Winter 2025 Sneek Peek

Story by Daisy Arvonen | Photo by Nicole Reynard

Winter 2025 registration opens in just a few weeks! We’ve talked to some of our Honors faculty, who gave us a sneak peek into just a few of the exciting Unexpected Connections courses that will be offered next semester! Keep reading to get the scoop:

Honors 226: Blessed are the Poor, Understanding Poverty through History and Theology (Social Science/Letters)  

Do you want to know what you can do to help the poor and needy? Drs. Andrew Reed and Jeff Hardy are combining their expertise in Theology and History to teach a class that challenges students to wrestle with questions about poverty. “There's something very human about this class,” said Dr. Reed. “This one, I think, lends itself to what is the human experience.”

Throughout the semester, students study poverty from the lens of various religious and historical texts. From the Quran to the Bible, and from the writings of Karl Marx to Oscar Romero, Dr.

Hardy said that they “try to assign readings that give [students] a sense of what it feels like to be poor.” The class also gives students the opportunity to be proximate to those that are experiencing poverty, and helps students realize their potential to make a difference. At the end of the semester, they have the option to write a research paper or use their creativity to come up with a service project.

The last time the course was taught, one student hosted a hunger banquet (pictured above), and raised money for those in need. Another group of students pooled their extra BYU dining dollars, money that would’ve gone unused, and bought food from the BYU Creamery to donate. Through this interdisciplinary exploration of poverty, students come away feeling empowered to make a difference and adopt a wider perspective. “I don't know that I can ever look at poverty the same way I did before we taught the course,” Dr. Reed said.

Honors 290R: Strong Bodies, Resilient Minds, and Healthy Relationships (Biology/Social Science)

For students seeking to improve their all-around wellness, Drs. Matt Seeley and Jason Whiting’s Unexpected Connections course is a great option. Their experience in Exercise Science and Marriage and Family Therapy contribute to a unique interdisciplinary approach to forming good habits. The relationship between physical health and mental health is complex,” Dr. Seeley explained, “but it's important. And it's been really fun to team up with Jason and try and think about that challenge and teach about that challenge to students.”

To improve physical health, students create and use an exercise plan, and record their heart rate. Dr. Seeley said that they hope this next semester, students will be able to meet with a health coach as part of the class. He explained that this would give them more personalized help in their unique circumstances and stages of life.

Students also try various mindfulness exercises and learn about how to develop good mental and emotional practices. They learn about how to live a balanced life and cope with stress. The class focuses on patterns to follow when creating healthy relationships, and teaches students what red flags to be aware of. Last winter, Dr. Seeley’s and Dr. Whiting’s wives even joined class one day and answered students’ questions about marriage and relationships.

“We hope that people are incorporating better decision making and better habits and better awareness,” Dr. Whiting said. The course will help students take charge of their wellness and set meaningful goals and plans.

Honors 227: The Comedy of Life, Exploring Social Structures through Humor (Social Science/Art)  

Can you imagine watching “Napoleon Dynamite” or an old episode of “The Office” for homework? If you need some comedic relief, Dr. Kurt Sandholtz and Dr. Kerry Soper are teaching an Unexpected Connections course where cracking jokes and thinking critically go hand in hand.

Going beyond the discipline of art, students use analytical thinking to deconstruct social situations and ask questions about humor, and what makes situations funny. “I hope some of the students walk out with a new tool in their toolkit with which to approach the anomalies and incongruities of life,” Dr. Sandholtz said, explaining that humor is “a healthier response than getting angry or anxious.” In the class, students also gain skills that can be used in the workplace.

“They develop some capacities that they can take into any career,” Dr. Soper said, “like a higher level of social intelligence, and awareness of the way human nature works and the way organizations operate.”

 Throughout the semester, students watch comedic films, learn about memes, try improv, and write essays on comedy. The last time the course was taught, the class dressed up in costumes and performed a condensed version of one of Shakespeare’s comedies.

Dr. Soper reassured students who may feel shy that they need not wonder if this class is right for them. He said that it is a safe space and that students collaborate in groups to take away some of the pressure. In fact, he suggested that the class may even help relieve social anxiety and make light of awkward or uncomfortable situations. “Mental health benefits that come with a sense of humor or understanding of humor makes you more flexible, and you can roll with the punches,” Dr. Soper explained.

You can see more course descriptions for next semester here on the Honors website. Remember, to register for an HONRS 22x course you must be a committed Honors student who has completed HONRS 110 and 120.

There is a lot to look forward to in winter 2025, and we hope that you take advantage of the opportunity to enroll in one of these unique Unexpected Connections courses next semester!