Honors College 391AH - Honors Discovery Seminars

This seminar is a required course for Commonwealth Honors College students where students participate in a topical seminar-style course designed by its instructor. While the subject matter of each section is different, advanced knowledge of the topic is not required. While the subject matter of each section is different, the requirements for each section are the same. Individual titles and descriptions of HONORS 391AH sections can be found on the Commonwealth Honors College website.

Open to Senior, Junior, and Sophomore Commonwealth College students only. Insects makeup three fourths of all living organisms and occupied earth even before humans. As a consequence, humans have shared the earth with insects for a long time. During this period, insects have had major impacts on human culture (e.g., the flea, Bubonic Plague, and destruction of 2/3rds of all of Europe, mosquito (its pathogen), malaria, and evolution of sickle cell anemia), and the inclusion of insects in the origin and creation myths of many indigenous cultures. Insects, such as the praying mantis, became a symbol of the surrealist movement and such artists as Picasso and Dali recognized this and Dali was an entomophobic. The course will explore the insects in diverse cultures with respect to music, art, superstitions, and even foods.