Spring 2025 (March – April and May – June)

Series description: In this World Affairs lecture series, we will discuss current events making the news, affecting our lives and our world. Hot topics of the week will be explored in-depth, providing context and background for stories in the headlines. We will also be exploring some topics that did not make the headlines, but should have. The content will be determined weekly by emerging issues of importance to Canadians. Come for lively discussions of the news that matters, led by a veteran Carleton University political scientist and media commentator. Perspective and analysis will be provided by the lecturer, followed by a discussion with participants. Come see why this series is an engaging and enlightening favourite for so many.

• Days: Wednesdays, May 7-June 11, 2025
• Time: 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm Eastern Time
• Fee: $175.00 (plus HST)

Series description: This series will boldly go where no one has gone before, deep into the realm of Star Trek ethics. We will examine one episode each week, asking whether Star Trek lives up to its ideals. We ask if Star Trek’s aim to seek out new worlds is an imperialist project. We will also take a good hard look at the “prime directive”. This ethical rule, central to Star Fleet, claims It is wrong for ‘advanced’ space-faring societies to interfere with people who have not developed space-faring technology. To help us address these questions I will introduce key ethical theorists including Charles Mills, John Stuart Mill, Amartya Sen, John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Thomas Hobbes, John Rawls, and Martha Nussbaum. I hope you will join me on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise, as we lovingly put Star Trek under the moral microscope.

• Days: Thursdays, March 13 – April 17, 2025
• Time: 9:30 am to 11:30 am Eastern Time
• Fee: $175.00 + HST

Series description: The plays of William Shakespeare have been filmed more than any other author in the English language. From literal adaptations to unconventional re-imaginings and contemporary updates, each new iteration provides a fresh interpretation of the text while also being a unique reflection of the values and interests of the specific time and place in which it was made. This course will compare and contrast key scenes from a variety of film and television versions of some of Shakespeare’s most renowned and beloved works, and will give participants the opportunity to analyze and discuss the differences between them in an engaging and accessible format.

• Days: Wednesdays, March 5 – April 9, 2025
• Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm
• Fee: $175.00+ HST

Series description: This small-group series led by LLeaP lecturer Maria Martin will help you to develop your knowledge,
appreciation and comfort level when viewing and discussing art. Each week you will gather together at
the National Gallery of Canada, with a variety of themes, including Canadian Landscape, Sculpture, Love Stories, Art
by and about Women, and Contemporary Art. We will take a light-hearted approach, looking at works of
art in their historical context, including discussions on artistic techniques, meaning, conservation, and
valuation. Lectures and discussions will take place in front of selected work’s in the Gallery’s collection.

• Days: Thursdays, March 6-April 10, 2025 and Fridays, March 7-April 11, 2025
• Time: 10:00 am to 12:00 pm Eastern Time
• Price: $200 + HST