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This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to continue our study of Japanese. We will continue using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, and covering grammatical structures. Through use of conversational Japanese, we will continue to explore how the language is used in anime, manga, and music.

Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people.

Step into the wardrobe and journey through Narnia with scholar and storyteller Brenton Dickieson, author of the acclaimed A Pilgrim in Narnia blog. In this relaxed, discussion-rich module, we’ll read and reflect on The Chronicles of Narnia together—exploring their literary depth, spiritual resonance, and lasting cultural impact. In this first course in the Narnia series, we'll follow Lucy through the wardrobe by reading The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Whether this is your first visit to Narnia or your fiftieth, join Brenton as we walk with wonder, ask thoughtful questions, and rediscover why these beloved stories still speak so powerfully today.

"What of the gods, what of the elves? Do you want to know more?" - the prophetess of the Eddic poem Völuspa keeps on asking Odin. And there is indeed so much more to investigate about the trove of pre-Christian beliefs and rituals in Scandinavia than your typical Marvel Thor images.

This short course aims to introduce the student to the study of Old Norse religion(s), namely the challenges of working with incomplete or late sources entailing a development of pagan memories rather than realities, new insights from archaeology, linguistics and anthropology revealing social and religious variation as well as attempts to unlock or reconstruct world views based on multiple religious discourses dealing not only with individual gods (Óðinn, Þórr, Freyr, etc.), but also ritual occasions (such as initiations of warriors, fertility of land, death, protection against hostile forces), or with magic (the ‘luck’ of a person, techniques to prevent sickness etc.). In this sense, the course also aims to raise awareness about the complexity of a religious phenomenon often reduced to Old Icelandic mythology.

The module will follow an 8-session structure as shown below:

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 1: Theoretical considerations, religious vocabulary and archaeology
	Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material
Week 2	Lecture 2: Indo-european and germanic (dis)continuites
	Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material
Week 3	Lecture 3: Historical and social context, ritual time and space
	Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material
Week 4	Lecture 4: Cosmogonies and afterlives/td>
	Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 4 material

In this module we’re going to discuss some screenwriting techniques such as creating an outline, three-act structure, story structure, characters, and setting. Since this is a discussion-based module, the idea is to share feedback using the Collaborative Feedback Method.

We will be using two sessions to share our work for feedback. During the other sessions, the preceptor will share ahead of time a google document with notes in an outline type format with relevant information about the contents of the module.

Course structure

• Week 1: Intro to the basics of screenwriting and screenwriting tips (such as outlining using the Hero's Journey technique)
• Week 2: Screenwriting exercises, overview of other screenwriting techniques, and feedback day
• Week 3: Differences between the different types of scripts (tv, movie)
• Week 4: Feedback day, and module wrap-up

Join us as we continue learning (advanced) basic Japanese, focusing on the areas of reading and listening comprehension, with some attention to speaking and writing. Over the course of this module series we will work our way through the Genki II textbook, building upon the foundation built from the Genki I text. 一緒に日本語を勉強しませんか

Recorded Series: All sessions of this series are being recorded and provided afterwards to enrolled students in order to support the learning of the group.

This course is for those who have an interest in Japanese culture and wish to continue our study of Japanese. We will continue using Hiragana, Katakana, and Kanji, and covering grammatical structures. Through use of conversational Japanese, we will continue to explore how the language is used in anime, manga, and music.

Japanese is a language of great nuance and depth. This module will open the door to that world and build a foundation for greater insight into Japan's culture and its people.

In this series we’ll study Japanese using different tools such as videos, games, and different exercises. We’ll explore different aspects of Japanese culture and work on more complex vocabulary, grammar, and sentence patterns. We’ll also watch lots of videos, play games, and read graded readers among other things.

Note: Japanese Through Culture is for students who already have a basic level of Japanese.

Old High German (OHG) is a group of Germanic dialects spoken in the Holy Roman Empire from the 6th to the 11th centuries, and although it does not have the same breadth of literature as Old English, it still boasts a number of fascinating texts, such as the alliterative poems Muspilli and Das Hildebrandslied and rhymed poems like Das Ludwigslied and Otfrid of Weissenburg’s Evangelienbuch. The language is necessary for a complete understanding of Germanic Philology, and the corpus offers important material for students of mythology, folklore, comparative literature, religious studies and medieval culture.

Every iteration of this module takes into consideration the language skills and interests of the students, and each month will focus on different texts and progress at a different speed. Anything from the Merseburger Zaubersprüche to the works of Notker Labeo is open for our enjoyment and edification.

Prerequisites: Participants should be familiar with at least one Germanic language (for example: Old English, Old Norse, Middle High German or Gothic).

In this module we will cover various religious traditions generally covered by the umbrella term "Hinduism." We will start with an overview of some of the methodological challenges faced when studying these traditions, and then turn our attention to some of the major streams of Hindu history and practice, including those of Vedic religion, Upanisadic religion, and various Bhakti traditions. Time permitting we will then move on to Raja Yoga and Advaita Vedanta, followed by developments in modern Hinduism.

In this module we will read and discuss 104 strange tales collected by the 17th-18th century Chinese scholar, Pu Songling. Featuring Daoist/Taoist wizards, fox spirits, ghosts of all kinds, anomalous plants and animals, Buddhist wonder-workers, deities and immortals, Pu's collection has entertained audiences through centuries.

Writers and artists as diverse as Jorge Luis Borges and Martin Buber have found inspiration in these stories, and several films and film franchises such as A Chinese Ghost Story are rooted in them. Preceptors Pilar Barrera and Dr. Robert Steed will lead class sessions, which will primarily focus upon participant discussion framed by preceptor commentary designed to situate these stories in their historical, literary, and religious contexts.

In this series of modules, you will get familiarized with basic Japanese vocabulary and structures. Using a communicative approach, you’ll learn basic expressions, start to learn the hiragana script, and recognize katakana and kanji in a fun and interactive way. We will also explore Japanese culture in general. いっしょに日本語を学びましょう！