Study groups are courses designed for seniors by seniors, given both online and on campus.
Fall registration opens August 6, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Term duration: September 9 – November 18, 2024
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Fall 2024
YCMS 458 Introduction to Digital Art
Moderator: Romano DeSantis | romano.desantis [at] polymtl.ca
Giovanna DeSantis | giodesantis [at] videotron.ca
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Workshop
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 12
The idea for this study group is to learn, explore and apply the potential of readily available Applications (Apps) such as Google Slides, Power Point or similar apps, as tools to create visual art: drawings, paintings, picture editing, word art, clip art, collage and pixel art, popular art (e.g., in the style of Warhol, Jeff Koons or Mondrian), puzzles, game art and similar creative visual artifacts. Active involvement is expected. Use of a computer and some familiarity with Google Slides, PowerPoint or similar apps for digital production are highly desirable.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 573 (in person)/YCMS 574 (online)
Women Artists Through the Ages
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Sandra Frisby | sandrafrisby [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: Online
From the Renaissance through the 20th Century, women have been overshadowed by their male counterparts. In this study group, we shall explore the remarkable artistic contributions of women throughout history.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 573 - In person
YCMS 574 - Online
YCMS 249 Writers' Circle
Moderator: Liliane Aberman | liliane.aberman [at] gmail.com
Maureen Wilson | mwilson [at] ucalgary.ca
Time: Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 8
Whether you are a novice or an experienced writer, you may want to refine your writing skills with feedback and coaching within a small group. Every second week, each participant will submit their fiction or non-fiction writing (up to 1,500 words) via e-mail, at least two days prior to the workshop. Participants will then read their draft aloud, followed by a group discussion with the goal of enhancing their writing. All participants must be willing to engage in a positive, supportive exchange and be ready to receive thoughtful, diplomatic feedback from the MCLL participants.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 575 20th Century Irish Drama
Moderator: Margaret Benfield | mbenfield6 [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
In this course we will study three 20th century Irish plays: A Playboy of the Western World (Synge), Dancing at Lughnasa (Friel) and The Weir (McPherson). Synge’s iconic comedy of 1906 sets the stage for the importance of language in 20th Century Irish drama, though we should also pay attention to what is not said. We will mostly be discussing, but short, relevant presentations are always welcome. (plays available online or in our library).
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 290 The Prairies and Quebec Through Their Literature
Moderator: Andrew Macdougall (MCLL) | andrewmac [at] videotron.ca
Sandra Ens (CALL) | sandraens22 [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 17
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 10 from MCLL, 10 from CALL
As a collaborative effort between the Calgary Association of Lifelong Learners (CALL) and MCLL, this discussion group will provide participants with an opportunity to increase, through novels, their appreciation of two distinct places – the Canadian Prairies and Quebec. The four books selected (available in bookstores and libraries) will offer insight into similarities and differences in history and culture between the two regions.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 576 Healing Through Writing
Moderator: Michael Moore | michael [at] michaelXmoore.com
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 10
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 10
Personal expressive writing is a simple and powerful self-care tool, freely available to all of us. It promotes healing, stress reduction, personal growth and inner peace. In our grief-averse culture that celebrates positivity over vulnerability, faced as we are with global uncertainty, writing can be a helpful tool that builds resilience. It allows us to give voice to our messy inner lives and our negative emotions. Writing is a way to let go of storylines and memories that keep us stuck so that we can write empowered self-narratives.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 402 Writing: A Creative Challenge I
Moderator: Michael Moore | michael [at] michaelXmoore.com
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 11
An introductory journey into the art of creative writing, using innovative prompts, in-class exercises and exploring ideas about the nature of creativity; the general disciplines that every writer needs; elements of fiction, including voice, narrative, character, plot and the evoking of emotion; ideas involved in different forms of writing, such as stories, poetry, novels, plays and even memoir, with exercises on how to achieve work that will engage the reader from the start and compel them forward to the end.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 486 Writing: A Creative Challenge II
Moderator: Michael Moore | michael [at] michaelXmoore.com
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 17
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 9
