Lunch Discussion

The Honors College Lunch Discussion meets each Friday in the west lobby lounge of Horn-Knapp Hall from 12:00 to 1:00pm. Lunch and drinks are always provided!

2011-2012

November 18

This week’s Lunch Discussion will be led by Dr. Jim Brink, Director of the Honors Arts & Letters degree and Honors professor. Dr. Brink has the following to say about his topic:

As Honors students, just what do you think you’re expected to know about “the finer things in life”? What do you need to know to smooze with the folks who make decisions? I suggest, at the very least, you need to know about, or better, know, and maybe best, understand at least ten of the best:

Films ever made

Books ever written

Paintings ever painted

Sculptures ever sculpted

Buildings ever designed

Pieces of music ever composed

Plays ever acted

Operas ever staged

What else????

Do you agree that there should be a “culture bucket list” for the Honors College graduate? What categories should be added to the list? What should be on the list? Come discuss the very idea and maybe offer up some of the “necessary” items.

Lunch Discussion is held every Friday from 12:00-1:00 pm in the Horn/Knapp Residence Hall southwest lobby lounge. Enter the building through the west-facing central doors (facing the band practice parking lot) and turn right to find the lounge. Food and great discussion are always provided!

November 11

This week’s discussion will be led by Katy Taylor, Honors alumna and Nutrition Master’s candidate in Human Sciences. Katy served as the FYE Lead Mentor and was heavily involved in the Honors College when she was an undergraduate. Katy’s topic is titled, “The Impact of the Media on the Obesity Epidemic.” Here is more information about the topic:

With the rising obesity epidemic and its continual attention in the media, our nation is in a constant state of panic about the health of Americans in the future. Are there consequences of this unwavering attention and of the shame associated with obesity? If so, what are they? This week's lunch discussion will examine the current obesity epidemic from a slightly different perspective. We will explore the impact of our obsession with weight control on body image and disordered eating patterns in adults as well as in children. Turning the tables: Has the obesity epidemic contributed to our obsession with the perfect body, or has our obsession with the perfect body actually contributed to the prevalence of overweight and obesity?

Optional Reading/Viewing:

http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/ONLINE-EXCLUSIVE-An-Appetite-for-Weight-Loss-2248419.php#page-3

http://www.cdc.gov/obesity/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-liddy-ma-pcc-cpcc/disordered-eating-obesity-anorexia_b_916703.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U

November 4

This week’s discussion will be led by Stephen Torrence who is an Honors alumnus who graduated in 2010 and was a long-time fixture of the Honors Lunch Discussion as a student. Stephen was also an Honors FYE Mentor for three years and very involved in the Residence Hall Association and Gordon Hall Complex Council.

Stephen will discuss "What Makes Working Work?: We take for granted that to be a successful, contributing, cooperative member of society you must have a job. The hard worker is the backbone of America, for whom the unemployed remain a sufferable burden (except perhaps when they start "occupying" places). Employment should in theory be an equal exchange of value; fair compensation for services rendered. Trouble arises when we examine the potentially imbalanced structure that work has taken and the language it employs to perpetuate itself. What do the terms "casual Friday" or "hot-desking" or "downtime" really say about how we perceive the worker/company relationship? Do companies value workers correctly and how could we determine otherwise? Could there be a functional alternative to the capitalist economy itself? Let's brainstorm some paradigm-shifting solutions ASAP!”

Totally optional reading: http://boingboing.net/2011/10/11/the-wage-slaves-glossary-exclusive-preview.html

October 28

This week’s discussion will be led by Associate TTU Librarian Rob Weiner. Rob is known around campus as the pop culture librarian and has facilitated a Lunch Discussion for the past couple of semesters. He is also teaching a new seminar for the spring semester, HONS 1304-H01: The Superhero in Film, Television, and Popular Culture, which has already filled!

Rob has the following to say about his discussion, titled, “The Art of Horror: Why We Like to be Scared”: Despite being critically reviled, Horror is one of most profitable and popular genres in our culture today. Films, games, literature, and toys related to horror have a long and varied history. Halloween is a celebrated holiday that inspires creativity and is almost as popular as Christmas. Why? What is it about being scared that strikes a chord within us as human beings? Is there a difference between terror and horror? In this discussion, we will “wrestle” with these questions and see if we can come to any conclusive answers.

