TAKE HIM!! I had absolutely no interest in political science but needed this class for my major. He made everything so interesting and easy to understand. 90% of class is discussion of readings or current political events. He doesn't care what your opinion is as long as you speak up in class. GREAT teacher!!!

One of the most helpful of the Honors professors. He's extremely clear and very insightful. I learned more from his discussion section than I did from lecture. I would highly recommend any class that he teaches.

Absolutely the best professor I've had this semester I recommend anyone and everyone to take him.

Fantastic at his job.Excellent class. Man Crush if ever there was one

Great guy. You really learn something about not just PLSC, but life in general. After taking this class I felt like a better person, seriously. Show up to class and take notes. Weekly quiz that you can get an A on as long as you listen in class. Exams are a breeze. Best teacher ever.

too good at what he does to be a professor! he's very good and easy. take him.

I had professor Whidden his first year teaching at Loyola and he was wonderful! He made politics exciting and understandable. Really really nice guy, actually took the trouble to learn your name and would go out of his way to help you. Awesome professor!

Whidden is a great professor! Due to the way he teaches, the material sticks for life. Very useful, quite easy and pleasant class. One 4 page paper required (20%), 6 quizzes(drops lowest,20%), the two tests are all written, and discussion (20%). Do not be intimidated by the discussion since he does not grade harshly! Take him...

Professor Whidden is a great teacher! Engaging and fun, but you also learn a lot!

Really enjoys his job. Keeps students interested. You have to make sure to participate otherwise your grade will be shot.

Whidden is the BEST! He turned what can be dull subjects into something I was actually interested in. Read the books in order to participate in class. His lectures are super clear, and you know what he expects. He gives every students' opinion equal attention and consideration. Weekly quizzes on Fridays (easy points) TAKE HIM!!!!!

very passionate about his job. understands material well enough to answer pretty much any question. cares about his students. really brings a lot of enthusiasm to class, which makes me actually want to go to my honors lectures!!

Great professor. He makes all of the texts interesting to read! He also does a wiggle with his hips, the "whidden wiggle" haha! I would recommend taking him because everyone gets to participate in discussion and everyone's opinion is considered. There are no wrong answers. He is a funny guy, a fair grader, but he definitely plays favorites.

Amazing honors professor, probably one of the best ones. He keeps you engaged in discussion and is extremely clear when explaining the texts. He gives everyone the opportunity to speak and he's clear with what he expects on the papers. DEFINITELY take him.

Whidden is great! He is clear about his expectations, listens to all opinions, and really knows the texts. Warning to those who are shy: he grades participation. Just say one comment or ask one question per class session and you will be golden. Midterm, final, and 3 essays. Tests are the same format as freshman honors tests- IDs and essays.

My favorite professor at Loyola. I took three classes with him and loved every single one. He chooses interesting texts for class and has a very engaging teaching style. Would have taken all of my classes with Whidden if I could have.

Whidden is the best honors professor. He is not too hard of a grader and wants every student to do well. If you come to class and participate, you'll do fine. I highly suggest him!!!

Whidden is wonderful. He's not too difficult of a grader and is known to lead the best honors discussions out of all of the professors. My only complaint is that he is not incredibly helpful on going over your paper after it has been graded. Other than that, he actually teaches in his discussions and is successful at leading them.

Probably the best honors professor. He is very clear in his lectures and gives loads of information in his discussions.

He really is as excellent as everyone says. There is a reason his classes fill up so fast. I found his discussion sections helpful and in person meetings helped too. An excellent professor, If you get the chance to you should take him.

If you have the opportunity to take his class, DO IT! Whidden ended up being one of the greatest Honors professors - he was very generous with grades for papers. He is very open-minded and is generally enthusiastic about the required readings.

He's absolutely wonderful, there's a reason his classes fill up as quickly as they do. His discussions have a lot of information without feeling overwhelming, he's a fair grader, and he's just generally a really nice guy. 10/10 would recommend

Whidden is by far one of the best discussion leaders among the Honors professors and will prepare students for the crazy honors exams. He isn't necessarily an easy grader when it comes to the essays but gives great feedback if students are willing to ask for help. It is possible to work up to As on the essays and exams but you have to work for it.

