Who says cartoons are just for kids?  This semester’s Robin Bates Film Course, one of St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s Lifelong Learning programs, examines how directors use animation to tackle difficult adult topics.   All four films will be shown at 7 p.m. in Cole Cinema at the Campus Center. Then Bates, an English professor, will lead a discussion. 

The course is open to the public, including high school students. To register, go to http://www.smcm.edu/continuinged/lifelonglearning_bates.html. The schedule:

* Sept. 28: “Up” (U.S., Peter Docter and Bob Peterson, 2009)

* Oct. 28: “Waking Life” (U.S., Richard Linklater, 2001)

* Nov. 16: “Persepolis” (France, Vincent Paronnaud and Marjane Satrapi, 2007)

* Dec. 14: “Waltz with Bashir” (Israel, Ari Folman, 2008)

St. Mary's College of Maryland, designated the Maryland state honors college in 1992, is ranked one of the best public liberal arts schools in the nation by U.S. News & World Report. More than 2,000 students attend the college, nestled on the St. Mary's River in Southern Maryland.