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Although often grouped in with the Impressionists, Édouard Manet is a pivotal and influential transition figure between French Realism and Impressionism. His work, focusing on capturing the immediacy of the modern world, was seen as a challenge to the constraints of the French Academy of Fine Arts and became an inspiration for a young generation of rebellious artists who would become known as the Impressionists. However, as Impressionism continues to develop, its style and methods begin to make an impact on the work of Manet. Although Manet never participated in the Impressionist Exhibitions, in his work and those of the Impressionists—Claude Monet in particular—you can see the reciprocity of their influences on each other. This lecture traces those developments that helped to form the Impressionist style and how they, in turn, influenced encouraged experimentation in Manet's works.

Katherine E. Zoraster is an Art Historian and a Professor of Art History at several local colleges specializing in Western art from the Renaissance to the 20th century. She graduated with a double major in English Literature and Art History from the University of California, Los Angeles. Following her undergraduate degree, she received a Master’s Degree with Distinction in Art History from the California State University at Northridge.

In addition to the courses Katherine teaches for other lifelong learning programs, she also works as an Art History Instructor for the full-time program at the Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Arts. Katherine also serves as a commissioner for the Burbank Cultural Arts Commission and volunteers at the Burbank Animal Shelter. In her free time, Katherine is an avid runner and travels extensively.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom or in-person at our Thousand Oaks campus.

Almost one-third of the world’s population views themselves as Christians. Approximately a quarter identify as Muslims. Fifteen percent practice Hinduism. Six percent practice Buddhism, and approximately a fifth of a percent practice Judaism. Together, these religions account for over three-quarters of the world; a huge majority of the earth’s population see themselves as religious. Nevertheless, all of these religions are incredibly different and produce divergent worldviews. By contrast, 15% of the world identifies as nonreligious.

Christianity is the largest religion in the world and Islam is the second-largest. In a few decades, it’s believed that Islam will surpass Christianity. Thus, in many ways, some have seen these as competing religions. Nevertheless, these lectures will examine these two largest religions and note the similarities and points of connection between them. It will consider the origins of both, their development over the centuries, and note both their differences and their points of agreement.

Jason Hensley, PhD (Holocaust and Genocide Studies), Dmin (Biblical Studies), teaches religious studies at a private school in Los Angeles. He is a fellow of the Michael LaPrade Holocaust Education Institute of the Anti-Defamation League, a higher-education ambassador for the Council on Foreign Relations, and the award-winning author of 12 books. His work has been featured in The Huffington Post as well as the BBC, and he has served as the historical advisor for a Holocaust documentary. Connect with him at jasonhensley.net.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom.

Celebrating the two-year anniversary of JWST being an operational telescope, we will look at some of the discoveries made, how it complements observations of the still operating Hubble Space Telescope, and what the future may hold for future observation campaigns.

And much as the JWST is the successor to the Hubble, we will look at some concepts for the next great space-based telescope.

Christopher Mick is the Education and Outreach Director for the STEAM educational nonprofit, Space St. Croix. Space St. Croix’s mission, Connecting Kids to the Cosmos, brings Space-themed STEAM programming and teacher support materials to all Hudson, WI. area public, private, and home school students.
Christopher is a NASA Solar System Ambassador, Space Station Ambassador with the ISS National Lab, member of the NASA Museum & Informal Education Alliance, and an Aerospace Education Member with the Civil Air Patrol. He is a blogger for the Space Science Institute, through their StarNet Library website, and recently served on the Education Advisory Board for Infiniscope (2019). Christopher was named an International Teacher Liaison in 2022 by the Space Foundation, in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and was a judge for the National Space Society’s, Space Settlement Contest and the NASA Space Apps Challenge – Brescia, Italy. He lives and works in Hudson, Wisconsin.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom.

This lecture dives deep into the Watergate scandal, one of the most notorious political events in American history. It explores the intrigue behind the initial break-in, the investigative process that unraveled the truth, the lasting impact of the scandal, and even stories that haven't been widely known before.

Paul P. Magallanes is an accomplished FBI Special Agent veteran and founder of Magallanes Associates International. With over 21 years of experience in the FBI, Mr. Magallanes has an extensive background in investigations, training, and security consultation. He began his FBI career in Tampa, Florida, where he was one of the first to work in an undercover capacity.

