Past Events: 2005-2006

• A reading by Sharona Muir, Author of The Book of Telling - March 31, 2006
• A lecture by Fr. G. Simon Harak, SJ of the War Resister's League, "Stop the Merchants of Death" - Wednesday, March 22, 2006
• UDM Ethics Bowl 2006 - February 3, 2006
• Trip to Holocaust Memorial Center - January 29, 2006
• Focus Hope Group Service Project - January 14, 2006
• Annual Honors Induction Ceremony & Dinner - October 9, 2005
• UDM Appreciation Night at Comerica Park - Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox - September 27, 2005
• COTS Group Service Project - September 24, 2005

A reading by Sharona Muir, Author of The Book of Telling - Friday, March 31, 2006.

Friday, March 31 saw author Sharona Muir in the Grounds coffeehouse reading from her novel The Book of Telling, the tale of a woman searching for the truth about her father and, ultimately, her own identity. Muir is also the author of a collection of poems, During Ceasefire, and a scholarly study of science fiction. She has won many awards for both her poetry and her prose, including a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship. Her work has appeared in The Jerusalem Report and The Paris Review, among other publications. Muir holds an A.B. from Princeton University in Comparative Literature, a Ph.D. in Modern Thought and Literature from Stanford University, and is director of Creative Writing at Bowling Green State University in Ohio. This event was co-sponored by the English Department and the Women's Studies Program.

"Stop the Merchants of Death" A lecture by Fr. G. Simon Harak, SJ of the War Resister's League - Wednesday, March 22, 2006.

On Wednesday, March 22, the Honors Program co-sponsored a lecture by Fr. G. Simon Harak, SJ of the War Resisters' League. In exploring the connections between business and war, Fr. Harak argued that war profiteering has evolved to a point where "corporations more and more 'call the shots' when it comes to US war-making policy," as opposed to just rushing in to make their profits whenever a war arises. After presenting copious facts and figures to support his case, Fr. Harak suggested a nonviolent way to counter this trend through counter corporate recruitment. Other co-sponsors of this event were the Carney Latin American Solidarity Archive, the College of Business Administration and the Student Senate.

UDM Ethics Bowl 2006 - February 3, 2006

The Honors Program has been a proud co-sponsor of the UDM Ethics Bowl since its inception in 2001, but this year's contest was noteworthy for the number of Honors students participating. Among those members taking part in the February 3 competition were Mary Webber, Carrie Da Via, Annie Kotynski, John Chirco, Chris Janusch, Deanna Renner and Cassie Moran. Jessica Givan was a member of the fourth-place Merovingians, and Patrick Halligan, Lauren McAuley, Josh Kushnereit and Laura Uschold were all members of the team placing third, Super Tutors & the Ringer. Honors student Mikhial Pasic (above left) was a member of the winning team (The Canadian Connection), and will be representing UDM with his teammates Peter Verschoote and Stephanie Hill at the Intercollegiate Ethics Bowl taking place March 2 in Jacksonville, FL. Honors student Emily Barone was instrumental in helping in the set-up of the UDM competition, and received the thanks of Ethics Bowl's organizers.

Holocaust Memorial Center - January 29, 2006

After meeting director Dave Koukal for a scintillating breakfast at the world's busiest IHOP in Livonia, a number of Honors students traveled to the Holocaust Memorial Center in Farmington Hills on Saturday, January 29. The Center illuminates the story of the Jewish people, European anti-Semitism, the rise of Nazism in Germany, the Final Solution and the founding of Israel after WWII, and is dedicated to the memory of those who perished in one of history's most horrific episodes of cruelty and mass murder.

Focus Hope - January 14, 2006

On a chill and blustery January 14th, several members of the Honors Program traveled to Focus Hope in Hamtramck to pack food boxes for those in need. In an amazing display of hustle and spunky teamwork, a gritty rookie UDM Honors team (above) edged a much more experienced squad from Warren's De La Salle Collegiate High School, 660 boxes to 639. Honors "corn" man Phuong Nguyen (below) was voted the competition's MVP. Afterwards the exhausted but jubilant Honors team celebrated its hard-won victory at Buddy's Pizza ( Detroit's #1 Square Pizza since 1946!)--though some settled for Buddy's tasty antipasto salad and a diet Coke.

Annual Honors Induction Ceremony & Dinner - Pasquale's Restaurant, Royal Oak, MI - Sunday, October 9, 2005

A record eighty-three guests attended the University Honors Program annual Induction Ceremony and Dinner at Pasquale's Restaurant in Royal Oak on Sunday, October 9, 2005. The assembled membership and their guests sat down to dinner after UDM President Gerard Stockhausen, SJ, offered blessings. Between dinner and dessert, Professor of Biology R. Gerard Albright, SJ, gave the annual "Final Lecture" in which he challenged the twenty-seven inductees to not waste their days of youth. After Father Albright's charming talk, inductees were then presented with the Honors Challenge Triad and came forward to receive their Honors pins (above), along with Honorary inductees Fathers Albright and Stockhausen. An addition to this year's dinner was the attendance of several already-inducted members who turned out to greet the new inductees, including Jennifer Janusch (below at far left) and John Chirco (far right), who are posing with outgoing Student Deans Jackie Eisel and Beth Reifert (center-left and center-right, respectively).

UDM Appreciation Night at Comerica Park - Detroit Tigers vs. Chicago White Sox - September 27, 2005

Left-fielder Craig Monroe (above) hustles to glove a long fly ball in a closely-played 3-2 Tigers win against the White Sox on September 27th. A group of Honors students went down to the game as part of UDM Appreciation Night and shivered in the early fall climate, but boistered by overpriced hotdogs and popcorn they cheered the hometown team to victory. The members assembled (below) went delirious as the final out sent the Sox home to do their laundry.

COTS - September 24, 2005

On Saturday, September 24th, some fifteen members of the Honors Program arrived to serve breakfast and lunch at the Coalition on Temporary Shelter ( COTS) in downtown Detroit. At top left Cassie Moran and John Chirco display grins of relief after finally filling the world's largest set of condiment containers; at top right Emily Barone prudently avoids the wicked blade of Chris Janusch, who really sticks it to a helpless stalk of celery. Afterwards a group repaired to the Magic Stick for pizza, where everyone patiently humored Joe Holbrook as he tried to claim a pie for himself.

COTS is always looking for volunteers, and Honors members are urged to contact them to fulfill a portion of their required service hours.