Professor Whidden is by far one of the greatest teachers I have taken. He is brilliant, insightful, and magnificent at leading a discussion. I have not often had the privilege to attend a class where students are so focused, hanging on the teacher's every word, but this is so the case with Whidden. Take him.

Definitely one of the best HONR 101 professors. I loved his discussion and his lectures of Socrates. Take him if you can, you will not regret it!

Dr. Whidden is a brilliant man and a fantastic professor! His discussions and lectures are captivating! He is not tenured, so his grading can be difficult. He is always willing to discuss lecture and discussion topics after class and is amazing during his office hours. I hope to take another class with him! I highly recommend Chris Whidden!

A phenomenal professor and always around to help. Responds promptly to emails and always offers to read parts of papers before you turn it in-a rarity with college professors. I 1010 recommend, he's an awesome guy and I have learned a ton!

Professor Whidden is one of the most sought after honors professors for a reason. He is funny, easy going, and super helpful when it comes to papers. As far as grading goes, he actually believes in A's and doesn't hesitate to hand them out when they are deserved. If you get the chance, take him.

Prof. Whidden is probably the best Honor's professor there is at Loyola. Take him. Also, try to be interested in the course material. You won't get a good grade if you're not.

Be prepared to read and to participate in discussions. You have to be able to think beyond what is just on the page, and also remember what you read from all the books for the semester. But he is a talented lecturer. He also cares about the well being of his students. Great teacher and interesting honors courses. He's coveted for a good reason.

Anyone you ask will tell you the same thing about Dr. Whidden- he's the best. That simple. He's funny, the class is entertaining and engaging, and he really cares about his students. The Honors papers are tough, but I think he's a fair grader.

Dr. Whidden is an incredibly attentive and hard-working professor. He really took the time to make comments on all of my essays and he was always available through email if I had any questions. If you ask the right questions, he will give you everything you need to know. He wants students to succeed!

Enthusiastic and helpful, period. Just take him, don't doubt my advice.

He is really funny and great at explaining things that aren't clear in the bad Honors lectures. Papers are only 3-4 pages which is the shortest of any honors professor. Takes FOREVER to grade them though. I'm taking him again next semester.

Whidden is so nice, funny, straight-foward, and an overall awesome professor. He provides some hints to what is important for the test. He helps a TON with the papers as long as you ask for it and is a pretty fair grader. He sometimes can be a little lecture-y which can be difficult when you have to participate to get a good grade. But take him!!!!

Prof Whidden was incredibly helpful in clarifying all of the dense texts read in Honors 101. His papers are always 3-4 pages (shorter than other honors professors), but require a clear and concise argument. He always allows you to meet with him and ask questions. DO THIS. It gives you a leg up in understanding past tests and improving essays.

Professor Whidden is great, although he seems to give students the exact same grade on every paper regardless of improvement. He is very helpful for tests, especially if you attend office hours.

Professor Whidden is probably the best professor of all of the freshman honors faculty. His knowledge on the texts is incredible; he imparts this knowledge to his students in his discussions in such a way that its clearer than it was during lectures. If you can, take him for discussion both semesters. He is INCREDIBLY helpful and kind hearted.

I enjoyed this class and everyone always wants to take Whidden but BEWARE he will give you the same grade on your papers regardless of improvement. There are many professors, such as Posner and Katz, that are much more fair on papers. But for discussion and understanding lectures he's good.

Professor Whidden is underappreciated. He clears up a lot of confusion from the text that one wouldn't get cleared up during lecture. He creates a comfortable setting for discussion and is a great professor to take for one's first year in college. He is also an easy grader, take him unless you have a real reason not to. 10/10 would recommend

Whidden was one of the better discussion professors. I didn't really fit with the Honors program as a whole, I found it to be pretentious with unrealistic expectations. That being said, Whidden seems to be one of the fairer graders who will cut to the chase and tell you the most important sections of texts and really tries to tie them all together.

