A trip to Baltimore

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Annie Brown

One of the perks of being in McDaniel’s Honors Program is the chance to go on the annual Honors field trip. This year’s trip was to Baltimore, and for only $5, I had the chance to be whisked away to the Inner Harbor on what turned out to be a beautiful Sunday afternoon.

I spent most of my afternoon at the American Visionary Arts Museum with fellow Honors Program member and e-ambassador Mara. The large mirror mosaics gave us a chance to work on some artistic photography before heading into the museum, where unfortunately, no pictures were allowed. I really enjoyed the exhibits. My favorite exhibit was called “The Art of Storytelling,” which is on display through September 1. The exhibit, which featured several artists, consisted of pieces that had very integral narrative components. I loved the beautiful and intricate fabric pieces done by Esther Nisenthal Krinitz, with which the artist told the powerful story of how Nazis came to occupy her small town in Poland and how she and her sister escaped before being sent to a concentration camp.

After we explored the museum inside and out, Mara and I returned to the Inner Harbor for ice cream and some people watching. Mara created a point system to keep track of all the runners we saw; whoever spotted a runner first would get a point. (Mara won.)

We browsed through a few shops before meeting up with the rest of the group at Bubba Gump’s Shrimp and Seafood to have a tasty and fun dinner paid for by the Honors Program.

After dinner, there was a little time before we had to board the bus to return to campus, so a few girls and I went to the newly-opened Marshall’s (which was not that great) and Barnes and Noble before our trip came to a close.

I couldn’t have asked for a more beautiful Sunday to go to Baltimore and spending time with some of my Honors peers exploring the city was a lot of fun!

Prof Picks a Flick

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Luke Schmidt

McDaniel professors seem to always come up with new ways to continue educating their students outside of the classroom in unique ways and “Prof Picks a Flick” is now the latest version.

The Honors Program was approached by Dr. Madsen from the Psychology Department and Dr. Raley from the Sociology Department to put this plan into action. They had their first successful event Tuesday evening led by Dr. Raley! While many of the honors students were excited for this event, none of them could match the excitement that Dr. Raley had for her premiere as the first professor to host “Prof Picks a Flick.”

What flick did she pick? A 2004 film called “I Heart Huckabees” starring famous actors such as Dustin Hoffman, Jude Law, Naomi Watts, Mark Wahlberg, and Jason Schwartzman. Take a look at IMBd’s short synopsis:

“A husband-and-wife team play detective, but not in the traditional sense. Instead, the happy duo helps others solve their existential issues, the kind that keep you up at night, wondering what it all means.”

While IMDb may have only awarded “I Heart Huckabees” 6.7/10 stars, Catherine O’Keeffe, President of the Honors Program, begs to differ. She reports, “The amount of laughter and thought provoking ideas stirred up discussion between students in all different departments. It was definitely a movie that you had to watch with a diverse group to put all the pieces of the movie together.” Other students commented on the interesting take it had on the purpose of life and coincidences that we encounter. Dr. Raley was a great facilitator for discussion and forced students to analyze the movie and truly comprehend the meaning behind the movie.

There is now plenty of excitement for the next “Prof Picks a Flick” event. Who will be next? I am personally hoping that a science professor will step up and lead a movie discussion about “Gattaca.” It would lead to some great discussion about the future of genetic discrimination… but that’s just me.

I’ve been busy!

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Annie Brown

It was a busy week for me here on the Hill!

In addition to attending my three Monday-Wednesday-Friday classes, I devoted much of my Monday to helping out the Honors Program by eating at the luncheon for prospective Honors students and spending time in the Honors study lounge, the Room of Requirement. I had a lot of fun meeting prospective students and answering their questions.

On Tuesday, I went to support the McDaniel Free Press by having s’mores and hot chocolate in Ensor Lounge, where organizations can reserve a fire pit for s’more roasting. Spending time with my friends and fellow Free Press members was a lot of fun. After the event, I went straight to the Free Press meeting, where I picked up an article to be submitted on Sunday and pitched a well-received idea for another article I’d like to write at some point in the next couple of weeks.

On Wednesday, I went to the second meeting of More Love Letters of the semester. More Love Letters is a fun and laid back new club on campus that is based on the organization of the same name that promotes sending love letters to people in need. In addition to writing letters to people suggested by the More Love Letters website, we’ve also been working on letters and notes of encouragement to hide around campus for people to find. I have a collection of over 20 letters that a friend and I made over the past couple of weeks, but I am guilty of not being able to make time to hide them!

