Honors students will receive awards today and will be recognized by scholars for their achievements in the Honors Program as part of the Honors Convocation. Mallory Bolduc, a junior political science and religion major, said she is attending the Honors Convocation with the Honors Cabinet, a student governing body that addresses students’ concerns about honors classes, program policies and activities.
“Convocation is a good opportunity for the school to recognize its honors students, as all the events during Honors Week are meant to showcase the accomplishments of its honors scholars,” Bolduc said. “Convocation, in particular, allows students to be recognized and to experience a lecture by a scholar who has an interesting outside perspective to offer.”
Jodi Campbell, an associate professor of history, said the Honors Convocation is an acknowledgment of all kinds of accomplishments and is for anyone who wants to be a part of recognizing these accomplishments.
Campbell said the Honors Convocation takes place every spring and involves various activities such as bringing in nationally recognized speakers and announcing the honors professor of the year. She added that awards will be presented to students who have qualified for membership into Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most respected undergraduate honors organization in the nation, according to the TCU Web site.
The Thomas Jefferson for Today Conference will follow the convocation and will end Friday.
Gene Smith, history professor and director of the Center for Texas Studies, said the Thomas Jefferson for Today Conference is running in conjunction with the convocation and will highlight Jefferson, his ideas and how his ideas resonate in today’s society.
Thirteen prominent speakers from the fields of history, political science, literature and law will participate in the event. They will be talking on various topics based on how they relate to Thomas Jefferson and his period.
“We tried to go out and find who are the best known scholars that are working in these areas so that we can bring forward learned individuals who can share their expertise in the public here at TCU,” Smith said.
Smith said he encourages students to attend these events because it gives them a chance to “broaden their horizon.”
He said Jefferson’s words not only apply to Americans but also to those “who yearn to be free and yearn to make free choices.