Petro-Pavlosk Fortress from across the Neva
Education is often about relationships. Good teachers love their students, love their subjects, and most of all, love introducing their students to those who have been their own teachers. And books give us all the opportunity to learn from “teachers” who have committed their thoughts to print. This is where the WHA “Get to Know …” series of elective classes comes from.
Our first offering in this series was Get to Know C.S. Lewis, and those of you who are enrolled in Mr. Martin’s class are certainly experiencing a treat. This class will be offered again in the fall for those who missed it. Mr. Martin will also be offering a summer course on C.S. Lewis’ friend, J.R.R. Tolkien. I can’t wait.
The Summer Palace and Ice Flow on the Neva
This fall, Mr. Etter will be offering Get to Know Fyodor Dostoevsky. Imagine yourself as Raskolnikov, strolling along the embankment of the Neva river, with the glorious Summer Palace on your right and the imposing Peter and Paul Fortress across the river on your left as you agonize over your crime and potential punishment. (Crime and Punishment is only one of several of Dostoevsky’s works that will be studied.) Or perhaps you can sit quietly on a park bench at river’s edge, enjoying the White Nights of June when the sun barely slips below the horizon. You will experience all this and more as you get to know the author and his home city of St. Petersburg. You will also get to know Dostoevsky’s characters and his own worldview as he opens up the world of pre-revolutionary Russia to you in his works. Perhaps you will even understand why the original Russian title, Преступление и наказание … literally “Transgression and Judgement” … better reflects Dostoevsky’s Christian worldview.
This is what life-long learning is all about. It is never too late to start and always too early to quit. It is not about learning facts or passing exams, but about getting to know people and their views even as you deepen your own understanding of life’s questions and develop your own answers. We hope you make room for one or more of these “Get to Know …” courses during your time at Wilson Hill Academy.
You can register here.