what is the odyssey to oxford program? - MSU Alumni Association ...
what is the odyssey to oxford program? - MSU Alumni Association ...
what is the odyssey to oxford program? - MSU Alumni Association ...
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unrest, acts of terror<strong>is</strong>m, war, wea<strong>the</strong>r, acts of God or any o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
event, action or om<strong>is</strong>sion.<br />
Odyssey <strong>to</strong> Oxford<br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education<br />
<strong>MSU</strong> <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
Michigan State University<br />
300 Spartan Way<br />
East Lansing, MI 48824-1005<br />
By embarking upon h<strong>is</strong>/her travel, <strong>the</strong> traveler voluntarily<br />
assumes all r<strong>is</strong>k involved in such travel, whe<strong>the</strong>r expected or<br />
unexpected. Traveler <strong>is</strong> hereby warned of <strong>the</strong> above r<strong>is</strong>ks as<br />
well as possible travel industry bankruptcies and medical and<br />
climatic d<strong>is</strong>ruptions, and <strong>the</strong> possibility traveler may be unable<br />
<strong>to</strong> travel as scheduled because of personal emergency. Traveler<br />
<strong>is</strong> adv<strong>is</strong>ed <strong>to</strong> obtain appropriate insurance coverage against<br />
<strong>the</strong>se r<strong>is</strong>ks; information <strong>is</strong> available through <strong>the</strong> Michigan State<br />
University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong> or <strong>the</strong> University of Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong><br />
<strong>Association</strong> regarding travel insurance. Traveler’s retention of<br />
tickets, reservations, or booking after <strong>is</strong>suance shall constitute<br />
consent <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> above and an agreement on h<strong>is</strong>/her part <strong>to</strong> convey<br />
<strong>the</strong> contents here<strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong> h<strong>is</strong>/her travel companions or group<br />
members.<br />
University of Oxford Chr<strong>is</strong>t Church College and<br />
Ca<strong>the</strong>dral from <strong>the</strong> War Memorial Gardens<br />
Add <strong>to</strong> your life!<br />
alumni.msu.edu<br />
Health<br />
We reserve <strong>the</strong> right <strong>to</strong> decline <strong>to</strong> accept or d<strong>is</strong>m<strong>is</strong>s any person as<br />
a reg<strong>is</strong>trant of <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong> should such person’s health, mental<br />
condition, physical infirmity, action or attitude impede <strong>the</strong><br />
operation of <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong> or <strong>the</strong> rights, welfare or enjoyment<br />
of o<strong>the</strong>r participants. Any physical or mental condition that<br />
may require special ass<strong>is</strong>tance or medical attention (such as <strong>the</strong><br />
need for a wheelchair) must be reported in writing at <strong>the</strong> time<br />
of reg<strong>is</strong>tration. A helper who <strong>is</strong> capable of and <strong>to</strong>tally responsible<br />
for providing required ass<strong>is</strong>tance must accompany participants<br />
who require ass<strong>is</strong>tance. Th<strong>is</strong> will ensure <strong>the</strong> smooth and efficient<br />
operation of <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong> for all participants.<br />
Image Credits:<br />
Cover Image: Portrait of Sir Isaac New<strong>to</strong>n (color litho) by<br />
Jean-Leon Huens (1921–1982), National Geographic Image<br />
Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library, Nationality/copyright<br />
status: Belgian/in copyright until 2053.<br />
Time Dated Material<br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education <strong>is</strong> a <strong>program</strong> of <strong>the</strong><br />
Michigan State University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>,<br />
University Advancement<br />
*Dicken’s House, 48 Doughty Street, WC1 (pho<strong>to</strong>) by London,<br />
UK/The Bridgeman Art Library, Nationality/copyright status:<br />
out of copyright<br />
Responsibility<br />
Michigan State University and <strong>the</strong> Michigan State University<br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, <strong>the</strong> University of Iowa and <strong>the</strong> University of<br />
Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford and <strong>the</strong><br />
University of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education,<br />
<strong>the</strong>ir respective employees, officers, agents, servants, and<br />
representatives (henceforth referred <strong>to</strong> as <strong>MSU</strong>AA/UIAA/OX)<br />
are acting only as agents for <strong>the</strong> Odyssey <strong>to</strong> Oxford travel/study<br />
<strong>program</strong> participants with respect <strong>to</strong> travel services and shall<br />
not be responsible or liable for changes of flight times, m<strong>is</strong>sed<br />
carrier connections, fare changes, d<strong>is</strong>honor of airline, housing,<br />
or o<strong>the</strong>r reservations, cessation of operations, airline or travel<br />
agency bankruptcy or insolvency, mechanical or construction<br />
defects or failures, failure or negligence of any nature caused<br />
in connection with any accommodations, restaurants, meals,<br />
transportation, or o<strong>the</strong>r services, acts or defaults of any person<br />
or entity engaged in conveying participants or in carrying out<br />
o<strong>the</strong>r arrangements of <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong>. <strong>MSU</strong>AA/UIAA/OX shall<br />
