Study groups are courses designed for seniors by seniors, given both online and on campus.
Spring registration opens April 2, 2024 at 9 a.m.
Term duration: April 15 – June 27, 2024
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Study Group Topics
History Medicine / Health / WellnessMusic / Theatre / Film Studies
Politics / Economics / Current Events Senior Services / Workshops
Spring 2024
YCMS 479 (in person)/YCMS 480 (online)
A Horse of a Different Colour
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Linda Sidel | lindasidel [at] me.com
Time: Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 17
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online Moderator Location: Online
Over a five-week period, we explore the vivid, diverse, and fun nature of colour as it appears in life, in art, and in music. This includes but is not limited to White & Black, (yin/yang); Food dyes and tattoos, (inside/out); Morrisseau and Carr, (Indigenous/Early Canadian); and War & Peace symbols.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 479 - In person
YCMS 480 - Online
YCMS 546 Anton Chekhov: Two Plays
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
Anton Chekhov was writing plays and stories at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, aware that huge changes were underway in his society. Over a hundred years later, we may find some echoes of these shifts in our own age. The plays resonate still, despite the differences in time and place, because many of his themes are timeless. We will focus on The Three Sisters and The Cherry Orchard. Chekhov labelled the former as a "drama" and the latter a "comedy," but these categories may be deceptive. There is very little conventional action, but there is certainly a lot going on. We should have plenty to discuss! Editions: Penguin Classics: Chekhov: Five Plays, Translator Peter Carson.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 547 Fairy Tales: Once Upon a Time -- Today
Moderator: Barbara Karasek | karasekb [at] vaniercollege.qc.ca
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
Apart from the Bible, there is probably no body of material that is as familiar to Western society as fairy tales. Transmitted orally for hundreds of years until they were eventually recorded, these tales can be found in many versions worldwide. In this process, the tales have undergone constant transformation as generations of tellers, collectors, writers, and artists across cultures have been drawn to this motherlode of story. Comparison of multiple versions will allow us to examine the features of a particular tale that have brought about its enduring popularity. Recommended text: Folk and Fairy Tales by Martin Hallett and Barbara Karasek (Broadview Press, 5th ed.).
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 548 Favourite Books
Moderators: Ana Maria Klein | kleina [at] fredonia.edu
Michael Moore | michael [at] writersstudio.online
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 18
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 25
This study group will involve participants in sharing their favourite books and book collections. The presenters will share their own perspectives, writing-in-progress, and other forms of bibliotherapy, encouraging participants to join in. The format will be a simple show-and-tell or book-talk style where participants will take turns bringing their books and collections to life.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 290 The Prairies and Quebec Through Their Literature
Moderators: 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 April 16
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 novels to be read and discussed are: The Trade by Fred Stenson; Fight Night by Miriam Toews; The Street by Mordechai Richler; You Will Love What You Have Killed by Kevin Lambert (Tu aimerais ce que tu as tué).
Register for this online study group
YCMS 549 Fifteen Dogs: A Review and Analysis of the Book and the Play
Moderator: Michael Moore | mxm [at] michaelmoore.studio
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 21
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 20
The book, Fifteen Dogs, is five chapters in length. This study group is also five weeks in duration. We hope that participants will have read the book and seen the play, ideally. The moderator will provide an analysis of the written work - participants will be urged to contribute critical observations of their attendance of the play, adding unique perspectives and opinions on the overall work.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 402 Writing: A Creative Challenge I
Moderator: Michael Moore | mxm [at] michaelmoore.studio
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 11
This study group is an introductory journey into the art of creative writing, 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 550 Henry VI, Dr. Faustus, and the Duchess
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 study group, we will be watching together and discussing the recent RSC production of the three parts of Shakespeare's Henry VI, as well as the Globe productions of Christopher Marlowe's Tragical History of Dr. Faustus and John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 551 (in person)/YCMS 552 (online)
Myths, Legends and Folklore
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: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: Online
What are the myths surrounding trees? Childbirth? Fairies? What is the evil eye? In how many cultures do these myths affect behaviour? What myth system sustained the West Coast Indian culture? Avoiding the usual Egyptian, Greek and Roman myths, find a less traveled road and follow it. Imagine what you’ll learn!
