NCHC Place as Text Institute: Internatinoal Amsterdam

Join the NCHC Place as Text Faculty Institute International Amsterdam: Hybrid Past & Global Future (October 16-21, 2025). International Amsterdam will offer numerous pathways for understanding this multicultural city, along with exploratory pedagogical strategies for incorporation into your teaching, co-curricular programming, and more. Participants will return to their campuses with a gameplan detailing the application of place-based learning approaches to some aspect of their work. The registration deadline is September 15, 2025.

For more information and the registration link see the International Amsterdam website or contact faculty institute facilitators Richard Badenhausen (rbadenhausen@westminster.edu), John Dizgun (john.dizgun@wku.edu) or Mimi Killinger (margaret.killinger@maine.edu).

Call for Conference Hosts

The Southern Regional Honors Council is now seeking a host(s) for our 2027 and 2028 conferences.

Conference hosts should be at a member institution located within the region.

Hosting requires support from your institution in terms of time and labor, though not financially. SRHC conferences are financed primarily through registration fees and sponsorships, therefore conference hosts do not need to consider how the conference will be funded. That said, hosts are welcome to note sources of funding they could contribute or obtain to defray the costs of the conference.

When thinking of hosting a Conference, be aware that there are certain regular events at every conference, however, each Conference Committee determines the budget, number of participants and theme for the Conference (if any). Please refer to our past conferences for more information.

The SRHC Executive Director and Committee will be there to support every decision and help with planning to provide support to best represent the institution and the organization. SRHC also handles contracts and negotiations.

If you are interested in hosting the conference in 2027 or 2028, please contact SRHC Executive Director, Aaron Hanlin (aaron.hanlin@srhconline.org).

Place as Text Civic Seminar

The Place as Text Civic Seminar, focused on the Chesapeake Bay, offers honors students a unique perspective on the complex issues surrounding North America’s largest estuary system. Participants in this ten-day field seminar will explore the Bay as both an economic engine for the region and a critical ecosystem in danger of collapse. The program challenges students to critically evaluate contentious civic issues—such as climate change, coastal resiliency, and the fates of keystone species—and develop solutions that can be applied to their own communities.

This seminar is an incredible opportunity for students to develop interdisciplinary perspectives on pressing public issues. Additional details, including registration information, can be found on the NCHC website: NCHC Civic Seminar – Chesapeake Bay.

Sanctuary Literary Arts Journal Call for Submissions

Calling all poets, writers, artists, photographers!

Sanctuary Literary Magazine, the official journal of the SRHC, is thrilled to announce our open submissions period! We're looking for excellent creative work from students at SRHC institutions—check out our guidelines for more information. Submissions close on January 31, 2025. Send all questions, comments and concerns to us at honorsprogram@uab.edu!

SRHC Notice of Proposed Individual Membership Dues Increase

The SRHC Executive Committee is responsible for managing the SRHC’s finances and ensuring the financial health of the organization. This includes setting recommendations for annual membership dues.

Current Individual Memberships do not offset the cost of the discounted conference registration for members. This will bring it more in line with our registration fee structure, and these dues have not been increased in more than 10 years. We also have fewer than 10 individual members per year on average.
The Executive Committee has recommended the following increases to Individual Membership Dues beginning in fiscal year 2026:

• Individual Student Membership: Increase from $10 to $25.

• Individual Faculty/Staff Membership: Increase from $25 to $50.

The dues increase will be presented to the full SRHC Membership for a vote at the Annual Business Meeting to be held in conjunction with the SRHC Annual Conference on March 28, 2025 in Chattanooga, TN.

Notice of Proposed Changes to the SRHC Constitution and Bylaws

Presented to the Membership of the Southern Regional Honors Council,

At the recommendation of the Executive Committee, the Southern Regional Honors Council is recommending several amendments and revisions the organization’s Constitution and Bylaws.

The proposed changes are outlined below for review and will be presented to the Membership for a vote at the Annual Business Meeting to be held March 28, 2025 at the Annual Conference in Chattanooga, TN.