not be responsible or liable for damages, injuries, deaths, loss<br />
or damage of baggage, damage or injury <strong>to</strong> person or property,<br />
accidents, delays, inconveniences, cessation of operations, acts<br />
of God, acts or om<strong>is</strong>sions of any person or entity engaged in<br />
conveying participants or carrying out any o<strong>the</strong>r arrangements<br />
in connection with <strong>the</strong> travel/study <strong>program</strong>, or any o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
event or occurrence beyond <strong>the</strong> control of <strong>MSU</strong>AA/UIAA/<br />
OX. <strong>MSU</strong>AA/UIAA/OX shall not be responsible or liable for<br />
losses or additional expenses incurred by any participant due <strong>to</strong><br />
sickness, d<strong>is</strong>ease, quarantine, local laws, strike, civil/social/labor<br />
<strong>MSU</strong> <strong>is</strong> an affirmative-action, equal-opportunity employer.<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>graphs by Lou<strong>is</strong>e Cooley<br />
A U G U S T 2 5 – S E P T E M B E R 8 , 2 0 1 2<br />
Two Weeks of Lifelong Education Abroad<br />
University of Oxford, England<br />
<strong>MSU</strong> ALUMNI ASSOCIATION<br />
SPONSORED BY<br />
University of Oxford Department for Continuing Education<br />
Michigan State University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
University of Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
Radcliffe Camera, Oxford<br />
August 25–September 8, 2012<br />
Celebrating its 29th anniversary in 2012, th<strong>is</strong><br />
two-week lifelong education <strong>program</strong> takes you<br />
on a rare adventure <strong>to</strong> Oxford—“city of dreaming<br />
spires”—and <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford, famous as<br />
a great center of learning since <strong>the</strong> 12 th century. Once<br />
England’s capital, Oxford <strong>is</strong> located in <strong>the</strong> heart of<br />
England just 50 miles northwest of London.<br />
The University of Oxford’s Department for<br />
Continuing Education has joined <strong>to</strong>ge<strong>the</strong>r with<br />
<strong>the</strong> Michigan State University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
and <strong>the</strong> University of Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong> <strong>to</strong><br />
offer you an opportunity <strong>to</strong> enroll in one personal<br />
enrichment course taught by an Oxford tu<strong>to</strong>r.<br />
Participants enjoy <strong>the</strong> relaxed but intellectually<br />
stimulating atmosphere of small classes and courserelated<br />
field trips.<br />
In addition <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> individual course field trips<br />
(see individual course copy in th<strong>is</strong> brochure), group<br />
excursions are planned for all participants. All<br />
participants will v<strong>is</strong>it Bletchley Park, <strong>the</strong> site during<br />
World War II of <strong>the</strong> United Kingdom’s main<br />
decryption establ<strong>is</strong>hment and where enemy country<br />
codes were decrypted. The high level intelligence<br />
and code-breaking produced at Bletchley Park<br />
contributed greatly <strong>to</strong> Allied success during WWII.<br />
All participants will also v<strong>is</strong>it Highclere Castle,<br />
film site of Masterpiece Classic’s Emmy-awardwinning<br />
period drama series Down<strong>to</strong>n Abbey.<br />
(Season 2 premiers on January 8, 2012.) Home<br />
<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> Carnarvon family since 1679, Highclere<br />
Castle’s h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry also includes an ancient Egyptian<br />
connection since <strong>the</strong> 5 th Earl of Carnarvon, an<br />
Egyp<strong>to</strong>log<strong>is</strong>t, financed Howard Carter’s d<strong>is</strong>covery<br />
of Tutankhamun’s <strong>to</strong>mb in Egypt’s Valley of <strong>the</strong><br />
Kings in 1922.<br />
Botanic Gardens, Oxford Bridge of Sighs, Oxford<br />
WHAT IS THE<br />
ODYSSEY TO OXFORD<br />
PROGRAM?<br />
An optional weekend day excursion <strong>to</strong> Warwick<br />
Castle <strong>is</strong> planned for your mid-<strong>program</strong> weekend<br />
enjoyment. Warwick Castle has been called <strong>the</strong><br />
“finest medieval castle in England” and was built by<br />
William <strong>the</strong> Conqueror in 1068 on <strong>the</strong> River Avon,<br />
but <strong>the</strong> occupation of <strong>the</strong> site dates back <strong>to</strong> ad 79<br />
and <strong>the</strong> ancient h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry of <strong>the</strong> Romans, Saxons and<br />
Vikings.<br />
Free time during <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong> offers opportunities<br />
<strong>to</strong> enjoy breathtaking architecture, art, and gardens<br />
of many of <strong>the</strong> university’s 38 colleges, home <strong>to</strong><br />
such gifted men and women as Walter Raleigh,<br />
Chr<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>pher Wren, William Penn, Edmund Halley,<br />
Cecil Rhodes, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia),<br />
Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Sayers, Charles Dodgson<br />
(Lew<strong>is</strong> Carroll), Jonathan Swift, C.S. Lew<strong>is</strong>, J.R.R.<br />
Tolkien, Aldous Huxley, William Morr<strong>is</strong>, Edward<br />
Burne-Jones, John Ruskin, William Fulbright,<br />
Richard Bur<strong>to</strong>n, Dudley Moore, Hugh Grant,<br />
Indira Gandhi, Margaret Thatcher and Tony Blair.<br />
Oxford has been <strong>the</strong> setting for many novels but<br />
