Seminars

Seminar Descriptions

• HON 127 — The American West
  • Dr. Tracie Church Guzzio
  • T, Th from 2 – 3:15 p.m.
  • 3 credits

  “We go eastward to realize history and study the works of art and literature, retracing the steps of the race; we go westward as into the future, with a spirit of enterprise and adventure.”  — Henry David Thoreau, “Walking.”

  
  “But I reckon I got to light out for the Territory ahead of the rest…” (Huckleberry Finn) — Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

  This course considers the American West not only as a specific location but also as a historical and cultural concept. How has the concept of the American West permeated our vision of the American self? How does the American West influence our image of the environment – its geography of “wide open spaces”? Its resources? How does the image of the American West present us with a paradoxical picture of the landscape as both an idealized, pristine wilderness and as a border between savagery and civilization? How has the “promise of the west” influence the narrative of the American Dream? How has the icon of the American frontier — its myth and reality — determine the ways we discuss American historical moments like ‘Manifest Destiny?” American progress? How have these mythic historical stories impacted such groups as immigrants and marginalized (Indigenous Americans, Chinese immigrants, Latinos, and freed African-American slaves) in these narratives? How has the highly masculinized image of the American cowboy and the violence of the American West affected our understanding of gender?

  We will address these questions with the vocabulary and research methods essential to critical reading, thinking, and writing. It is our objective to express what we learn through well-reasoned and well-written discourse in an analysis of American history and culture. We will be reading literary works such as On the Road, Roughing It, Ceremony, and Blood Meridian as well as historical studies including The Empire of Innocence and Gunfighter Nation; we will also look at selections from nature writers like Edward Abbey and Gretel Ehrlich and view clips from films like The Searchers and Lone Star; and finally, we will consider the ways are current political climate has its roots in myths of the west and the frontier. The course will be evaluated on a couple of short response papers and presentations and a final research paper. Using historical texts, literature, and film we will have a better understanding of the ways that the image and the narratives of the American West continue to determine the way we see ourselves, our communities, our history, and our culture.

  This seminar satisfies the U.S. Identities component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the U.S. Civilization component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program.

• HON 153 — Deep Form in Art & Nature
  • Dr. Mark Beatham
  • M, W from 2 – 3:15 p.m.
  • 3 credits

  “It is through geometry that one purifies the eye of the soul” — Plato

  This course attends to fundamental forms (patterns and relationships) in nature and art (painting, sculpture, music, architecture, design, and other human and non-human structures).  From ancient earthen structures, Greek forms in politics, art, and rhetoric, da Vinci’s deep studies, Bach’s Baroque architecture, Impressionism, Romanticism, Art Nouveau, and modern and postmodern reconsiderations in Cubism, Absurdism, Mark Tansey, Andy Goldsworthy, the Blues and Tango, we’ll reach across time to consider space and how humans and others have organized themselves around nature’s fundamental patterns, real or imagined.  While this is a seminar, our classroom will extend to the campus, community, and Rugar Woods, as Aristotle would have done, and we will go wherever the music leads us.  This is a hands-on, ears-on, eyes-on class, as you too will work with forms and patterns of your own.  While mostly Western in its orientation, the course will also loop in Eastern, Middle Eastern, and Latin American attentions to deep forms. 

  This seminar satisfies the Individual Expression component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Arts component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program.

• HON 163 — Culture & Philosophy of Yoga
  • Dr. Shawna Mefferd Kelty
  • M, W, F from 10 – 10:50 a.m.
  • 3 credits

  In this seminar, we will explore both the philosophy and practice of yoga. Students will learn about its foundational concepts through both philosophical and religious texts. We will also regularly practice together, learning and practicing asana (yoga postures), pranayama (breath/energy techniques), dhyana (meditation), mudra (hand/finger positions), and mantra (various sound vocalizations, e.g., “om”). 

  We will study the origins of yoga, Sanskrit terminology as well as the Eight Limbs, the Yamas and Niyamas, and Four Paths of yoga — these are foundational concepts for practice and for everyday life. This class will give students insight into their own behavioral patterns, habits, and thoughts. Questions that we will explore range from the personal to the practical, from the individual to our communities: How can yoga philosophy help with daily life challenges? How can yoga practice cultivate a more balanced and mindful approach to life? What are some of the physical, mental, and spiritual benefits of practicing yoga? How can yoga philosophy guide ethical decision-making and promote a sense of interconnectedness with oneself and others? How can yoga philosophy foster a sense of community and shared practice?

  Students will write a series of reflective papers over the course of the semester, reflecting on the readings and their experiences through yoga practice. Other assignments include in-class exercises and activities such as short presentations and demonstrations and a final project/paper.

  This seminar satisfies the World Cultures component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Other World Civilizations/World Systems component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program.

• HON 182 — Democracy & Education: Banned Books
  • Dr. Tracie Church Guzzio
  • M, W, F from 11 – 11:50 a.m.
  • 3 credits

  This course is designed to explore the connection between democracy and education. Throughout this semester, we will explore the broad question: what role does education have in a democracy? We will focus on the recent rise in “book bans” in public schools and libraries. How does this activity threaten our view of democracy and the First Amendment? Reading actively and widely is seen as a pathway to individual agency, economic mobility, and civic engagement. Historically, philanthropists have funded libraries in communities and in schools to support democracy and encourage economic mobility. Other questions we will consider include: Should censorship have a role in what children and young adults read? Why has banning or restricting access to books become so politicized? What are the motivations and effects of censorship in a democratic society? What is the history (and outcome) of censorship in our society? How is book banning a method of silencing diverse or divergent voices? What role do parents have in making decisions about school libraries and classrooms in public education?