He makes everything clear and understandable in discussion and also lets people ask questions. Very clear about what he wants in his papers, and as long as you follow his "formula" it is very possible to get an A. He is a fair grader and gives good feedback on essays. One of the most underrated honors professors, but take him if you can!

Whidden is a fair but tough grader. Definitely one of the best but not easiest honors teachers. HIs papers are 3-4 pages long so writing concisely is something that he values. He's very nice and his discussions are often better than the honors lectures

I chose Whidden for Honors Discussion. I was seriously lucky to have done so. The Honors course can be very difficult, but Whidden finds a way to cut down the text to manageable, understandable pieces. He won't give you an easy A, but he will meet with you to get you where you need to be. I totally recommend and hope to have him again!

This is my second honors discussion with Whidden, and I have nothing bad to say. He is fair, smart, and genuinely cares about his students. I've never seen him get mad, he knows his material and so willing to help you. He also gives positive feedback. He will not hand you an A, but you will learn a lot from him and it is do able.

Whidden is amazing! So knowledgeable on every text in Honors and always offers a really insightful interpretation of his own. Hes a more stringent grader on papers than some of the other professors, but once you know what hes looking for its very manageable.

He's a dad. Cares about your success, knows you by name, and really loves the Cubs. He's a fair grader on papers and is willing to help you if you ask for it. He won't call you out in discussion if you don't talk, and he definitely won't judge you for anything you do say in discussion. I'm really glad I chose him for my first semester of honors!

Whidden is an amazing teacher all around. He really cares about his students and how they are doing with the text! 10/10 would recommend

dr. whidden is amazing. his lectures are really clear and his discussion is always fascinating. likes clear, concise papers, dislikes wordiness and flowery language. loves it when you participate and talk to him in office hours (esp. about stuff other than the papers - go ask him questions!) overall one of the best professors i've had

Prof. Whidden is an outstanding teacher. He not only has an amazing sense of humor, he is a great teacher who gives outstanding feedback. His class is helpful, and you can tell he understands what he is teaching. I would LOVE to take his class again, after all he is a stellar teacher.

Has great discussions and makes it clear what he wants on papers. If you are a concise writer take him. He gives great feedback on thesis if you email him and changes your thesis to be exactly what he wants which is great when he grades your papers. He applies themes in text to current world and always encourages participation in discussion.

He is the best freshman honors prof you can take. He genuinely cares about each of his students and pushes everyone to reach their full potential. He definitely isn't easy but you will feel a lot smarter after taking his class. I really am going to miss him next year and I would definitely take his classes again if I had the chance. TAKE HIM!

Professor Whidden is definitely one of the best freshman honors professors available. While the class is difficult, he is always there to provide support when you need it. Easy to email, and very helpful with answering questions. Knows everyone's name, as he truly cares about all of his students. He likes concise essay writing, so keep that in mind

The best freshman honors professor at Loyola. He truly cares about his students but at the same time challenges them. Gives lots of helpful feedback with essays.

The GOAT. There is a reason he is the most coveted honors prof. Best lecturer by far-he is very organized and clear in his lectures and is a fantastic discussion leader. Super smart and not bad to look at either, despite his major dad persona. Email him your thesis for papers and he will help you out.

He's such a fantastic professor! Whenever someone has a question about the text, he answers to the best of his ability. He gives insightful answers about confusing texts and makes the first semester of honors a breeze, but you still have to work. If you have the chance to take his discussion section, take him! You won't regret it!

Honors is hard, so no matter who you have, you better be ready to work. However Whidden is by far one of the best honors professors. He is a very intelligent man who loves to teach others. He is super accessible with his office hours and by email. He truly respects everyone's opinion and will do his best to help them express it. Take him if you can

Whidden is called "the father of the honors program" which is 100% true. He made it fun to show up to discussion and have an open conversation about the texts. He pushed you to do your best and helped you write genuinely thoughtful papers. He is funny, kind, and understanding. An awesome professor, would heavily recommend.

