Sep 30 Tuesday
“There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also isn’t an American at all…This is a nation, not a polyglot boarding house.” Although these words might sound familiar considering our contemporary political rhetoric, it was Theodore Roosevelt who uttered these words more than 100 years ago. This course will explore and trace the past, present and future of global authoritarian movements. From the rise of notorious 20th Century dictators such as Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, and Pol Pot to the present global authoritarian/populist shift, we will examine how and why these forms of government take hold, even in democratic societies. Along these lines, we will play special attention to the American experience with authoritarianism; both its short and long-term consequences and what it tells us about our current global moment.
This course takes place both in-person at the Thousand Oaks campus and online via Zoom.
Course does not meet on Tuesday, September 23.
The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people ages 50 and older, seeking intellectual stimulation through university-level courses — without the pressure of grades — for the sake of learning and social engagement.
UCSB Library is pleased to present Andy Merolla (Communication) in the Pacific Views: Library Speaker Series for Fall 2025. In his talk “What Hope Do We Have? Searching in the Small Moments of Everyday Communication,” Merolla will examine how hope—as well as the social connection underlying it—is constructed through social interaction. This includes interaction with loved ones, acquaintances, and complete strangers. In many ways, this perspective is heartening, guiding us toward better treatment of others. Yet, it is also troubling given the numerous personal and structural factors that undermine and constrain social connection. Framing hope as an interpersonal phenomenon highlights the opportunities and inherent complexities within our everyday communication experiences.
Andy Merolla is a Professor of Communication at UCSB. His research focuses on interpersonal processes, such as social connection, conflict management, and forgiveness. He has received multiple research and teaching awards, including the Distinguished Teaching Award from the UCSB Academic Senate. He teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in communication theory, interpersonal communication, health communication, and conflict management. Merolla is the co-author of The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us (Yale University Press, 2025), which was featured in a New York Times interactive article and quiz.
Merolla’s approximately 45-minute presentation will be followed by a Q&A session.
This event may be photographed or recorded.
Advance registration is recommended as space is limited.
Oct 01 Wednesday
The Arctic world is a land of stark duality. Geographically peripheral, yet central to today’s most pressing strategic, economic, and climatological questions. A primordial wilderness that nonetheless hosts several million human inhabitants and a surprisingly rich—if endangered—ecosystem. Presently, one of the most important places on earth, yet still one of the most poorly understood. Come explore this forbidding but endlessly fascinating region, starting with its indigenous peoples, then moving on to Euro-American exploration (including the race to the North Pole), scientific and anthropological research, and the industrial and military exploitation of the Arctic.
Week 1: Encounters: Indigenous Northerners and Early European Incursions
Week 2: From Bering to Franklin: Exploration in the 1700s and Early 1800s
Week 3: Northern Steeplechase: Exploration and Nation-Building from the 1840s to the 1940s
Week 4: Arcticide? Militarization, Exploitation, and Climate Change from 1945 to the Present
This course takes place online via Zoom.
Course does not meet on Wednesday, September 24.
Cults capture our attention because we wonder why they exist and how people can be made to make such out of the ordinary choices and have vastly different views of reality. In the previous course, we considered some of the more well-known cults, looking deeply into Jonestown, the Branch Davidians, and NXIVM. This second course will discuss some lesser-known cults, such as Heaven’s Gate and Synanon. Each week will examine one specific cult to understand its inception and its end. The final week will investigate the members of the various cults discussed in parts 1 and 2, in order to grasp what makes people join cults and why they stay.
You do not need to have attended the Part 1 course in order to attend Part 2.
Oct 06 Monday
Bruce Springsteen stands as one of America’s true rock-and-roll superstars, one who has achieved both commercial and artistic success. Springsteen’s influence extends beyond music, however, as in recent years he has become a prominent and outspoken voice in American politics. This course will explore Springsteen’s development as an artist working within the same tradition as Walt Whitman, Hank Williams, Woody Guthrie, and Bob Dylan. We will also explore key themes in his work, especially the American Dream, the power of love, and humanity’s deep need for redemption. We will look at how Springsteen has continuously updated his conception of American promise and possibilities, and how this vision has increasingly led him to engage in contemporary political debate, challenging President Trump over perceived erosion of American constitutional limits and liberties. In short, we will listen to some great music and at the same time explore how Bruce Springsteen has engaged in and continued to influence the American cultural and political landscape.
TOPICS
● Week 1: New Jersey Rocker to Folk Poet
● Week 2: Bruce Springsteen and the American Dream
● Week 3: Stay True: Mega-Stardom and the Working Class Hero
● Week 4: Voice of Americans: This Land is Our Land
This course focuses on the most popular, influential, and enduring artists of the British Invasion, which spanned roughly the years 1964 to 1968. We will examine the roots of those artists in their native Great Britain, and then show how they crashed the U.S. charts on the heels of the Beatles, who paved the way for their compatriots to take advantage of the lucrative American market. The Beatles were not just the first to do so – in spectacular fashion – but they also set a standard for British groups that came after them; groups that were self-contained, meaning they wrote their own songs, developed their own style, and had unique visual and musical trademarks.
In the first 4 weeks, we’ll be focusing on the following acts:
Part 1: The Bee Gees, Gerry & the Pacemakers
Part 2: The Dave Clark 5, The Hollies
Part 3: The Zombies, The Yardbirds
Part 4: Donovan, Herman’s Hermits
Oct 07 Tuesday
On the fog-swept coastal bluffs overlooking California’s Golden Gate Bridge near the Marin Headlands, rises an imposing concrete bunker with the rusted remains of a 15-inch naval gun. Battery Spencer, a vestige of a bygone era, and many others in the area have kept watch over the coastal approach to San Francisco Bay since 1895. The West Coast of the United States from the Mexican to the Canadian borders is dotted by similar sites. Constructed during the Spanish American War, these coastal defensive positions gradually fell into disrepair, but still remained in various levels of service during WWII and the Cold War. This course will take a closer look at the history of these sites and in so doing provide an overview of how California and the West Coast experienced WWII and the Cold War. From the shelling of the Ellwood oil piers by a Japanese submarine near Gaviota to coastal radar and missile defenses, we will examine the role played by sites such as the Marin Headlands throughout this era. We will also explore what people living on the West Coast and California in particular feared as a result of WWII and how these responses shaped their daily lives. Today, you can still explore these unique sites, many of which are open to the public and this course will offer tips and suggestions for planning a visit.
Oct 08 Wednesday
Lincoln’s assassination is perhaps one of the most infamous events of American history. Nevertheless, while many have a broad understanding of what took place, they’re also missing numerous details. Who was John Wilkes Booth before he tarnished his own name? With whom did he work in this assassination and who else was targeted? How did he get away, and how was he finally caught? Even more, what did he expect would happen after he killed the President? This course will dive into these questions and tell the story of Lincoln’s assassination.
Oct 09 Thursday
American Regionalism is a realist modern art movement that focused on local, representative scenes of distinctly American locales. It was the dominant style in American art during the 1930s and into the 1940s, in reaction to European Modernism and Abstraction and as a response to the Great Depression. In this course, we explore the varied works of Regionalist Triumvirate—Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood and John Steuart Curry, as well as the New York-based Edward Hopper and Pennsylvania's Andrew Wyeth.
This course will introduce students to the history of wine making and the difference between “old world” and “new world” wines. We will then tour the globe to explore the different wine regions. Each region is known for its style, terroir, and local wine varietals. Students will gain an appreciation of the art and science of wine making.