Please register for one section:
YCMS 551 - In person
YCMS 552 - Online
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: 12 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, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, April 24, May 1, May 22, May 29, June 5
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 20
We invite all travelers, real or virtual, to join us on Wednesday 9:30 April 24, May 1, 22, 29 & June 5 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 462 (in person)/YCMS 463 (online)
The Evolution of Eighteenth-Century Celebrity
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Belinda Beaton | belinda.beaton2 [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
The notion of celebrity took off in the eighteenth century. Part of it was due to changes in media that enabled the distribution of information concerning individuals. Suddenly there was a huge audience for personal information concerning not only royalty, but also actors, writers, military commanders, to say nothing of criminals and courtesans. Many of the tropes and criteria modern audiences use to evaluate public personalities were born in this period.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 462 - In person
YCMS 463 - Online
YCMS 521 A Look at the History of Brazil
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: 22
Pedro Alvares Cabral’s landing in 1500 on the coast of South America set in motion a chain of events that resulted in the creation of the fascinating multicultural and multiracial Brazilian nation.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 522 Turning Points in the Modern Middle East
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: 22
We will investigate the causes and consequences of the breakup of the Ottoman Empire, the end of the Palestine Mandate, and the triumph of the ayatollahs in the Iranian Revolution of 1978-79. The positive and negative legacies of these events are still impacting the region today.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 553 Mussolini's Italy 1883-1945
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
In these lectures, we are reviewing the political and cultural history of Italy during Benito Mussolini’s lifetime. We will follow Mussolini’s development from a socialist to a fascist, his rise to power, his time as leader of Italy, his fall from power and his death. We will also survey the rich musical, artistic, and literary scene in Italy during this time period.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 554 Imperial Rome, Part 2
Moderators: 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: 6 weeks, starting April 18
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 17
Continuing the study of Rome in the Imperial age, we will examine, for example, maritime developments, the “five good emperors”, the transition from a pagan society to Christianity, the results of the breakup of the Empire in the west – the early formation of modern European states. Of course, members of the study group can suggest topics of interest to them.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 555 Trailblazer Women Throughout the Ages
Moderators: Henry Olders | henry.olders [at] mcgill.ca
Suzanne Alleyn | suzannealleyn_1 [at] sympatico.ca
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting April 23
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 14
What woman would you choose as the person who left her mark, who may have changed the course of history, who continues to be a role model? Tell us about that woman, and why you believe she was a trailblazer. Here are some suggestions: Cleopatra; Hildegard of Bingen; Artemisia Gentileschi; Hatshepsut; Queen Elizabeth I; Queen Seondeok of Korea; Sofonisba Anguissola; Catherine de ‘Medici; Florence Nightingale; Harriet Tubman; Maria Montessori; Eleanor of Aquitaine; Jane Jacobs; Elaine Morgan; Marie Curie; Temple Grandin; Grace Hopper; Ada Lovelace; Helen Keller; Caterina Sforza; Lucrezia Borgia.
Register for this in-person study group
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: 12 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 556 (in person)/YCMS 557 (online)
Carl Rogers, le psychologue le plus important du 20e siècle
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderator: Jacques Lalanne | m.jacques.lalanne [at] gmail.com
Time: Wednesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 22
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
En français seulement
Carl Rogers a été le premier à observer la psychothérapie avec des méthodes scientifiques. Il a découvert que l'ingrédient principal pour favoriser le développement d'une autre personne est l'empathie. Il a appliqué son approche à la psychothérapie, à l'éducation, aux groupes de rencontres, aux relations interethniques et internationales.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 556 - In person
YCMS 557 - Online
YCMS 558 (in person)/YCMS 559 (online)
Carl Rogers, the Most Important Psychologist of the 20th Century
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: 5 weeks, starting May 22
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Carl Rogers was the first to apply scientific methods to observe and measure psychotherapy. He found that the most important element to foster the development of another person is empathy. He applied his discovery to psychotherapy, education, encounter groups, interethnic and international relationships.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 558 - In person
YCMS 559 - Online
YCMS 560 Bach’s Transformation of Classical Music, Part Two
Moderators: Philip Ehrensaft | metro845 [at] philipehrensaft.com
Rick Jones | rickjones205 [at] yahoo.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
J.S. Bach’s transformation of classical music melded the rigor and rhythmic punch of German composition, French Baroque styles rooted in dance, Italy’s invention of opera, the Lutheran Reformation’s transcendental liturgical music, and Bach’s once-in-a-century sheer genius plus his supreme keyboard and violin virtuosity. We conclude with two mature masterpieces: 1) the Saint Matthew Passion and 2) the Goldberg Variations, including Glen Gould’s landmark performances. MCLL members who did not take Bach Part One are welcome to enroll in Part Two.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 561 Desert Island Discs
Moderator: Philip Harrison | philip.harrison [at] stratagem.ca
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 18
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 10
Based on the BBC program of the same name, the premise is that participants choose eight records (pieces of music) that they would select and why, if they were to be cast away to a desert island. Then they choose which one they would save, plus one book and one luxury item for their island exile.
