2026 Fall Semester Events

3 remaining incentivized two-point scoring events:
5. Rothbaum Constitution Day Talk by Dr. Felix Harcourt: "Outlawry in Oklahoma: The Ku Klux Klan, the Constitution and the 1920s" (Wk 5, Thu, Sep 17; 7-8:00 pm; in the Estep).
6. Destination Tulsa: The Philbrook, Mother Road Market, and Come from Away (Wk, 12, Fri. Nov 6; noon-midnight; catch bus in front of Chickasaw Business and Conference Center) 
7. Honors Showcase (Wk 15, Th, Dec.3  3:30-4:45; in the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center)

Upcoming Fall 2026 Events (scoring events are marked "1-point"; 2-points are in red)

SEPTEMBER

• Week Three:  Sorting Hat and House Games (Thursday, September 3; 7 in the Ataloa). 1-point.
  
  
• Week Four: Trivia Night – Denna, Keegan – Wednesday, Sep. 9, 6:00 PM; place TBD). Contact: Denna Bussinger, Keegan Bellefeuille.
• Week Four: Brad Henry Scholarship Application deadline -- Wednesday, Sep. 9.

• Week Five: Screening of award-winning short documentary "Tiger" -- Wednesday, Sep. 16, 2-2:50 PM in the Raymond J. Estep Multimedia Center. 1-point “Tiger” chronicles the decades-long journey of Indigenous artist Dana Tiger and her family. From the success of the Tiger family business during the 1980s to its near col- lapse, the film explores resilience, grief and hardship as the family works to revive its iconic Tiger t-shirt. The film was directed by Waters (Cherokee/Kiowa), an Oklahoma filmmaker, who has been named to Forbes’ 30 Under 30 and Filmmaker Magazine’s 25 New Faces. “Tiger,” an Academy Award-qualifying short documentary, received the Short Film Special Jury Award for Directing at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.
  
• Week Five: Honors Community Service Club, First Meeting:  "Talk Saves Lives." – Wednesday, Sep. 16, 5:30-6:30 PM. At the Brandon Whitten Institute. 831 E. Main Street. Community Service Hour Opportunity. Contact: Ricardo Charqueno.
• Week Five:  "The 1920s: A Centenary Retrospective." Sessions will be held in the Estep at 8-9:15; 9:30-10:45; 11-12:15, 12:30-1:45. At 3:30, there will be a film screening of the 2016 National Theatre Production of The Threepenny Opera (1928). You can score one point for each session you attend and for the film screening up to two points. You can't score points, though, if your class is attending the session at their regularly scheduled class time.
• Week Five: Constitution Day Featured Speaker: Felix Harcourt, Thu, Sep 17, 7-8 pm in the Estep. "Outlawry in Oklahoma: The Ku Klux Klan, the Constitution, and the 1920s." 
  
  
• Week Six: Launch Crowdfunding Campaign
• Week Six: Pickleball – Tuesday, Sep. 22, 6:00 PM; Contact: Rikki Gandy, Belle Hinnant.
• Week Six: Board Game Night – Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:00 PM; Contact: Eli Grasso.
  
  
• Week Seven: Wii / Switch Night – Tuesday, Sep. 29, 6:00; contact Ellie, Chance
• Week Seven: Originals - Wednesday, Sep. 30, 3:00 in the Library. 1-point
• Week Seven: Book Club (selection to be announced)– Wednesday, Sep. 30, 6:00; contact Zach Hobia. 1-point for those who attend read book.

OCTOBER

• Week Eight: Wrap Crowdfunding Campaign
• Week Eight: Volleyball – Thursday, Oct. 8, 6:30. Contact: Bentley, Cooper, Zach.
• Week Eight: Fresh Check Day. Friday, Oct. 9, 11 am to 6 pm. In front of Danley Hall. Must visit a minimum of five stations for 1 point credit.
  
