Hello Honorables,

February is Black History Month! It's a month that commemorates and celebrates Black history and excellence, so keep an eye out for some exciting and informative events from the university community and student organizations. The cinema department has a semester long series called Black Lives on Screen, and you can find more events and and programming updates through the Afro House social media channels (Facebook: @afrohouseuiowa; Instagram: @uiowaafrohouse).

Today's edition of the Honorable Messenger features some important announcements, opportunities, and deadlines. Here's a reminder to mask up and have fun with your classes!

CLICK HERE TO FILL OUT THE CLIMATE SURVEY

Announcements and Opportunities

Join the Experiential Learning Session

Register HERE to join Honors Experiential Learning Director Andy Willard and a panel of experienced Honors students to learn how you can use experiential learning to clarify your career goals and objectives and earn Honors credit. The session will be on Monday, February 8, from 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM. Since many aspects and features of the honors experiential learning curriculum and requirements are changing, please be sure to review the honors experiential learning overview page on the Honors website before the session and be prepared to ask questions.

Instagram Takeover with Logan Drake

Join Honors Alum and former admin Logan Drake for an instagram takeover this Friday, February 5! Stop by to say hi or ask any questions about post graduation plans and steps, graduate school, and stories about being an Honors student in pre COVID times! Don't forget to follow our instagram account and be updated about our future takeovers and events!

Apply to be a Writing Fellow

Do you enjoy writing in your academic courses? Do you enjoy exchanging writing with your peers? If so, think about becoming an Honors Writing Fellow. Fellows are assigned to courses across the disciplines where they help between students with drafts of major assignments. Applications (and more information) for Fall 2021 can be found on our website and will be due on March 26. For more information (after you've read the website and the application), please contact Megan-Knight@uiowa.edu.

Apply for the Carver Scholarship

The Carver Scholarship is available to Iowa residents and full-time students who will be starting their junior year next fall. Eligibility requirements and further information can be found here. If you know of a student who may qualify please encourage them to file the 2021-22 FAFSA by March 1 (if they haven’t already) and apply for the scholarship by April 1.

The First Book-ish Club Meeting of the Semester!

The Book-ish club is back! The first meeting of the month will be on February 12 from 5 PM to 6 PM. To celebrate Black History Month, we are reading The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, which won the National Book Award in 2019 (TW: Parental abuse, slut shaming, and themes of sexual harassment). If you are unable to access the book but would still like to participate in the discussion, reach out to anna-magana@uiowa.edu for supplemental material. Please register HERE and we look forward to a lively and enriching discussion!

Congratulations to Honors Students Featured in the Dare to Discover Program!

The Dare to Discover campaign showcases University of Iowa researchers, scholars, and creators. Those featured include Honors Program students Emily Bronswick, Emily Carroll, Rielle Jones-Teske, Mason Koelm, Hannah Shrader, Emily Silich, Hanxi Tang, Brant Walker, and Noah Wick. Congratulations to our students, who despite challenges with the ongoing COVID pandemic, have persevered to make discoveries in fields ranging from pancreatic cancer studies to Native American artifacts. Read more about the students and their research here.

Complete the Climate Survey

In continued efforts to provide quality service and support, we need your feedback! Please take the 2nd Annual Honors Climate Survey to help us identify areas of growth and strength. Those who complete the survey will be entered into a lottery to win a $50 Amazon gift-card. The survey can be found at https://honors.uiowa.edu/climatesurvey and will be open until February 19 2021.

Apply for Honors Scholarships

The Honors Scholarship application is open! Deadline to apply would be February 22, 2021. To access the online universal application, visit the Iowa Scholarship Portal and click here to learn more about the Honors scholarships! Other questions? Contact Camille Socarras, Honors Scholarships Coordinator at camille-socarras@uiowa.edu.

From the Blog

Recap: Service Learning Theme Week

In November of last year, the Honors Program hosted a theme week on service learning. As we launch into the new semester, thinking back on these events can help us get inspired to make connections and help out in our communities, even in a virtual format. Keep reading to see a full recap of events!