fi ve honors courses being offered during the spring term, one remained open through the duration of campus-wide scheduling – a senior ethics core. The other honors core classes fi lled quickly, much to the dismay of a collection of individuals. We are all unique individuals. Knowing how to respond to a diffi cult registration situation can be benefi cial. Dr Boudreau advises being prepared for a reoccurrence of this problem to ease the troubles of confl ict scheduling. Students should be patient, fl exible, and ready to look for opportunities when they arise. In fact, by the end of the registration process for spring, many students were able to fi nd alternatives that would help them satisfy their honors requirements, or they have a plan in place for next term. The complexity of each individual’s schedule prohibits a real means to and end to this problem. The best advice is to be prepared and have backup plans, which is true for life in general, anyway.

to MCHP Director Dr. Douglas Boudreau and

the Honors Council for their continuing help

and support.

- Editor: Erin Lewis

- Layout Editor: Samantha Williams

- Staff Reporters:

- Kortnie Cotter

- Carolyn Carlins

- Nicole M. Sherretts

- Kelly Craig

- Sarah Mastrocola

- Faculty Advisor: Dr. Brian Reed