  
• Week Nine: Brad Henry - A Night on the World: Transforming Lives with Global Education. Tuesday, Oct. 13, 6:30 in the Estep. 1 - point.
• Week Nine: Game of Thrones RISK – Friday, Oct. 16, 7:00 PM. Contact: James Wilkin.
  
  
• Week Ten: Homecoming (Saturday, October 24)
• Week Eleven: Book Launch: Dr. Ken Hada , Nexus, - Wednesday, Oct. 28, at 3, Linscheid Library. 1-point.
• Week Eleven: Haunting of Wintersmith (Thu. Oct. 29? Fri., 30? TBD). With "Kick the Can." Contact: James Wilkin.

NOVEMBER

• Week Twelve: Destination Tulsa: The Philbrook, Mother Road Market and Come from Away (Wk, 12, Fri. Nov 6; noon-midnight TBC; catch bus in front of Chickasaw Business and Conference Center) 
• Week Fourteen: Honors Thanksgiving (Thu., Nov. 19)
  
  
• Thanksgiving Break (Nov. 23-27)

DECEMBER

• Week Fifteen: Honors Showcase (Thursday, Dec. 3; 3:30-4:45; in the Chickasaw Business and Conference Center)

SPRING

• Fancy/Fancy-Free Prom and Murder Mystery
• Honors Olympics

FALL 2026 Completed Events

7 incentivized two-point scoring events:
1. Honors Convocation (Wk 1, Thu., Aug 20; 3:45-5; meet in the UC)--DONE
2. Summer Read Author Talk: Katie Yee, author of Maggie; Or a Man and a Woman Walk into a bar (Wk Two, Mon, Aug 24; 7-8 pm; in the Estep)
3. Burkean Parlor (Wk 2, Thu, Aug 27; 7-8:30 pm; in the Chalmers Herman Theatre)
4. Bridges Out of Poverty (Wk 2, Fri, Aug 28; 12:30-4; place TBA): $50 stipend for participants

• Week One: Lunch One, Wednesday, August 19; noon-ish; Taff Cafeteria. 1-point.
• Week One: Honors March and Convocation (Thu., Aug. 20; 3:40). Meet in the UC for the March; Convocation will begin in the Ataloa at 4 p.m. 2-points
• Week Two: Summer Read Author Talk: Katie Yee, author of Maggie; Or a Man and a Woman Walk into a bar, Mon, Aug 24; 7-8 pm; in the Estep) 2-points
• Week Two: Lunch 2, Tuesday, noon-ish, August 25. 1-point
• Week Two: Burkean Parlor, Thu, Aug 27; 7-8:30 pm; in the Chalmers Herman Theatre
• Week Two: Bridge Out of Poverty, Fri, Aug 28; 12:30-4; place TBA): $50 stipend for participants
• Week Three: OSLEP Information Session (Wednesday, September 2 at 3:30, Estep). 1-point.

2025 Crowdfunding Wrap: A New Record!

Our final totals: 238 total donors (a new record!)
$11857.14: Total donated
80: Honors students with 2+ donors
Mayor of Athens: Lillian Ryan (9 donors)
Doughnut Party: Dr. Duncan's class (100% participation by Saturday, October 19)
House Competition: Arete (8 pts), Orenda (6), Dao (4), Eureka (2)
200: Our total donor goal (by 10/21/2025 at 11:59 PM)

The 2025 Campaign is over, but we always welcome donations! To donate, click on this link.

2025 Crowdfunding Campaign

Click on this link to donate.

Our totals so far (as of 10/18/2025 at 331 PM):
165: Total donors
$8899.63: Total donated
50: Honors students with 2+ donors

Current Mayor of Athens Leader: Lillian Ryan (8)
200: Our total donor goal (by 10/21/2025 at 11:59 PM)

2025 Honors Juniors in NYC

Itinerary
Day One: Our direct flight was canceled and we were rerouted with a layover and connecting flight in Atlanta; Ubers to our hotel in Brooklyn; a late-night walk across the Brooklyn Bridge toward Manhattan.

