Honors Student Profile
Kirstin Meyer
Major: Zoology
Projected graduation: May 2012
Why did you enroll in the Honors Program?
The Honors Program was actually one of the big reasons I chose to attend NMU. I took Honors classes in high school and didn't want to stop challenging myself. The NMU Honors Program gave me the chance to fulfill my liberal studies requirements in the context of an intimate academic atmosphere. Completing Upper Division Honors has also given me the opportunity to learn beyond the parameters of my classes. I enrolled in Honors to enhance my college education and stretch myself even further, and I have done just that.
Is there an Honors course that has made a particularly strong impact on you?
HON 111 and 112 were great learning experiences for me. Collectively, these classes covered Western European and American art from the Renaissance to the present. I am a musician and a dancer, so learning about other art forms, especially visual art and literature, in the different time periods shaped my perception of art history. I began to view music in relation to the visual art that was being created at the same time, and I gave a presentation to the class on my thesis that music from 1600-1900 should be divided into 7 periods, not 3. Encountering the art of the 20th century in HON 112 stretched my personal definition of the word "art." I fell in love with the music of Philip Glass, and I decided to become a Minimalist composer and choreographer.
Collectively, HON 111 and 112 shaped my perception of art in the past and today. Also, HON 211 has given me the incredible opportunity to present a poster at the National Collegiate Honors Conference in Washington, D.C. I completed a research paper on the effects of aquaculture on the environment, society, and quality of fish. My research project was accepted, and I will get to present my poster along with other Honors students from across the U.S.
Describe some learning experience you have had in your area of interest.
Currently, I am taking and honorizing BI 411. The title of the course is Limnology, meaning study of inland lakes and streams. My Honors project for this class consists of designing and building a website on aquatic invasive species. I have learned the process by which an invasive species is introduced and becomes established in an aquatic system. By building the website, I will also gain an important technological skill and practice presenting scientific concepts in language and format that the public can understand.
What do you do for fun?
I love to dance and play violin. In my spare time, I learn classical ballet variations from YouTube and also write my own choreography. I compose music, too. Being in Marquette gives me the opportunity to get out in nature quite often. I love to hike and spend time at the beach. On weekends in the winter, I also snowboard and watch movies with my roommate.
What is your favorite book?
I love classical literature, especially Jane Austen. I'm currently reading Emma. I also enjoy books that have something to teach; for example, I recently read Silence by John Cage and Nurtured by Love by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki. The former is a collection the lectures and writings of a 20th century composer and musical philosopher, while the latter is an autobiography and explanation of the teaching methods of the Suzuki violin school.