Members are advised to review the proposed changes prior to the Annual Business Meeting.

The following is a summary of the PROPOSED CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OF THE SOUTHERN REGIONAL HONORS COUNCIL.

The following are posted on the SRHC website for reference.

1. Notice of vote to amend the Constitution and Bylaws.

2. The existing Constitution any Bylaws.

3. A summary of proposed changes.

4. A red-text strikethrough version of the document showing the proposed changes to the existing Constitution and Bylaws.

Summary of Proposed Changes

• Constitutional Changes

  • Amend Article 3, Section 1 to include an Organizational Associate Membership Category.

  • Amend Article 6, Section 1 to remove Past Student-Vice President and Immediate Past-Past President from the Executive Committee.

• Bylaws Changes

  • Amend Article 3 to add a Support Staff section.

A Spirit of Adventure

Fritz Vogel, The Citadel

My trip to Montana this summer, as part of the NCHC Partners in the Park program, was exactly what I hoped it would be: an adventure. In the preparatory emails, we–nine students from across the country–were tasked with learning bear safety, huckleberry phenology, and invasive weed identification. As soon as the group arrived, we started the implicit and tantamount task of becoming friends and a team. The tight seating arrangements during the car ride to the campsite, encouraged by the overloaded trunks, made this process effortless. 

As our two cars navigated the mountainous switchbacks, the beauty of the landscape seized our conversations and thoughts. With the windows down, we were engulfed in the cool glacier air and butterscotch sweetness of the ponderosa pines’ scent. We knew Montana would be beautiful, but I wasn’t expecting a contagious, tangible, and vivid wonder to be known to our whole group. 

We entered the park to be greeted by Emma and Jenny, two park rangers. With their easy and enthusiastic instruction, we became experts in the important ecological details that would make our trip successful. We sprayed inert bear spray at the unsuspecting asphalt, assembled a puzzle of the park in less than two minutes, and learned that if you could identify a bear by its claws you were way too close.We left the ranger station educated and excited to set up our campsite. Despite the fire ban, our campsite could not have felt more homey. The tarps and clothing lines, the meals we cooked together, the thimbleberries we picked and ate gave our campsites a bohemian charm. 

In the mornings, we would make our lunches together, preparing to gorge on baby carrots, fruit snacks, and loaded sandwiches when we reached the summit of our hikes. Over the course of our hikes, we saw a grizzly bear with her cubs, a moose, and a bald eagle–it was very patriotic. In addition to the wildlife, we saw the different groups of people who commonly frequent national parks. These groups together showed us how the National Park Service balances enjoyment and the preservation of nature. 

For our service project, we conducted a huckleberry phenology study and picked invasive weeds as we trekked across the park. The study’s purpose was to track when huckleberries were ripening and available for the grizzly and black bears to forage. Researchers are concerned that climate change may be causing the huckleberries to ripen earlier, eliminating an important food source for bears before they enter winter torpor. It was awesome to feel a part of a park project so important to one of North America's last megafauna. 

With all that I learned from my Partners in the Park trip, what I think will last with me longest is not the names of various weeds or even the immaculate views of the park’s unadulterated wilderness but rather the need to pause in nature with a genuine group of people. During the trip, the pollution and noise of modern life dissolved among the friends I had made. Even with my disheveled appearances at the week’s end, I felt clean in spirit. I am ready to carry this spirit of adventure, curiosity, and peace with me when I share in nature’s wonder with those I meet in the future.