Throughout his career, Mr. Magallanes played a key role in various high-profile cases. He was an original investigator in the Watergate Burglary case, where he developed critical information leading to the resignation of President Nixon. In the Greylord Case, he exposed corrupt Cook County judges in Chicago while working undercover. In addition to his undercover work, Mr. Magallanes was a leading member in the landmark Class Action suit, Perez v FBI, against the FBI for discrimination in the workplace against FBI Hispanic Agents.

In addition to his investigative work, Mr. Magallanes coordinated security for the 1984 Olympic Command Headquarters in Los Angeles. He received numerous awards for his outstanding investigative and undercover efforts, including FBI Quality Service Salary Increase Awards, commendations, citations, and superior performance awards.

Mr. Magallanes is recognized as one of the "100 Most Influential Hispanics in the Nation" by Hispanic Business Magazine. He has also been featured in various international media outlets for his expertise in kidnap prevention, response, and multilingual ransom negotiation programs, as well as corporate security, executive protection, and international security issues.

Mr. Magallanes holds a Master of Science degree in Administration of Justice from the American University in Washington D.C., a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Mary's College in Winona, Minnesota, He attended Chicago-Kent College of Law, Chicago, IL, and has completed work toward his Ph.D. in Law Enforcement Management Studies from the American University. He is an active member and leader in numerous law enforcement, social, business, and cultural organizations.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom or in-person at our Thousand Oaks campus.

Join the Ventura County Interfaith Community for the second of its VCIC Visits events. On Friday, August 23rd, the Ventura County Interfaith Community will visit with our friends at the Islamic Center of Ventura County at their mosque (271 Riverpark Blvd., Oxnard).

Join us at 7:00PM for an introduction to and tour of the mosque. At 7:30PM, we will observe community prayer followed by a sermon by Imam Patel and refreshments.

All are welcome, so don’t miss this wonderful opportunity to experience the worship practices of our Muslim neighbors. Whether you’re curious about Islamic traditions, seeking peaceful reflection, or simply want to meet your neighbors, the Islamic Center promises a warm welcome.

The future of democracy in the United States concerns people across today's political spectrum. But how have we gotten here? Like today, the nature of democracy and its place in U.S. politics has been debated since the nation's founding. We will look at how democracy has been defined and revised over the past two and a half centuries from the Founders' deep suspicions and the Civil War's reshaping to the impact of both World War I and World War II. To put today's debates in context, we will also explore what perceptive outsiders such as Alexis de Tocqueville (from whom the course title is borrowed) and James Bryce have had to say about the American "experiment."

Chris Kimball (PhD) is Professor Emeritus of History at California Lutheran University. His undergraduate degree is from McGill University and his master’s and doctoral degrees are from The University of Chicago. He previously served as California Lutheran University’s seventh president (2008-2020) after two years as provost and vice president for academic affairs. Specializing in U.S. history, he has taught on subjects such as the Civil War, U.S. Foreign Relations, the history of sport, the history of American cities, and legal issues in higher education.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

These lectures can be attended online via Zoom or in-person at our Thousand Oaks campus.

Illuminated manuscripts are hand-written devotional books that are lavishly illuminated with gold and silver ink on top of brightly-colored images. They were produced between c. 500 and c. 1600, with monasteries as their earliest creators. Their subject matter is usually Christian scripture, prayers, and lore. Wealthy patrons also wanted these illustrative works for personal libraries and encouraged the formation of private workshops that flourished in French and Italian cities. There is also an amusing side of illustrated manuscripts found in the margins, called marginalia: murderous rabbits, menacing snails, naughty nuns. Filled with imagery depicting everything from mythical beasts to humorous depictions of contemporary issues, these delightful illustrations give us a glimpse into the imaginations of the artists who entertained their patrons with them.