October 21

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Mark Webb, chair of the Philosophy Department. Dr. Webb’s topic is titled, “What’s So Great About Interfaith Dialogue?” He wants to question the assumptions behind dialogue, and talk about various kinds of confusions that occur. Here are two links to material to help spark the discussion:

http://www.scarboromissions.ca/Interfaith_dialogue/guidelines_interfaith.php#levels

http://www.interfaithdialog.org/about-us

October 14

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Ethan Schmidt. Dr. Schmidt is from the History Department and his focus is on Native American history. His LD title is, “The Cherokee Freedmen Controversy: When Sovereignty and Equality Collide.” Dr. Schmidt has this to say about his topic:

The recent attempt by the Cherokee Nation to revoke the citizenship rights of descendants of their former slaves provides an excellent through which to glimpse both the lingering racial animosity between many African-Americans and Native Americans as well as the destructive effects of years of failed and shortsighted US government policies that gave rise to the controversy. We will discuss this issue in all its racial, legal, political and historical facets.

Readings on this topic:

Reuters.com - Cherokee Indians say they will not be dictated to by U.S.

http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE78D05X20110914

Reuters.com - Judge says Cherokees violate voting rights, extends election

http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE78Q6JF20110927

Reuters.com - Cherokee tribe reaches agreement to reinstate 2,800 "Freedmen"

http://www.reuters.com/article/email/idUSTRE78K08D20110921

Tsunami Warning From the Cherokee Nation - ICTMN.com
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2011/sep/17/cherokee-nation-black-freedmen

October 7

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Sam Prien from the Animal Science Department. Dr. Prien’s topic is titled, “Does Lubbock Really Need a Health Department?” From Dr. Prien:

A little over two months ago, the City of Lubbock announced plans to close the City of Lubbock Health Department on 19th and Texas and to contract for the services supplied. Groups at all levels have weighed in on the subject on what the role of the Health Department is and if its services could be assigned to other agencies without a loss of service while keeping in compliance with state and federal law, and saving the tax payers money. Our discussion will focus on the role of a public health department in 2011, how services are supplied and if the City of Lubbock can reach its goals while still protecting the health and safety of its citizens, including students of Texas Tech.

September 30

Dr. Marjean D. Purinton, Associate Dean of the Honors College and Professor of English, will facilitate Friday’s Lunch Discussion. We will be exploring whether secondary and higher education is doing a good job in teaching students the value of failure. Can some academic and personal successes occur only as a result of failure? A number of professional educators are re-examining the wisdom of setting up students to fail so as to teach them success through failure rather than simply to reward students for every effort they make, regardless of its quality or merit. How do you handle failure? What do failure and success mean to you? Do you allow yourself to make mistakes? Have we forsaken all aspects of the “school of hard knocks” as a potentially effective teacher?

Here’s some discourse in the public sphere that might prompt our discussion:

Tough, Paul. “What if the Secret to Success Is Failure?” The New York Times. 14 September 2011.
www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.htm

Lucas, Suzanne. “Why Failure is the Secret of Your Success?” Business Network. 19 September 2011.
www.bnet.com/blog/evil-hr-lady/why-failure-is the-secret-of-your-success/2843

Fiero, Gian. “Teaching Students About Failure and Success.” 6 March 2009. www.articlesbase.com/print/805403

September 23

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Jim Brink, Honors College Associate Professor and Director of the Honors Arts & Letters degree. Dr. Brink’s topic involves the growing debate about women’s, and to some extent men’s (The Metrosexual), dress in the workplace. Miss Representation, an award-winning documentary, suggests that women are “misrepresented” in the media by an overweening emphasis and even obsession about their alluring appearing, to the detriment of their intelligence. From the film’s description:

As the most persuasive and pervasive force of communication in our culture, media is educating yet another generation that a woman’s primary value [lies] is her youth, beauty, and sexuality---and not in her capacity as a leader, making it difficult for women to obtain leadership positions and for girls to reach their full potential.

Our audience will no doubt have opinions about this. Helpful reading:

From Thorsten Veblen’s 1899 classic The Theory of the Leisure Class, I heartily recommend chapter seven: Dress as an Expression of Pecuniary Culture. This should be the foundation of our discussion.
Google Miss Representation for a description of the film and related discussion. There are myriad references here.
Pick up any copy of Vanity Fair”, Cosmo’, or any leading women’s fashion magazine to see the styles referred to in the film’s description.
Catherine Hakim, Erotic Capital. (Published in the UK as Honey Money).
J.C. Penney has stopped selling (!) a T-shirt for girls that says, “I’m too pretty to do homework, so my brother has to do it for me.” (Lubbock Avalanche Journal, September 2, 2011.
“A rising classical pianist caused a sensation when she walked onstage to play with the Los Angeles Philharmonic recently in a skintight, short orange dress and stiletto sandals.” The Week, September 3, 2011.