  Exploration of the above questions will be undertaken by drawing upon a variety of sources, including history, theory, and the critical analysis of banned and challenged titles. Besides class discussion, there will be presentations, papers, and projects. We will read several challenged or banned titles in the course.

  This seminar satisfies the World Cultures component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Western Civilizations component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program

• HON 314 — Murals, Monuments & Memorials: Public Art & Society
  • Dr. Michaela Rife
  • M, W from 3 – 4:45 p.m.
  • 3 credits

  For as long as humans have created art, it has been public. While we cannot know if the ochre figures painted deep in prehistoric caves were intended for community viewing, certainly the obelisks of ancient Egypt were fixtures of the public landscape. These basic forms — wall painting and monumental sculpture — still surround us today, including on SUNY Plattsburgh’s campus.

  This class invites students to consider the questions that continue to swirl around any public artwork. What constitutes a public? Which communities can (or should) a memorial and its creator(s) serve? What fate awaits controversial or problematic monuments? Through case studies encountered digitally and through visits to local public art sites, students will become experts in the histories and debates surrounding public art. Students will also propose their own mural and engage in a mock-debate on the topic of art removal. This course covers a wide range of case studies and, though focused on American monuments, we will also discuss global examples. 

  This seminar satisfies the Individual Expression component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Humanities component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program.

• HON 365 — Tense Neighbors: U.S./Latin American Relationship
  • Dr. Ryan Alexander
  • T, Th from 11 a.m. – 12:15 p.m.
  • 3 credits

  In the first two months of 2026, we saw the U.S. government overthrow the Venezuelan government and arrest its sitting president, carry out a campaign to detain and deport thousands of Mexican and Central American immigrants, and aid in the capture of the notorious drug lord known as “El Mencho.” While these actions are unique to our own moment in time, they also have deep historical roots. This course will explore the 250-year-long relationship between the United States and Latin America. Topics of focus will include U.S. imperialism and neocolonialism, human rights, economic development, racial and cultural representations of Latin Americans, Latin American nationalism, religion, and immigration. You will leave the course with a sharper understanding of the divergent paths of the United States and Latin America (and the surprising reasons behind that divergence), the role of Latin America in the rise of the United States as a global superpower, and the human cost of this complex and often troubling relationship.

  This seminar satisfies the World Cultures component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Other World Civ/World Systems component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program

• HON 387 — Politics of Corruption
  • Dr. Lucia Manzi
  • M, W, F from 11 – 11:50 a.m.
  • 3 credits

  This seminar explores the nature, causes and effects of corruption from a global perspective. The course examines the ways in which political actors can design institutions and engage civil society to prevent the ensuing of corruption, or to fight its persistence. To this end, we will discuss the relationship between civil society, political institutions and corruption across different countries and regions of the world. In order to fully understand this criminal phenomenon, we will also survey the effect of international norms and institutions on international corruption.

  We will start the seminar with a discussion of the several definitions of corruption found in the scholarly and policy debate. What is corruption? Is corruption always based on monetary exchanges? Why do political and economic actors engage in corruption? We will then discuss the relationship between corruption and different political regimes. Within the context of authoritarian regimes, we will discuss corruption as one of many available means of survival for authoritarian leaders. Within the context of democratic regimes, we will ask how corruption affects the relationship between citizens and political power.

  We will devote a substantial part of the course to analyze the ways in which democracies can respond to corruption. In particular, we will explore the ways in which democratic institutions may create incentives toward corrupt political behavior, or instead make the latter especially hard to pursue on the part of elected officials. We will also survey the criminal justice system’s response to corruption, namely its ability to uncover illicit behavior and hold corrupt politicians accountable.

  Finally, we will also address the effects of international norms on corruption and examine the role of international agencies and institutions in the fight against this criminal phenomenon.

  Throughout the course, we will look at several examples of corruption investigations across different countries and regions of the world. Examples will include Brazil, South Korea, Italy, and the U.S., among others.

  This seminar satisfies the World Cultures component of the Cardinal Core Curriculum and the Western Civilization component of the Plattsburgh General Education Program

• HON 399HA — Peer Mentoring 
  • Dr. Tracie Church Guzzio
  • Weekly meeting times required — Wednesday from 12 – 12:50 p.m.
  • 3 credits
  • BY PERMISSION of the director only — at least sophomore status and in good standing in the Honors Program.

  Students will read and respond to several essential studies on peer mentoring for first-year students. They will discuss the readings and findings with the instructor (who is also the Honors Program Director). Students MUST be available to attend training sessions in the first week of classes with other peer mentors. And students MUST be able to meet regularly with their assigned first-year students. Additionally, students will be meeting weekly with the director and other mentors. 

  The intent of the independent study is to guide the student through their work with first-year students in the Honors Program. Analyzing the best practices and scholarship, as well investigating other Honors Peer mentoring programs, will enable the student to facilitate the transition of the first-year students most effectively into the community and contribute to their success. Mentors’ experiences with first year students and their examination of the scholarship in the area will help develop and improve peer mentoring in the Honors Program. Students will regularly write reflection pieces on their experiences and what they have learned to aid their own growth as a mentor and in the assessment of the peer mentoring program.

  Students will be graded on their reflective writing and a final project, as well as attendance at mentor meetings and individual meetings with their assigned first-year students.