A highlight of being a First-Year Honors Scholar is the opportunity to make a lasting connection with a faculty member by engaging in Scholar Societies. These faculty-led groups, each of which has a specific theme or area of focus, help foster community among honors students and create the opportunity for informal interactions with a faculty member. Society faculty engage with honors students through meals, off-campus field trips, on-campus events, and themed discussions. Through the societies, students are able to explore niche interests along with global and local phenomena to expand their realm of knowledge"
Scroll below to read from our peer mentors about what they've been up to in their societies!
World Development
Faculty Lead: Felix Rioja
The World Development Society took the streetcar to visit the historic Cabildo in the French Quarter. During the guided tour with Robert Freeland, they learned about the Spanish’s contributions to the economic development of New Orleans. Although New Orleans is notorious for its French influence, the Spanish transformed New Orleans into an economically prosperous city. The tour focused on treaties, geography, trade, population growth, and architecture. The scholar society has biweekly meetings with guided discussions focused on geography, institutions, trade, the Incas, colonial economies, and other topics. Our discussions are open-ended, which allows each member to contribute and provide unique insight. During our field trip, we enjoyed connecting these complex concepts to the history of New Orleans. After our trip to the Cabildo, we continued our New Orleans tour to Cafe Pontalba and feasted on authentic creole dishes.
Feminist Frameworks
Faculty Lead: Aidan Smith
The Feminist Frameworks Society attends different lectures throughout the semester that are given by authors, artists, and activists. Oftentimes, they'll have smaller intimate discussions with the speaker too. This society centers on feminist approaches to literature, film, and public life in New Orleans and beyond. Some field trips the society embarks on include touring Mardi Gras World, Celebration in the Oaks in City Park during the holidays, having brunches with the professor, and going on a feminist-centered ghost tour of New Orleans.
Books and Reading
Faculty Lead: Mike Kuczynski
Seen here, the Books and Reading Scholar Society visited a local cemetery for their annual "Graveyard Poets" event. During this event students go to a local cemetery and read various poetry from the famous Graveyard Poets. We also gather less formally over either meals or at a restaurant for discussions of books that the members are currently reading, either curricularly or extracurricularly. If you're an avid reader, or trying to become one, this society is a great pick for you!
Grey Matter
Faculty Lead: Jonathan Fadok
We all know that the nervous system has to do with the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, but sometimes it is hard to conceptualize it all because most people have never seen the nervous system. In one of our meetings, students were able to see a specimen of the human brain, spinal cord, and many major nerves still intact. This was a real "hands-on" experience that was both interesting and informative!
This society meets monthly for discussion and exploration within the neuroscience and psychology field. Other events have included going on lab tours, pumpkin carving for Halloween, and going to local museums.
Life and Death in New Orleans & Healthcare Innovations
Life and Death in New Orleans Faculty Lead: Emily Harville
Healthcare Innovations Faculty Lead: Khaled Abjerid
While these two societies do not operate in tandem, they sometimes come together and do combined events. For this instance, students in the two societies took a shuttle downtown to go tour the medical school and public health building with their professors.
Life and Death in New Orleans specifically focuses on how health and medicine have affected New Orleans throughout history. Healthcare Innovations explores how different technologies are used across the world amongst diverse populations.
The Science of Happiness
The students in The Science of Happiness Society are shown having an end-of-semester dinner with their professor Dr. Carrie Wyland. Throughout the semester the students engaged in volunteering, social gatherings such as painting pumpkins for Halloween, various dinners of local cuisine, and 1-1 coffee chats with the professor. All things that promote and encourage a happy and balanced lifestyle, which is something that is needed during the college years!