Illuminating Mammoth Cave

Vienne Geren, Columbia College (SC)

We were led into the cave when it was well lit, when we could see the people and formations of rock besides us. Then it all went dark. The lead ranger took out his lighter. He told us to imagine we were the first people to discover this cave. Back when there was no LED stage lighting, only you and your torch, and you could barely see five feet in front of you. By the glow of his lighter, I could barely make out the students I had made my way into the cave with, I had even less view of the cave walls, and no clue what might lie beyond the light. Thanks to modern technology and the work of the National Park Management, with the flip of a switch, the ranger lit up the cave in front of us. Illuminated was a ginormous round room that gave Mammoth Cave its name, and this was only the beginning of our trek into the longest cave in the world. This summer I had the opportunity to explore and learn about Mammoth Cave for an entire week, walking, hiking, and crawling through 10 miles of cave trail with an incredible group of honors students. We got to learn about the cave from every angle, how it was formed, what lives inside, its rich history, the people that contributed to the legend of Mammoth Cave, and how the National Parks continue to preserve and tell their stories. 

We were incredibly lucky to have an amazing trip facilitator with us who knew a lot of the geology and history of the cave. As we walked throughout the cave, we looked closer at the ceiling and walls to learn how each part of the cave had been formed. We learned how different cave features are formed based on the shale cap rock above them; how broken cap rock results in beautiful calcite formations in the cave below, and completely eroded cap rock will result in vertical shafts. We learned how gypsum will not occur in humid areas of the cave, and whether the gypsum is “ugly” or not (brown flatter gypsum vs whiter crystalline gypsum) any change in humidity levels in the cave could affect its presence. We were really lucky to learn from our trip facilitator in the cave, and to learn from him and his vast expanse of knowledge outside the cave as well. 

Our trip facilitator and many members of the Mammoth Cave Interpretation and Science Resource Management (SRM) departments gave us insight to the life inside the cave and its history. Because caves are low energy environments and most trails receive a lot of foot traffic, we didn’t see much cave life other than the occasional bat and far too many cave crickets. However, we were constantly learning about the role Mammoth Cave has played in Kentucky’s history and the many things that have taken place inside. There is a story about the cave's discovery featuring a young man chasing a bear and embarking upon the same large round room our group did, exclaiming “What a Mammoth Cave!” and giving the cave its name. Although this story is popular, it was not the first discovery of the cave, and there is evidence of indigenous communities using the cave before this event. We were told many stories of indigenous presence in the cave, many of which end mysteriously. Mammoth Cave has also been used to mine saltpeter (an ingredient of gunpowder) for wars, and this resource in Kentucky offered a valuable advantage in these battles. After the wars passed and Mammoth Cave was not anymore a military resource, it became a public resource. During this time there were several guides and map makers making history, including Stephen Bishop, Max Kemper, Nick and Mat Bransford. These guides were crucial to the exploration and progression of Mammoth Cave and are remembered for their contributions long after they have passed. 

In addition to exploring and learning about the cave, our group was able to experience part of the research being done by Mammoth Cave’s SRM. SRM routinely tests the radon levels in the cave to ensure the safety of tourists and guides who spend lots of their time inside the cave. The tests performed were nothing unusual, they showed safe levels of radon for all cave visitors, and we got to learn about the process of testing, data collecting, and why it is so important to test accurately for everyone’s safety.

In conclusion, Partners in the Parks: Mammoth Cave was an absolute success. Every day was spent learning about Mammoth Cave and the area around it, all while being with an incredible group of people who were excited about learning as well. Although we only traveled a small fraction of Mammoth Cave, it was an incredible adventure, and I can’t wait for the next one.

A Deeper Appreciation for Nature

Kate Rains, University of South Alabama

My experience at Glacier National Park was the best seven days I've ever spent, even with just one shower! Having only experienced snow twice in my life, I had no concept of how beautifully cold and pristine the natural, protected landscapes of Glacier could be. The snow in my Alabama hometown paled in comparison to the breathtaking lake and forest views on our seven-mile hike to Iceberg Lake where the tall trees reflected in the icy blue water. The random rain and hail storms we encountered throughout the week added an element of surprise to each day.

As honors students, we all gracefully excel in academic capacities, but I was anxious about spending so much time in close quarters with everyone, from morning until night. However, as I gazed out the airplane window at the night sky on the way home, tears in my eyes, I thought to myself, “What a small-minded worry that was.” The students, faculty, and everyone else were warm, generous, patient, and genuinely kind-hearted. The connections I made during that week became unbelievably and overwhelmingly close to my heart. I never imagined I could bond so deeply with people from different parts of the country in such a short time.