notably gained fame through Colin Dexter’s<br />
Inspec<strong>to</strong>r Morse novels and telev<strong>is</strong>ion adaptations.<br />
The city of Oxford <strong>is</strong> rich with opportunities for<br />
culture and le<strong>is</strong>ure activities, offering a diversity of<br />
museums, bookshops, <strong>the</strong>aters, restaurants, pubs,<br />
shops and natural settings <strong>to</strong> explore.<br />
Cornmarket Street, Oxford Museum of Natural H<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry, Oxford Blackwell’s Bookshop, Oxford<br />
COURSES<br />
OF STUDY<br />
FOR 2012<br />
Choose one course from <strong>the</strong> four l<strong>is</strong>ted below for your two-week study <strong>program</strong> but please indicate a second choice<br />
on <strong>the</strong> reservation form as well. A typical day’s schedule includes classes in <strong>the</strong> morning. Some days include courserelated<br />
field trips or general group excursions. Courses have <strong>the</strong>ir own field trips carefully planned by <strong>the</strong> tu<strong>to</strong>r<br />
<strong>to</strong> enhance <strong>the</strong> course curriculum and are available <strong>to</strong> those enrolled in <strong>the</strong> course. General group excursions are<br />
for <strong>the</strong> entire group of <strong>program</strong> participants. You will receive a suggested reading l<strong>is</strong>t prior <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong>. Early<br />
reg<strong>is</strong>tration <strong>is</strong> recommended since courses are limited <strong>to</strong> 10–14 participants each and fill quickly.<br />
Brit<strong>is</strong>h Scient<strong>is</strong>ts and Inventions:<br />
Two Centuries that Shaped <strong>the</strong><br />
Modern World<br />
The scientific community transcends national boundaries.<br />
An individual nation’s economic and social development<br />
<strong>is</strong> closely bound <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> work of its scient<strong>is</strong>ts and inven<strong>to</strong>rs<br />
and <strong>the</strong>ir achievements are driven in turn by national<br />
political and economic events. Nowhere <strong>is</strong> th<strong>is</strong> relationship<br />
better demonstrated than in Britain’s h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry. Th<strong>is</strong> course<br />
will explore two centuries (1800–2000) of scientific<br />
achievement along with <strong>the</strong> social and cultural implications<br />
placing Brit<strong>is</strong>h invention in<strong>to</strong> h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>rical context and<br />
celebrating <strong>the</strong> many major figures and d<strong>is</strong>coveries that<br />
have changed not only Britain but also <strong>the</strong> world.<br />
Advances in medicine, such as Joseph L<strong>is</strong>ter’s work in<br />
ant<strong>is</strong>eptic, made an obvious and immediate impact: better<br />
public health was a prerequ<strong>is</strong>ite of Britain’s transformation<br />
in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> 19 th century’s global superpower. Similarly,<br />
Alexander Fleming’s d<strong>is</strong>covery of penicillin mold paved<br />
<strong>the</strong> way for <strong>the</strong> development by an Oxford research team<br />
and <strong>the</strong> production of (a combined effort of America and<br />
Oxford) <strong>the</strong> antibiotic penicillin that saved hundreds of<br />
thousands of Allied lives during WWII. Classical physics<br />
as <strong>the</strong>orized by Isaac New<strong>to</strong>n and James Clerk Maxwell<br />
underpinned <strong>the</strong> technology on which <strong>the</strong> Brit<strong>is</strong>h Empire<br />
was maintained in peace and war, while experimenters<br />
(for example Michael Faraday) revealed electromagnetic<br />
and chemical processes that transformed economic and<br />
domestic life. Charles Darwin and later Franc<strong>is</strong> Crick<br />
lifted <strong>the</strong> veil on life itself, paving <strong>the</strong> way for radical new<br />
understandings of biology and throwing in<strong>to</strong> question<br />
many religious and philosophical certainties of <strong>the</strong>ir day.<br />
The refinement of x-ray crystallography by both Rosalind<br />
Franklin and Dorothy Hodgkin also precipitated major<br />
advances in biology and chem<strong>is</strong>try. In a<strong>to</strong>mic science,<br />
<strong>the</strong> work of Ernest Ru<strong>the</strong>rford anticipated CERN’s<br />
Large Hadron Collider, while Paul Dirac’s equations<br />
still resonate in <strong>the</strong> world of quantum mechanics. And<br />
humankind’s understanding of <strong>the</strong> universe owes much <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> intellectual genius of Fred Hoyle, Jocelyn Bell Burnell<br />
and Stephen Hawking.<br />
In <strong>the</strong> field of invention, Brit<strong>is</strong>h engineers, scient<strong>is</strong>ts and<br />
amateurs have helped shape <strong>the</strong> modern world in areas<br />
such as iron founding (Abraham Darby), steam power<br />
(James Watt and Robert Stephenson), pho<strong>to</strong>graphy (Henry<br />
Fox Talbot), cinema<strong>to</strong>graphy (William Friese-Greene),<br />
electric light (Joseph Swan), telev<strong>is</strong>ion (John Logie Baird),<br />
computing (Charles Babbage and Alan Turing) and <strong>the</strong><br />
Internet (Tim Berners-Lee). The demands of war also<br />
brought forth truly amazing advances in jet propulsion<br />
(Frank Whittle) and weaponry (notably Barnes Wallace).<br />
Additional Course Field Trip Fee: $215<br />
Course participants will v<strong>is</strong>it London’s Science Museum,<br />
England’s premier institution devoted <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry<br />
