Fall 2026
HONR 191/391: Honors Forum
Instructor: Dr. John Henris, Associate Professor of History
Meets: Full Term Stringer, Mondays 11:15 am – 12:15 pm
Description: The theme for Honors Forum this fall will be “Thoreau’s Country”, which will take an interdisciplinary approach to exploring Walden Pond, Concord Massachusetts, and the writings of Henry David Thoreau. This Honors Forum will be centered on Thoreau’s texts “Walden” and “Wild Apples”, with weekly secondary readings, and guest lectures which will explore a number of interdisciplinary historic and contemporary issues including the political ecology of the American Revolution, Transcendentalism, natural history, proto-conservation, the market revolution, race and abolition, as well as unrestrained growth and environmental sustainability in greater suburban Boston. Honors Forum is a one-unit stringer where Honors students will have the opportunity to engage in interdisciplinary discussions, organize and attend campus and community events, and get involved in the regional and national Honors conferences. During your career as an Honors student, you are encouraged to sign up for Honors Forum four times. These credits will count as elective credits toward most majors.
M 123H: Mathematical Myth Busters
Instructor: Dr. Tyler Seacrest, Professor of Mathematics
Meets: Block 2, 12:15 – 3:15 pm
Description: What are the answers to viral internet math problems like whether
0.999… = 1? Could ancient medieval trebuchet’s toss a modern car? Do trees use strategy regarding where and how they grow? Are the coincidences we experience indicative of a higher power, or do they have a natural explanation? Is the universe really as big as they say? We all have nagging questions, both trivial and profound, that we wonder about. Mathematics provides the tools for answering them. This course combines critical mathematical knowledge in algebra and statistics with the spirit Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman’s TV show “MythBusters.” Students will engage in case-based learning, perform research, and incorporate hands-on experimentation and travel to answer questions like these. This course is open to students of all levels and majors and is designed as a freshman/sophomore gen ed or elective.