edited by Kaylie Morales
Volume 9, Issue 12
November 5, 2025
Dear Honors College students,
Honors is about more than what you study — it’s about experiences that challenge your perspective and spark new ways of thinking. This week, Em Acuña and Seleen Al Horani’s summer at the UReCA editorial retreat in Montana shows how immersive experiences foster creativity and collaboration. On campus, International Education Week events let you see how your peers are engaging with the world, and the Honors Peer Mentor Friendsgiving is a chance to connect with your community and celebrate one another. Every experience, near or far, helps you grow as a scholar and strengthens the connections that make our community curious and collaborative.
Best wishes,
Vicky
Upcoming Opportunities:
Dr. Klima is happy to help you apply; send her an email at klimavw@appstate.edu
HON Faculty-Led Education Abroad (FLEAP) to Japan
Dr. Jack Kwong, professor in the Department of Philosophy and Religion, and Dr. Cuong Mai, associate professor from the Department of Philosophy and Religion, will lead students to study Meaning and Fantasy in Contemporary Japan from June 1 to June 20, 2026. This program will explore how meaning and fantasy can explain social and cultural phenomena in Modern Japan through the lenses of philosophy and religious studies. For this FLEAP, students will earn 6 credit hours for HON 2517 and HON 3515 and meet their international education requirement. For questions, contact Dr. Kwong or Dr. Mai. Visit the Honors Seminar Descriptions to read more about all upcoming Spring and Summer 2026 semester Honors College seminars.
Honors College Peer Mentor Friendsgiving Potluck
The Honors College Peer Mentor Program is having their annual Peer Mentor Friendsgiving Potluck on Wednesday, November 12 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. in App Hall rooms 185, 186, and 187. We encourage Honors College students to attend with your peer mentor/mentee(s). Please RSVP by November 9. Use this Google Sheet to share ideas on what to bring to the potluck.
Appalachian Honors Association Sci-Fi Movie Night
Join Appalachian Honors Association for an interstellar, science fiction movie night on Thursday, November 13 at the Greenbriar Theater in the Plemmons Student Union. Doors will open at 6:30 p.m. with the movie starting at 7 p.m. Visit the linked Google Form to RSVP and vote on which movie to watch by Wednesday, November 12. Snacks and drinks will be provided. For questions, please contact Kelsie Peck or Kaylie Morales.
International Education Week Events
The Office of International Programs will present International Education Week Monday, November 17 through Friday, November 21. This celebration of global engagement will feature more than 25 globally focused events including the 14th Annual Global Symposium, a Study Abroad 101 Information and Q&A Session, an origami workshop, and more. For more information, visit the Office of International Programs website.
UNC System Marian Drane Graham Scholars Opportunity
Applications are open until December 1 for the Marian Drane Graham Scholars Program. This is a virtual, sixteen-week, experiential program from January 12, 2026 to April 24, 2026, designed to provide students the opportunity to develop leadership skills and gain a better understanding of key issues facing public higher education. The program is open to current juniors and seniors interested in pursuing careers in higher education. Visit the University of North Carolina System for more information. For questions contact Kimberly Mitchell.
Stay in the Know:
Academic Success and Resilience: Resources for Student Success
The Disco Student Learning Center has a variety of resources to become academically successful and resilient. Students can meet with a graduate student coach for one-on-one personalized Academic Success Coaching, drop-in for Academic Support with an undergraduate Peer Academic Leader to work on academic soft skills, or attend a PEAK Workshop to learn about time management, study skills, communicating with professors, etc. For more information visit the Disco Student Learning Center.
Performances from Hayes School of Music
The Hayes School of Music (HSOM) will be hosting a variety of performances this week including: The Steely Pan Steel Band, which will perform on Friday, November 7 at 6 p.m. at the Schaefer Center. The University Singers are presenting Home on Friday, November 7 at 8 p.m. at the Rosen Concert Hall. This concert will explore belonging through bluegrass, Indian raga, and classic choral traditions. All performances have free admission. Visit the Hayes School of Music Performance Calendar for details on all upcoming events.
Information Session Focused on Understanding ODR Test Proctoring
The Office of Access and Opportunity: Disability Resources is offering a workshop providing an overview of test proctoring services offered through ODR on Monday, November 10 at 1 p.m. in the Plemmons Student Union room 100 New River or on Zoom. This workshop will explain how these services support students by aligning testing conditions with their individualized Academic Adjustment Plans. Presenters will walk participants through the exam scheduling process, collaboration with instructors, and effective communication strategies between students and faculty. Visit App State Workshops to register.
Cirque Kalabanté: Afrique en Cirque Live
The Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts will present Afrique en Cirque is a show by Yamoussa Bangoura, inspired by daily life in Guinea on Wednesday, November 12 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schaefer Center. This performance shares the beauty, youth and artistry of African culture. There will be acrobats executing gravity-defying moves accompanied by the contemporary sounds of life Afro-Jazz percussion and kora. Visit the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts to purchase tickets.
Holiday Scholarship Concert
The 33rd Annual Holiday Scholarship Concert from the Hayes School of Music will be held on Friday, November 21 at 7:30 p.m. in the Schaefer Center for the Performing Arts. A kaleidoscope of different ensembles will present tunes new and old to kick off the holiday season in the High Country. Donations and ticket sales help support Hayes School of Music students. Visit the Schaefer Center website to purchase tickets.
In the Honors Spotlight
Honors students serve on the NCHC UReCA editorial board
Photo features Honors students Em Acuña (back left), Al Horani (back middle) and other associate editors for UReCA at Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park, West Glacier, Montana, as a part of their annual retreat.
Em Acuña and Seleen Al Horani are currently serving on the 2025-2026 editorial board for UReCA: The National Collegiate Honors Council’s (NCHC) Journal of Undergraduate Research & Creative Activity. As part of their training as associate editors, Acuña and Al Horani attended the annual editorial retreat, held annually in Montana in June 2025. While at the retreat, they also visited and did service at Glacier National Park with the park rangers. Acuña reflected, “I would absolutely recommend getting involved in UReCA, especially if you know you want to continue in academia. This experience has given me amazing insight into the behind-the-scenes of how an academic journal can work and the processes of reviewing and selecting pieces.”
To learn more about Acuña and Al Horani’s involvement with UReCA and this opportunity available to all honors students, click here.