Honors Open Meeting

                On Monday, March 7, 2011, 112 Honors College students gathered in Kessel Student Center’s Butcher Suite for the biannual Honors Open Meeting.  The event commenced when Dr. Benton, Director of the Honors College, welcomed all the students and gave a brief account of what the meeting would entail.  As Dr. Benton gave her introduction, students immediately rushed to the refreshment tables where all of the ice cream and snacks were offered for them to enjoy.  After these tasty treats were consumed, we were directed to take our seats and were introduced to the event’s speaker, Dr. Mary Margaret Minnis.

                Dr. Minnis, who is teaching an Honors course this semester, Geographic Information Systems, quickly initiated the discussion about how natural and unnatural events can have a profound effect on our environment.  She even cited specific examples of how such events are affecting us at Pace University.  Her lecture was intriguing and really brought home the importance of sustaining our environment.

                After Dr. Minnis finished educating the attentive crowd, Dr. Benton informed us that we would be moving to the second phase of the meeting.  During this is the time, students have the opportunity to give their opinion on certain Honors courses and professors, as well as potential Honors events.  Students were able to praise certain professors and also had the opportunity to suggest different professors for future courses.  Discussions ensued about various ideas for Honors classes that would suit our needs and interests.  Some possible events mentioned included a New York Giants football game or New York Yankees baseball game.

                As the Open Meeting came to an end, students were encouraged not to leave empty handed and to grab treats such as cookies, ice cream, fruit bowls and juice again on their way out.