September 16

This week’s discussion will be led by TTU alumni Jim Douglass and Jeff Klotzman. Jim is the Associate Vice President of the TTU Alumni Association and Jeff is the News Director of Lubbock’s Fox 34 TV; both Jim and Jeff also have local radio shows. Their discussion is titled, “Truth, Lies and Videotape,” and will center around the differences between “talk radio” and professional news coverage. Jim and Jeff agree that the lines have been blurred lately and that much of the public may not know, or recognize, the differences. Their question is, “Whom do Americans believe/trust more: Rush Limbaugh or Scott Pelley?"

September 9

This week's discussion will be led by Honors alumna Laura Zak. Below is a note from Laura about her topic, titled, "Blow Ya Over: Wind Energy/Turbines/Transmission & Urban/Rural Communities."

I want to start with a story. Plants grow slowly in Junction Texas. The soils are thin and droughts frequent, months stretching between thunderstorms and rain. So when you see a lone mesquite tree towering in a field of grass, you know it’s old. Bill Neiman sits on his porch, gesturing at a mesquite a few feet away. “If you had to guess on something like that tree,” he says, “it’d go back to that five hundred year range.” He’s a farmer with a straw cowboy hat and stark blue eyes, running a company specializing in native seeds and grasses. He rattles off their names and hooks his fingers to show how purple threeawn seeds spin like helicopters to the ground.

Andy Wilkinson, an oral historian, sits beside him. Wilkinson holds a tape recorder, its red light gleaming to capture the conversation. He interviews Neiman as part of a wind energy oral history project housed at the Texas Tech University Southwest Special Collection Library. Wilkinson started the project in 2010 to document societal effects of wind energy on urban and rural communities.

The beginning begins in 2005 when Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 20 (SB 20). SB 20 mandated two percent of all energy used in Texas come from renewable sources and laid the groundwork for large lines in order to accommodate present wind industry needs and to further accelerate the use of wind power in the state. Through SB 20, the Legislature set aside five billion dollars of tax money to spearhead competitive renewable energy zones (CREZ). The CREZ lines are needed to transport energy from wind farms in the Panhandle to cities along 1-35. The utility in charge of designing the CREZ lines, the LCRA (Lower Colorado River Authority) chose the cheapest route and refused to involve or consult local farmers and landowners in the process. If plans go through, the lines will cut Neiman’s porch in half.

As with most energy initiatives, there are two costs: a monetary price fixed in dollars and the often unquantifiable impacts on the surrounding environment. I am interested in this second type of cost—the environmental and human tolls wind energy transmission lines carry. Neiman, as a farmer with transmission lines set to run through his land, offers a lens to examine these impacts, but more importantly unmasks the people and places shouldering them. This discussion will challenge us to see a different cost of wind energy transmission lines. But more, ask ourselves: is it worth it?

Here are the articles:

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Shortest-cheapest-transmission-line-route-not-708528.php

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/21/us/21tttransmission.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/opinion/08bryce.html?ref=windpower

September 2

This week, Thomas Reynolds and Neil Hester will be leading a discussion titled "Discrimination Against Atheists in America?". Here are a couple relevant articles:
~~~
Why do Americans still dislike atheists?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/why-do-americans-still-dislike-atheists/2011/02/18/AFqgnwGF_story.html
Atheist "Discrimination"
http://npinopunintended.wordpress.com/2011/05/10/atheist-discrimination/
~~~
We will discuss to what extent atheists experience discrimination, including specific examples, how prevalent instances of this discrimination are in the media (compared to discrimination against other minorities), and how atheism as a minority status is similar to or different from other minority types.

2010-2011

April 29

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by National Book Award winning writer Barry Lopez, who was chosen by Bill Moyers as his last interview for “Bill Moyers Journal,” completing a decades-long TV career. Mr. Lopez’s topic will concern the reasons why one should travel. What are the benefits of removing oneself from one’s normal surroundings and culture in order to experience something different? Why should one study and live abroad, move from the city or from suburban life out into a more rural space, and vice versa? What is the value of doing so while keeping a permanent home, a place to which one can return from these experiences? Please join us for what is sure to be an engaging discussion about our world.

For more information about Barry Lopez see, www.barrylopez.com and http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/04302010/profile.html.