This course involves creative writing projects, assignments that focus on Character Development, and the Short Story. One week would also be devoted to Poetry and one week to Playwriting. Being that the course would take place every second week it thereby provides more time to craft their works.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 577 Shakespeare at the Globe
Moderator: Clifford Parr | clifford.parr [at] sympatico.ca
Time: Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
In this session, we will be watching together and discussing a selection of plays by Shakespeare as performed live at the London's Globe Theatre. Productions include: The Comedy of Errors, All's Well That Ends Well, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Measure for Measure, and Antony and Cleopatra.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 578 Dialogues with Plateau Seniors
Moderator: Lorne Huston | lhuston137 [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting October 17
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 6 from MCLL, 6 from Projet Changement
This study group will bring together six MCLL members and six members from a seniors’ community group from the Plateau neighbourhood called Projet Changement. Through moderator-facilitated discussions, the participants will share life experiences. The spirit will be light-hearted. Nobody will be representing anybody or anything but themselves. Each meeting will have a particular theme and a policy of passive bilingualism will be in effect. MCLL members will speak English. Projet Changement members will speak French. A good understanding of spoken French is necessary.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 487 (in person)/YCMS 488 (online)
Parlons Français
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Jacques Lalanne | m.jacques.lalanne [at] gmail.com
Time: Monday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
En français seulement
Conversation en français sur des sujets d'expériences vécues, proposés par le modérateur.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 487 - In person
YCMS 488 - Online
YCMS 406 For the Love of Travel
Moderator: Peter Liontos | liontospeter018 [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting September 11
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 20
We invite all travellers, real or virtual, to join us to share their aspirations and queries on global travel with us. Topics will include group versus independent travel, shopping, flights, accommodations, insurance and solo travel. All participants will have the chance to share their travel experiences or to suggest a research destination. We will be showing videos based on your suggestions. Global travel has made a comeback, so why not be prepared when you are ready to take that special trip.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 166 A History of Mexico
Moderator: Peter Berry | dukemorrill2004 [at] yahoo.ca
Time: Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 20
Why is Mexico - geographically a part of North America - so different from Canada and the United States? Answers may lie in the indigenous civilizations of pre-Colombian Mexico, in the three hundred years of Spanish colonial rule, or in the turbulent struggle following independence to create a united and modern nation. The proud mestizo Mexico of today still carries, for better or for worse, the legacies of the past. Weekly readings and assignments are an expectation for this course.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 579 Modern Middle East, 1945 to Iraq 2003
Moderator: Peter Berry | dukemorrill2004 [at] yahoo.ca
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 20
We will look at the rise of Arab nationalism and the expulsion of the European imperial powers, Israel's war of survival, expansion and deterrence, and America's relations with Iraq.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 580 (in person)/YCMS 581 (online)
From Paris 1919 to Berlin 1945 – Causes and Conflicts Leading to Global Upheaval
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Peter Blaikie | blaikiepeter [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
This study group will study the progression of fascism to peace through an exploration of the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, its decisions and consequences. Group presentations will include: the rise of Nazism in Germany, the blitzkrieg launch of the Second World War, the Battles of Britain and the Atlantic, Hitler’s Barbarossa invasion of Russia, Pearl Harbour and the American entry into the war, the Allied campaigns in North Africa and Italy, the use of deception, the invasion of Europe on D-Day, the war against Japan in the Pacific, and the development and use of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 580 - In person
YCMS 581 - Online
YCMS 582 Stalin’s Russia
Moderator: John Felvinci | jfelvinci [at] sympatico.ca
Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 40
These lectures follow the political and cultural history of the years between 1917 and 1953, when Stalin was partially and fully in power. We begin with the period between 1879 and 1917, describing the period when Stalin was young. The tumultuous history of the Soviet Union during 1917 and 1953 (the famines, the purges, the war, the creation of anti-Zionism) will be complemented with the musical, artistic, literary and scientific achievements.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 583 (in person)/YCMS 584 (online)
“The Written Word” – Its History and Impact from Pictograms to Today
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Colin Hudson | colin.hudson [at] sympatico.ca
