Honors 1110: Honors Interdisciplinary Seminar
A Good Life
Dr. Paul Baumgardner, Dr. Charmion Gustke, Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel and Dr. Bonnie Smith Whitehouse

What does it mean to live a good life? What does it mean to be good, to do good, to embrace and interrogate the nature of goodness? In this class, which was tailor-made for students new to the Honors Program, we will consider happiness, virtue, ambition, wisdom, struggle, doubt, and dreams from philosophical, theological, literary, political, historical, and scientific perspectives. We will become an Honors community together as we interrogate these issues and questions.

Honors introduction to the fundamentals of speech communication including how to research, organize, prepare and deliver effective oral presentations in a one-to-many communication setting. Key Belmont goals are that students become excellent thinkers, writers and speakers. In HON 1130, students exercise these skills through both written and oral communication. Students will practice communicating for impact by crafting thoughtful messages that matter to the audience, by demonstrating mastery of subject matter and by delivering polished presentations designed to achieve a clearly stated purpose (e.g. to inform, to persuade, to entertain, to motivate or inspire, etc.).

Honors 1140: Honors Social Science Seminar

In this course we'll think about the ways people imagined the American city from the dawn of last century to the present day, especially in books, photographs, and film. We'll consider how cities were and are: 1) meeting spaces for diverse people and cultures across time; 2) places where dark, disturbing, or dystopian ideas of society have lived; or 3) imaginaries where people think about the future or about utopias. After considering a few cities in historical context, we'll take a close look at our own city of Nashville, considering where it is now, and imagining what it might be in the future.

Honors 1140: Honors Social Science Seminar
Talkin' Bout a Revolution
Dr. Mary Ellen Pethel

In 1988, singer songwriter Tracy Chapman released the now classic song “Talkin’ Bout a Revolution.” From paradigmatic shifts in science to socio-political uprisings to major economic and industrial developments to issues we confront today—we will be talking about not just one but many revolutions. This class will explore the causes, elements, and consequences of revolutions over the last 500 years. Some revolutions are sudden, others build slowly. Some involve violence and vitriol; others engage new theories and technologies—but all revolutions represent intersectional moments that mark substantial change to the ways in which we live. Are we living through a revolution, or multiple, now? If so, what does it mean for humanity? How did we get here and where do we go now? The answers to these questions lie in the past and our ability to connect to the present. Using a variety of primary and secondary sources that span the interdisciplinary spectrum, we will learn with and from one another to create a new understanding of revolutions. And, to be sure, we will be talkin’. 

Honors 1140: Honors Social Science Seminar
Radicalism and American Democracy
Dr. Paul Baumgardner

This seminar delves into the rich tradition of radical politics in the United States. Moving from the Radical Republicans of the nineteenth century to Bernie Sanders's 2020 presidential campaign, we will explore the possibilities and limitations of the electoral process in the United States. Through an examination of a range of radical currents on the political right and left, we will consider (1) the nature of American democracy, (2) the heterodox movements that have shaped our current political system, and (3) the different forms of political action that exist outside of national elections.

Honors 1150: Honors Wellness Seminar
Daily Practices: A Guide for Healthy and Holistic Living
Dr. Holly Huddleston, Dr. Nick Bacon

This course will focus on living in a way that integrates daily practices of well-being from multiple dimensions of wellness. We will learn to identify the interrelated dimensions of wellness in ourselves and our communities, recognize disparities among populations, modify environments to enhance behaviors, and evaluate local and global practices of well being. In addition, we will learn to lead others in a way that reflects daily healthy choices.

Honors 2120: Honors Humanities Seminar
Writing, Community and Leadership
Dr. Amy Hodges-Hamilton

Writing, Community, and Leadership is an interdisciplinary writing seminar where students will “jump hurdles, leap fences, and penetrate walls” in order to explore a range of communities and their place within them—from their individual communities to Nashville communities like Rest Stop Ministries, Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital, At-Risk Youth Centers, and Morningside Assisted Living, as well as global communities like the Nashville International Center for Empowerment (NICE).  We will also study our place and displacement within communities and consider how stories can make us stronger and more effective leaders in our professional lives.

Honors 2120: Honors Humanities Seminar

This writing-intensive course will draw from non-fictional narratives, young adult fiction, music, and films that explore the theme of coming of age within the last century to present day. What does it mean to come of age? How does the meaning differ based on gender, culture, and/or era? How do we document this human experience? In addition to studying critical theory, students will give voice to their own narratives on the subject, in the form of personal essays, literary journalism, story treatments, and poetry.

Honors 2120: Honors Humanities Seminar

In this course, we will read from a variety of disciplines that explore aspects of the following question: “How shall we live now?” This is the primary question Daniel Quinn asks in his novel Ishmael: An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit. Specifically, this course will consider how we preserve our humanity, connect meaningfully with one another, reflect on our choices and their implications, and stay grounded on the earth while living in our fast-paced age of technology, progress, and over-consumption. Although philosophical in its questioning, this course will also be quite pragmatic: We will examine applications of these ideas, noting how specific choices have affected people, communities, and society.