Fall 2026 MHC Special Topics and Colloquia

MHC colloquia classes offer a distinctive academic experience, combining the depth of specialized study with the breadth of interdisciplinary exploration. These courses are designed to engage intellectually curious students in intensive discussions, research, and critical analysis of complex topics. Unlike traditional lecture-based classes, honors colloquia emphasize interactive learning, encouraging students to actively participate in debates, collaborative projects, and experiential learning opportunities.

To view past semester offerings, click on the sub-menu to the right.

Title	Description
Soundtrack of Resistance: Music as Protest in Social Movements Dr. Saundra Ardrey	This interdisciplinary honors colloquium examines the role of music as a form of protest, resistance, and political expression across historical and global social movements. From spirituals and labor songs to hip-hop, punk, reggaetón, and global liberation anthems, we will explore how music mobilizes communities, constructs political identities, challenges power, and shapes public memory. We will analyze lyrics, sound, performance, circulation, and reception—asking not only what protest music says, but what it does. How does music help movements organize? When does it become commodified? Can music still function as resistance in the age of streaming platforms and algorithmic culture? HON 300-006
Yoga Dr. Molly Kerby	Moving beyond the modern, Westernized fitness studio, this course approaches yoga as a profound contemplative and empirical science. This is an academic seminar rather than a "PE" class; while we will physically practice asanas throughout the term, our central exploration dives deep into the history, philosophy, and mind-body psychophysiology of the yogic tradition. HON 300-005
Prisons and Tourism Dr. Eric Knackmuhs	How is it that the United States has the highest incarceration rate in the world but also romanticizes outlaw criminals like Jesse James, Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, and Bonnie & Clyde? Students will answer this question by exploring underlying social, economic, and political conditions; analyzing representations of criminals and prisons in pop culture; and studying tourism sites related to crime. By the end of the course, students will attempt to reconcile the apparent contradiction between romanticized outlaws and mass incarceration through a tourism lens. HON 300-004

For any questions, contact the WKU Mahurin College Team.

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