Day Two:  Ferry across the East River to lower Manhattan; walk down Wall Street, "Fearless Girl" statue, Trinity Church and the adjacent cemetery, where Alexander Hamilton, his son Philip, his wife Eliza and her sister Angelica are buried; the National Museum of the American Indian; subway to Chinatown; soup dumpling lunch at Shanghai 21; subway to Greenwich Village, where an epic walk (we finished the day with 34,000 steps!) included stops at the houses of Woody Guthrie, Mark Twain, Taylor Swift, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Edgar Allen Poe (the address, anyway); John Wilkes Booth (the planned Lincoln's assassination here), Ethel and Julius Rosenberg, The Weathermen (domestic terrorists and neighbors of Dustin Hoffman who accidentally blew up their own apartment in 1970);  historic buildings: site of Stonewall riots in 1969 that launched the gay rights movement; the Jefferson Market Library; Washington Mews (cobblestone street and stables converted into home and NYU classrooms); Washington Square Park; Café Wha? (where Bob Dylan first played in NYC); the building exteriors for "Sex and the City" and "Friends." We then dined in Chelsea Market and capped the day with the Tony Award-winning Best Musical of 2025: Maybe Happy Ending at the Belasco Theatre, featuring Darren Criss in his Tony Award-winning performance as the lead actor. Subway to hotel.

Day Three: Subway to the American Museum of Natural History; walk to Zabar's deli; picnic in Central Park; choose your own adventure afternoon (some selections included: Empire State building and 9/11 Museum); dinner at "Little Italy" pizza restaurant; and an evening at Majestic Theatre, where we saw the Broadway classic Gypsy, starring Audra McDonald, who has more Tony Award nominations (11) and wins (6) than any other actor in Broadway history. Subway back to hotel.

Day Last: We hired a speedboat and captain (!) for a two-hour cruise and close-up views of the Brooklyn Bridge and the Statue of Libery. The most popular choices for this Choose Your Own Adventure day was the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the 9/11 Museum.

Favorite experiences?
Jimena: Going to the MoMA and seeing Gypsy and Maybe Happy Ending live (new favorite musical, I have never gotten that emotional at a live show before)

Alyssa: It’s hard to pick because they were all amazing! The 9/11 museum moved me to tears, being on the boat in front of the Statue of Liberty was so surreal, and eating in Central Park was a dream! I couldn’t possibly pick my favorite part because the whole trip would make my highlight reel!

Aldan: The shows were great, but I also enjoyed the 9/11 museum and the MoMA. Normally I’m not one to listen to music in public but I put in some AirPods while walking through the MoMA and listened to classical and marimba music, which made for a really unique and fun experience. Additionally, I’m a Thunder fan so the roller coaster of watching them lose on the flight to NY then win the championship on our flight back was a great time.

Gwenny: Going to the MoMA and walking around.

Alexus: My favorite experiences were going to the MoMA and seeing John Cena walking on the street.

John: My favorite experience was the Broadway musicals we saw each night. I really liked the visuals of Maybe Happy Ending.

Camden: Going to see all of my song locations and cosplaying as a rich person for the day with a Versace bathrobe; being the first to walk across the intersection and then the tourists see me go and then they go because it’s safe; being the shot caller was cool; I felt like a real New Yorker; getting called "boss" at the deli; going to the bodega and ordering was cool--I felt like a local there too. Also: buying lotto tickets and winning with Aldan and John. Felt like Percy Jackson when he was trapped in the casino and had to keep playing since we couldn’t cash the tickets so we just bought more. Also: understanding the memes where it’s like “east coast people will make fun of you and help but west coast people will be really nice and not help.” Everyone in NY I talked to kinda had that attitude but they were always helpful. Also my street interview was awesome and cool.

Favorite foods?
Alyssa: My favorite food was the pizza! I’ve always heard of New York’s pizza and it did not disappoint. I also got to eat Chinese food for the first time! That was such a fun experience and I tried a lot of new things!

Gwenny: Cucumber salad.