Russell Chapman | russell.chapman [at] sympatico.ca
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m., starting September 17
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Join us to study: how the written word evolved; the development of English; changes in meaning; the impact of dictionaries, copyright, censorship, propaganda, power shifts in society, technology, literacy and other factors. We will examine not just “what” happened but also the “why” and “how” and the impact on society. Members in this study group commit to making a presentation. Suggestions for topics and a book list will be available upon registration.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 583 - In person
YCMS 584 - Online
YCMS 585 Byzantium - The New Rome
Moderator: Roger Humphrey | rth201002 [at] yahoo.ca
Jim Wyant | wyantcoinc [at] gmail.com
Wendela Stier | wen.la.stier [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
Centred in Constantinople, the eastern part of the Roman Empire survived Rome for another millennium as one of the leading civilisations in the world. We will be looking at personalities i.e., Belasarius, Justinian and Theodora, and the arts, as well as explore the challenges to the empire such as the schism within Christianity, the growth of Islam and the European national states, and the Crusades. Recommended reading, Sarris, Peter (2015). Byzantium: A Very Short Introduction: Oxford University Press. A winter sequel is anticipated on the same topic.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 586 Five Discoveries that Changed the World
Moderator: Beverley Ann Lee | balgran [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting October 17
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
Within a very short period, between 1880 and 1910, a very small number of extraordinary discoveries unintentionally transformed the entire world into the world we know today. This five-week study group looks at how these discoveries emerged from a world that had lived, until then, without cars, planes, movies, sound recordings and genetics. What is most interesting is that while these discoveries rose to surprising global significance, they almost didn't occur, emerging on the scene as mere amusements, not to be taken too seriously.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 587 Wool
Moderator: Beverley Ann Lee | balgran [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting September 12
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
Wool, the single most important commodity the world has ever known for over 5000 years, has shaped and reshaped all social organizations, influencing economics and politics, industry and trade, divisions of labour, wars, religion and art, geography and migrations, transportation and technology. This study group delves into this often-neglected history to reveal the enormous impact wool has had on the world and on each one of our parents, grandparents, ancestors and our countries of origin.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 443 Montreal and Toronto: Compared History
Moderator: Richard Ruel (MCLL) | rruelinca [at] aol.com
Andris Rubenis (ALLTO) | andrisrubenis1 [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 6 weeks, every other week, starting September 10
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 15 from MCLL, 15 from ALLTO
In partnership with the Academy of Lifelong Learning in Toronto (ALLTO), we will focus on the distinctive characteristics of Montreal and Toronto, contemporary or throughout their history. Participants will explore topics such as arts and culture, entertainment, community movers and shakers, iconic architecture or business through presentations and group discussions. We also plan to hold moderator-led discussions on the influence of sociocultural challenges and emerging trends on the identity of our respective metropolises, over the next fifty years. Possible influencers are immigration, multiculturalism, minority rights. technological innovation such as AI and the social condition.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 356 (in person)/YCMS 357 (online)
The History and Science of Food - Repeat
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Wolfgang Schneider | wolfgangschneider [at] videotron.ca
Catherine Main-Oster | catherinemainoster [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
The study group will take an eclectic look at several specific food items that changed the way we live. We will look at foods that, historically, had enormous social, commercial, political or cultural significance, like wheat or potatoes. We will look at archaeology, history, biology, chemistry, maybe a bit of brewing and baking, and even some agriculture. The moderators will give some of the presentations, but additional presentations by participants are encouraged.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 356 - In person
YCMS 357 - Online
YCMS 389 (in person)/YCMS 390 (online)
Ancient Worlds: Uncovering the Past
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Robert Winters | robertwinters [at] videotron.ca
Time: Monday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
What can we learn from exploring ancient civilizations and discovering how people lived in the past? Recent research into the DNA of ancient people, how they thought and what they believed can challenge our views about the past. Discussion will be stimulated by presentations and videos that explore major events and people that changed history. We will look at civilizations of the Mediterranean, Asia and the Americas, including in Rome, Egypt and Greece. We will also explore the colourful lives of ancient leaders and learn what motivated them. Participants are encouraged to do presentations.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 389 - In person
