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What are the holidays without music. Join us as we celebrate great holiday songs from Broadway and the Movies. We promise we will get you in the Holiday Spirit!

Film historians Sam and Candy Caponegro are passionate about movie musicals. For over thirty years, they have acted, directed, and produced professional, community, and school theater. Candy’s most notable professional acting roles are Adelaine opposite Nathan Lane in Guys and Dolls and Cheri opposite Divine in the New York production of Women Behind Bars. Sam and Candy have taught numerous courses and lecture on cruise lines, at libraries, and for many 50+ audiences. They hope to keep the classic movie musical and the golden age of Broadway alive through their lectures.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 on Zoom and will be recorded.

While Hanukkah is a minor holiday in the Jewish Calendar, it has come to hold deep significance for Jews, particularly in the United States. The story of Hanukkah is typically summed up in a description of the surprise military victory in 165 BCE – a small army of Jews led by the Maccabees defeated the powerful Greek-Syrians – and the religious miracle of the oil used for rededication of the temple, which lasted for eight days despite being sufficient for only a single day of burning. Hanukkah has developed as a warm family-centric holiday focused on celebration of the miracle of the oil and Jewish self-preservation in face of powerful odds. Yet Hanukkah holds layers of meaning that go far beyond the traditional story. Examination of the holiday of Hanukkah from its ancient beginnings to the present offers a powerful view into the challenges Jews have faced over the centuries in remaining Jewish, especially in light of a perpetual status as a minority culture. This lecture will explore the historical origins, development, and contemporary impact of the Hanukkah holiday, particularly for American Jews.

Clifford Wilcox, Ph.D., is a historian who focuses on American intellectual and cultural history and Jewish Studies. His courses concentrate on the intersection of culture, ideas, politics, and religion in American history. He is Director of Education and Operations at Temple Beth Torah in Ventura, CA and has taught in the CLU FAB program since 2021. He holds a Ph.D. in American intellectual history from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 either virtually on Zoom or in-person at Cal Lutheran's Oxnard campus. It will also be recorded.

The public has long been interested in polling as way to understand and also to predict political outcomes – whether that be for elections, policy proposals, or to gauge public sentiment on controversial issues from immigration to abortion and gun control. What is less known is that polls, rather than just reflecting our reality, can sometimes influence outcomes, perhaps to the detriment of our democratic principles. This talk will cover the history and development of public polling, the impacts of polling on elections, and give pointers for what to look for when reading about polling data.

Kiku Huckle (Ph.D.) is an associate professor of Political Science at California Lutheran University. Her research addresses how culture, values, and identity intersect and ultimately affect political beliefs and patterns of engagement, with an emphasis on race, racial resentment, and religious affiliation. Her book project, “Reluctant Evolution: Latino Communities and the American Catholic Church” examines the institutional barriers to the full inclusion of Latinos within the American Catholic Church. Other projects examine the relationship between race, racial resentment, and policy issues such as gun control and immigration, as well as vote choice.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 on Zoom and will be recorded.

The election is finally over (or is it?). In this online session we explore what happened and what it means. We will review the results of the Presidential election through the electoral college votes and discuss both what is known and what is not yet known. We will look at the control of the US House and Senate and explore both the likely actions of the winning and losing Presidential candidate. This election has profound impacts for the future of our democracy and the American people are divided over which party best represents their interests. No matter who wins the election, our nation is at a crossroads.

Tim Allison, J.D. is an Adjunct Faculty member at Cal State University Channel Islands. He teaches courses ranging from Constitutional Law to Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, Campaigns and Elections, Intro to American Government, Judicial Process and a seminar course on Empowering First-Generation Students. He is the Executive Director of a High School Teachers union where he has been the lead negotiator on four contract negotiations in the past two years. He is a past "Faculty of the Year" Award recipient and was a delegate to the Democratic National Conventions in Denver in 2008 and Chicago in 2024 and a delegate to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women. He is a regular local media commentator on politics and public affairs.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 on Zoom and will be recorded.

Join local author Patricia Caird to hear the remarkable story of one of our city's most fascinating citizens, Dr. William J. Mellinger:

Who Was Grandpa Doc? William J. Mellinger, 1886-1948:
A Man Who Knew No Limits

As the archivist of her family records, as Patricia Caird enlisted historian Neal Graffy to be her guide as she realized that this story, originally meant for her family, had morphed into something much bigger. She describes her research and inspiring decision to publish the book one of the "best experiences of her life."

William J. Mellinger knew he needed to leave the Indiana farm of his birth and difficult childhood. In 1906, with only a 7th grade education, he left for Toronto, Canada, attended veterinary school, and set out to live life on his own terms. In time, he was practicing medicine in Santa Barbara, California, taking every available opportunity to add to the history of the city he loved.

After a short teaching career and 26 years of sales for her family’s wholesale nursery, Patricia Caird became the archivist of the rich family history records of her maternal grandparents. She soon discovered there was a story to tell. Plus it was the perfect opportunity to fulfill her dream of writing a book. Originally meant for her family, it morphed into something much bigger. She presently lives in Santa Barbara, California.

Each day there are many news stories revolving around the world of art. A theft, a rediscovery, forgeries, acts of terrorism, a restoration, lawsuits or restitutions…the list goes on and on.