April 22

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Allison Boye, TEACH Program Director for the TLTC. Dr. Boye’s topic is titled, “The Culture of Cheating?” and she has the following to say: “It seems that cheating is becoming easier for and more rampant among college students than ever before, particularly with the onslaught of new and better technologies, internet essay mills, and easily accessed solution manuals. A Business professor at the University of Central Florida discovered over 200 students in his class had cheated on an exam, in one highly publicized case, and The New York Times recently reported that 61 percent of undergraduates have admitted to some form of cheating on assignments and exams. Cheaters likewise abound (and are sometimes even celebrated) in contemporary American culture – Bernie Madoff, mortgage fraud, substance-abusing athletes like Barry Bonds, even Charlie Sheen. What is the student perspective on academic integrity and this seeming “culture of cheating” in higher education and society at large? How might the educational system or other factors play a role in student cheating and unethical behavior, and what might be done to begin effecting change regarding this social problem and instilling stronger ethical sensibilities? Or what can we do to make cheating “not worth it?””

A Few suggested readings:

Dante, E. (Nov. 12, 2010). The Shadow Scholar: The man who writes your students’ papers tells his story. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Transcript of an online chat interview with “Ed Dante,” the author of “The Shadow Scholar.”
Young, J. R. (March 28, 2010). High-tech cheating abounds, and professors bear some blame. The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Cheating Culture website: - (You might just browse the section entitled “Academic Dishonesty.”)

A few videos to watch:

April 15

This week's discussion will be led by Neil Hester, an Honors student. Neil's topic is titled, "Going Too Far? Texas Sex Laws" and here is what he has to say about the topic:

In this discussion, we will look at the hard-line approach taken by legislators in Texas regarding sexual crimes. We will consider whether or not these laws are justified in certain situations, and what might be changed to better match the letter of the law with the spirit of the law.

~~~~~

The first topic will be sexting, which usually occurs between teenagers and is currently considered a felony in Texas. The relevant law is below, along with a couple of examples and a recently proposed bill to reduce the severity of the crime:

-Possession or Promotion of Child Pornography: http://www.texassexcrimedefense.com/PracticeAreas/Texas-Sex-Crimes-Law.asp#possession

-Detailed example case (Pennsylvania): http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/28679588/ns/technology_and_science-tech_and_gadgets/

-Recent investigation in Texas: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/dpp/top_stories/Police-Investigating-Sexting-Case-at-Cedar-Park-High-School-20110318-ktbcw

-Recent proposal to change laws: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2011/03/07/50752

~~~~~

The second topic will be age of consent laws in Texas. Specifically, we will discuss potential problems created by having a law that always requires sex offender registry and a felony charge, regardless of age differences or situational factors. Below is the law, along with a couple of articles:

-Indecency with a Child: http://www.texassexcrimedefense.com/PracticeAreas/Texas-Sex-Crimes-Law.asp#indecency

-Jean Ponzanelli story and interview: http://www.kxan.com/dpp/search/Teen_sex_goes_on_trial_in_Williamson_County_289286

-Article with a few more examples and more information about sex offender registry: http://www.austinchronicle.com/news/2010-09-10/1080261/

April 8

This week's discussion will be led by Dr. Aliza Wong, Associate Chair and Professor in the Department of History. Dr. Wong will lead a discussion on the ways in which popular culture, its construction, its invention, its hegemonic pull, can change the ways in which we remember and speak about the historical past. How we understand and remember history is often as much about what we think we know as what we are told we should know and what we think we ought to know. Probing such difficult issues as the rise of the reading public, the move toward instantaneous information, and the supposed infallibility of the soundbite, Dr. Wong hopes that this lunch discussion will help students to reevaluate and more critically examine the popular representations of national myths, anthems, and legends. Dr. Wong has provided the following links for context and understands that those in attendance will not be able to read, listen to, and watch all of them.

Something to listen to:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1067846

Some things to read:

Peter Swirski, From Lowbrow to Nobrow

http://derekreveron.com/Documents/perception_mgt.pdf

http://www.jstor.org/stable/272514

http://www.jstor.org/stable/25478838

Jan Brunvand, The Vanishing Hitchhiker: American Urban Legends and Their Meanings http://www.wesjones.com/eoh.htm

Some things to watch:

Wag the Dog (Levinson, 1997)

The Battle of Russia - Why We Fight (Capra, 1943) Triumph of the Will (Riefenstahl, 1935) Olympia (Riefenstahl, 1940)

March 25

This week’s discussion will be led by Master Kurt Caswell, Honors and Natural History and Humanities professor. Master Caswell has this to say about his topic: It seems to me that we've always known that nuclear energy is too costly in every way. So why does it require a nuclear disaster to wake us up to this already understood truth?

Well, in fact, it requires three nuclear disasters: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and now Fukushima.

To get a foundation on two of the three disasters, visit their Wikipedia pages at:

Chernobyl:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chernobyl_disaster

Three Mile Island:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Mile_Island_accident

And then, some reading on current events at Fukushima, plus... http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/science/jan-june11/nuclear_03-17.html

And Yucca Mountain:

http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/16/tsunamis-ripples-could-reach-nevada/

http://www.yuccamountain.org/

We will discuss these cases in order to attempt an answer to the question: Do you (the students) want to live in a nuclear future?