On Thursday evening, I went to the Ridington Lecture, the first major lecture of the semester. It featured Dr. Muqtedar Khan, an associate professor of political science and international relations at the University of Delaware, who spoke on Islam and contemporary challenges faced by American Muslims. Thought it was longer than I would have hoped, it was an interesting lecture. Afterward, I put a lot of time into writing about it for the Free Press (this was the article I had signed up for on Tuesday).

It may now be Friday evening, but I’m still busy! In order to fit all of my assignments in without overloading myself on any given day this weekend, I’m going to have to tackle some homework tonight. I’m also participating in the Scrabble tournament being hosted on campus tomorrow, so that will also keep me busy for several hours this weekend! (I’ll be sure to let you know if I did well!)

Taking 20 credits instead of the typical McDaniel 16 plus being active on campus certainly keeps me occupied, but it’s quickly teaching me how to work harder than ever before, which I know will help me be successful throughout my life.

Sharing the Honors Program

Posted on February 18, 2013 by Annie Brown

Today was a busy day for me! Immediately after my first class of the day, Logic, I headed to the Forum to eat at a luncheon hosted by Admissions for prospective McDaniel students eligible to apply to our Honors Program.

I sat at a table full of high school seniors who were clearly bright, talented, and interested in a lot of different things. While we only had about half an hour to talk and figure out who was interested in what, I enjoyed spending time with them. I did a lot of the talking, so I hope that what I said gave them a better idea of what McDaniel and the Honors Program is like.

After the luncheon, I had my second class of the day, Growing Up in America, in which we’ve been discussing Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. I really enjoyed reading the book, and today’s discussion was interesting and useful.

After this class, I went directly to the Room of Requirement, a study lounge just for Honors students, to meet with more prospective students and answer their questions and their parents’ questions. This was a lot of fun, since other current Honors students were there too, so we were all able to give our input on questions and have a fun and laid back conversation. Unfortunately, my time in here was also limited to an hour, since I had to go to my third class of the day, Adventures in Number Theory. This happens to be an Honors class, so we had two prospective students sit in on it.

Between going to class and sharing McDaniel and the Honors Program with prospective students, my day was crazy busy but also a lot of fun! I hope that today’s visiting students got a good feel for McDaniel and that some of them will decide to come here!

Learning about Glasgow

Posted on February 5, 2013 by Annie Brown

You can find a lot of study abroad opportunities at McDaniel, and this evening, I had the chance to find out more about one of them.

The Honors Program here at McDaniel is in a partnership with the University of Glasgow in Scotland that allows McDaniel honors students to be automatically accepted to study abroad there.

The idea of studying abroad in Glasgow through this partnership has interested me since I was a prospective student. I’ve always wanted to study abroad somewhere, and as an English major, it’s a pretty good idea for me to go study somewhere in the UK. I had actually intended on going to Glasgow this semester, but as the deadline to apply for it got closer, the timing for me to go there just didn’t seem right. I was living with really wonderful people, I had an increased sense of belonging here at McDaniel, and my family had gotten a new puppy in August.

However, I’m hoping that I’ll be able to pry myself away from campus next spring to experience the awesomeness that a semester in Glasgow has to offer, and I hoped that attending the info session tonight would help me take that first step.

International students at the University of Glasgow can take whatever classes they want as long as they meet the requirements for those classes. This is in contrast to degree-seeking students of the University, who are pretty much confined to classes within their chosen majors. Honors students who study at Glasgow through the Principia Consortium (the partnership with the University that McDaniel is a part of) are required to take a course called The Scottish Enlightenment, which is a history course that takes a look at a variety of disciplines. In addition to this course, honors students who study there will take two or perhaps three more courses. One of the most popular options for students studying abroad at Glasgow is a bagpiping course–that’s right, a course in which you can learn to play the bagpipes!

Tonight I learned a few new things about studying abroad at Glasgow that I hadn’t known before. I didn’t realize that the University has an organization for international students that plans trips both in Scotland and throughout Europe. This excites me, since it would take a lot of the hassle out of planning trips, and it would probably help me find the resources to get to Germany during what would be my spring break. (I went to Germany as an exchange student before my senior year of high school, and I loved it! It’s beautiful and I want to go back!)