I had never camped in the backwoods before, so I leaned heavily on Brian, Karen, and my fellow campers for support. I had to borrow many things, and if I were to give advice to someone going on this trip next, it would be to bring extra gear and a good insulated rain jacket to keep you warm. Growing up in the South, I was used to summers that were always sunny and 90 degrees, so the 45-degree temperatures and low humidity at the beginning of August in Glacier took me by surprise. This trip left a lasting impression on me, from the glacier lake that was too cold to swim in to the realization that I am stronger and more resilient than I ever thought. It tested my limits and showed me that I could adapt to new environments, push through discomfort, and find joy in the unexpected.

Every moment, from visiting the native plant garden to the training sessions led by rangers, was an enriching learning experience. Volunteering alongside a fantastic group of people—who began as strangers but quickly became a team—was truly rewarding. We pulled invasive weeds and logged huckleberry phenology, applying everything we learned on the trails each day. Being part of that citizen science effort was inspiring, and it’s motivated me to seek out opportunities in Alabama. I wholeheartedly recommend this trip to anyone who asks, and I'll carry the knowledge and experiences from Glacier with me, using them to help observe and combat climate change wherever I am. I will always cherish the memories and friendships I made, reminding me of the strength, resilience, and connection we can find in nature and each other if we just get off our phones and look around. I left Glacier not just with new skills and knowledge, but with new friends and a deeper appreciation for the power of nature and the importance of preserving it.

Venturing into the Vast Wilderness

Liz Eroshenko, Virginia Tech

Participating in the Partners in the Park program in Glacier National Park was an experience that I will cherish for a lifetime. Before the trip began, I was filled with a mix of excitement and anxiety. The idea of venturing into the vast wilderness of Montana with a group of strangers was daunting. I didn't know anyone going on the trip, and the thought of tackling challenging hikes in unfamiliar terrain made me nervous. I wondered whether I would be able to keep up with the group or if I would make any friends.

However, from the moment we all gathered on the first day, my fears began to melt away. The camaraderie among the group members was instantaneous. Despite our being from different parts of the country and a variety of majors, we quickly found common ground. The initial awkwardness faded as we bonded over our shared adventure. Conversations flowed easily, songs filled the forest, and laughter echoed through the campsite. It was clear that this group of strangers would be lifelong friends.

The hikes, as expected, were difficult. Glacier’s rugged landscapes and varying altitudes presented challenges that tested our endurance. Yet, what made these challenges more manageable was the unwavering support we provided each other. Every steep incline and rocky path was made easier by the simple acts of kindness shared among the group. We checked in with one another constantly, making sure everyone was staying hydrated and taking care of any blisters or sore muscles. It was these small gestures that made the difference, reminding me that I wasn’t alone in this journey.

Even when we returned to camp after a long day of hiking, the spirit of cooperation didn’t wane. Despite our exhaustion, everyone pitched in to help with setting up tents and preparing dinner. It was a true testament to the sense of community we had built in such a short time. The shared responsibilities made the work feel less burdensome, and it was heartwarming to see how we all came together, even when we were worn out from a long day.

I also really enjoyed the opportunity to participate in meaningful volunteer work. We took part in a huckleberry phenology survey, contributing to research that will have a real impact on the ongoing studies in the park. Moreover, we helped with invasive weed control, removing any that we saw along the hiking paths. It was incredibly rewarding to know that our efforts were making a difference, helping to preserve the natural beauty and ecological health of the park for future generations. 

By the end of the trip, I had not only conquered my fears but also forged friendships that I know will last a lifetime. The experience pushed me out of my comfort zone, both physically and emotionally, and it was all worth it. I am deeply grateful to the Southern Regional Honors Council for the support that made this unforgettable adventure possible. This trip to Glacier National Park has left an indelible mark on me, reminding me of the importance of community, resilience, and the beauty of our natural world.