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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！

After completing the Quenya course, this ongoing Creative Quenya Translation group aims to take the Quenya learned in the course and apply it to more active creative endeavors: exploring the further poetic writings of Tolkien in Quenya, and translating classic texts into Quenya while working towards a conversational Quenya book.

Prerequisite Note: This course is intended for students who have either completed Beginning Quenya or who already have a strong foundational understanding of Quenya. If you feel confident in your ability to engage with translation work and are comfortable navigating Quenya grammar and vocabulary, you're most welcome to join!

Tolkien had an incisive sense of humor, and it comes through remarkably well in stories like The Hobbit andFarmer Giles of Ham. Tolkien also occasionally put his humor to pointed satirical uses, and perhaps the most serious of these satires is the forthcoming Bovadium Fragments being published in November (in the US). Join us in the lead-up to Christmas as we read through one of the most curious and tongue-in-cheek stories Tolkien ever wrote.

In this module we will explore the sacramental worldview and practices of Eastern Orthodoxy and Catholicism, with maybe a bit of Anglicanism thrown into the mix. We will cover what a sacramental worldview consists of, what the sacraments themselves are, what sacramentals are and how their use is justified within these traditions theologically and historically, and related topics.

In these modules, we’ll dig into Ann Leckie’s acclaimed science fiction series, the Imperial Radch. While they are in conversation with many other science fiction predecessors, these books offer unique worldbuilding and a sharp perspective on the complicated cultures they depict.

Thematically, this series is deeply interested in questions of identity and imperialism. The spaceships of the Radch are equipped with an unusual type of artificial intelligence which is embodied both in the ship and in a series of human bodies known as “ancillaries,” all of which are simultaneously managed by the same consciousness.

The story follows one such ancillary, Breq, who has lost all of her bodies except for one. Along the way, we come to understand the consequences of imperialism, and we’re invited to think about how they affect the identities of both the colonizers and the colonized – not to mention someone like Breq, whose identity is inherently complex. There is a good deal to consider here in terms of language, culture, power, personal responsibility, and the possibility of resistance.

The first book, Ancillary Justice, introduces us to Breq, the Radch, and her quest for revenge, while also raising questions about Breq’s complicity with the empire that created her. In the second book, Ancillary Sword, we get a better look at life within the empire, as Breq makes new allies and comes to understand the realities of Radchaai policy. Finally, Ancillary Mercy explores the relationship between the Radch and the mysterious Presger and the possibility of building relationships with those who are deeply Other.

In this series of modules, we will work through these novels together, considering the themes outlined above and perhaps others that module participants may notice. We will rely primarily on discussion, perhaps with some preceptor framing and commentary.

In this module we will cover the basics of Islamic Religious tradition, thought, and practice. A basic biography of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH), the development of the early Islamic movement (the Ummah), division into the Sunni and Shi'ite forms of Islam, Islamic cosmology, the Four Orthodox schools of the interpretation of Sharia, and the development and practice of Sufism will all be covered. Time permitting, we will touch upon developments in modern Islam.