YCMS 390 - Online
YCMS 588 (in person)/YCMS 589 (online)
10 psychothérapeutes innovateurs que j'ai connus
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Jacques Lalanne | m.jacques.lalanne [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
En français seulement
Pendant la deuxième partie du XXe siècle des psychothérapeutes qui sont devenues célèbres ont innové dans ce domaine. J'ai étudié, travaillé, collaborer avec une douzaine d'entre eux. Je vous ferai part de leur personnalité, telles que je les ai connus, mais surtout de leurs méthodes innovatrices : l'approche non-directive, la thérapie provocatrice, la logo thérapie, la thérapie de la responsabilité, l'agressivité créatrice, le focus, la désintégration positive, les relations fondées sur le respect mutuel, la bio énergie, la méthode d'option pour être heureux.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 588 - In person
YCMS 589 - Online
YCMS 590 Ten Innovative Psychotherapists I Have Known
Moderator: Jacques Lalanne | m.jacques.lalanne [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
In the second part of the 20th century, many innovative psychotherapists created effective methods. I have studied, worked, collaborated with a dozen of them. I will tell you about their personalities and especially about their methods: the non-directive person centered approach, provocative therapy, logotherapy, therapy of responsibility, creative aggression, mutual respect-based relationships, focusing, bioenergy, positive disintegration, the Option method to be happy.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 591 Optimizing Aging in 2024
Moderator: Lawrence Lincoln | lawrence.lincoln [at] outlook.com
Suzanne Alleyn | suzannealleyn_1 [at] sympatico.ca
Time: Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 9 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 15
For this study group, topics include, but are not limited to, exercise, diet and nutrition, sleep, maintaining social engagement, aging and the brain, aging and the musculoskeletal system, spirituality and religion, work and leisure.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 592 Music in the Cinema
Moderator: Dan Babineau | danbabineau2023 [at] outlook.com
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
We will explore the rich interchange between music and the cinema. We will see (and of course, hear!) how music has been used to accompany films, beginning with the live performances of the silent era and progressing in power and sophistication to the meticulously scored multi-track films of the present. We will take a detailed look at the work of film composers, learning some of the specifics of the craft and examining many examples of how music supports character and narrative, creates mood, and can help to deliver the central ideas of a film. Discussion is encouraged.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 593 Understanding Opera 1: Renaissance Through Mozart/DaPonte
Moderator: Rick Jones | rickjones205 [at] yahoo.com
Philip Ehrensaft | metro845 [at] philipehrensaft.com
Time: Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 90
Opera began as a wonderful mistake by Italian Renaissance intellectuals who thought they revived ancient Greek theater aesthetics. Instead, they invented a new multimedia art form, with the musical genius Monteverdi’s Orfeo as the entry card. In the fall term, we will watch videos of lectures and performances that cover Monteverdi through the pathbreaking partnership of Mozart and the poet Da Ponte. In the winter term, this series of lectures will continue from Rossini, German and Russian Operas and then to Puccini.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 497 Théâtre: lecture à haute voix de scènes classiques et modernes
Moderator: Jacques Lalanne | m.jacques.lalanne [at] gmail.com
Time: Monday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 15
En français seulement
Tartuffe, L'Avare, Le malade imaginaire, Le bourgeois gentilhomme, La mégère apprivoisée, Douze hommes en colère, Qui a peur de Virginia Woolf, Le premier, Six personnages en quête d'auteur, Le vrai monde? etc.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 498 What's All the Percussion About?
Moderator: Lanny Levine | lannylevines [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting September 11
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 11
Showcase the sounds of orchestral percussion instruments: timpani, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, and mallet instruments. Demonstrate playing techniques, explain percussion notation, and have everyone try out smaller instruments first hand. Lots of listening. Participants could give a short presentation touching, however tangentially, on any aspect of percussion.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 594 Joseph Stiglitz: The Road to the Good Society
Moderator: Nadia Alexan | nadia.alexan [at] videotron.ca
Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderatort Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 30
In The Road to Freedom, Nobel Prize winner, Joseph E. Stiglitz, reveals the failures of our current economic system: free and unfettered markets that delivered a series of crises, the financial crisis, the opioid crisis, and the inequality crisis. A free and successful society is one where everyone lives with dignity, not just the few at the top.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 595 Let's Do Philosophy!
