Honors program special for CLC students

Academic rigor but one joy for CLC’s honors class

12/10/10
By Steve Waller, Public Information Specialist, Central Lakes College

High-achieving students at Central Lakes College, completing the first semester of a new Honors Associate in Arts program, are enjoying their academic journey.
The students in this ground-breaking group range in age from a home-schooled 15 to a mature 46. Their common goal: A transfer degree for established academics, status that says they qualify for intellectual engagement at their next institution of choice.
The 12 students have participated for one semester in Honors Composition taught by Matthew Fort and Honors Theatre Experience taught by Dennis Lamberson. Comp I is a four-credit course, Theatre is three credits, and both are part of a 16-credit honors core in the 60-credit AA degree.
Margaret Tiede of Brainerd, 15, is one of the critical thinkers to benefit from small-class size, optimal instructor contact, and problem-solving studies centered on investigation and analysis.
“I have very special memories of all the things we’ve been through together,” she said, noting her last institutional schooling was as a kindergartener. “Especially in theater class, and it’s been only a semester.”
She said the CLC experience surpasses two summers at the Concordia Language Village. The new experience at CLC includes a support network of classmates, which she described as “beyond amazing.”
English class has been the most rewarding. “I’ve never had the opportunity to really talk about books with people” Tiede said. “Our discussions are all over the map, from ethics to challenges with drafting to an author’s particular voice and style, and everyone contributes something. That’s the class that excites me for next semester.”
In the spring, when she finally has a driver’s license, Tiede will be studying in Honors Comp II taught by Leann Flynn. The other spring honors course is Introduction to Sociology with Gary Payne. Other subjects will be added next year.
Students generally spend two hours outside of class time for every hour in class to keep pace. Most students committed more for the composition course. Instructor Fort estimates his honors students added at least hour to that formula, considering the amount of reading and writing required.
The composition class requirement was to read eight great works of literature, said Fort, who like Lamberson teaches non-honors courses at CLC. Students wrote narrative essays and discussed each of the books.
Pairs of students teamed up to lead the round-table review of each literary work, two non-fiction and six novels. Fort said all books are thematically connected, moving the students to examine age-old questions, such as “What does it mean to live a good life?” and “What does it mean to be heroic?” and “When are self and society in conflict?”
“We established a peer-review process,” said Fort, “where students read and commented on their peers’ writings. Their capstone project is to create a literary journal that contains their best writings.”
The writings will be submitted for the CLC Writing Contest and publication in Phoenix, the new literary magazine at the college.
The Theatre Experience course required students to attend stage performances at three Twin Cities venues, one in St. Cloud, and two at CLC.
“The course gives students an opportunity to attend theatre productions, not just at the college but in different parts of the state,” said Lamberson. “Students explore productions of different genres in different types of theatre space with an analytical eye.”
Experiencing productions from the page to the stage, students read scripts, researched each play, and after witnessing live performances wrote reports critiquing the production. They examined the human diversity and social and economic backgrounds, race, religion, and gender built into each show.
“This examination develops critical thinking and writing skills,” Lamberson said.
At the Jungle Theater, they attended “The Glass Menagerie.” At the Penumbra they saw “Sleep Deprivation Chamber.” At the Children’s Theatre they witnessed “The Christmas Story.” At Pioneer Place in St. Cloud they had intimate seating for “A Streetcar Named Desire.” At CLC they saw “Harvey” and most picked “Women in Black” for their venue of choice t o complete assigned stagings.
Tim Lee, 30, of Wadena said his 100-mile roundtrip drives to CLC for the honors experience pleasantly surprised him. “Things are different in Honors.” He was prepared for “the depth of the material and faster pace, but there’s something more personal about the experience.”
Deeper connections are made. “Doors really open for those lucky enough to be admitted to the program,” he said. “It has been the best school experience I have ever had” and it’s one example of how CLC upholds its mission statement: We Build Futures.
In a few hours on a Thursday night for the St. Cloud show, the van ride to and from creates a conversational environment among students.
“Traveling and eating dinner together as a class provides a great time for discussion about theatre and life in general,” Lamberson said. “Discussions are lively, informative and fun.”
At a pre-show Ciatti’s restaurant dinner, the thoughtful, energized class of 11 engages lively discussion about things academic and non-academic. Lamberson steers his hungry students toward the play they will be seeing.
Focus is not a problem for this audience. To be accepted for the honors experience, they tested higher, submitted essays and letters of recommendation, and agreed to take a leadership development course.
With ample research on playwright Tennessee Williams and having seen “The Glass Menagerie,” students are prepared for a new way of viewing live theater, They are ready to spot kindred factors and also note differing qualities between Williams’ two works.
On the way back to Brainerd, reviews begin. Backseat critics weigh-in and support each statement with more than superficial opinion. Keen observation has picked up on lighting flaws, questionable set design, suspect costuming, and blocking – not to mention acting that is either effective and convincing or subpar to expectation.
Lee’s written report saved the best for last. “Eric Webster as Stanley Kowalski was simply amazing, right down to the chicken spraying out of his mouth in one of his rants,” Lee wrote. “His dialogue (delivery) made me love – and despise – his character.”
Julie Jo Larson of Brainerd, the senior class member at 46, didn’t mince words. “I would not attend another play at Pioneer Place,” she concluded. “I was bored before intermission.”
Despite the disappointing performance, Larson said she would not trade the honors program experience. It is something she couldn’t have imagined being able to manage in her formative years.

"Honors classes not only keep my mind young," she said. "They also keep my heart and soul young. It has been a blessing to be part of this program. I can honestly say it is not easy; the class work is more challenging than my other classes and the college is still trying to work out the kinks, but getting in on the ground floor is an adventure."
Nick Heinecke, 21, of Aitkin, maintains a conviction that is upheld through his experience in the honors program at CLC. “I couldn’t sit in a class room if I didn’t feel like I was learning anything,” said the high school drop-out who notes that the famous Bill Gates followed a similar exit.
Others in the first honors program cohort: Eddie Oldenburg, 19, Fort Ripley; Mitchel Collins, 20, Aitkin; Jesse Grieger, 19, Pequot Lakes; Joseph Anderson, 19, Baxter; Robert Andrys, 27, Aitkin; Nicholas Mohr, Little Falls; and Hannah Dilley, 17, and Nicolas LaQuier, 33, Brainerd.