I also learned a bit more about the housing options in Glasgow. Most of the rooms at the University are singles located in halls or apartments. (This makes me very happy!!!) The Glasgow representative who came to talk to our group of honors students recommended that we choose to room in singles, since this allows students studying abroad to meet more people.

I was glad to have attended tonight’s info session. It was fun and informative, and there was also pizza. A McDaniel student who went to Glasgow last semester even came to talk to us about her experiences.

The processes involved in studying abroad can be daunting, but I know without a doubt that the experience of going abroad is rewarding. Hopefully, in the coming weeks, I’ll muster up the courage to restart the process of going to Glasgow.

Embracing the Liberal Arts

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Annie Brown

I’ve been thinking a lot about liberal arts lately. I’ve been thinking back to my Great Works I experience; the section of Great Works that I took last fall as part of the Honors Program sequence focused a lot on liberal arts and liberal arts colleges. And last night, my sister, a freshman in high school, was required to read a newspaper article about the liberal arts and colleges, which also got me thinking.

While I was on my college search, I seemed to be more under the impression that a liberal arts college was a small college with a small student body. I’ve since learned that while many small colleges are in fact liberal arts colleges, many are not. In fact, some larger universities are also liberal arts schools.

So what is a liberal arts education? I learned throughout my first semester at McDaniel that in a general and modern sense, being liberally educated means that you’ve been educated in a variety of academic disciplines, throughout the sciences, social sciences, and humanities, in order to advance your personal and intellectual development. (And in case you weren’t sure, the liberal arts has nothing to do with being liberal or conservative.)

Is McDaniel a liberal arts college? Absolutely! During your time at McDaniel, you’ll be expected to take courses in a variety of disciplines, and the requirements set forth by the McDaniel Plan will be your guide!

As an English major, I wasn’t initially too keen on taking classes that strayed too far from my major, like math and science. However, I’m starting to realize that my exposure to all of these disciplines has made me a deeper, more analytical and creative thinker, which has in turn made me a better and more confident student and individual. Instead of shying away from the liberal arts, I now embrace it! And even though I want to take as many cool English classes as possible during my time at McDaniel (and I still have to take enough to complete my major), I’ve become much more open to taking classes outside of my major, which is why I’ll be taking Logic and an Honors class about number theory in the spring in order to expand my horizons and my mind.

So when it comes to searching for and choosing a college, my advice is this: your academics an important part of your college experience. When researching them, don’t just zero in on your major. Take a look at the bigger picture by looking at the entire curriculum of whatever school you’re looking at. A good curriculum is a foundation for a good education, and it’s up to you to decide what sort of curriculum is best for you.

So I threw a Halloween party last night…

Posted on November 4, 2012 by Annie Brown

Since Halloween fell on a Wednesday this year, both this weekend and last weekend were eligible for Halloween festivities. Another DMC suite and I volunteered to host a Halloween party in DMC Lounge after the vice president of the Honors Club sent out an email to everyone in the Honors Program wondering if anyone would be carrying on the Honors tradition of throwing a Halloween party this year.

The party was open to people in the Honors Program, people who live in DMC, and pretty much anyone on campus looking for a good time on a Saturday night that didn’t involve alcohol or other substances. (And because it was open to all Honors students, it counted as a suite event for both my suite and the other suite I hosted it with. Suites are required to host suite events if their residents want to be eligible to live in Honors housing the next year. People will do anything from hosting movie nights to having a party like the one we had.)

Being one of the hostesses, I was naturally a little anxious about how the party would go. Would people like it? Would they show up and stay a while? Would my music selections be good enough? (I was in charge of music in addition to some of the decorations and candy.)

Much to my relief, this year’s Halloween party was a great success! The turnout was excellent, and for over an hour, there were at least 40 people at the same time dancing and enjoying themselves. (I estimate that at least 60 people came throughout the night.) The decorations were fantastic (the streamers were a must), my music selections pleased the crowd pretty well, and a lot of people were wearing great costumes! I also got a lot of positive feedback from people who told me that this was one of the best Honors Halloween parties they’d attended. I had a wonderful night myself, and knowing that other people had a great time as well made me feel even better and my hard work and money spent extra worthwhile!

