r e a dy f o r m o r e KYOTO: THE HEART OF JAPAN SCFC587 / Fee $104 6 Thursdays, January 13–February 17, 9:30–11:20 am, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Michael Newton Founded in 794 CE, the city of Kyoto was Japan’s imperial capital and cultural centre until the dawn of the modern era in 1868. We’ll look at Kyoto’s evolution as a city, examine its great artistic and philosophic traditions, and discuss the cultural impact of its urban environment. MURDER AND INTRIGUE: EMPERORS AND EMPRESSES OF THE ROMAN AND BYZANTINE EMPIRES SCFC593 / Fee $104 6 Mondays, February 21–March 28, 11:30 am–1:20 pm, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Carina Nilsson Few lives were ever as fraught with drama as those of the emperors and empresses of Rome and Byzantium. Our journey will take us through pivotal military conquests, dangerous religious clashes, and the rise of powerful dynasties between the first and twelfth centuries. THE NEW ATHEISTS AND THEIR CRITICS SCFC580 / Fee $104 6 Tuesdays, January 11–February 15, 9:30–11:20 am, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Elijah Dann Are there sound arguments for God’s existence? Is God necessary to morality? The scholars now known as the New Atheists have a few ideas, and so do their critics. Draw your own conclusions from stimulating discussion and debate on both. “I’ve taken eight courses so far—there are so many different topics to explore in the Seniors Program.” —Gloria, student, Seniors Program
AN INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY SCFC591 / Fee $104 6 Fridays, January 14–February 18, 1:30–3:20 pm, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Michael Lanthier Why has humankind disregarded the environment, and when did this neglect begin? Didn’t anyone notice this problem and attempt to do something about it? Explore these and other critical questions as we track the history of our ambivalent relationship with the global environment. JOSEPH HAYDN: FATHER OF THE CLASSICAL STYLE SCFC583 / Fee $104 6 Wednesdays, January 12–February 16, 9:30–11:20 am, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Nicolas Krusek Prolific in every major genre of instrumental and vocal music, Joseph Haydn (1732–1809) is best remembered for perfecting the symphony and the string quartet. Listen and learn in these uplifting sessions, covering Haydn’s cello and trumpet concertos, his great oratorios The Creation and The Seasons, and several other important works.
Contact us for more information. Visit www.sfu.ca/seniors E: seniors@sfu.ca | T: 778-782-5212 42
PARADISES LOST: UTOPIAS IN WESTERN LITERARY HISTORY SCFC603 / Fee $104 6 Fridays, February 25–April 1, 9:30–11:20 am, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Graham Forst Utopian visions help us understand the relationship between society and the individual throughout the ages, as well as the continuity of human nature. We’ll examine both using classical and contemporary visions of “perfect places” as they have been conceived in the West. THE SCIENCE FICTION OF HG WELLS: DARWINISM, DECADENCE, AND THE MACABRE IN THE LATE 19TH CENTURY SCFC579 / Fee $104 6 Mondays, January 10–February 14, 11:30 am–1:20 pm, SFU Vancouver Instructor: Mason Harris Immerse yourself in the world of H.G. Wells through his seminal science-fiction novellas: The Time Machine, The Island of Doctor Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds and The First Men in the Moon. We’ll round out discussions with a look at R.L. Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Margaret Atwood’s Oryx and Crake. Please read any edition of all of these texts prior to the first class.