of science. A guided <strong>to</strong>ur will feature some of <strong>the</strong> most<br />
iconic artifacts of Brit<strong>is</strong>h science and invention, including<br />
Rocket (<strong>the</strong> 1829 steam locomotive), Charles Babbages’s<br />
early computer (1832) and a 1935 sample of Fleming’s<br />
penicillin mold. A v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>to</strong> Cambridge <strong>is</strong> also planned <strong>to</strong><br />
v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong> Cavend<strong>is</strong>h Labora<strong>to</strong>ry, <strong>the</strong> site of several of <strong>the</strong><br />
most significant breakthroughs in 20 th century science<br />
including <strong>the</strong> “splitting” of <strong>the</strong> a<strong>to</strong>m and <strong>the</strong> d<strong>is</strong>covery of<br />
<strong>the</strong> structure of DNA.<br />
Tu<strong>to</strong>r: Dr. Tim Barrett lectures in political h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry and <strong>the</strong><br />
h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry of science. He <strong>is</strong> an Honorary Research Fellow of<br />
Keele University, Staffordshire.<br />
Parad<strong>is</strong>e in an Engl<strong>is</strong>h Garden<br />
A study of <strong>the</strong> h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry of gardens can offer valuable lessons<br />
for our future as well as provide fascinating insights in<strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> art, science, technology, politics and philosophy<br />
which have shaped <strong>the</strong> garden in England for more than a<br />
thousand years. Th<strong>is</strong> course will be structured around five<br />
<strong>the</strong>mes: <strong>the</strong> Medieval garden (use and beauty), <strong>the</strong> Engl<strong>is</strong>h<br />
landscape garden (nature perfected), <strong>the</strong> High Vic<strong>to</strong>rian<br />
garden (all “perfectly dazzling”), <strong>the</strong> late Vic<strong>to</strong>rian and<br />
Edwardian garden (gardens of a golden afternoon) and <strong>the</strong><br />
Millennium and beyond.<br />
In 1625 Franc<strong>is</strong> Bacon wrote that “God Almighty<br />
first planted a garden” making it “<strong>the</strong> purest of human<br />
pleasures” and a more telling barometer than architecture
of a civilized society. A century later, Alexander Pope<br />
defined Poetry, Painting and Gard’ning as <strong>the</strong> three New<br />
Graces, with gardening as possibly <strong>the</strong> most important of<br />
<strong>the</strong> three. In <strong>the</strong> 19 th century, William Robinson considered<br />
gardening as <strong>the</strong> most important of <strong>the</strong> arts, using nature’s<br />
materials directly ra<strong>the</strong>r than making poor imitations of<br />
nature. In <strong>the</strong> 20 th century gardens and gardening have<br />
been seen increasingly as aids <strong>to</strong> improving human health<br />
and well-being and <strong>to</strong> fostering a sense of community in a<br />
fragmented society. The Garden of Eden, or Parad<strong>is</strong>e, has<br />
never been far from people’s thoughts when making or<br />
tending a garden.<br />
From medieval times and in<strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> 21 st century, Engl<strong>is</strong>h<br />
people have sought <strong>to</strong> create <strong>the</strong>ir own parad<strong>is</strong>e within,<br />
and sometimes beyond, <strong>the</strong> garden wall. Th<strong>is</strong> course will<br />
explore a thousand years of Engl<strong>is</strong>h gardens—from <strong>the</strong><br />
monastic flowery mead and herb garden, through <strong>the</strong> great<br />
landscape gardens of <strong>the</strong> 18 th century, <strong>the</strong> extravagances of<br />
<strong>the</strong> 19 th century, and <strong>the</strong> charms of <strong>the</strong> Arts and Crafts<br />
cottage garden <strong>to</strong> <strong>to</strong>day’s suburban plot. Since for much of<br />
<strong>the</strong> second millennium <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford has been<br />
<strong>the</strong> main center for <strong>the</strong> development of Engl<strong>is</strong>h advances<br />
in <strong>the</strong> arts, sciences and philosophy, th<strong>is</strong> course will also<br />
highlight <strong>the</strong> role <strong>the</strong> university has played in applying<br />
<strong>the</strong>se advances <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> development of gardens.<br />
Additional Course Field Trip Fee: $215<br />
Course participants will v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong> Royal Botanic Gardens,<br />
Kew (a UNESCO World Heritage site) on <strong>the</strong> south bank<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Thames in southwest London. Created in 1759 and<br />
described as <strong>the</strong> world’s most famous gardens, you will<br />
enjoy an introduction <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> gardens’ h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry and layout<br />
followed by a land-train <strong>to</strong>ur of <strong>the</strong> gardens and free time<br />
What <strong>is</strong> included?<br />
• Transportation <strong>to</strong> and from Oxford and London’s<br />
Heathrow airport for those purchasing Odyssey <strong>to</strong><br />
Oxford group flight tickets<br />
• Baggage handling in Oxford<br />
• Accommodation for 13 nights in Oxford in bedrooms<br />
each with private bath<br />
• All meals but two during <strong>the</strong> two weeks<br />
• Common room coffee/tea breaks<br />
• Welcome reception and dinner<br />
• Tu<strong>to</strong>rs from <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford and university<br />
