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Beginning Quenya aims to take students with any level (or no level) of previous language experience and introduce them to the quest to learn Quenya, Tolkien's most developed invented language.

The first module of Beginning Quenya will introduce students to the pronunciation and basic inflections of the language, with a dose of vocabulary and basic sentence translation as well as an introduction to the Tengwar system.

Future modules will eventually bring students to a more complete understanding of the language with the aim of eventually diving into "primary source" Quenya and Tolkien's numerous Quenya poems, and even into student compositions in Quenya itself!

Each module of the course will be structured around a weekly lecture and practicum, with a pre-recorded lecture released to the students at the beginning of each week, explaining new concepts and giving (optional) exercises to aid in student mastery of each topic. These lectures will be followed by a weekly discussion section/practicum, where each section can work through problems, clarifying questions, and practical exercises as a group to reinforce each lesson.

Optional learning resources will be provided for the students each week, but the most important part is to simply listen to the lectures and take part in the practicum sessions!

Note: The 8-session structure will be announced once available. Thanks!

Doctor Who is the longest running Science Fiction program on television earning great recognition and accolades in the process. Despite this, Doctor Who is infamous for writing/producing some of the best in Science Fiction television, and at the same time arguably the worst.

This Class will make use of a free streaming device (tubi) in order to view these episodes individually once again, so that we can discuss their merits or “demerits”; to view some of "the best" and "the worst" of Classic Doctor Who. Hartnell, Troughton, Pertwee, the Bakers, Peterson and McCoy are ready to open the TARDIS doors for us; Let the conversation begin!

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

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: "Criteria and Process
	Session 2: The Best: The Talons of Weing Chiang
Week 2	Session 3: The Worst: The Macra Terror
	Session 4: The Best: The Caves of Androzani
Week 3	Session 5: The Worst: The Twin Dilemma
	Session 6: The Best: The Daemons
Week 4	Session 7: The Worst: Paradise Towers
	Session 8: The Best: The Dalek Invasion of Earth

While medieval literary texts offer a weath of information about Norse mythology, pre-Christian religious behaviour is very difficult to trace back from these sources alone. We generally associate the religion of the Viking age with its gods and stories about them, but it consisted of so much more.

This module attempts to offer a nuanced overview of potential beliefs in the Northern Viking age by drawing not only on literature but also archaeology, anthropology, or iconography. We'll be exploring how people in Scandinavia made sense of the world by focusing on rituals, because in the pagan world practices would have been a much greater part of religion - what you did, where you did it, how you did it and what that says about your spiritual inclinations.

Week 1 - Ritual space and time (types of ritual sites, ritual objects, festivities)
Week 2 - Religious specialists (cultic leaders, performers and their functions)
Week 3 - Public and private rituals (cyclical, passage, crisis rituals)
Week 4 - Death and mortuary behaviour

Folk Horror, having initial roots in the early 20th century, has continued steadily in multiple media to explore societal fears of our day. This SPACE class will look at the origins of the genre, its explosion in the upheaval in the 1970's, and its current place of cultural relevance in a world filled with anxious nightmares regarding its future.

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

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: The Tools of Engagement: Modern Folk Horror Studies
	Session 2: The Stories of Ambrose Pierce
Week 2	Session 3: The Stories of Thomas Hardy
	Session 4: The Grandmaster of Folk Horror: M.R. James Part I
Week 3	Session 5: The Grandmaster of Folk Horror: M.R. James Part II
	Session 6: The "Folk" of the 1970's: The Unholy Trinity
Week 4	Session 7: Movies/Media of the 80's and 90's: The Blair Witch and Steven King
	Session 8: Modern Manifestations: True Detective

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.

Throughout Tolkien's works, the sense of loss is pervasive, building upon Tolkien's personal belief that to create myth was to engage the cultural awareness of a past "fall." This course will analyze Tolkien's most obvious allusions to a Fall in the legendarium, while looking at literary examples of a "Fall" in society of which Tolkien built upon.

