Call for Proposals for the NE regional Honors Conference

Embracing Contradictions—Conference Theme Statement

Annapolis, Maryland, reflects many of the contradictions at the core of American history and society. Founded in 1694, and for one year the capital of United States (1783-1784), it was a Puritan city in a state created as a haven for Catholics—and yet which never had a Catholic majority and banned the religion for a century before the Revolution. Colonial Maryland was both a proprietary and a royal colony. In the Civil War Maryland was a slave state but fought with the Union. Building off an economic tradition of growing tobacco, Maryland is now a world leader in biotechnology. Settled mostly by indentured servants and slaves, Maryland is now the richest state in the Union.

The tradition of combining opposites began early in Annapolis, which was named at different times for two different Annes—first as “Anne Arundel’s Town” for the wife of Lord Baltimore, and later by its more familiar name for Queen Anne. The city hosted the Annapolis Convention of 1786 which proposed the rewriting of the Articles of Confederation. That meeting was in Philadelphia the next year. It boasts a beautiful and historic State House, as well as two rather distinctive universities: the U.S. Naval Academy and St. Johns College, home of the Great Books program. Perhaps a hope for similar resolution of contradiction explains why Annapolis was chosen as the site for a Middle East peace conference in 2007.

Annapolis hosts the 2009 Northeast Regional Honors Council's Conference on the theme “Embracing Contradictions.” Members can consider the ways opposing forces conflict and (at least some of the time!) lead to solutions–in the arts and humanities; in business and technology; in the natural and applied sciences; in education; and in the social sciences. Success and failure in resolving conflicting forces may be seen in the lives of perhaps the two most famous Marylanders of the 20th century: do we, like Thurgood Marshall, face remarkable conflicting forces and find resolution? Or do we, like Spiro Agnew, face great responsibility and destroy ourselves? Meeting in March of 2009 Honors students and faculty will try to answer these questions.

Strands [Posters, Roundtables, and the Issues Forum (for faculty!) are described below the strands]

Arts and Humanities (reviewed by Lucy Morrison, Salisbury)

This strand seeks proposals focusing on the idea of contradictions as embraced by the multidisciplinary approaches of the Arts and Humanities. Proposers may wish to consider the tension between established traditions and writers and artists who pursue radical departures from such traditions.

The following questions suggest some of the issues proposers might consider under this strand:

• How have the arts and humanities responded to world events with oppositions? Can we argue, for example, that great art emerges        from ferocious debate? How have unresolved works (or events) shaken more traditional disciplinary approaches?
• In what ways do political contradictions compel or embrace artistic contradictions?
• What causes, in terms of social or artistic concerns, produce contradictions in artistic styles or content?
• What, if anything, can we learn from contradictions? How do contradictions in one region of the world inform or impact other areas   of the globe?
• Evaluate a figure in the arts and humanities: what contradictions does he/she embody? In what ways do her/his works embrace artistic contradictions?

The above questions are intended to suggest a range of issues, themes and subjects that students may explore. The examples, however, are not exhaustive – presenters should feel free to propose (and embrace) other contradictory definitions and traditions in the arts and humanities.

Business and Technology (reviewed by Nicholas Hunt-Bull, SNHU)

Business is commonly seen as a field of unresolved and endless conflict. In contrast, technology is commonly understood as a means to solve problems. Both, however, are fields where enormous conflicting forces need to be harnessed by creative minds who seek to understand, to control and to manage the world. This thread will discuss challenges and issue in economics, finance, design, and technology.

Our host city of Annapolis reflects deep changes in American industry over the centuries—a town built on slavery and tobacco is now a service center with a thriving industry based on government and tourism. Its narrow streets and quaint old houses seem maladapted to our globalized economy, yet is thrives by celebrating its quirkiness. Presenters should ask themselves how they find solutions to problems, how they link the past to the present, and how conflicting forces in business, technology or design lead to destruction or innovation.

Education (reviewed by Monica Gross, Bowie State)

The entire downtown of Annapolis is a national historic land. St. John’s College traces its origins back to King Williams School founded in 1696, the site of Revolutionary and Civil War encampments. It continues a long tradition of liberal arts education with the present “Great Books” curriculum. Also, Annapolis is the home of the 338-acre United States Naval Academy.