March 18

Spring Break

March 11th

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by Ambassador Tibor Nagy, Vice Provost for International Affairs and frequent Honors professor.

Ambassador Nagy’s topic is titled, “Possible ‘Black Swan’ Scenarios for the World in 2011.” In preparation, students should be familiar with ongoing world events.

Additionally, The Age of the Unthinkable by Josh Ramo, Managing Director of Kissinger Associates, will also provide good background reading.

March 4th

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by the Associate Dean of the Honors College, Dr. Marjean Purinton. She has graciously put aside her scholarship expertise in British Romantic Drama to host a provocative discussion about the fate of higher education in the wake of state budget cuts.

What do budget cuts to higher education mean to Texas Tech University students? To Honors College students? Budget cut proposals in Austin could mean that the Texas Grants scholarship program would drop by more than 70,000 students over the next two years. Proposed budget cuts could deny $772 million for Texas college and universities, and some estimate that higher education could take a budget hit as high as $1.7 billion.

Come and discuss what these budget issues mean for the quality of education in the state of Texas. If you have not been keeping up with the media coverage of this issue, look at the following links:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110119/ap_on_go_co/us_texas_budget

http://www.mysanantonio.com/default/article/Education-cutsbad-for-economy-968744.php

http://www.texasobserver.org/floor-play/the-political-calculus-of-education-cuts.

February 25th

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Michael Berry, frequent Honors seminar and FYE professor, as well as Assistant Professor of Music Theory in the College of Visual and Performing Arts. Dr. Berry’s topic is titled, “Only an Expert Can Deal with the Problem.”

Dr. Berry’s has this to say about his topic:

In "The cult of the amateur," Andrew Keen laments the effect that many Web technologies (such as blogs and wikis) are having on cultural production. The "noble amateur" reigns supreme in this world, and expertise is practically frowned upon. This discussion will discuss the rise of the amateur/death of the expert in the new media realm. We'll talk about the pedagogical challenges that this perceived shift in power implies.

Recommended reading:

http://ttutheory.blogspot.com/2011/02/oh-irony.html

Justin Bieber fans vs. Esperanza Spalding: http://gawker.com/#!5759473/bieber-fans-attack-esperanza-spaldings-wikipedia-page

http://liquidbooks.pbworks.com/w/page/11135951/FrontPage

February 18th

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Isis Leslie, Honors College professor of political science. Dr. Leslie’s discussion will center on the issue of police brutality in the U.S. in relation to public discourse. Over the past couple of years, multiple cases of police brutality have surfaced in locations as diverse as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New Orleans. Why does this still happen? Why isn’t this issue discussed more in the media, as well as in election campaigns?

February11th

This week’s discussion will be led by visiting outdoor author Nick Heil, author of Dark Summit: The True Story of Everest’s Most Controversial Season. Though his specific topic hasn’t yet been decided, the discussion will definitely be a unique and interesting one for students because of his background!

Nick Heil is a freelance writer based in Sante Fe, NM and has traveled extensively in Europe, Asia, and North America, including a recent mountain bike journey through Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley with Shannon Galpin to help raise funding for schools. You can find more information about Nick at www.nickheil.com and please check out the descriptions above provided by Master Caswell about the other activities with which Nick will be involved during his time on campus.

February 4th

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Ted Reid, frequent Honors seminar professor and professor of Ophthalmology, Visual Science, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Microbiology, and Immunology at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

Dr. Reid has this to say about his chosen topic: “NASA says that they have created a new life form that can live on Arsenic instead of Phosphate. Is this true or not? How does science handle this question?”

Dr. Reid provided the following article to give a bit of background from Wired Science:

“NASA Unveils Arsenic Life Form”: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2010/12/nasa-finds-arsenic-life-form/#

January 28th

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Alice Young, Associate Vice President for Research (Research Integrity) and Professor of Psychology, Pharmacology, and Neuroscience. Dr. Young’s topic is titled, “Autism and Vaccines – Is there a controversy?”

Here are a couple of links to read before the discussion:

Discover Magazine article: http://discovermagazine.com/2009/jun/06-why-does-vaccine-autism-controversy-live-on/article_view?b_start:int=0&-C=

Two recent editorials in the British Medical Journal (these also link to three articles by Brian Deer that provide an in-depth analysis for interested students:

http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d236.full?sid=fc76e94f-8239-4a5d-b555-e47053e9a7d0

http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d2.full

January 21st

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Gary Elbow, Associate Vice Provost and Honors professor. Dr. Elbow’s topic is titled “Is there a relationship between political discourse and violence in the United States?”

