Honors Tutorial Spotlight: Gabrielle Cohen

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A showcase of the intricate and fascinating ceramics of Gabrielle Cohen.

Honors tutorials provide the opportunity for students to not only create their own unique Honors experiences but also explore individualized avenues within their disciplines. Gabrielle Cohen took the opportunity of a tutorial to heart, working alongside Jack King, Professor in the Art and Design Department, to craft herself the opportunity to dive deep into the world of ceramic sculpting. The results were, according to Professor King, inspiring. Cohen created a series of masterworks, revealing a keen focus on the interaction between positive and negative space, as well as the best possible glaze to complement her original formations.  Dr. Jack King had only great things to say about his student’s accomplishments:


In every aspect of her project, I have been extremely pleased with Gabrielle’s work and remain most confident she will prove to be one of the better artist’s we will have graduated from the University of Tampa. It has truly been an honor to have worked closely with her this semester.

With her newfound knowledge, Cohen plans to complete a larger, more detailed project of the same kind, continuing the pursuit of an increasingly skilled craft. 

Honors Symposium: History of the 2nd Amendment with Dr. Cornell

The packed room of Honors students present for the final Symposium, facilitated by Dr. Saul Cornell

Dr. Saul Cornell is a prolific scholar with an impressive academic pedigree. Currently, he has an endowed Chair in American History at Fordham University and previously worked as a professor in history at Ohio State University and was the director of the Second Amendment Research Center at the John Glenn Institute. It was a great honor to have Dr. Cornell speak for our final symposium of the semester: “The History of the 2nd Amendment.” As a scholar with significant expertise on the wording, historical context, and public impressions of the 2nd Amendment, he had a unique and dynamic understanding of the way that this famous element of our Bill of Rights was meant to be perceived. He was able to present a new interpretation of the current political climate regarding gun legislation: both liberal and conservative stances misunderstand the 2nd Amendment’s few, short phrases. In reality, the 2nd Amendment is a simple commentary on the regulation of militias, a concept foreign to many of the loudest voices in this debate. Dr. Cornell also discussed the jurisprudence surrounding gun laws in the United States, and how much of this ties back to race relations in the United States.

Coffee Conversation- Alisha Menzies

Dr. Menzies laughing with the bright and involved Honors students in attendance (November 12th)

Dr. Alisha Menzies, assistant professor in Communication, championed a fascinating discussion on the burden of moral culpability faced by the famous few. She asked: “Should we hold what celebrities and public figures say to a higher moral standard? Are their communication mistakes worth more?”  The conversation spanned a great distance, first attempting to define which celebrities had a greater obligation than others. One student wondered whether professional athletes should have opinions of the same weight as political figureheads; another scholar questioned the impact of words versus actions (i.e. the Colin Kaepernick protest). Dr. Menzies funneled the discussion through various relevant scandals, from the Valium-induced tweets of Roseanne Barr to Megyn Kelly’s blackface scandal. Unfortunately, time was called before we could shift focus to unpacking rapper Kanye West! Overall, it was an intriguing look into the standards we hold celebrities to and, in turn, the standards we hold ourselves to.