Alexus: My favorite food was the egg drop soup from 21 Shanghai.

Jimena: Little Italy and soup dumplings (in Chinatown) 

John: My favorite food was the slice of pizza at Little Italy.

Camden: Soup dumplings and my chop cheese from the bodega.

Aldan: Definitely New York pizza. The Little Italy pizza place we went to Saturday night was some of the best pizza I’ve had, and I ate some great margarita pizza.

Anything you did for the first time?

Gwenny: Rode in a boat

Alexus: 34,000 steps in one day, a harbor cruise, walking the Brooklyn Bridge, and trying Agua Fresca!

Alyssa: I went to New York for the first time! I did a lot of new things like go to a Broadway play, eat Chinese food, ride the subway, see the Atlantic Ocean, and ride in a taxi! My eyes stayed wide with wonder on this trip because of all these new experiences!

Jimena: Saw a Broadway musical

John: I rode a subway for the first time, and it was a magical experience.

Camden: Getting called "boss" in a real Italian deli (awesome experience); buying a $50 scratcher; going to Native American museum; seeing a play/musical; being interviewed on the street

Aldan: Taking the subway, Uber/taxi services, and this was definitely the biggest city that I’ve been to. However, the coolest thing I did for the first time was see Broadway shows, Maybe Happy Ending and Gypsy, both of which I was in awe of the performances and logistics of such productions. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

NYC Weekend

 

NYC Thursday: 35,000 Steps?!

ECU Honors in San Francisco 2025

When eleven graduating Honors Program seniors majoring in Psychology, Graphic Design, Nursing, Pre-Law, English, Business, and Biology traded the quiet of Ada, Oklahoma for the bustle of San Francisco, California, they were unsure what to expect. What happens when these Honorables find themselves in the middle of such a culturally diverse metropolis? Let’s find out!

Itinerary:

Day One (Thursday, January 16): Fly into San Francisco International Airport, marvel at theTransamerica Pyramid, explore Chinatown, and City Lights Bookstore, dine at the Hang Ah Tea Room.

Day Two (Friday, January 17): Tour of Chinatown led by Dr. Benton, including a visit to the Tin How Temple, Old Saint Mary’s Church, the Comfort Women Memorial; then streetcars to Fisherman’s Wharf; lunch at Square Pie Guys; a cruise under the Golden Gate Bridge and by Alcatraz Island, followed by a visit to the Musée Mécanique, sea lions, and, in the evening, a visit to the Asian AF Comedy Festival in Chinatown's oldest active cinema/theatre.

Day Three (Saturday, January 18): A ride across the Golden Gate Bridge followed by a hike through thre Redwoods in Muir Woods, followed by sushi dinner.

Lindsay at the Museum of Modern Art ("If You Surrendered to the Air, You Could Ride It," 2019, by Amy Sherald.)

Day Four (Sunday, January 19): Choose your own Adventure. Some of the places chosen included the Japanese Tea Garden, the SF Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Cartoon Art Museum, and the Exploratorium. Dinner: pho at the Golden Flower Restaurant.

Day Five (Monday, January 20): Farewells to California and an epic trip to Buc-ee’s

Favorite experiences?

Madison: Seeing the views of the city, the Pacific Ocean, and the Golden Gate Bridge on the boat cruise and looking out above the trees after a successful climb up the hills in Muir Woods.

Allie M: The Museum of Modern Art. I got to see Samson Young art, which is someone I have been interested in for a long time.

Hannah: Shopping local, seeing the old Victorian style houses in the Haight Ashbury district, and hiking through the Muir Woods.

Emily: Riding up and down the steep streets in the cable cars.

Lindsay: Walking through China Town and visiting the local shops, visiting the Dao temple, walking amongst the Redwoods at Muir Woods, and visiting the Musée Mécanique.