Register for this in-person 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: Monday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 15
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant 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 firsthand. Lots of listening using the internet with PowerPoint, CDs, and YouTube. Participants could give a short presentation touching, however tangentially, on any aspect of percussion.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 562 Popular Music Tour (Guided by AI)
Moderator: Bruce Macleod | Bruce.macleod [at] mac.com
Time: Monday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 15
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 16
An informal spontaneous AI-guided group tour of selected popular music artists and genres. Includes: AI generated information points (ChatGPT); editorials, videos and recordings sampled from Spotify and YouTube; Group discussion.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 501 (in person)/YCMS 502 (online)
The Life, Times, and Music of Leonard Cohen
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderators: Jeff Sidel | jsidel [at] videotron.ca
Linda Sidel | lindasidel [at] me.com
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 18
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Hallelujah. Are you aware that this iconic classic written and recorded by Leonard Cohen in 1984 achieved little initial success? Have you ever wondered who “Suzanne” and “Marianne” were? Did you know that Judy Collins was instrumental in launching Cohen’s music career in the U.S.? All this and more will be addressed, as we take a deep dive over a five-week period to discover the life, times, and music of Leonard Cohen.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 501 - In person
YCMS 502 - Online
YCMS 563(in person)/YCMS 564 (online)
The Life, Times, and Music of Gordon Lightfoot
Hybrid Study Group - register for in-person or online attendance
Moderators: Jeff Sidel | jsidel [at] videotron.ca
Linda Sidel | lindasidel [at] me.com
Time: Thursday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 23
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
“The Minstrel of the Dawn is Here” …from Orillia, Ontario to worldwide fame, Gordon Lightfoot, troubadour and poet became one of Canada’s most beloved singer/songwriters. Vivid storytelling in song – Canadian Railroad Trilogy and The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, made him one of world’s greatest icons. Over a five-week session, we will explore in-depth why artists such as Judy Collins, Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash and many other major recording artists felt compelled to perform Lightfoot’s songs.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 563 - In person
YCMS 564 - Online
YCMS 565 The English Musical Renaissance 1899-1920
Moderator: Tony Wait | anthony.wait39 [at] yahoo.com
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 23
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
The première of Elgar's Enigma Variation in June 1899 heralded the arrival of a new master and the beginning of the English musical renaissance of the early 20th century. We will concentrate on the music of not only Elgar, but also discover that of Delius and Vaughan Williams, the other major figures of this period.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 566 Exploring Pedro Almodovar through Two Films and His Autobiography
Moderator: Alicia Zlatar | Zlatar.alicia [at] gmail.com
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting April 16
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation and Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 10
A minimum level of Spanish is required to participate in the study group. The first session will center on the life of Almodovar and his accomplishments as a director. We will screen Julieta, made in 2016 and based on the short stories by Alice Munro. It will take two sessions to watch the film and understand it through a constructive discussion. Another film will be shown on the fourth and final sessions of the study group using the same format.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 567 Davos Man: How the Billionaires Devoured the World by Peter S. Goodman
Moderator: Nadia Alexan | nadia.alexan [at] videotron.ca
Time: Wednesday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 18
The New York Times’s Global Economics Correspondent masterfully reveals how billionaires’ systematic plunder of the world—brazenly accelerated during the pandemic—has transformed 21st-century life and dangerously destabilized democracy. The book reveals their hidden impact on nearly every aspect of modern society: widening wealth inequality, the rise of anti-democratic nationalism, the shrinking opportunity to earn a livable wage, the vulnerabilities of our health-care systems, access to affordable housing, unequal taxation, and even the quality of the shirt on your back. A must-read book for understanding the causes of inequality.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 382 Latin America – Past Present and Future (Intergenerational Group)
Moderator: Paul Doucet | pdoucetlindsay [at] gmail.com
François Labonté | flabonteca [at] yahoo.ca
Time: Tuesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 from MCLL, 10 from SLASA
This session is intergenerational and is designed by SLASA (Spanish and Latin America Student Association of McGill) and MCLL. Its purpose is to bring together Latin American students and MCLL members with interest/experience in Latin America in presenting and discussing issues pertinent to this continent. About 8-10 students at the BA/MA levels will make presentations. About the same number of MCLL members will be expected to also make presentations, based on their professional experience, achievements and lessons learned, with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean.
