What is the Honors Program?
An Interview with Sarah Maria Rutter
On a cloudy, March afternoon I had the pleasure of sitting down and interviewing Sarah Maria Rutter, academic advisor and administrator for Roosevelt’s Honors Program. What’s this? You didn’t know the school had an Honors Program? Maybe not sure what the Honors Program actually does? Well, good thing for you, this article is all about the Honors Program and why you, talented and exceptional Roosevelt student, should join!
The Honors program is an immersive academic opportunity for students seeking an enriched undergraduate experience with intellectual rigor. The program offers an inter-disciplinary approach to creativity and intellectualism and experiential learning. And then, obviously, the biggest difference between Honors courses and regular courses is that the Honors Program requires its students to write a thesis at the end of their Senior year. The thesis is done in collaboration with a professor from your major and is supposed to reflect your passions and interests as they pertain to your discipline.
I know what you may be thinking: so, it’s harder than normal classes? No, actually, it is not. I asked Sarah Maria if she believed that Honors level courses were harder, and she said that they were not. In accordance with the National Collegiate Honors Council, classes are not harder, but they do place more focus on risk taking and inquiry. Honors classes address the general topic, but they also make the complexities of what’s happening come to the forefront of the conversation.
And still, all of this sounds incredibly intimidating. But, in my own experience, I have found that Honors classes are not as challenging so much as they are fulfilling. Classes will require you to delve deep into topics and material, and delving in deep typically requires one to think carefully and contribute their nuanced ideas as they pertain to the subject matter. Professors in the program are always there to guide you through the process, whether that process be writing a thesis, applying research methods, or understanding your discipline the slightest bit more.
When I asked Sarah Maria how the Honors Program prepared students for life after college, she responded that the courses students take throughout the program have the intention of preparing students for whatever they may choose to do after school. The Honors Program’s classes will change the way you think, it’ll change the way you approach life after college. Whether your transitioning into grad school (as many honor students do), social service, or a job, the honors programs rigor will ease the transition.
Personally, I’ve never regretted my choice in joining the program. It’s allowed me to apply knowledge learned in the classroom to various experiential activities – like tutoring – outside of it. Not to mention that my honors classes are typically much more engaging than the average class, often encouraging discussion and careful thought. The program offers a variety of courses each semester, and this semester I was lucky enough to register for Professor Bethany Barratt’s “Honors Politics of Harry Potter” class, which has been as entertaining as it has been interesting. I mean, we talk about Harry Potter for two and a half hours, who wouldn’t love that? Well, Twilight fans, maybe.
Sarah Maria also said that the Honors Program has a lot more in store for its students in the coming semesters. Recently, the program has reduced the number of credits each student has to take. It’s also allowed for a two-semester thesis approach; in your first semester of Senior year, you will take a prep course that will prepare you for your thesis course the following semester. For those who have no idea what to focus their thesis on, this course is ideal to get ready for the thesis-writing process. The program also hopes to incorporate less formal Honors programming into campus culture, hoping to get students from all disciplines involved in events on campus even if they’re not apart of the Honors College.
This year’s Honors Program theme was “Research as Social Action” and two films were shown on campus in keeping with the theme. This year also happened to be the 20th anniversary of the program and Sarah Maria and Marjorie Jolles, director of the Honors Program, have been busy advising and assisting Honors students, as well as keeping up with Honors courses, thesis presentations, and various events on campus. Next years theme will be “Living and Dying” because, as Sarah Maria says, “you can hardly talk about a life well-lived without using death as a comparison.” This, in my opinion seemed like a perfect quote to end on. Why? Because it is exactly a statement like this that, even on a small scale, inspires the careful thought and discussion that the Honors Program encourages. And if that doesn’t sell you on the program, then I don’t know what will.
By Kaitlyn Greenholt