Whidden is the most popular Honors professor for a reason: he's just that good. Truly, he made the Honors experience bearable, and made the subjects interesting, adding in his own dad-like humor to our discussions. While his grading can be nuanced for essays, he is compassionate and eager to help. I have no negatives besides that. TAKE WHIDDEN.

Professor Whidden is one of my favorite people! He's a genuinely nice guy and such a dad. One of the best honors professors. He's very approachable and always willing to sit down with you in office hours to discuss grading on an essay or test. His discussions are very informative so it's pretty easy to get away without reading everything.

Super informative in his lectures and discussion class, and always willing to answer questions in discussion. Honors is a tough class but his personality and humor make it a lot more bearable and enjoyable, and you can tell he genuinely cares about his students' success. 11/10 recommend him and would totally take a class with him again!

Honors is insanely difficult, but Dr. Whidden makes the content easier to understand. He breaks down the texts and offers different interpretations to make them more comprehensible. But he is also a critical grader and you have to work really hard on your papers to get a decent grade on them (though this is typically true of all honors professors).

As a math and science person, I've never expected to be this interested in literature and art. He tells you what you need to know very clearly and repeats it so you can't really miss it, making the tests straightforward (even though the format of the test is what truly brings your grade down). He's the top choice for this class.

He really cares about you! He tries to validate every opinion even if it may seem silly and is very good at explaining complex themes in the texts!

If you are debating which discussion to take for Honors 101/102-- take Whidden! He is extremely thoughtful in discussion and goes over key points in the text, includes students in discussions, makes section enjoyable, and goes over important details of the text which most of the time end up being on the exam. Grades less harsh on papers, take him!!

Mr. Whidden is the best Honors professor you can have first semester for sure. I wish I had him for second semester but his discussion section was the first to go. He likes his papers short and his quotes short too. I rarely read any of the books for Honors but he was so clear explaining the themes and quotes in the texts that it didn't matter.

Dr. Whidden is the best. I had him for both HONRD101 and 102 and I'm so glad I fought to be in his section both semesters. You really develop a relationship with him and are able to refine and develop your writing skills. While you aren't forced to participate, you'll want to b/c he's so good. Viewed by me, and others, as the best honors prof. :)

Sooooo nice. Gives productive and fair feedback. If you work on previous comments for papers you'll do fine. Has great discussion topics. Responds quickly to email

Whidden made the discussion enjoyable and fun. He provided valuable insight into texts and is willing to entertain any ideas or comments you may have. He's pretty funny too, and it made the class easy to look forward to. Paper grading can be a little tough, just make sure to have valuable analysis. This is a class where A's are difficult to get.

Literally my favorite professor. He makes class so fun and engaging, and he really cares about his students. I highly suggest asking about his cats. I was not lucky enough to get him second semester, but if you can, really fight to get in there because he's the best.

Whidden is an incredibly charismatic professor and very knowledgeable. He doesn't force you to participate, but you'll want to because of how engaging the discussions are. He is a stickler for grammar, and you must include a lot of analysis in your paper to be successful. He genuinely cares for his students, and he is viewed as the best HONR prof.

No one is kidding when they say Whidden is the best honors discussion prof... Super nice and just entertaining, and makes discussion super lowkey. He is very clear about how to write papers and will give you specific things to improve on. You definitely have to put some work in, but if you do, it'll pay off. Take him!

Whidden is definitely one of the best honors professors you can take. He leads discussions really well and understands if you are apprehensive about participating. He grades essays pretty hard but always gives good feedback. I've noticed he tends to favor the essays with a more ambitious thesis. Def try and take him if you can.

Whidden is a solid choice but he's pretty tough when it comes to grading papers. In that sense, others may be easier so getting As on papers is harder with Whidden. That being said, he has amazing discussions and really likes to involve students. He's respective of you even if you're wrong and always works to help you learn and improve.

Whidden is a great choice for discussion! This class is hard because it's an honors class and he grades papers pretty difficultly, but always gives good feedback! Take him if you can.