<strong>program</strong> leaders<br />
• Tuition for study courses—see course descriptions for<br />
course field trip fees<br />
• Guided walking <strong>to</strong>ur of Oxford<br />
<strong>to</strong> explore. Also included <strong>is</strong> a v<strong>is</strong>it through <strong>the</strong> Cotswolds<br />
<strong>to</strong> Hidcote Manor Garden developed by horticultural<strong>is</strong>t<br />
Lawrence Johns<strong>to</strong>n, an American-turned-Engl<strong>is</strong>hman.<br />
One of England’s most influential gardens of <strong>the</strong> 20 th<br />
century, Hidcote Manor Garden <strong>is</strong> also a great Arts and<br />
Crafts garden. Participants will also v<strong>is</strong>it Sezincote house<br />
and gardens, built in <strong>the</strong> Indian Mughal style in <strong>the</strong> early<br />
19 th century and illustrating <strong>the</strong> strong admiration for<br />
Indian culture which pervaded earlier Brit<strong>is</strong>h attitudes<br />
<strong>to</strong>wards India.<br />
Tu<strong>to</strong>r: Richard B<strong>is</strong>grove served on <strong>the</strong> National Trust’s<br />
Gardens Panel for nearly 20 years and has held several posts<br />
in <strong>the</strong> Garden H<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry Society. He was awarded <strong>the</strong> Veitch<br />
Memorial Medal in 2004 by <strong>the</strong> Royal Horticultural<br />
Society for “outstanding contribution <strong>to</strong> horticultural<br />
education, garden design and plant research” and in<br />
2010 <strong>the</strong> Landscape Institute’s Peter Youngman Award<br />
for “outstanding contribution <strong>to</strong> landscape.” He lectures<br />
internationally and has written several books on garden<br />
design and h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry.<br />
Engl<strong>is</strong>h Novels of Sensation: Wilkie<br />
Collins and Charles Dickens<br />
Wilkie Collins (1824–1889) was acclaimed as master of<br />
<strong>the</strong> sensation novel and author of <strong>the</strong> first real detective<br />
novel in Engl<strong>is</strong>h. Although Wilkie Collins <strong>is</strong> better known<br />
as <strong>the</strong> author of sensation fiction, Charles Dickens’ (1812–<br />
1870) fiction <strong>is</strong> studded with character<strong>is</strong>tic moments of<br />
sensation and drawn-out suspense.<br />
Wilkie Collins was author of many novels, short s<strong>to</strong>ries,<br />
plays and journal<strong>is</strong>tic articles. He was one of <strong>the</strong> most<br />
popular writers of <strong>the</strong> Vic<strong>to</strong>rian period—during h<strong>is</strong><br />
ODYSSEY TO OXFORD • AUGUST 25–SEPTEMBER 8, 2012 • WHAT IS INCLUDED?<br />
Sezincote House and Gardens, built in Indian<br />
Mughal style early 19th century<br />
• Group excursion <strong>to</strong> Bletchley Park, code-decryption<br />
site during WWII<br />
• Group excursion <strong>to</strong> Highclere Castle, film site of<br />
Masterpiece Classic’s Down<strong>to</strong>n Abbey<br />
• Opportunity<strong>to</strong>reg<strong>is</strong>terforoptionalweekenddayexcursion<br />
<strong>to</strong> Warwick Castle—see reg<strong>is</strong>tration form for fee<br />
• Graduation reception and dinner<br />
• Professional group pho<strong>to</strong>graph<br />
• Pre-trip and on-site information packets<br />
Accommodations<br />
Participants will stay in <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford’s<br />
Department for Continuing Education residential center<br />
located in <strong>the</strong> heart of h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ric Oxford. The residential<br />
center buildings offer bedrooms each with private<br />
bathroom, telephone, coffee/tea maker, hair dryer and color<br />
telev<strong>is</strong>ion. The residential center also has its own dining<br />
rooms, reading/library rooms, lecture rooms, common<br />
rooms, computer room, laundry facilities and bar.<br />
Fees and Travel<br />
• From $4,995 per person, based on double occupancy<br />
• Study course field trip fee: $215<br />
• Optional add-on excursion <strong>to</strong> Warwick Castle: $95<br />
• Single room supplement: $495<br />
• Price does not include airfare. A group flight (with limited<br />
number of seats) <strong>is</strong> available departing on August 25 and<br />
lifetime. He was a friend of Charles Dickens and <strong>the</strong><br />
ties between <strong>the</strong> two authors streng<strong>the</strong>ned (although<br />
later <strong>the</strong>y drew apart) when Dickens’ daughter married<br />
Collins’ bro<strong>the</strong>r. Course participants will read Wilkie<br />
Collins’ The Woman in White and The Moons<strong>to</strong>ne (1868),<br />
both mysteries. The novels introduce <strong>the</strong> first professional<br />
detective in Engl<strong>is</strong>h fiction along with <strong>the</strong> most intriguing<br />
and captivating villain in literary h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry and <strong>to</strong>uch on <strong>the</strong><br />
predicament of women in <strong>the</strong> 19 th century, d<strong>is</strong>advantaged<br />
by society and law and highly vulnerable <strong>to</strong> abuse.<br />
Charles Dickens was also a prolific author and h<strong>is</strong> early<br />
hardships and early training taught him <strong>to</strong> work hard and<br />
write quickly. He spent most of h<strong>is</strong> adult life in London.<br />
The poorer quarters and its inhabitants provided <strong>the</strong><br />
setting and characters for several of h<strong>is</strong> novels, and <strong>the</strong><br />
crowded, run-down and polluted city were often used as<br />
extended metaphors for <strong>the</strong> moral corruption he found<br />