Please read through the articles below on both sides of the question in preparation for Friday’s discussion:

Pro:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/10/opinion/10krugman.html?ex=1310446800&en=21070875cae5afea&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0112-L10

http://www.ips-dc.org/articles/no_ordinary_cross_hairs

http://www.ips-dc.org/blog/sarah_palin_liable_or_libeled

Con:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703667904576071913818696964.html#

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576073973345594508.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_opinion

Sarah Palin Blood Libel video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb0VW8vnMhQ

Policy issues:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703779704576073973345594508.html?mod=WSJ_newsreel_opinion

What Science says about why people assassinate public figures:

http://www.npr.org/2011/01/14/132909487/fame-through-assassination-a-secret-service-study

January 14th

The Department of Plant and Soil Science at Texas Tech University is pleased to announce a Distinguished Lecture by Dr. Gebisa Ejeta of Purdue University, 2009 World Food Prize Laureate; Dr. Ejeta will speak on the topic “Feeding More with Less: Humanity’s Grand Challenge of the 21st Century”.

December 3rd

Our final discussion of this semester will be led by Whitney Neal and Stephanie Neatherlin, two senior Honors students highly involved in the college. Their topic is titled, “Harvard Schmarvard...What's the big deal about the Ivy League anyway?” Whitney and Stephanie have this to say about their topic:

“As Honors students, we've all been told that we are the "cream of the crop." Our standardized test scores and determination in school can rival that of the Ivy Leagues. So why do Ivy Leagues have the reputation that they do? Does one actually receive a better undergraduate education at one of these "elite" schools, or is the prestige based solely on the research of graduates and the legacy of who the applicants know? What does this mean for the "smart kids" that choose to go to public schools or other institutions, and how does it affect us?”

http://www.hopelesstoharvard.com/general-college-advice/why-an-ivy-league-school-is-worth-183000/

http://www.oda.edu/page.cfm?p=1709

http://www.theamericanscholar.org/the-disadvantages-of-an-elite-education/

November 26th

No Discussion, have a wonderful holiday!

November 19th

This week’s discussion will be led by Austin Fielding and Tristan Patrick, two Honors students and regular attendees of Lunch Discussion. Tristan and Austin provide the following information about their topic:

Increased exposure to differing religions can generate progress, understanding, acceptance and, in some cases, frightening intolerance and violent opposition. With groups like 'Repent Amarillo' - a radical Christian group going to extremes to expose "sinners" - and the Dove World Outreach Center, notable for the recent "International Burn a Quran Day" gaining national attention, the presence of religious-based discrimination is becoming increasingly evident. While this form of discrimination is unjust, the decision to regulate what people can say or do risks infringing on freedom of speech. This brings about the question, "What actions, if any, should be taken to protect people from religious discrimination?" We will discuss several examples of intolerance and prosecution based on religious ideals, as well as different possible solutions to this dilemma.

Read at least the first link.

Repent Amarillo - The Texas Taliban: http://thinkprogress.org/2010/03/04/texas-taliban/

Religious Discrimination On the Rise!: http://hamptonroads.com/2010/10/claims-religious-discrimination-rise#rfq

Repent Amarillo - He Who Casts the First Stone: http://www.texasobserver.org/dateline/he-who-casts-the-first-stone

NY Times - Combating 'Islamaphobia': http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/opinion/10iht-edschriefer.html

CNN: Church Plans Quran Burning Event: http://articles.cnn.com/2010-07-29/us/florida.burn.quran.day_1_american-muslims-religion-cair-spokesman-ibrahim-hooper?_s=PM:US

November 12th

This week's discussion will be led by Dr. Michael Berry, Assistant Professor of Music Theory and regular Honors professor. Here is Dr. Berry's description: A recent headline in the BBC Magazine asked "Do hard times equal good art?" In this discussion we'll talk about the thorny relationship between the arts and the present economic crisis. Why is it that the arts are always the first casualty of budget cuts? Should the arts be subsidized by the government at all? Is it possible to justify the existence of the arts on their own terms? Is a bad economy necessarily bad for the arts?