Whidden is def a decent choice. He gives good analysis of the texts and is very clear with what he wants from papers. Sometimes is kinda clueless (you can tell which texts he doesn't know a lot about), but is decently aware of most things and is always open to questions. Recommendation for papers: work quotes into your own sentences. he loves that

lol Professor Whidden is not "kinda clueless." He is learned on every text we read and his discussions are so insightful. He grades tough on papers, but if you listen to his comments you'll be able to make your way to an A. His ideas from discussion build off and clarify what you hear in lecture. You can literally write what he says on exams.

I had a different teacher for Honors Discussion, but I'm telling you his Lectures are amazing for the Honors general lecture. We just read Gulliver's Travels and his series of Lectures were the most interesting and fascinating lecture so far this semester. He makes you laugh while also introducing new perspectives that really make you think.

If you're in the honors program and looking for a discussion leader, take Whidden. I love his style and he genuinely enjoys helping students succeed. His grading is tough (but it's honors so that's expected). Be prepared to ask questions in class, he truly values his student's opinions and perspectives. One of the best profs Loyola has to offer.

Professor Whidden is an awesome choice for an honors professor. The honors readings can be incredibly confusing, but he offers clear explanations and interesting interpretations. Also has clear expectations for papers and will give 100 if deserved.

Whidden is amazing. If you're looking for an easy A in honors don't take him but if you want a professor who you'll enjoy being in his class, he's your guy. It's competitive to get into his class so be prepared when registering. He loves when you participate but if you don't you'll still do well. Go to his office hours, he loves talking to students

Amazing Prof. Always willing to help students out and tries to make personal connections with everyone. His grading criteria is very simple: good grammar, strong topic sentences, and NO FLUFF. He is very well-versed in all the texts you read and is always open to new ideas, so participation is pretty important. If you have the chance, take him!

Professor Whidden is very caring and supportive. His discussions were always engaging and he took time to consider each student's responses. I admired how clear his grading and instruction was.

Prof. Whidden is a very kind teacher and genuinely wants you to get something out of the class. He encourages participation and actually listens to what students say. He is very helpful and very knowledgeable; he knows his stuff and loves his job.

One of the best professors I have ever had! He is a very tough grader and will not hold back on taking off points however he will always help you develop ideas and give you direction. He always has good perspective on our text and is open to ideas. Really appreciate how safe is class feels. You have to show up to class though.

Whidden is a very good professor who makes all the complicated, philosophical material clear and interesting. He tells stories and makes connections that keep the class interesting and he is very helpful with answering questions about essays or assignments.

Whidden was fantastic! He was really knowledgeable about all of our texts and very excited to discuss them with students. He provided helpful feedback on written assignments that helped me improve my writing throughout the semester. Attendance is important and participation is helpful but not necessary to earn a good grade. Take him if you can!

Whidden is such a sick, down-to-earth guy. A boring discussion class is basically impossible with him. His feedback for papers is very critical, but so helpful and he is overall a pretty light grader. Very welcoming and caring guy and all around a spectacular professor.

Whidden is best honors teacher. He's is genuine man and is the nicest person ever. He wants to hear everyone opinions. He goes over material before quizzes that are taken weekly. Although his weekly quizzes are a little harder than other teachers, he just expects you to read and asks questions when needed. He is a fair on the paper grading

Dr. Whidden is such a good professor!! He is really engaging and open minded to people's opinions. Whidden is also considerate and aware of events in the world (such as the elections). His quizzes are really easy if you read the book and pay attention in discussion/lecture. — I would take him all four years if I could.

Professor Whidden is a knowledgeable and caring instructor. His class can be challenging, but engaging discussions and constructive feedback make it worthwhile. Using unstuckstudy alongside the textbook helped me stay on top of the material.

Dr. Whidden is a good professor, sometimes he goes on and on and it's easy to space out in class, hes very accessible through his office hours and he gives good feedback. He also responds to emails fairly quickly. He likes to go into the reading and he pays close attention to who does and does not pay attention in discussion