I think the ability to throw events for other students makes being a member of the Honors Program at McDaniel worthwhile. It really builds a sense of community within our Honors Program when we get to interact with each other in a non-academic setting, and when we can include students not in Honors as well, it makes for an even more fun time!

A Busy Little Week

Posted on October 18, 2012 by Annie Brown

Returning to campus from fall break means a return to friends and now-familiar routines. Unfortunately, it also means returning to a fresh batch of homework assignments (and ones put on hold during break). One look at my workload tonight, and you’ll be able to tell two things: that I’m an English major and that I’m a little overwhelmed at the moment. Tomorrow I have my first test of the semester for my grammar class, and I have a paper due in my rhetoric class. (Fortunately, the paper deadline got pushed back by a day, giving me more time to work on it. Unfortunately, that means I’m still working on it.)

Of course, I haven’t let the homework bog me down completely, as I kept busy with plenty of non-homework things yesterday too. After class, I went to West Middle School, a local middle school within walking distance from campus, where I volunteer once a week as an after-school tutor for kids who want or need extra help with their homework. I’ve been involved in this since last fall, and I have not only enjoyed it but I have also learned a lot about myself and working with people who are younger than me.

Later in the evening, I went to Honors Around the World, an event sponsored by the Honors Club at which students of the Honors Program talked about their experiences studying abroad. It was great to hear about some of my friends’ and peers’ travels to Costa Rica, Budapest, Spain, Ghana, and other places. I was especially glad to hear Mara talk about her experience in Glasgow, Scotland, since I would like to study abroad there in 2014. McDaniel’s Honors Program is part of a special partnership with the University of Glasgow that lets honors students from select U.S. institutions study at Glasgow. I think it’s a pretty awesome opportunity, and I can’t wait to experience it myself next spring!

And before I hit the books last night, I helped the Free Press, our student newspaper, distribute copies of our latest print issue in my residence hall. Our print issues have been looking fantastic this year, and I highly recommend that you track a copy down if you visit campus. Whether you’re interested in journalism or not, looking at colleges’ student newspapers is a great way to learn more about the campus and find out what students care about.

The October issue of the McDaniel Free Press, featuring McDaniel ROTC cadets

Despite being only three days long, this week has been one of my busiest little weeks in recent memory. (The fact that we don’t get a lot of short weeks on campus can also account for that.) I’m definitely looking forward to this week coming to a close! After my grammar test, I’m heading home again to take care of things I didn’t get to over fall break and to spend more time with my family. (Fall break will never be long enough for me!)

Hey folks!

Posted on October 2, 2012 by Annie Brown

Now that the blog is officially live, I thought this would be a great opportunity to welcome you all and introduce myself a little. I’m glad you’re here, especially if you’re considering attending McDaniel!

My name is Annie, I’m a sophomore, and I’m an English major with a writing minor. I’m also a very proud member of McDaniel’s Honors Program.

I’m not a Maryland resident, so I found out about McDaniel through my mom, whose coworker has two children who have gone here and loved it. I actually never visited McDaniel until my fall of senior year of high school, but once I came for the November prospective students day, I knew I absolutely had to apply! If you’re a senior in high school currently applying for colleges, now is not too late for you to come visit us here at McDaniel!

I came back to McDaniel in February of my senior year, for a luncheon held for students accepted into the Honors Program. At this point, I was still unsure where I wanted to go to college. It was on this day that I became absolutely certain that McDaniel was the college for me! I loved the liberal arts focus of the College, and our Honors Program seemed like an excellent fit for me. Most importantly, I had the opportunity to meet some of our English professors, who showed me how awesome McDaniel’s English department is. I like how in addition to literature courses, we have a lot of writing and rhetoric courses, and a writing minor, all things that were exactly what I was looking for in a college!

I returned yet again to McDaniel in March of my senior year for admitted students day, and it was on that day that I insisted that my parents pay my enrollment deposit in person at the bursar’s office.

So that’s basically the story of how I came to be at McDaniel. I’ve been here for over a year now, and I’m very happy and proud to be a McDaniel student! My studies are wonderful, and they haven’t disappointed! I also know a lot of fantastic people, and there’s plenty of ways that I enjoy being involved on campus!

I hope you’ll follow me and the other bloggers as we post about our experiences as McDaniel students and let you know what’s going on here at our home on The Hill!

Stories from the Hill

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