Moderator: Alan Belk | abelk [at] uoguelph.ca
Time: Monday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 9
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
Doing philosophy is about providing good reasons to support a point of view. It is also about trying to find coherent answers to intractable questions that, at root, are about what it is to live well as a human being, such as What is it to be good? Finally, philosophy requires a willingness to change one's mind. At each meeting we will discuss a philosophical question in an area of philosophical interest (e.g., Appearance and Reality; Ethics; Art; Science; Consciousness). There may be a short reading (~2 pages) to frame the discussion and a brief (~10 min) introductory minilecture for the session.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 300 (in person)/YCMS 344 (online)
L‘Actualité: perspectives des media Québécois
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Tony Frayne | Tony1frayne [at] bell.net
Marisa Consolata Kemper | marisa.consolata [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 10 in person, 10 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
En français avec participation dans les deux langues officielles
We live in interesting times, in a city which has some world-class media. Join our study group to discuss current events in Québec, Canada and abroad, as reported in our local print and electronic media. You also get the chance to practice your French. Participants are expected to be able to read and understand French and English but may express themselves in either language. They are responsible for accessing recommended articles.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 300 - In-person
YCMS 344 - Online
YCMS 596 Exploring Indigeneity in North America
Moderator: Randy Kritkausky | rkritkausky [at] ecologia.org
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 18
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 30
A guided exploration and discussion of topics that both mainstream and Indigenous Peoples find perplexing (e.g., pretendians, land back, sovereignty, cultural assimilation and appropriation, re-creating a livable environment, Doctrine of Discovery). The study group moderator has French-Canadian and Indigenous (Anishinaabe) ancestry, with dual residency in Montreal and Vermont. Study group participants will propose topics and work together to find nuanced responses to issues often posed in misleadingly simplistic terms.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 349 (in person)/YCMS 350 (online)
World Topics of Interest for Discussion
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Paul Kuai-Yu Leong | paul.leong1234 [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Each week we discuss a variety of interesting topics after viewing videos from a variety of sources (e.g., Oxford Union, Intelligencesquared.com, france24.com, etc.) The objective is to expand our horizons on world affairs – even with controversial opinions. So, let's keep calm and carry on with some stimulating discussions.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 349 - In person
YCMS 350 - Online
YCMS 597 (in person)/YCMS 598 (online)
International Organizations: Fragmented World
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Christopher Neal | Clneal16 [at] gmail.com
Marisa Consolata Kemper | marisa.consolata [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Fragmentation and multipolarity describe international relations today. Hot wars rage in Ukraine, Gaza and Africa. Action on climate change flags even as impacts worsen. Artificial intelligence, pandemics and migration pose new challenges. International organizations established to resolve conflict, manage crises and address political, economic, social and environmental challenges now seem weaker than ever. What happened? Can the UN and its agencies, IMF, World Bank, G7 and G20 be reformed? Moderator Christopher Neal draws on his international career experience to introduce internationalist ideas and history, after which participants will present on specific international organizations.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 597 - In person
YCMS 598 - Online
YCMS 047 (in person)/YCMS 342 (online)
Inside The New Yorker
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Kay Palkhivala | kaypalkhivala [at] gmail.com
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: Online
Each study group session will consist of two discussions on topics taken from The New Yorker magazine: a topical issue, usually an article, and a short story. The articles and stories will be chosen by study group members from the current or past issues. To ensure meaningful contributions, study group members are expected to arrive prepared to participate in all discussions. Expect one to two hours’ reading prior to each meeting. Reading assignments and discussion questions will be posted on the online schedule in Google Docs. Note that participants in this study group DO NOT NEED a subscription to The New Yorker magazine. The readings will be linked to the Schedule. For those who want to subscribe, low-cost digital subscriptions are available at subscribe.condenastdigital.com.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 047 - In person
YCMS 342 - Online
YCMS 599 (in person)/YCMS 600 (online)
"A Republic, if you can keep it"
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Jeff Sidel | jsidel [at] videotron.ca
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 6 weeks, starting September 10
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 13 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
"A Republic if you can keep it" are the prescient words of Benjamin Franklin on the day that the U.S. Constitution was signed, and a new country was born. The U.S. electorate will be tested as never before on November 5th in the choice between democracy and autocracy.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 599 - In person
YCMS 600 - Online
YCMS 601 "A Republic, if you can keep it", Section 2
Moderator: Jeff Sidel | jsidel [at] videotron.ca
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 6 weeks, starting September 11
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 28
"A Republic if you can keep it" are the prescient words of Benjamin Franklin on the day that the U.S. Constitution was signed, and a new country was born. The U.S. electorate will be tested as never before on November 5th in the choice between democracy and autocracy.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 410 Alberta and Quebec Through the Looking Glass: Two Solitudes or a Stronger Canada?
