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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

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