equally prevalent. Dickens became adept at dividing h<strong>is</strong><br />
s<strong>to</strong>ries in<strong>to</strong> installments, each with a hook or cliff-hanger<br />
<strong>to</strong> keep readers in suspense and ensure that <strong>the</strong>y would<br />
buy <strong>the</strong> next edition. Th<strong>is</strong> course will explore Dickens’<br />
Great Expectations (1861), extracts from Oliver Tw<strong>is</strong>t<br />
(1838) and The Mystery of Edwin Drood (unfin<strong>is</strong>hed,<br />
1870). Some members of <strong>the</strong> cast of Dickens’ novels have<br />
become as famous as Dickens himself.<br />
Additional Course Field Trip Fee: $215<br />
Dickens’ London <strong>is</strong> l<strong>is</strong>ted in <strong>the</strong> 2011 Time publication<br />
The World’s 100 Most Important Places. Course participants<br />
will v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong> Museum of London and its galleries<br />
“Expanding City” (1660-1850s) and “People’s City”<br />
(1850s-1940s). Both galleries, including <strong>the</strong> Vic<strong>to</strong>rian<br />
Walk and <strong>the</strong> Wellclose pr<strong>is</strong>on cell, give a strong and vivid<br />
MI6, Brit<strong>is</strong>h Secret Intelligence Service located<br />
in London<br />
returning on September 8, 2012. Deadline for reserving<br />
group flight tickets <strong>is</strong> March 28, 2012. For Odyssey <strong>to</strong><br />
Oxford group flight ticket/reservation information, call <strong>the</strong><br />
Michigan State University <strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education/<br />
Evening College office at 517-432-3777 or 517-355-4562.<br />
Travel Insurance<br />
It <strong>is</strong> strongly recommended that you purchase trip<br />
cancellation, baggage, accident/medical insurance.<br />
Who Can Go<br />
Th<strong>is</strong> lifelong education travel/study <strong>program</strong> <strong>is</strong> open <strong>to</strong><br />
adults. You do not have <strong>to</strong> be a graduate of a sponsoring<br />
university <strong>to</strong> participate.<br />
impression of <strong>the</strong> city during <strong>the</strong> life of Charles Dickens.<br />
Participants will also v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong> Charles Dickens Museum<br />
(home) in London where Dickens lived from 1837 <strong>to</strong><br />
1839. Recently renovated in time <strong>to</strong> celebrate <strong>the</strong> 200<br />
year anniversary of <strong>the</strong> birth of Charles Dickens, it houses<br />
<strong>the</strong> world’s most important collection of items relating <strong>to</strong><br />
<strong>the</strong> life and work of Dickens. It was in th<strong>is</strong> house that<br />
Dickens completed The Pickwick Papers and wrote Oliver<br />
Tw<strong>is</strong>t and Nicholas Nickleby. Following <strong>the</strong> v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
Dickens Museum, participants will take a boat trip up<br />
<strong>the</strong> Thames, <strong>the</strong> river that played an important part in<br />
Dickens’ novels. The boat trip will provide a view of old<br />
and new London.<br />
Tu<strong>to</strong>r: Dr. Sandie Byrne <strong>is</strong> <strong>the</strong> direc<strong>to</strong>r of <strong>the</strong> Summer<br />
Program in Engl<strong>is</strong>h Literature for <strong>the</strong> University of<br />
Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education.<br />
Previously, she held positions of fellow and tu<strong>to</strong>r in<br />
Engl<strong>is</strong>h at Balliol College, University of Oxford and chair<br />
of Engl<strong>is</strong>h at <strong>the</strong> University of Lincoln. She has publ<strong>is</strong>hed<br />
numerous books and articles on 19 th - and 20 th -century<br />
literature.<br />
Brit<strong>is</strong>h Spies in Fact and Fiction:<br />
1900–2012<br />
Th<strong>is</strong> course will explore <strong>the</strong> murky world of Brit<strong>is</strong>h<br />
espionage from <strong>the</strong> founding of <strong>the</strong> Secret Service Bureau<br />
(1909) <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> activities of <strong>the</strong> Secret Intelligence Service<br />
(MI6) and <strong>the</strong> Security Service (MI5) up <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> present<br />
day. Concurrently, <strong>the</strong> course will trace <strong>the</strong> evolution of<br />
<strong>the</strong> modern Brit<strong>is</strong>h spy in fiction, examining <strong>the</strong> changing<br />
world of espionage evoked by novels and film throughout<br />
<strong>the</strong> 20 th century. Through th<strong>is</strong> conjunction of h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>rical<br />
and imaginative recreations of <strong>the</strong> Brit<strong>is</strong>h spy, participants<br />
Single Travelers<br />
Those requesting a single room are charged a single<br />
supplement of $495.<br />
Reg<strong>is</strong>tration/Cancellation/Refunds<br />
Michigan State University must receive your completed<br />
reg<strong>is</strong>tration form and a $500 deposit prior <strong>to</strong> May 1, 2012.<br />
All reg<strong>is</strong>tration enrollments are on a first-come first-served<br />
bas<strong>is</strong> and are subject <strong>to</strong> availability including those received<br />
after May 1. The balance of <strong>the</strong> fee <strong>is</strong> due June 1, 2012.<br />
Early reg<strong>is</strong>tration <strong>is</strong> recommended since courses are limited<br />
<strong>to</strong> 10–14 participants each and fill quickly.<br />
Cancellations and requests for refunds must be received<br />
in writing at <strong>the</strong> <strong>MSU</strong>AA <strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education/<br />
