The one-day course at Queen’s University Belfast is not a Jedi primer. Instead, the goal is to teach the “real-life psychological techniques behind Jedi mind tricks” and explore “wider issues behind the Star Wars universe, like balance, destiny, dualism, fatherhood and fascism.” And no lightsaber technique, sorry!
In the news: Masked crime, teacher spoof, Wii
- Video: Pennsylvania teachers show students how to handle state tests with PSSA Wars.
- Crime: Missouri police are looking for a man who commited armed robbery “wearing a mask that was similar to a character from Star Wars.” No word on which character.
- Gaming: You’re dying to know about The Force Unleashed Wii controls, right?
The clash over new classics
Harvard professors take flack for including pop culture classics like Star Wars in classes:
It could be that the appearance of “Star Wars” on a syllabus is not as populist a gesture as it initially seems. “I think part of what Harvard is doing is embracing the fact that America’s elites today need to be as conversant in ‘Star Wars’ as they are in Stravinsky,” Kaufman says.
This week in George
The New York Times has a nice article on The George Lucas Educational Foundation, a charity founded by Lucas that encourages innovation in education.
George will also appear on the next season of The Apprentice (Donald Trump version) regarding some marketing for the Revenge of the Sith DVD release.
Thanks to Susan for the links!