Stories

Written by Eric Schroeder

“OK, Jesse, you say here that you can juggle. Could you step up on stage and juggle for us?”

Jesse didn’t expect this and looks back at me blankly. “I don’t have anything to juggle.”

“Can someone help him out?”

My tutors rummaged around in their backpacks. One tossed him an orange. Another an apple. A third a can of soda. It turned out Jesse was a good juggler.

“Can you juggle chain saws?” I ask him.

He looks dumbfounded and shakes his head no.

Alum Steven Styer, ’73 Chemical Engineering, was in one of the first initial groups of Integrated Studies in 1969. Since the honors students were spread throughout Webster Hall, none of his roommates were in IS and he was also the only scientific member. As a result, he lost touch with many of his IS peers, but is grateful for the experience:

Drama 1 professor Larry Bogad highlighted the work of Augusto Boal, an influential Brazilian theater practitioner and political activist, specifically his books, Games for Actors and Non-Actors and Theatre of the Oppressed.

By Eric Thai, Political Science '20

Honors students exemplify service through a wide variety of involvements. In their third year, UHP students are required to complete at least 20 hours of community service, although most students are driven to go above and beyond. Honors students truly embody the goals of UHP to provide students with the leadership and compassion to serve and positively impact the community.

My story has many roots. My mom was born in the Philippines and my dad was born in Oahu; his family were farmers in Hawaii. I was born in San Francisco but raised in Fairfield, California. My parents had their first child, my older brother, at 20 and 21. They weren't even married yet and did not have college degrees either; neither of them had a degree nearly three years later when I was born. Not all of my parents' family members were supportive, but it could have been worse.

From a single floor of 35 students in Webster Hall in 1969, to more than 200 students living in all four floors of Currant today, the honors living-learning community has grown, but remains true to its intent: to foster a close-knit community among students with a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences. Celebrating its 50th year in 2019, our living-learning community (LLC) is the oldest in the UC system.

By Raven Barbera and Elysia Frink

2018 UC Davis University Honors Program graduates Sammy Carey and Shelbie Condie both received second place in Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences for the 2018 Norma J. Lang Prize. This award, given to six students, is for stimulating research and the best use of resources at Peter J. Shields Library. Both seniors presented their research at the 2018 Undergraduate Research Conference at UC Davis, and the 2018 Western Regional Honors Conference at Chapman University.

By Shelbie Condie