Eleanor Schrader is an award-winning educator, lecturer, and author. She lectures worldwide on art and architectural history, and leads art and architecture tours throughout the world. She has been named a Distinguished Instructor at UCLA Extension, where she teaches history of architecture, interior design, furniture, and decorative arts. She is also Professor Emeritus of Art and Architectural History at Santa Monica College. She has done graduate work in fine and decorative arts at Sotheby's Institute in London and New York. She has served as a Design Review Commissioner for the City of Beverly Hills and currently serves on the Board of Directors of the John Lautner Foundation.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom or in-person at our Oxnard campus.

AI has dominated recent headlines. Books and magazine articles abound describing the transformational impact “artificial intelligence” will have on work and society. Few of these publications, however, have delved deeply into how algorithms and AI are affecting citizens in democratic societies. This lecture will center upon a core dilemma: how can society benefit from AI without destroying democracy? The logic of AI models and the needs of both state and market provide strong incentives to see individual citizens as “algorithmic problems” that need to be solved to increase profits or to manage citizens. In this lecture, I'll argue that democratic health requires that large numbers of its citizens defy algorithmic classification, hence remain as “outliers" and 'algorithmic problems."

Dr. Jose Marichal is a professor of political science at California Lutheran University, specializing in studying the role that social media plays in restructuring political behavior and institutions. Dr. Marichal’s book Facebook Democracy (Routledge Press) looks at the role of the popular social network played on the formation of political identity across different countries. His most recent work (with Cal Lutheran colleagues Drs. Richard Neve and Brian Collins) looks at the ways in which social media platforms encourage antagonistic political discourse and how they could be regulated. Additionally, Dr. Marichal and a team of collaborators are using computational social science methods on a number of projects including: using machine learning to predict support or opposition to fracking on Twitter, a study of how individuals censor themselves when discussing politics on Facebook, and a project on uncovering the topic structure of Reddit comments on WallStreetBets. In 2018, Dr. Marichal organized a mini-conference on Algorithmic Politics for the Western Political Science Association. Dr. Marichal is currently working on a book that looks at the effect of the “Algorithmic Age” on political citizenship.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This lecture can be attended online via Zoom.

Pacific Jazz Orchestra, led by seven-time Grammy-nominated Artistic Director Chris Walden, launches its 2024-25 season with a program of exceptional straight-ahead jazz, swing, soul, and traditional big band sounds at two leading Southern California venues. The 40-piece hybrid big band and string orchestra features guest artists jazz guitarist/vocalist John Pizzarelli – hailed for “reinvigorating the Great American Songbook and re-popularizing jazz” (Boston Globe) – and Sy Smith, “one of the hardest working women in soul music” (Plano Magazine).

The ensemble swings by Santa Barbara’s historic Granada Theatre on Friday, September 6, 7:00 pm.

Unearth the ancient mysteries of Pompeii and its sister city, Herculaneum. Learn about the history of these ancient towns, their influence in the Roman empire, and a detailed account of the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. We will see how the Roman Empire dealt with this natural disaster and its impact on the Roman economy. We will explore the discovery of these sites in the 1700s, the and the evolution of the archeological methodology and conservation efforts to preserve the treasures. Finally, we will seek to understand why Pompeii is still relevant to us today.

In our first week, we will discuss the brief history of Pompeii and Herculaneum, including the eruption of Mount Vesuvius, Pliny the Elder and the rescue efforts, the aftermath and the Roman efforts to provide relief. In week two, we’ll discuss what daily life was like in Pompeii including examining design and architecture, economy, trad, and social structure. During week three we will look at Pompeii as a “party town” including its entertainment, leisure activities, religious practices, art and culture. We will conclude our four-week course by looking at the Pompeii of today – its discovery and excavation history, archaeological methods and challenges, conservation efforts, and recent discoveries.

Scott Jones is a retired naval officer and businessman with broad experience in national security, foreign relations, and politics. Scott is also a docent at the J. Paul Getty Museum (Getty Villa) where he leads tours in the Greek and Roman Galleries, special exhibitions, Roman architecture, and Roan gardens. He teaches for a few lifelong learning programs in the area.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50+ years of age, seeking intellectual stimulation through university level courses (without the pressure of grades) for the sake of learning and social engagement.

This course can be attended online via Zoom or in-person at our Thousand Oaks campus. Note: the final class on October 23 will be online only.