Luke: Wandering Muir Woods

Saul: As someone who loves following technology and who has kept up with the work coming out of Silicon Valley near San Francisco, I loved experiencing self-driving cars for the first time. They are a piece of tech I have followed since their major inception years ago. I loved the ferry we took to see the Golden Gate Bridge that gave us such a cool view of both the bridge and the city behind. Walking through historical Chinatown has given me a unique understanding of something new.

Lauren H: My favorite experience, hands down, was Muir Woods. There is nothing like hiking on those trails, and the beauty of the forest is truly immeasurable. Another interesting stop was our narrated boat tour to the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island, which was highly enjoyable. This was especially true because we were able to see Angel Island, Treasure Island, and many other notable San Francisco features. Additionally, my trip to the Japanese Tea Garden and the California Museum of Sciences with some of the group was incredible. The unique sculptures and trees of the tea garden and the four story rainforest exhibit and two story aquarium of the science museum, paired with a brief but enjoyable visit to Haight Ashbury, did well in completing the final full day in San Francisco.

Lauren G: Riding the trolley, walking through the sculpture park, Alcatraz, going under the Golden Gate Bridge, everything about Pier 39! The double carousel, sea lions, Fisherman’s Wharf, and walking along the boardwalk was beautiful.

Favorite Foods:

Madison: Pork dumplings and scallion pancakes from Hang Ah Tea Room, and Sea Salt Caramel hot cocoa from Ghirardelli Square.

Allie M: The shrimp roll I had on Sunday [from Hang Ah Tea Room], it was VERY good.

Hannah: The gyoza at House of Dim Sum in Chinatown and the cheesecake and gelato at Café Greco.

Emily: Vietnamese pho [Golden Flower Restaurant].

Lindsay: The dim sum at Hang Ah Tea Room! We also ate at a sushi place with a very friendly cat.

Luke: An authentic ramen bowl.

Saul: Port pot stickers was something I tried for the first time during our first night at the Hang Ah Tea room, which was incredible. We would visit local coffee shops every morning where I would try a different pastry. At the Brioche Bakery & Café one morning I tried a cinnamon roll that was unlike any I’d ever had in Oklahoma both in texture and flavor.

Lauren H: My favorite foods from this trip were the spicy rice noodles from Hang Ah and the seafood pho from Golden Flower. They were thoroughly enjoyable and incredibly delicious. There is truly nothing like getting the chance to eat food from people who know how to authentically make it. Additionally, though was only a small part of the trip and not an actual meal, getting to try Boba milk tea from Chinatown was incredible.

Lauren G: Ramen, lukewarm sake, various assorted Boba

Anything you did for the first time?

Madison: In a Daoist temple, riding in a cable car, and riding in a Waymo (self-driving car).

Allie: I rode on a plane for the first time (in technicality because the first time I was 2 years old).

Hannah: I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge and hiked in Muir Woods for the first time.

Emily: Some things I did for the first time was visit the sea lions at pier 39, see the Golden Gate Bridge in person, and try Boba tea.

Lindsay: I ate at several restaurants that only gave chopsticks to eat with instead of forks; that’s how you know it’s authentic! I also rode in cable cars and street cars for the first time, and I got to visit my first ethnic enclave in Chinatown.

Luke: Flying on a plane, getting on a streetcar, and eating authentic ramen.

Saul: A number of things, from trying new foods to hiking the trails of a forest. I tried foods like dim sum with unique dumplings, pork pot stickers, and scallion pancakes that opened my palette to something brand new. I rode in a self-driving vehicle around the city, which opened my eyes to the technological advances the city has to offer. I saw how grand redwood trees are when visiting the Muir Woods National Monument.

Lauren H: Rriding in the third row of a Tesla (this was done on the way to Muir Woods and I got an excellent view of the Golden Gate Bridge), walked over 15,000 steps for 4 days straight, and getting to see Alcatraz. I have listened to stories about prisoners who were held there and watched presentations and videos about the Native American occupation of the island, but getting to see it in person was surreal.

Lauren G: Seeing a self-driving car, going to a comedy show, seeing a redwood tree, getting a caricature of myself!!

Honors by the SF Bay 2025