Register for this online 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
Moderators: 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: 8 in person, 8 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 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: 12 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 569 Wealth, Power, Wars: The Role of Empathy
Moderator: Henry Olders | henry.olders [at] mcgill.ca
Time: Tuesday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, every other week, starting April 16
Study Group Style: Discussion Group
Attendance: In person
Maximum Number of Participants: 13
Why do some governments and politicians engage in bullying or make war against other countries, minorities, religious groups, immigrants, refugees, the mentally ill, or the handicapped? Or corporations and executives abusing employees, colluding to fix prices, collecting user data illegally, or deliberately creating addictions? Is this psychopathy? Mental illness? Caused by trauma? Or a lack of empathy? We will explore the biology and psychology of empathy as the underpinning for conscience, guilt, shame, ethics, and morals. How empathy can be used to manipulate, and how to recognize when this happens.
Register for this in-person study group
YCMS 570 (in person)/YCMS 571 (online)
2024 Presidential Election: And the Presumptive Nominees Are Biden v. Trump?
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: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Hybrid
Maximum Number of Participants: 12 in person, 14 online
Moderator Location: In classroom
Now that the primaries are over, it is a mad race to November. We continue to take a deep dive on all the issues surrounding the upcoming election. Be here. It will be wild.
Please register for one section:
YCMS 570 - In person
YCMS 571 - Online
YCMS 572 2024 Presidential Election: And the Presumptive Nominees Are Biden v. Trump, Section 2
Moderator: Jeff Sidel | jsidel [at] videotron.ca
Time: Wednesday, 12:00-2:00 p.m.
Duration: 10 weeks
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 28
Now that the primaries are over, it is a mad race to November. We continue to take a deep dive on all the issues surrounding the upcoming election. Be here. It will be wild.
Register for this online study group
YCMS 477 Understanding Markets and Investing
Moderator: Robert Winters | robertwinters [at] videotron.ca
Rick Jones | rickjones205 [at] yahoo.com
Time: Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 23
Study Group Style: Moderator/Participant Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 30
Investing can seem intimidating if you don’t understand concepts related to markets and securities. Whether you are fine-tuning your portfolio or shifting your investment strategy, class members will share their knowledge and experience to help you understand the investment world better. What technical tools can be used to screen possible investments to find winners - and avoid losers? Some class members will be very knowledgeable while others will be eager to learn. Our goal is to learn about financial topics; this is not an investment club. Participants are encouraged to do presentations.
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
YCMS 271 Digital Literacy for Lifelong Learners
Moderator: Tim Skene | tim [at] skene.org
Time: Thursday, 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Duration: 5 weeks, starting May 23
Study Group Style: Moderator Presentation Group
Attendance: Online
Maximum Number of Participants: 50
Digital literacy is essential in today's online world. Every day we confront fake and biased news, misinformation, paid reviews and pseudoscience. Equally important are online privacy and the widespread harvesting of our personal data. This study group will reveal the many versions of truth online and how to tell good sense from nonsense. We will look at what privacy means these days and how to avoid scams and digital fraud.
Register for this online study group
