The Honors Program offers students the opportunity to advance their liberal education in new areas by embracing academic challenges and experiences beyond those of our standard Program of Studies. Students in the Honors Program may complete a more extended honors thesis and graduate with a Latin, honors distinction.
Each semester, through an honors colloquium seminar, students explore selected texts, themes, authors, or media that complement our larger Program of Studies. One of the benefits of the colloquium is that students from all four years come together in a common pursuit in a seminar setting.
The Honors Colloquia have included the following courses, authors, and texts:
Course | Authors and Works |
---|---|
Cinema and Narrative | Selected American and European films |
Lyric Poetry and Theology | Selected lyric poets, Lynch, von le Fort |
Houses of Mirth: The Comic Muse throughout the Ages | The Second Shepherd’s Play, Aristophanes, Plautus, Shakespeare, Voltaire, Chekhov, Moliere, O’Connor, Waugh, Wilde |
Classics of Children’s Literature | Alcott, Andersen, Hawthorne, MacDonald, Stevenson, Hodgsdon, and Grahame |
The Nature of Tragedy | Aristotle, Shakespeare, Eliot, Becket, O’Neill Tolstoy, Ibsen, Conrad, Racine, Nietzsche, et al. |
The Presence of the Past: Tradition and Reform in Christian Culture | Power and the Holy in the Investiture Conflict, Apocalyptic Spirituality, Chaucer, Langland, More, Bacon, Twain |
Dante, A Party of One | Dante’s Divine Comedy |
Man and Woman He Created Them | Pope Saint John Paul II, et al. |
Truth and Tolerance | Dawson, Kirk, Pope Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI |
Students will have the opportunity to earn one college credit by taking one of the following courses offered at Magdalen College. Taught in Socratic-style seminar discussions, each course enables students to explore a particular interest and discover if it could lead to a college major or area of focus. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Myth in Philosophy: Seeking Wisdom through Poetry and Story (1 credit) – Dr. Erik van Versendaal
What is the relationship between poetry and philosophy? Why does speaking about ultimate things lead philosophers into the realms of poem and story? This course considers philosophical works that are undertaken in a poetic mode alongside poems that express philosophic truth.
Physics: Understanding Boomerangs, Billiard Balls, and Balance Beam Routines (1 credit) – Mr. John Klucinec
This course explores the laws of motion as described by Galileo and Newton, by reading and discussing these authors and through classroom experiments. Students will gain an understanding of physics in concrete phenomena: through the aerodynamics of the boomerang, the motion of billiard balls, fluid dynamics, air flight and the physics of gymnastics and diving.
Theology of the Body: The Deeper Meaning of Love, Sex, and Marriage (1 credit) – Dr. Ryan Messmore
When it comes to romantic relationships and marriage, today’s culture is awash in confusion. The Church calls people to see a deeper meaning to sexual desire and marriage. But what is that, and how can it be pursued in modern times?
$325.00 USD
Students will experience the joy of learning in a variety of liberal arts fields, including courses in literature, philosophy, theology, and politics. Taught primarily in Socratic-style seminar discussions, these courses allow students to read classic texts and wrestle with big questions across a range of disciplines. Students will spend 3.5-4 hours in class each day, have some assigned homework, and spend the remaining time in prayer, liturgy, and sacred music, relaxation with new friends, and a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
$125.00 USD
Saturday October 30, 2021
10:00 am | Brunch |
11:30 am | “Favorite Authors in the Curriculum” led by Dr. Ryan Messmore, Dr. Mary Mumbach, and Dr. Erik van Versendaal |
12:30 pm | “Word and Truth” seminar led by Dr. Erik van Versendaal |
1:30 pm | “Life after Magdalen” Career Pathways/Alumni Panel led by Dr. Eric Buck |
2:30 pm | Refreshments in President’s office for Prospective Students and Parents |
2:30-5:00 pm | Enjoy our beautiful campus and surrounding town of Warner
|
5:00-6:00 pm | Dinner |
6:30 pm | Jeopardy featuring faculty and alumni guests |
7:00-10:00 pm | Bonfire and Swing Dance with the East Bay Jazz Band |
Sunday October 31, 2021
10:30 am | Mass |
11:30 am | Brunch |
1:00 pm | Consecrating Ourselves to The Blessed Trinity |
Saturday October 30, 2021
10:00 am | Brunch |
11:30 am | “Life After Magdalen” Career Pathways/Alumni Panel led by Dr. Eric Buck |
12:30 pm | “Nature of Man” seminar led by Mr. John Klucinec and Dr. Eric Buck
or “Word and Truth” seminar led by Dr. Erik van Versendaal |
1:30 pm | “Favorite Authors in the Curriculum” led by Dr. Ryan Messmore, Dr. Mary Mumbach, and Dr. Erik van Versendaal |
2:30 pm | Refreshments in Dining Room for Current Parents |
2:30-5:00 pm | Enjoy our beautiful campus and surrounding town of Warner
|
5:00-6:00 pm | Dinner |
6:30 pm | Jeopardy featuring faculty and alumni guests |
7:00-10:00 pm | Bonfire and Swing Dance with the East Bay Jazz Band |
Sunday October 31, 2021
10:30 am | Mass |
11:30 am | Brunch |
1:00 pm | Consecrating Ourselves to The Blessed Trinity |
Saturday October 30, 2021
9:30 am | Coffee with the President |
10:00 am | Brunch |
11:30 am | “Life After Magdalen” Career Pathways/Alumni Panel led by Dr. Eric Buck |
12:30 pm | “Nature of Man” seminar led by Mr. John Klucinec and Dr. Eric Buck |
1:30 pm | “Favorite Authors in the Curriculum” led by Dr. Ryan Messmore, Dr. Mary Mumbach, and Dr. Erik van Versendaal |
2:30 pm | Refreshments in Dining Room for Alumni |
2:30-5:00 pm | Enjoy our beautiful campus and surrounding town of Warner
|
5:00-6:00 pm | Dinner |
6:30 pm | Jeopardy featuring faculty and alumni guests |
7:00-10:00 pm | Bonfire and Swing Dance with the East Bay Jazz Band |
Sunday October 31, 2021
10:30 am | Mass |
11:30 am | Brunch |
1:00 pm | Consecrating Ourselves to The Blessed Trinity |
Baby-sitting will be available for children of Alumni from 11:00-2:00, please register.