(3 points) Attending Honors Program events (lectures, workshops, social gatherings): 3 points

  

  On September 13, 2025, I accompanied the Honors Class of 2029 to Shelbyville, Tennessee, as they visited Uncle Nearest's Distillery. This destination was chosen due to it being the subject of the summer reading, "Love and Whisky" by Faye Webster. The trip to Shelbyville took us through the mountains of Georgia and Tennessee, allowing us to see areas such as "Look Out Mountain". The beautiful scenery of the Appalachia was contrasted by the clear support certain towns have for guns and Donald Trump. Regardless, the trip reminded me that the journey can be just as important as the destination.

    During our tour of the distillery, we sat in a replica of a Prohibition era "Speakeasy" and watched a video explaining who Uncle Nearest is, and his relationship to the man who would go on to be known as Jack Danials. We also learned that despite all of Nearest's known descendants being offered a job at the distillery, only 1 has accepted, with many choosing to remain at Jack Danials.  It is also very interesting to me that I often see Jack Danials commercials, but I don't see Uncle Nearest commercials.

    This trip highlighted one of the many African Americans throughout history who have significantly contributed to American society, despite not receiving much recognition. The trip inspired me to look more into the history of the brands and places I casually interact with.

    Overall, I really enjoyed the unconventional choice to visit a Distillery versus a traditional location such as a museum or monument. I think it provided a unique opportunity to explore history outside of the classroom.  Something that could be improved during future retreats is the scheduling. Many students did not have the opportunity to eat Dinner due to the scheduling of the day. Some students were able to eat at the location, but others had to abandon their orders. All students should have been able to eat dinner, regardless of if they had money to order food.

- Catherine Omeh