Some relevant links:

"Do hard times equal good art?": http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-11479172

"Detroit Symphony musicians should reconsider going on strike": http://detroitnews.com/article/20100930/OPINION01/9300329/1008/opinion01/Editorial--DSO-musicians-should-reconsider-going-on-strike#ixzz111Vn6lSm

Arts cuts in the Netherlands: http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/tomserviceblog/2010/oct/05/dutch-arts-cuts-orchestra

"Classical music must put its house in order": http://www.overgrownpath.com/2010/10/classical-music-needs-to-put-its-house.html

"The sweet sound of a self-sustaining orchestra": http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/8038171/The-sweet-sound-of-a-self-sustaining-orchestra.html

November 5th

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by Erica Lux, one of the Highest Honors graduates in May 2009.

In the discussion, we will delve into how important social media networking is on today’s generation, and the impact that it has on society as a whole, individuals, and ourselves. We will look at our own personal media trail, along with a discussion of our perceived benefits and disadvantages of being heavily present on social media sites and the Internet. Then we will discuss some recent stories in the news, and their links to social media sites. We will end the discussion with a look at the new social networking projects being created to reach out to today’s generation. IMPORTANT! Bring your cell phones to this session. J

Here are some articles to read and videos to watch before the discussion. Erica also suggests that you “google” yourself and be prepared to talk about what you found out!

http://www.google.com/

http://dailycollegian.com/2010/10/25/study-examines-social-media%E2%80%99s-impact-on-student-mental-health-interpersonal-activity/

http://articles.cnn.com/2008-04-10/justice/girl.fights_1_gag-order-girls-attack-victim?_s=PM:CRIME

http://abcnews.go.com/US/victim-secret-dorm-sex-tape-commits-suicide/story?id=11758716

http://twitter.com/shhdontellsteve

http://www.youtube.com/user/itgetsbetterproject

October 29th

"School Days," of Professor Kurt Caswell's recent book In the Sun's House: My Year Teaching on the Navajo Reservation (Trinity University Press, 2009) has been reprinted in the journal River Teeth 12.1. Also look for his review of Robert Michael Pyle's new book, Mariposa Road, in the November/December 2010 issue of Orion magazine (www.orionmagazine.org). He has also published several reviews and soon, an essay, "Lone Shepherd on a Distant Promontory" in High Country News (www.hcn.org). For more info. see his website at: www.kurtcaswell.com.

This week’s discussion will be led by Rob Weiner, Associate Humanities/Performing Arts Librarian with the TTU Library, author, and scholar. Mr. Weiner’s topic is titled, “Monsters, Zombies, Crime, Sequential Art and the Code.” We will discuss the rise of the Comic’s Code in the 1950s and focus on how horror and crime comics were considered the cause of juvenile delinquency. For a look at some examples of pre-code comic book covers, visit http://www.samuelsdesign.com/comics/ahorror_crime.html.

You might also read an article on the Code at http://www.comicsbulletin.com/soapbox/103264795945099.htm.

October 22nd

This week’s Lunch Discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Jim Brink, HAL Director and Honors professor. The title of Dr. Brink’s topic is, “The Rural Deficiency Syndrome and You.” Dr. Brink has this to say about the topic:

“This is an experiment. It will work only through lively discussion. It is my contention that we have generations of folks who have increasingly "lost touch" with the land, with what, in particular, farmers and ranchers "do." What's perhaps even more problematical is that there exist "urban" legends that malign what takes place on a working farm or ranch. I hope to engage those present in an examination of the "rural deficiency syndrome" with all viewpoints represented: students from farming and ranching backgrounds and students from a strictly urban world view. The goal is to erase the gulf somewhat.”

Student might want to view the recent film, "Temple Grandin," to discuss their views of Dr. Grandin's crossover from an urban background to a rural understanding.

October 15th

This week’s Lunch Discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Aretha Marbley, professor and director of Community Counseling in the College of Education. Dr. Marbley’s topic is title, “Investing in Women and Girls: Voices of Indigenous Women and Women of Color.” At LD, students will discuss a common framework to increase the efficacy of the social justice philanthropy agenda for indigenous women and women of color and articulate a set of collective actions/strategies for the economic empowerment for these women. Here are two articles with background about the topic:

"Where's the Money for Women's Rights?"

"Girls Count"

October 8th

This week’s discussion will be led by Richard Rosen, Professor of Law at the Texas Tech University Law School and frequent Honors professor. Professor Rosen will speak about Drones and Targeted Killing under the Laws of War. The discussion will include the basic law of targeting (e.g., principles of distinction and proportionality), justifications for targeted killings, and legal concerns about the practice. Professor Rosen will also mention the Al-Awlaki lawsuit, which seeks to enjoin the killing of the “American al-Qaeda” in Yemen.

Please read an article about the subject matter in the article: "Law and Policy of Targeted Killings".

A discussion about the Al-Awlaki lawsuit can be found at the ACLU article: "Rights Groups File Challenge to Targeted Killings by U.S."