Evening College office at Michigan State University<br />
prior <strong>to</strong> June 1, 2012. In addition <strong>to</strong> airline cancellation<br />
penalty fees incurred by <strong>the</strong> purchase of an airline ticket,<br />
cancellations for any reason will be subject <strong>to</strong> a $500 per<br />
person cancellation fee. Cancellations made after June 1,<br />
2012 (<strong>the</strong> final payment due date) will result in forfeiture<br />
of <strong>the</strong> entire <strong>program</strong> cost per person.<br />
Michigan State University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, <strong>the</strong><br />
University of Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> University<br />
of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education reserve<br />
will develop a clearer understanding of <strong>the</strong> shifting<br />
political and cultural significances of espionage in late<br />
modern and post-modern Britain.<br />
WWI witnessed a rapid expansion of <strong>the</strong> Secret Service<br />
Bureau’s activities, with agents active in ga<strong>the</strong>ring<br />
intelligence, not only behind enemy lines, but from<br />
among Great Britain’s friends and allies. So it was that<br />
from <strong>the</strong> Secret Service Bureau’s earliest days, <strong>the</strong> moral<br />
ambiguity which has come <strong>to</strong> characterize <strong>the</strong> Brit<strong>is</strong>h<br />
spy’s world in fiction was already a reality. Under <strong>the</strong><br />
guidance of Admiral Sir Hugh Sinclair (1923) <strong>the</strong> SIS<br />
grew in<strong>to</strong> a more complex and soph<strong>is</strong>ticated organization.<br />
It was ar<strong>is</strong>ing from th<strong>is</strong> new level of professional<strong>is</strong>m that<br />
three sections crucial <strong>to</strong> allied success in World War II<br />
were establ<strong>is</strong>hed: <strong>the</strong> Special Operations Executive, <strong>the</strong><br />
Bletchley park code-breaking facilities and <strong>the</strong> “doublecross”<br />
operations run by MI5 <strong>to</strong> deceive <strong>the</strong> enemy.<br />
After <strong>the</strong> war <strong>the</strong> SIS (MI6) developed extensive networks<br />
abroad against <strong>the</strong> Soviet bloc while MI5 countered<br />
Soviet espionage at home. The image of <strong>the</strong> spy became<br />
increasingly tarn<strong>is</strong>hed as <strong>the</strong> betrayals and defections by<br />
members of <strong>the</strong> “Cambridge Spy Ring” became public<br />
knowledge. In Cold War fiction, <strong>the</strong> “cold warrior” was<br />
often revealed as a tragically flawed individual, whose<br />
profession had a corrosive effect on h<strong>is</strong> self-respect and<br />
moral compass. In stark contrast, Ian Fleming’s creation<br />
of <strong>the</strong> most improbable of Brit<strong>is</strong>h spies, unerringly loyal<br />
and invariably successful, remains popular <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> present<br />
day.<br />
With <strong>the</strong> collapse of <strong>the</strong> Soviet Union and consequent<br />
end of <strong>the</strong> Cold War (1991), <strong>the</strong> Services were obliged<br />
<strong>to</strong> refocus <strong>the</strong>ir activities in response <strong>to</strong> a range of<br />
<strong>the</strong> right <strong>to</strong> cancel <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong> prior <strong>to</strong> departure; in which<br />
case <strong>the</strong> reg<strong>is</strong>tration fees will be refunded without fur<strong>the</strong>r<br />
obligation on <strong>the</strong> part of <strong>the</strong> universities. No refund will be<br />
made for <strong>the</strong> unused portion of any part of <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong>.<br />
Itinerary/Program Modifications<br />
Itineraries and <strong>program</strong>s, as contained in th<strong>is</strong> brochure,<br />
are subject <strong>to</strong> modification and change by <strong>the</strong> Michigan<br />
State University <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, <strong>the</strong> University of<br />
Iowa <strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong>, and <strong>the</strong> University of Oxford’s<br />
Department for Continuing Education. We reserve <strong>the</strong><br />
Dickens House, 48<br />
Doughty Street, WC1*<br />
right <strong>to</strong> substitute<br />
accommodations<br />
of similar quality.<br />
Every effort will<br />
be made <strong>to</strong> carry<br />
out <strong>the</strong> <strong>program</strong><br />
as planned.<br />
Applicants who<br />
reg<strong>is</strong>ter for<br />
participation in<br />
th<strong>is</strong> <strong>program</strong><br />
accept in full all of<br />
<strong>the</strong> conditions set<br />
forth.<br />
new priorities, most notably <strong>the</strong> dangers of nuclear<br />
proliferation and terror<strong>is</strong>m. The Intelligence Services<br />
Act (1994) marked <strong>the</strong> formal recognition of <strong>the</strong> SIS<br />
(MI6), involving <strong>the</strong> first clear definition of its duties and<br />
parliamentary scrutiny of its activities. The course will<br />
conclude with an assessment of <strong>the</strong> present condition of<br />
spy fiction in view of <strong>the</strong>se developments.<br />
Additional Course Field Trip Fee: $215<br />
Touring “The Spy’s London,” participants will v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>the</strong><br />
Secret War Exhibition at <strong>the</strong> Imperial War Museum<br />
which traces <strong>the</strong> development of <strong>the</strong> Services since<br />
WWI, with special reference <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> activities of MI6<br />
