Vol. 3 No. 2          Spring 2000

Honors classes have been a great addition to my college career. They have proven to be a challenge that constantly presents new ideas that keep me thinking. The common format of the honors classes I have taken has emphasized discussion rather than lecture. Students are challenged to reach their own conclusions; then these conclusions are shared with the class. This discussion format gives the class an informal tone which encourages the students to feel comfortable discussing various topics and their opinions on those topics. This type of class format has taught me to be more open-minded about what others have to say. Often there are many sides of an argument presented that I never would have thought about. As a result, the full "picture" of a topic emerges, rather than a single opinion. The classes often conclude with final projects. These projects give a positive ending to the class because students see how much they have learned throughout the semester. Honors classes keep me "on my toes" at all times. They present challenges that are not possible in a regular classroom. By choosing to take honors classes, a student takes a great step in the direction of success.

This course meets the basic speech requirement for the core curriculum. Every semester a topic will be selected, and the students will be required to focus on this topic when giving their speeches and doing their in-class assignments. Students will learn all the foundations of public speaking, interpersonal communication, and small-group communication during this course. For fall of 2000 the topic will be First Amendment Rights and Responsibilities. Students will examine First

Amendment law and use that knowledge to inform their speeches and small group projects. Future topics may include Science and Faith, Politics and Culture, and Argument and a Multicultural Society.

This fall there will be a new Honors Geology 1054: Physical Geology. Similar to the format in Honors chemistry, students will attend a regular lecture section and a special Honors lab. Also, starting in the fall of 2001, Honors freshman biology will be offered again.

Presidential Honors Program growing

Twenty-one new students will enter the Presidential Honors Program in the fall of 2000, bringing the total number of students in the program to approximately 40. In recent years the program has admitted 10 students per year and the total has hovered around 30 students. The average SAT score of the 21 incoming freshmen is 1296. Ten of those students have a combined SAT score above 1300 and one above 1400.

Endowment funds for Presidential Honors Scholarships now total $2,964,832.28. The scholarship amount has increased from $2,500 per year in 1996 to $4,500 in the fall of 2000, while at the same time the number of participants in the program has increased by more than a third. The Centennial Campaign for the Twenty-First Century has established as one of its goals funding for 60 scholarships at $6,000 a year. For information on funding a Presidential Honors Scholarship or making a contribution to the program, contact the Office of Development at 254-968-9769.

Expanded Honors website in place

The website for the Tarleton Honors Programs has been greatly expanded in the past few months. It now includes information about the Presidential Honors Program, the Honors Degree Program, and the Presidential Honors Society; a section on current and former students; a photo gallery featuring Honors students and faculty members at various events; an on-line version of this newsletter; information about Honors classes and instructors; the history of the programs; and information about the director. Visit the website at http://www.tarleton.edu/~honors.

Roll out the welcome mat

The following twenty-one students have already accepted an invitation to enter the Presidential Honors Program in the fall of 2000: Julie Allen, a pre-med major from Granbury; Cheryl Beeler, a pyschology major from Clifton; Adam Davidson, an economics major from Hallsville; Kelli Gaither, a chemistry major from Stephenville; Misty Gayan, a pre-med major from Paradise; Heather Harris, a pre-med major from Stephenville; Kristina Heinsen, a finance major from Azle; Patricia Henley, an agricultural services major from Arlington; Ryan Hubbs, a pre-med major from Granbury; Paige Jackson, an English-educ. major from Henrietta; Kyle Jurney, a pre-vet major from Dublin; Naomi McCarley, a communications major from Lubbock; Katie Nors, a math major from Abbott; Melissa Owens, an interdisciplinary studies and CIS major from Stephenville; Linzee Prill, a pre-vet major from Decatur; Diana Schad, a pre-vet major from Lindsay; Jonathan Schneider, a business major from Glen Rose; Graham Slaughter, a CIS major from Granbury; Benjamin Swaim, a political science major from Tolar; Karla Tschirhart, a liberal arts major from Devine; and Holly Warren, a math and biology major from Gatesville.

The Presidential Honors Society is an honors society that promotes intellectual diversity and an environment that encourages learning. We work to provide a new aspect to the learning experience of all Tarleton students by providing opportunities that are not offered in the classroom. We promote academic excellence and work to help Tarleton students be successful. We also promote friendships and fun in a quality environment. We are grateful to have tremendous support from the faculty of Tarleton. We work together to provide great opportunities for new learning experiences.

Some of the activities that we sponsor are the annual fifth grade academic fair, and the brown-bag lunch series. The academic fair occurs in the fall and is an opportunity for PHS to interact with future scholars. We host the fair at the Stephenville Intermediate School. The fifth graders have the opportunity to submit projects in math, history, science, and the arts. We work together with the teachers to promote the event. This past fall we had around 250 entries. We were amazed at the talent and hard work that was represented in this academic fair. We had projects ranging from inventions and pastel painting to a model of the ancient catapult. We had help from other organizations such as Alpha Phi Omega, Beta Beta Beta, and Alpha Gamma Delta. They worked with PHS to set up and judge the projects. This was a huge task and we were very grateful for the help. The academic fair was a huge success and we can't wait for next year.

In the spring, we sponsor a series of talks at lunchtime in the library. This series has been a constant in PHS for years and we have great success with them. Our presenters are as diverse as the different fields that Tarleton offers. We have had students, professors, and community leaders all present fascinating subjects. These talks are fun, very interesting, and open to any and all who want to broaden their horizons.

We hope that everyone who hears about the Presidential Honors Society will join us in this organization. It’s fun and a wonderful learning experience! We will begin our meetings again in the fall so look for us. We hope that you will all enrich our organization with your ideas and learning experiences.

News Briefs

PHP student serves on National Council of Alpha Chi

Kristi Slaughter, a third-year math-education major from Granbury, recently traveled to the Alpha Chi Regional Convention where she was a co-presenter with her mother regarding her experiences in home schooling. During the convention she was elected to serve on the National Council of Alpha Chi as the Region 1 Student Representative. As a result, Kristi traveled to the National Council meeting in Savannah, Georgia, on April 12-16, where she served on the Scholarship Committee, the Honorary Membership Committee, and the Chapter Workshop Committee. Kristi will also be traveling to the National Convention and Council Meeting in the Spring of 2001.

Rob Brown attended the 5th annual Association of Information Technology Professionals Collegiate Conference and competed in two different team events: COBOL and the System Analysis and Design. Charles Manning gave a presentation on the research he has conducted with Dr. Stuart Taylor at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society in San Francisco.

Jennifer Winters, a second-year Presidential Honors Scholar, was All-Lone Star Conference in women's track and field, scoring 18 points at the conference meet. She was second in the 800 and 1,500 and fifth in the 3,000. In addition, she was named to the Lone Star Conference Commissioner's Honor Roll for her academic and athletic success. Additionally, Jennifer Winters was named Most Valuable Performer for women's cross country at the recent Tarleton athletic banquet. Jennifer is a pre-med major from Liberty Hill.