All Aboard Statue Cruises

Ellis Island

From Ellis Island.

Hello, Greenwich Village

After  lunching in Chelsea Market, we head to Greenwich Village. Our first stop: the White Horse Tavern (567 Hudson St. @11th Ave.), where the poet Dylan Thomas reportedly drank 18 whiskey shots shortly before his death. We did not try to break his record. One of the oldest pubs in New York, the White Horse Tavern dates to the 1880s and has been frequented by the likes of Norman Mailer, Jack Kerouac, Anais Nin, and Jim Morrison. Also, Sean Jesse, Melody Dunn, Lauren Tucker, and Madison Camp have been photographed outside of it. By me. On this trip.

After seeing the exterior of the building where Carrie Bradshaw lived in “Sex and the City” (though it was supposed to be several miles away on the Upper East Side) and the Charles Street homes of author/artist Maurice Sendak (Where the Wild Things Are), poet Hart Crane (The Bridge), Okemah-born singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie (his first lease in NYC), novelist Sinclair Lewis (Babbit), composer Charles Ives, we made our way to the small cul de sac called "Patchin Place." The novelist Theodore Dreiser (Sister Carrie, An American Tragedy) once lived at this address. Though the entrance to the alley is gated, it is unlocked, so we ventured in for a peek. There are only 2 old gas lamps still left in NY - one of them is at the back of the alley (though its electric these days). Looking back down the alley towards the entrance gate, you can see the ornate Victorian Gothic Jefferson Market Library, formerly a courthouse built after the Jefferson Market was leveled in 1873. Beside it: The Jefferson Market Garden, once the site of a women’s prison, where scandalous Broadway legend and Hollywood movie star Mae West was kept (it helped her career).


we dropped in on poet e. e. cummings at #4 patchin place (see above), but he was out. and dead since 1962. mr. cummings lived in common-law marriage with fashion model and photographer marion morehouse from 1924 until his death.  i may have recited the opening lines "anyone lives in a pretty how town . . ." while we were here. the small case letters in this paragraph are a tribute to mr. cummings's signature style. you're welcome, e. e.

After leaving Patchin Place, we walked by the house that was accidentally blown up in 1970 by the 60s radical group The Weathermen during bomb-making practice (oops). Dustin Hoffman lived next door in #16. We also passed the house where Marlon Brando lived when he first moved to New York to take up acting, and the 10th street home where Mark Twain lived between 1900-1901. We strolled down Washington Mews--one of the few genuine cobblestone streets you'll find in New York-- and then arrived at Washington Square Arch.

The Washington Square Arch, modeled after the Arche de Triomphe in Paris, was built in 1892. The first model, created in 1889 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of George Washington's inauguration, was made of wood and papier-mache.

First walk through New York City: On the High Line

After catching a bus to Fort Worth, a shuttle to DFW, a flight to Newark, a train to Penn Station, and a taxi to the Chelsea High Line Youth Hostel, we  deposited our bags and headed to the High Line. Along the way, we walked past several art galleries, including the one featuring the gun Talor Stewart is taking a picture of (above). The High Line elevated train line opened to trains in 1934. According to thehighline.org, it was “ designed to go through the center of blocks, rather than over the avenue, carrying goods to and from Manhattan’s largest industrial district.” In 1980, “following decades-long growth in the interstate trucking industry, the last train runs. “ A group of property owners lobbied for demolition,” but in November 2005, the line was donated to the City so that it could be converted into as a public park and pedestrian walkway. The first section opened to the public in June 2009.
This work of public art by the UK's Ryan Gander (b. 1976) is titled "To employ the mistress.... It’s a French toff thing." According to High Line Art, this water fountain was made in the image of "his wife playfully spitting water . . . [the] sculpture plays with the tradition of fountains in classical gardens, where mythological divinities, imaginary animals, and other strange creatures are turned into whimsical springs. Gander extends this practice by inserting a traditional figure into a contemporary garden, and inviting adventurous visitors to drink from her mouth." Our adventurous visitor: Miranda McNabb.

Honors Graduation, Spring 2015

Honors Graduates from left to right, first row: Catherine Phipps, Caitlin Maddox, Laura Asaro, Nik Razo, Kendall Dobbs, and Charlotte May. Second row, from left to right: Melissa Pope, Sadie Woodruff, Cerina Stiles, John Dale, Rachel Nicholas, and Bethany Ragle (not pictured: Taylor Glasco).
Kendall Dobbs graduated with University Honors and delivered one of two keynote addresses in the Honors Graduation Ceremony.

Laura Asaro also graduated with University Honors and delivered the second keynote address. At right, Nik Razo lets Dr. Benton sing his praises.

Greetings from Dr. Chubb's Enduring Questions: Perspectives from the Non-Western Humanities Class

For Holly's dad, who is Egyptian!

2015 Spring Honors Engagement Opportunities

It has been a busy semester. Let us know what events were most meaningful to you, Honorables! (Click on the "# comment" box at the bottom of this post.)

If you attended an ECU-sponsored academic, fine arts, or cultural event on campus this spring that is not listed here, let us know!

1.        January 20:  MLK Celebration in the Estep

2.        January 20 and Wednesday, January 21:  Honors Lunch in the Taff Cafeteria.

3.        January 20:  Meet with Joy Hofmeister, new State Superintendent of Public Instruction.

4.        January 22: Research Workshop #4

5.        January 23: Second City Hits Home (2 points)

6.        January 27: Watkins Lecture (Aradhna Pillai)

7.        January 29: Tri-Beta Presents: What to Expect in Med School and Dental School

8.        January 29: Ramadan Research Symposium (2 points)

9.        January 29: A Very Chorale Valentines

Outstanding Seniors

ECU has about 4,500 students. Four of them were named finalists for the George Nigh Award for Outstanding Seniors. Each fall, about thirty incoming first-year students are accepted into ECU's Honors Program. In 2015, three of the four finalists for the George Nigh Award started in ECU's Honors Program.