and <strong>the</strong> Special Operations Executive during WWII.<br />
Participants will <strong>the</strong>n proceed on a London bus and boat<br />
<strong>to</strong>ur <strong>to</strong> view various sites (including MI6) featured in <strong>the</strong><br />
h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry of espionage, both real and fictional. Participants<br />
will also <strong>to</strong>ur “The Spy’s Oxford,” where talent spotting<br />
for new recruits was as much a feature as at Cambridge.<br />
The Oxford <strong>to</strong>ur (by coach) will include a look at <strong>the</strong><br />
old Indian Institute, recruiting ground for <strong>the</strong> “Great<br />
Game”; a v<strong>is</strong>it <strong>to</strong> St. Anthony’s, popularly known as “<strong>the</strong><br />
spy’s college”; George Smiley’s more traditional Lincoln<br />
College; and <strong>the</strong> deceptively respectable area of North<br />
Oxford, where more than one spook in fact and fiction<br />
found sanctuary.<br />
Tu<strong>to</strong>r: Dr. Kees Windland <strong>is</strong> a graduate of <strong>the</strong> University<br />
of Oxford who specializes in <strong>the</strong> political and cultural<br />
h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry of Vic<strong>to</strong>rian and early 20 th century Britain. He<br />
has taught numerous summer courses for <strong>the</strong> University<br />
of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education over<br />
<strong>the</strong> past eight years as well as lecturing in modern Brit<strong>is</strong>h<br />
h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ry at Oxford Brookes University.<br />
Field Trips and Excursions<br />
Individual course field trips and group and optional<br />
excursions involve a moderate amount of walking that<br />
may range from less than half an hour <strong>to</strong> a couple of hours<br />
and may involve walking on uneven ground, steep or<br />
hilly ground, unpaved surfaces, or climbing many stairs.<br />
Oxford’s h<strong>is</strong><strong>to</strong>ric city center has many cobbles<strong>to</strong>ne streets<br />
and walkways and ancient buildings.<br />
For additional <strong>program</strong> information contact:<br />
Michigan State University<br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education<br />
Phone: Lou<strong>is</strong>e Cooley at<br />
517-432-3777 or 517-355-4562<br />
www.alumni.msu.edu/eveningcollege/<strong>oxford</strong><br />
Email: COOLEYL@msu.edu<br />
University of Iowa<br />
<strong>Alumni</strong> <strong>Association</strong><br />
Iowa Voyagers<br />
Phone: Diane Baker at 1-800-469-2586<br />
www.iowalum.com/voyagers<br />
Email: diane-baker@uiowa.edu<br />
2 0 12<br />
Reservation<br />
Form<br />
Name #1_________________________________________________________Class Year________<br />
(Print name as it appears on your passport)<br />
Name #2_________________________________________________________Class Year________<br />
(Print name as it appears on your passport)<br />
Address:________________________________________________________________________<br />
City:_________________________________________ State:___________ Zip:_______________<br />
Home Phone: (______)___________________ Work Phone: (______)________________________<br />
Cell Phone: (______)___________________ E-mail:____________________________________<br />
Have you previously attended? ❏ Yes ❏ No Year(s)________ _______________________________________<br />
Air Arrangements<br />
❏ I would like information on <strong>the</strong> group flight.<br />
❏ I will make my own air arrangements.<br />
Accommodations<br />
August 25–September 8, 2012<br />
Complete th<strong>is</strong> reservation form, detach from brochure and mail with a $500 deposit per<br />
person. Please make checks payable <strong>to</strong> MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY and mail <strong>to</strong>:<br />
Odyssey <strong>to</strong> Oxford, <strong>MSU</strong>AA/<strong>Alumni</strong> Lifelong Education, Michigan State University, 300<br />
Spartan Way, East Lansing, Michigan 48824-1005. You may also reg<strong>is</strong>ter over <strong>the</strong> phone with<br />
a credit card by calling (517) 432-3777. Reg<strong>is</strong>ter early. Spaces are limited and fill quickly.<br />
Please reserve __________ space (s). Enclosed <strong>is</strong> my deposit of ___________ ($500 per person).<br />
❏ Accept my check made payable <strong>to</strong> MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY.<br />
Charge my: ❏ VISA ❏ MasterCard<br />
Card #____________________________________________________ Exp. Date____________________________<br />
Signature as it appears on card:__________________________________________________________________<br />
❏ We will be sharing a twin room.<br />
❏ I am planning <strong>to</strong> room with _________________________who will also reg<strong>is</strong>ter.<br />
❏ I would like a single room and will pay <strong>the</strong> single supplement of $495.<br />
❏ Nonsmoker ❏ Smoker<br />
University Affiliation<br />
❏ Michigan State University ❏ University of Iowa ❏ O<strong>the</strong>r _______________________________<br />
Indicate 1st and 2nd choices of courses<br />
Name of participant (1) Name of participant (2)<br />
_______________________________________ ______________________________________<br />
1 st choice _______________________________ 1 st choice ______________________________<br />
2 nd choice _______________________________ 2 nd choice ______________________________<br />
Optional Excursion <strong>to</strong> Warwick Castle Optional Excursion <strong>to</strong> Warwick Castle<br />
Optional Warwick Castle Excursion ($95): ❏ Yes ❏ No Optional Warwick Castle Excursion ($95): ❏ Yes ❏ No<br />
12OXF