MSU workshops offer summer learning adventures in Montana and Yellowstone Country

Weekend courses on Montana archaeology, Yellowstone’s volcanoes, Shakespeare’s fools of fortune, and rivers and fishing in literature make up a series of learning adventures offered this summer to the general public by Montana State University’s College of Letters and Science and the Extended University’s Office of Continuing Education.

In its fifth consecutive season, the "Landscapes of the Mind" series offers four weekend courses taught by faculty members from the MSU College of Letters and Science. The courses are open to everyone and can be taken either for credit or no credit.

"Archaeology and the Ancient Peoples of Montana," taught from June 13-15 by anthropology professor Jack Fisher, explores the archaeological traces left by the ancient cultures of the Great Plains and Rocky Mountains. It includes field excursions to bison kill and rock art sites.

Sharon Beehler, professor of English, will once again lead an immersion into Shakespeare’s plays the weekend of June 20-22. This year she focuses on Renaissance beliefs concerning fortune and the "Fool" and incorporates the Montana Shakespeare in the Park’s performance of "All’s Well That Ends Well."

"Fishing ‘The River Why,’" taught by English professor Lisa Eckert from July 12-13, explores rivers and fishing as metaphors in David James Duncan’s bestselling novel, "The River Why" and other short works of literature. A field trip to a local river will cover fly-fishing basics–fly casting, knots, entomology, and more–followed by fishing a wade-friendly river.

Geology professor Todd Feeley, who has studied volcanoes throughout the world, hosts a two-day excursion to Yellowstone National Park exploring the history of volcanic activity in the region and the possibility of another catastrophic eruption. The class begins with an on-campus orientation on Friday, Aug. 22, and continues in the field on Aug. 23-24.

"These workshops are a marvelous opportunity to spend time with world-class professors in a small group setting," said Paula Lutz, dean of the MSU College of Letters and Science. "The topics are of interest to everyone."

Fees are $255-435 per person, depending on the length and travel costs of the course. "Super Volcanoes of Yellowstone," which has sold out in past summers, includes hotel accommodations in West Yellowstone as well as transportation from Bozeman.

For more information, visit http://www.montana.edu/lettersandscience or call (406) 994-6683 to request a brochure.

Sarah Alexander, (406) 994- 7805 [email protected]

http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=5836