Sacred Heart University’s Human Journey Colloquia Series for the fall semester is scheduled to begin on
Oct. 2 in SHU’s Martire Center Loris Forum.
The series occurs weekly and offers students intellectual conversations that often feature guest speakers. Topics discussed in the series include subjects relevant to college students and the world in general.
“The Colloquia are intended to accompany the Seminars to demonstrate to students how the Catholic Intellectual Tradition reaches across all disciplines, professions and contemporary issues,” said Dr. Michelle Loris, Catholic Studies Director.
Source: Instagram, @sacredheartuniversity.
The Human Journey Colloquia aim to engage any of the four big questions: What does it mean to be human and what is my relationship with God?, What does it mean to] live a life of meaning and purpose?, What is my relationship with the natural world?, and What does it mean to form a more just society for the common good?
The series has been a reoccurrence at SHU since the Human Journey Seminars: Great Books in the Catholic Intellectual Tradition were founded and offered as SHU’s CIT 201 and CIT 202 courses.
All students at SHU are required to take these courses as part of the university’s general curriculum. Some professors on campus incorporate the series into their curriculums for the semester.
“After attending Colloquia, I ask students to reflect on how the presentations uniquely connect to their lives. Then, students share their connections with the class to start seminar discussion,” said Professor Elizabeth Nsadha, who teaches CIT courses at SHU.
“Together we relate this to the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, readings we have covered, and current events,” Nsadha said.
On Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. the series will kick off for the semester with a colloquium entitled “The Youth Vote.” In the following weeks, the series will hold “The Synod: What Happened? What Didn’t Happen? What’s Next” on Oct. 31 at 2 p.m. and on Nov. 5 at 3:30 p.m. a “Learn to Intern” Colloquia will be held.
During the spring 2024 semester, some outstanding colloquium events included “Taylor Swift, Gender, and the Media” and “This is My Jail.”
“Taylor Swift, Gender, and the Media” explored how gender plays a role in the public persona and media construction of Taylor Swift, while the “This is My Jail” featured a guest speaker, Melanie Newport of the University of Connecticut, who discussed race and the history of politics and incarceration in the United States.
“I’ve been to a few Colloquiums for my CIT classes and my favorite by far was the ‘Where Will SHU Take You?’ Colloquium because I was able to hear about other student’s post-grad plans and think more accordingly about my future after I graduate from SHU,” said senior Meg Taylor.
“Although I was required to go to this Colloquium as part of my CIT class, I ended up really enjoying it. Since then, I have been to quite a few and feel as though all of them have benefitted me in one way or another,” Taylor said.
In addition to its Human Journey Colloquia Series, SHU also grants students the opportunity to further their education through its Catholic Studies minor.
According to SHU’s Catholic Studies webpage, “The minor in Catholic Studies provides students not only with a broad-based interdisciplinary study of the Catholic Intellectual Tradition, but also fosters the development of the knowledge, skills, abilities, and moral and ethical understanding employers seek in today’s college graduates.”
For more information regarding when and where colloquia series events are being held, visit the Pioneer Planner campus calendar at https://sacredheart.emscloudservice.com/calendar/MasterCalendar.aspx.