In our media packed world, it is difficult to keep up on current happenings and even more challenging to see the implications to those people involved; collectors, museums, auction houses, the world of art and to our society and cultural heritage.

Tracking the typical art crime news of a day, we will then examine the stories and capers of today as well as the recent year. These cases have or will affect the future of the art world legally and most certainly morally and ethically.

Once again, grab your legal pad and sharpen your pencil. Come catch up on the latest Art Crimes!

Christine Maasdam holds a Master in Humanities and a B.A. in Cultural Geography. Her art studies include The Courtauld Institute of Art in London, The Smithsonian Early Enrichment Center in D.C. and Post Graduate studies in Antiquities Trafficking and Art Crime at the University of Glasgow. She is a graduate of the Art Crime Investigation Seminar led by Robert Wittman, founder of the FBI's National Art Crime Team. Christine is a member of the International Foundation for Cultural Property Protection and holds a certificate from Trident Manor on Protection of Cultural Venues. Christine received Sotheby’s certification on Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective. She has spent over a decade as a LACMA docent and is an active volunteer at the City of David archaeological dig in Israel.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 on Zoom and will be recorded.

From sleek new industrial materials to innovations in housing the baby boom generation, the pioneers of design in the middle of the 20th century faced new challenges in shaping a design aesthetic that would embrace the ideals of post-WWII America and Europe. Through lecture and slide illustration, this talk explores a new optimism in the relationship between design and lifestyle in the mid-20th century as manifested in open living spaces in architecture and curvaceous, biomorphic forms in furniture, lighting, and other decorative arts. The influence of the Case Study Program and the works of such design luminaries as Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Joseph Eichler, Isamu Noguchi, Arne Jacobsen, and the furniture of Knoll and Herman Miller will be discussed against the backdrop of the rapid social changes of the times.

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 and older, 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 either virtually on Zoom or in-person at Cal Lutheran's Thousand Oaks campus. It will also be recorded.

Many of the founders of the United States believed in a God. But, their beliefs were unconventional––they didn't necessarily belong to a religious community or follow the ideas of traditional theology. Why? What did these people think about God and religion? Why did their beliefs go against the grain? And, do these ideas even matter today? Franklin, Jefferson, Hamilton, and Payne are some of the most well-known American founders. Each of these individuals also held very strong religious views––views which intimately impacted their understanding of politics and American independence. This set of lectures will examine each of these individuals in order to unearth their religious views and thus grow closer to an understanding of the founders of this country.

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 and older, 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 either virtually on Zoom or in-person at Cal Lutheran's Thousand Oaks campus. It will also be recorded.

Sharon Boorstin traveled to California Gold Country to research an article for the Los Angeles Times. She discovered more fascinating stories than could fit into 1500 words. Join Sharon for a virtual tour of California Highway 49, in the rolling Sierra Nevada foothills east of Sacramento. Stops include Sutter’s Fort, where gold was first discovered in 1848; and a dozen historic Gold Rush towns including Columbia, Angel’s Camp, Grass Valley, and Nevada City. See where prospectors partied when they struck it rich, and drowned their sorrows when they didn’t — and what visitors can enjoy there today.

Sharon Boorstin is a contributing writer for the Los Angeles Times, specializing in lifestyle, food and travel. In 2019 she won Visit California’s Eureka Award for Best Newspaper Travel Article. In the 1970s and ‘80s Sharon was the Restaurant Critic of the (late) Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, and in the ‘90s she edited the annual Gayot Guidebooks for Los Angeles and other cities. She also wrote for magazines including Bon Appetit, Smithsonian and Town & Country Travel. With her husband Paul, she wrote dozens of screenplays for feature films and television including Angel of Death (ABC) starring Jane Seymour. Her memoir/cookbook, “Let Us Eat Cake: Adventures in Food and Friendship” (Harper-Collins 2002), was a selection of the Pulpwood Queens Book Club. Raised in Seattle, Washington, Sharon moved to Los Angeles in 1966 after earning a California Lifetime Teaching credential at U.C. Berkeley. She taught high-school History, English and Social Studies in L.A. for 11 years.

The Fifty and Better (FAB) program was designed for people 50 years of age and older, 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 on Zoom and will be recorded.

No other cemetery can match the location, or the natural beauty of the Santa Barbara Cemetery--truly the last best place.

Join David Petry, historian and author of "The Best Last Place: A History of the Santa Barbara Cemetery", for a guided tour of the historic resting place that has evolved dramatically since its origins.

The Santa Barbara Cemetery started out as a small town cemetery of just five acres on the edge of town. Lot-owners did what they pleased with their lots. Then two men, Lafayette Young and Captain Charles P. Low, were elected to the cemetery board, and history changed course.

The Santa Barbara Cemetery is one of the few historic cemeteries that has successfully changed over time by repeatedly transforming grounds, policies, and staff. Today, the Santa Barbara Cemetery is a gem among cemeteries, chosen as a final resting place by many individuals who have never lived in Santa Barbara. No other cemetery can match the location, or the natural beauty of the Santa Barbara Cemetery--truly the last best place. By David Petry. 2006 Olympus Press.