Moderator: Brian Webber (MCLL) | saican [at] icloud.com
Ron Foyer (CALL) | ron-foyer [at] shaw.ca
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 10
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 10 from MCLL, 10 from CALL
We can all learn from how other parts of Canada do things. Quebec and Alberta probably do their 'things' more differently than any other pair of Canadian provinces. These contrasts can lead to engaging and stimulating discussion as well as enhanced understanding. Participants from the Calgary Association for Lifelong Learning (CALL) and from MCLL will compare their societies and look for alternative approaches to key issues. We will also discuss "hidden gems" in art, travel, food and music. Participants will be encouraged to research materials for discussion. New participants are welcome to join this virtual study group.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 506 Towards the Africa of Tomorrow: An Intergenerational Learning Initiative
Moderator: Brian Webber (MCLL) | saican [at] icloud.com
Nii Addy | nii.addy [at] mcgill.ca
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 11
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 from MCLL
Africa will be the forum for growth in the next 25 years and also key to many climate-respecting initiatives. The study group will bring African students at McGill interested to broaden their experience of Canada together with MCLL members interested to discuss and learn about the continent. Participants will address critical issues linking Africa and Canada and provide insights into research and entrepreneurship. The study group continues the inter-generational collaboration between MCLL and the McGill MasterCard Foundation (MCF) Transitions Project. We welcome new participants keen to share and learn.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 602 (in person)/YCMS 603 (online)
Adventures in Mine-finding on Four Different Continents
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Jared Beebe | jaredbeebe [at] gmail.com
Time: Monday, 12:00-2:00 p.m
Duration: 5 weeks, starting September 9
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 10 in person, 10 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
An experienced geologist, Jared Beebe (P.Geo, & member of the Order of Geologists of Quebec) will share his mine-finding experiences. He will focus on the economic and production aspects once the mineral deposits are accessible and will share the results of some of his findings (Tahuehueto- Mexico, Akassaba-Quebec, Jewel-Ohir). After a lengthy career (1987-2023 in four different continents), his presentations will enlighten us about the mining-fields, the intriguing locations and the different cultures he experienced.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 602 - In-person
YCMS 603 - Online
YCMS 604 Nuclear, Biochemical, and Cyber Warfare 1
Moderator: Philip Ehrensaft | metro845 [at] philipehrensaft.com
Jean-Denis Gingras | jeandenis.gingras [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 40
Nuclear weapons, delivered via intercontinental, submarine, or hypersonic cruise missiles, place question marks over the human enterprise. New superpower rivalry between the USA and China heightens risks of unwanted thermonuclear war. We discuss the 2024 Doomsday Clock’s evaluation of high-tech military threats, then focus on Rhodes’s The Making of The Atomic Bomb, Jacobsen’s Nuclear War: A Scenario, and videos.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 605 How Do We Feed All These People?
Moderator: Muriel Herrington | murielh [at] bell.net
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 22
The current world population is greater than 8.1 billion. Some are severely malnourished whereas others have food in abundance. Where does our food come from? How do farms vary worldwide and how have they changed since the dawn of farming? Although we might want to eat local, much of our available food travels long distances. A lot of food is wasted at various stages. The moderator will provide suggestions for topics and some reference material.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 606 A Smörgåsbord of Science and Technology
Moderator: Peggy Leech | leechpeggy [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting September 18
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 40
Science and technology play an integral role in our lives, and every day there are new discoveries and developments. However, details about the news items or their future implications often remain a mystery. Five informed presenters will each share their underlying knowledge of a specific topic. Before each presentation, you will receive reference material or links to relevant articles and videos. Join us for a season of stimulating presentations and discussions with your fellow members.
The Cholesterol Conundrum - Dr. Chris Labos
The Doomsday Clock - Philip Ehrensaft
Is Nuclear Power an Option for Quebec? Jean-Denis Gingras
Can Computers Be as Creative as Humans? - Richard Harris
Cosmic Alchemy - Linda Tu
Register for this online study group
YCMS 079 Drama for Fun
Moderator: Freda Segal | fsegal10 [at] gmail.com
Time: Monday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Workshop
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 11
Drama for Fun is a workshop that promotes socialization, improves creativity, and induces laughter — a perfect remedy for our times. Come and witness the creativity that can be unleashed when thespians get together via Zoom to create online drama.
Register for this online study group
