Lesser-Known Benefits of the Honors Program

By Genevieve Buthod

The Honors Program at Saint Xavier offers students the ability to fulfill their intellectual potential, to be challenged by their classes and push themselves farther than they may in standard classes. It gives us the chance to take more rigorous classes that encompass 6 credit hours so that we can fulfill our general education requirements perhaps a year earlier than we otherwise would. The program asks us to complete an internship in our Junior Fieldwork in a topic that interests us, not necessarily a topic that is perfectly identical to our course of study. It encourages us to spread ourselves out in our college years, say yes to as many opportunities as possible, and find out exactly where our talents lie and how to use them in life.

But those are just the tangible benefits. The honors program also helps its students feel the value of culture and exploration in education. This past Saturday evening, Dr. Judith Hiltner took a group of honors students, including myself, to see Falling: A Wake at the Rivendell Theatre in Edgewater. The theatre was expecting us and even sent us each a copy of the script in the weeks leading up to the play so that we could have a chance to read the story and feed our excitement for the show.

Only three people were ever on the small stage, one constant being the dead boy who fell from a plane in a crash at the beginning of the play. The show centered on a farm couple’s dialogue around and eventually with the young boy and ultimately with one another. The simple set and small space only heightened the moments of emotional climax throughout the play. As one commenter noted after the show, the proximity of the audience to the performers truly drew us into their moments of desperation, made us literally capable of feeling the tension in the room. The performers, Max Ulrich, Jane Baxter Miller, and Will Crouse, were honest and engaging, but I believe the Rivendell Theatre itself is just as much a physical player in its own shows.

I would never have had the opportunity to see this show and learn from this cultural experience if it were not for the initiative of Dr. Hiltner and the honors program at SXU. I encourage everyone coming to SXU and those already here to look into joining the program and making the most out of their academic career. If it’s not for you, nothing binds you to stay in it. But you may find it opens doors you never even noticed were in front of you. The honors program helps students to see the benefit of cultivating our full selves as college students pursuing a degree, but also as people pursuing meaning out of every moment of our lives.

Genevieve Buthod is a sophomore, and a major in Computer Science with a minor in Philosophy. She is a happy and healthy vegan. She is also the TIAA-CREF Campaign Manager for Students for Justice in Palestine. Genevieve is the Senior Viewpoints Editor for the Xavierite.