October 1st

This week’s discussion will be led by Dr. Isis Leslie, Honors College Political Science professor. Dr. Leslie will discuss immigration: It is not unprecedented for us/them polemics to dominate political language during an economic crisis. Now, at a time when the United States can be meaningfully described as the first "underdeveloping nation," in which 1% of Americans are becoming increasingly wealthy and 99% are becoming worse and worse off, language about who is and who isn't a part of the "real America," and who is taking America back from whom is in the ascendance.

People who are indigenous to the Southwestern part of the country that used to be Mexico (Texas, Arizona, New Mexico and California) are labeled "illegal immigrants" rather than "Native Americans." Although there is no conclusive evidence that he is not, there has been controversy for at least two years now about whether the current president of the United States is *really* American and 1/5 of the country believes that he is Muslim. Arab-Americans have also been under attack since September 11th, 2001. This group of Americans has recently come under renewed attack as the result of the proposal to build a community center near ground zero.

What responsibility do Americans and residents of the country have to indigenous peoples from Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, and California? What responsibilities does patriotism require citizens to have to the nation's president? Should we be patriots? What responsibilities does the nation have to its Arab-American citizens? How can we as a nation ensure that the history of pre-civil rights era segregation, Japanese Internment camps, and Chinese Exclusion Acts, doesn't repeat itself?

September 24th

This week’s discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Gary Elbow, Associate Vice Provost and Honors professor. Dr. Elbow’s topic is “Strive for Honor Evermore”: Ethics at Texas Tech University.” To begin the discussion, Dr. Elbow will use four articles from the Friday, September 10^th issue of the Daily Toreador:

http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/tech-chapter-of-beta-theta-pi-suspended-1.2324781

http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/hance-profanity-at-football-games-reflects-poorly-on-tech-1.2324796

http://www.dailytoreador.com/news/dean-of-engineering-steps-down-1.2324088

http://www.dailytoreador.com/opinions/red-raider-ethics-generator-1.2324702

September 17th

This week’s Lunch Discussion will be facilitated by Dr. Amy Koerber, professor of technical communication and rhetoric in the English Department. Dr. Koerber’s title is, “Ethical, Rhetorical, and Political Considerations in Media Reporting of Medical Information,” and here is a short description:

What are the best ways for journalists, health educators, information designers, and health care professionals to deliver health-related information to nonexpert audiences? Is there a way to provide accurate information, in terms that general audiences can understand, without causing undue panic? Where is the fine line between simplifying complex information and distorting the facts? This lunch discussion will address these and other questions related to the communication of health-related information to general audiences. We will focus on one recent Newsweek article and the rhetorical tactics that the author uses to report the results of a recent medical study on antidepressants. But we will also open up the discussion to address the general question of medical information in the media, so come prepared to talk about recent health-related news stories that have caught your attention.

The Newsweek article that we will discuss is titled “The Depressing News About Antidepressants.” It was published Jan. 29, 2010. You can still read it online at http://www.newsweek.com/id/232781.

You should also take a look at the original peer-reviewed journal article that the Newsweek report is based on. It is titled “Antidepressant Drug Effects and Depression Severity: A Patient-Level Meta-Analysis,” and it was published Jan. 6, 2010, in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

September 10th

The Vision for the Honors College: This week’s Lunch Discussion will be led by new Honors College Interim Dean Dr. Stephen Fritz. Dr. Fritz’s topic will center on his vision for the future of the Honors College. What are the aspects of the Honors College that make it unique? How can we market these aspects to gain prestige for both the Honors College and Texas Tech University? Come meet Dr. Fritz and discuss the future of the Honors College with him.

September 3rd

The Honors College will kick off its Friday Lunch Discussion series on Friday, September 3 with the topic “Gambling on Grades.” Dr. Marjean Purinton will facilitate a provocative discussion about the opportunity for college students at 36 campuses to gamble on their grades presented by a website called Ultrinsic . Are you willing to wager on your academic performance, starting at $25 a course? Is the “game” offered by Ultrinsic actually online gambling, which is illegal? Does the game offer motivation for studying, or does it merely increase pressure to make good grades? Come and share your perspectives on these and other questions about “Gambling on Grades.”

Here are a couple of articles you can look at in advance of our discussion:

“Web Site Lets Students Bet on What Grades They’ll Earn” from The Chronicle of Higher Education

http://chronicle.com/blogPost/Web-Site-Lets Students-Bet-on/26134

“Gambling on grades: Think you are smart? Wanna bet on it?” From The Washington Post

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/campus-overload/2010/08/think_you...

For additional information contact marjean.purinton@ttu.edu

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