Congratulations to graduating Honors senior Kendall Dobbs, a Nigh Award Finalist.

Congratulations to graduating Honors senior Allie Barton, a Nigh Award Winner.

Honorably done.

2015: Awards Banquet

Graduating seniors on the front row, from left to right are: Rachel Nicholas, Kendall Dobbs, Charlotte May, Caitlin Maddox, and Laura Asaro. On the second row, from left to right: Catherine Phipps, Bethany Ragle, Cerina Stiles, Sadie Woodruff, John Dale, Nik Razo, and Melissa Pope (not pictured: Taylor Glasco)

EQ Award winners on the front row, from left to right are: Leah Blackburn, Ashton Mayle, Sidney Lewis, Kaitlyn Stevens, Madison Camp. On the second row, from left to right: Dr. Ken Andrews (Honors , Darby Heard, Dylan West, Dillon Rea, Brittany Jolly, Ashley Huhman, Linzi Thompson, and Nathan Starry.


Dr. Katricia Pierson, Assistant Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Taryn Chubb, Honors Faculty (Non-Western Humanities, Spring 2015)

Dr. Houston Mount, Honors Student Association Faculty Advisor

Dr. Sarah Peters, Honors Faculty (Non-Western Humanities, Spring 2015) and Dr. Ken Andrews, Honors Faculty (Sciences, Spring 2015)

Dr. Rebecca Nicholson-Weir, Honors Faculty (Rhetoric and Research, Spring 2015)and Dr. Jennifer McMahon, Honors Faculty (Western Humanities, Fall 2014)


Dr. Duane Anderson. Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost and Dr. Steve Benton, Honors Director

Erin Awtrey, Honors Student Association Vice President,  and Chelsi Norris, HSA President


Madison Camp, First-Year Classroom Leader Award; Linzi Thompson, Campus Engagement Award.
Ashley Huhman, Thomas-King Honors Scholarship; Brittany Jolly, Second-Year Classroom Leadership and Second-Year Writing Awards.

Kaitlyn Stevens, First-Year Writing Award; Nathan Starry, First-Year Classroom Leadership Award

Dylan West, First-Year Classroom Leadership Award; Ashton Mayle, First-Year Classroom Leadership Award.
 
Leah Blackburn, First-Year Writing Award; Sidney Lewis, First-Year Writing Award

Dillon Rea, First-Year Classroom Leadership Award; Dr. Ken Andrews, 2015 Honors Teacher of the Year

2015 Spring Showcase

From top to bottom;  on the left:  Ashley Huhman, Chase Tillar, Rachel Nicholas, John Dale, Zach Garcia, and Darby Heard; in the middle:  Linzi Thompson, Melody Dunn, Anna Talkington, Bethany Ragle, Caitlin Maddox, and Catherine Phipps; on the right: Cerina Stiles, Marissa Hinton, Sadie Woodruff, Taylor Glasco, Nik Razo, Laura Asaro, and Melissa Pope.

HONORS SUPER SHOWCASE

Tuesday, April 21, 2015 at 3:30 p.m.

We Got Next!

The Incoming Honors Student Association Executive Council From L to R: President Brittany Jolly, Interim Vice President Nathan Starry, Secreatry Dillon Rea, Treasurer Talor Stewart, Historian Ashley Houchin, Vice President Linzi Thompson

At tonight's Honors Pizza Feed and Caucus,we introduce the incoming 2015-2016 Honors Student Association Executive Council officers (see above) and invited them to give impromptu speeches (they did well). We also listened to words of wisdom from some of our outgoing officers, we ate a lot of San Remo's pizza, and we took a lot of pizza home. We completed the Honors Survey and Suggestion Box, took an inventory of our engagement points and community service hours for this semester, and scored two engagement points,

We also signed up twelve  sixteen new branch leaders!  They are: Mariah Brooks, Madison Camp, Maranda Clymer, Allyson Greogry, Sean Jesse, Sidney Lewis, Ashton Mayle, Miranda McNabb, Krysten Mills, Elsa Moseley, Maddie Oehlberg, Holly Salem, Kaitlyn Stevens, CJ Taylor, Dylan West. Thanks for stepping up, guys!  And if you're interested in joining their ranks, e-mail Dr. Benton.

Finally, we voted on the 2015 Honors SummerRead. And the winner is . . . click here for the answer.

The 2015 Honors SummerRead

The featured speaker at last December's Honors Laude Dinner was Casey Cassidy, who graduated from East Central University with a Bachelors of Science in Nursing with Scholastic Honors in 2008, Since graduating, Casey has specialized in Medical-Surgical Nursing while practicing at Mercy Hospital in Oklahoma City, OK. She has worked in nursing education for the last 4 years and obtained her Masters of Science in Nursing Education from Oklahoma Baptist University in 2012. She currently works as an assistant professor at Southern Nazarene University and is in the process of starting a PhD in Nursing. She has spoken at various nursing conferences and in 2014 she was recognized as one of the "Great 100 Nurses of Oklahoma.".

Casey recommended a book to us: Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End. Tonight, it received more votes than any other book on the ballot for the 2015 Honors SummerRead.

At the end of June, we expect to unveil the SummerRead questions. While you're waiting for those to come out, you may want to click here to read the New York Times review of this highly recommended book.  Or here to read a review in the New York Times's Sunday Book Review.

Roary Remembers

Just two days ago, Roary was here on the beach at South Padre Island, reflecting back on the many enlightening presentations he'd heard ECU Honors students make at the 2015 Great Plains Honors Conference.