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

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: "There must be a Fall": Tolkien's idea of story-telling
	Session 2: The Biblical Back Drop
Week 2	Session 3: The Greek Awareness
	Session 4: The Fall of Rome
Week 3	Session 5: The Great War
	Session 6: The Attraction of the North: The Nordic Influence
Week 4	Session 7: Modernity's theft
	Session 8: Life as Teacher: Tolkien's Loss

One of the best methods for language learning is to read and discuss a text with friends in a relaxed setting. One can discuss the subject matter from a “literary” perspective, focusing on themes, character development, narrative styles, or from a “language-learner” perspective, focusing on new words, idioms, or syntax. Both discussion types allow us to get to know a text intimately. If one of your foreign languages is Modern German, consider joining SPACE’s German Book Club for a month, where we read German short stories or books and meet twice a week to discuss them—in either English or German!

This module is aimed at the advanced beginner or intermediate level and seeks to meet the intellectual interests of the participants. Every month, the preceptor (Isaac Schendel) chooses a new text based on student interest and German level. Examples include: the novels of Hermann Hesse, the poetry of Rainer Maria Rilke, or the fairy tales of Johann Karl August Musäus. Feel free to send in any suggestions and be sure to bring along some Kaffee und Kuchen.

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.

Plato's Republic is arguably one of the most influential books ever written about Western political philsophy. This module offers an exploration of the Republic, examining its key themes such as Justice, the Ideal State, the Theory of Forms, and the Philosopher-King to name a few. Together, we will engage with the text's philosophical arguments and controversies while tying their relevance to contemporary society.

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

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Session 1: Introduction to The Republic and the Greek World
	Session 2: Book I - The Debate on Justice: Socrates vs Thrasymachus
Week 2	Session 3: Books II & III - Education and the Ideal State
	Session 4: Books IV & V - Justice in the Soul and Society
Week 3	Session 5: Books VI & VII - The Philosopher-King and the Form of the Good
	Session 6: Books VIII & IX - The Mistaken Regimes and Socrates' Critique of Democracy
Week 4	Session 7:Book X - Art, Poetry, and the Myth or Er
	Session 8: Summary, Overview, and the Legacy of Plato's Republic

From TV shows to computer games, the Vikings still manage to capture our imagination and ensnare us in an odd mix of fact and fiction. But who were they really? This new series takes a deep dive into this complex world of the early medieval Northmen, blending a wide variety of sources and the newest perspectives on written and material culture.

In the early 10th century, a woman was laid to rest in a lavish ship burial at Oseberg, Norway—one of the richest Viking graves ever discovered. But she was no queen’s consort or mere noblewoman. Her grave goods suggest she was a ruler or religious leader, commanding respect in her own right. In the overtly masculine Old Norse society, women were not simply passive and obedient, sometimes they also found ways to navigate the cultural framework and shape some agency for themselves.

In this class we’ll be moving from the very real, mundane yet essential domain of Norse women – without women’s spinning and weaving the Viking age wouldn’t have existed! – to the more mythical realm of goddesses, Valkyries, spirits, exploring all kinds of social and political roles women would have adopted. Drawing on archaeology, literature, chronicles or laws we’ll attempt to recreate part of the fascinating stories of the great and famous but also forgotten characters that shaped the Viking age and beyond.

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

Outline	8-Session Structure
Week 1	Lecture 1: The daily life of women: marriage, children, work
	Discussion 1: Discussion about Lecture 1 material
Week 2	Lecture 2: Women and power: queens, avengers, warriors
	Discussion 2: Discussion about Lecture 2 material
Week 3	Lecture 3: The Norse sorceress and prophetess
	Discussion 3: Discussion about Lecture 3 material
Week 4	Lecture 4: Divine images of women /td>
	Discussion 4: Discussion about Lecture 4 material

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.

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.