The argument continues that many teachers are not strong in the disciplines in which they teach. Should those teaching in secondary schools earn a degree in the discipline first—English, math, science, and history—then get teacher certification? Should schools of education require 3-year programs in the major and the fourth year to focus on teacher education? 

The United States continues the push to hire only certified (licensed) teachers for its public schools.  Yet the shortage of such qualified public school teachers forces school districts across the nation to hire provisional teachers (unlicensed). Some states hire teachers from outside the United States to get “qualified” teachers. Should states hire only fully certified teachers? Should states continue the practice of hiring provisional teachers to meet the teacher shortage? Can provisional teachers provide a quality education for the Nation’s students? Should the United States hire teachers from foreign countries rather than hire provisional teachers?

As some of the nation’s public school students continue to score low on reading tests, the debate about how to teach reading in elementary school continues. Are students better readers today than 20 years ago? What is the best way to teach reading—using phonics or whole language?

Natural and Applied Science (reviewed by Richard England, Salisbury)

Surely science and technology are all about solving contradictions–except, of course, when they create them. In science we move towards certainty in some respects, but create uncertainty and controversy as research advances. Objective consensus is the child of a complex and all-too human process of investigation. In a similar way, technology offers solutions to problems, but when implemented, begins to create new problems that hadn't even been imagined. Share your discoveries and reflections, your methodological acumen and imaginative insights into the natural world. Contributions related to the conference theme of “embracing contradictions,” as well as original research projects in all branches of natural and applied science are welcome

Social Sciences (reviewed by Susan Dinan, William Paterson)
This strand seeks proposals focusing on contradictions and resolutions in different communities, as examined by the interdisciplinary approaches of the Social Sciences.

The following questions suggest some of the issues proposers might consider under this strand.

• How have notions of religious freedom changed over time, and how is the right to religious freedom relevant in our current age?
• How do communities respond to contradictions and conflict? Consider responses that you consider surprising or unexpected.
• How can communities operate as havens for people who hold unpopular or illegal opinions, faiths, or worldviews? How do some societies benefit from tolerating dissenters?
• How do economic contradictions define our 21st century world and what comparisons can we draw to other eras or places?
• How do communities define themselves—ideologically, culturally, geographically—at moments of social and cultural change?

Roundtables and Posters (reviewed by Ross Wheeler, Queens College)

Roundtables: Roundtables are designed to provide students working at different schools and in different disciplines an opportunity to discuss shared topics and concerns. Students submitting round table presentations should be aware of the following guidelines:

1. Students should expect to present a short (5 minute) summary of their own work and then spend most of the time at the table in discussion.
2. No more than two students should submit the same proposal. (If students have worked in larger groups and all wish to submit, they should submit separate proposals emphasizing different aspects of their joint work. These smaller groups will then be placed at different tables.
3. Moderators will run discussion at each table. Students should be prepared to respond flexibly to the moderator’s questions and to share discussion time with other students at the table.Posters: This is a great place to showcase student research in all disciplines. Posters should be prepared on a trifold board, or a similar self-supporting framework that can rest on the tables that will be provided by the hotel. Posters will be presented on Sunday morning.

Honors Issues Forum Proposals [for faculty—note special submission method!] (reviewed by Ross Wheeler, Queens College)

This year we are planning to offer an Honors Issues Forum. The purpose of the forum is to encourage directors and faculty to engage in focused discussions on issues specific to honors education. We are, therefore, accepting proposals for issues you would like to see discussed.

Abstracts should describe the issue you want discussed and introduce some of the concerns or ramifications that follow from this issue. Proposers will offer a ten minute overview of  the issue and its ramifications to focus the discussion that follows.

Examples of topics include:

1. Working with faculty to develop interdisciplinary courses
2. The challenges and pleasures of honors students studying abroad
3. Advising—pushing or restraining—honors students. Many other topics are also possibilities.

The forum will take place on Friday afternoon at 3:00 PM, during the last part of the City-as-Text explorations. If we have more proposals than the forum can accommodate, we will address these in the Developing/Continuing in Honors on Saturday afternoon.

We look forward to receiving your submissions.