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Professional communicators want to reach as wide an audience as possible, but sometimes inadvertently say or write something that derails the message. No question that it can be difficult to navigate personal and social rules, guidelines, and preferences, which seem to evolve at an ever-increasing rate. But it’s not impossible.

Join AWC-SB on Wednesday, November 3, 5:30 p.m. on Zoom, to hear from educators and diversity advocates Cheri Gurse and Anita Perez Ferguson, who will discuss best practices and ways to evaluate and elevate our language. About the presenting speakers: Cheri Gurse, PhD in Human Development, is an educator, activist, and mentor with more than 30 years professional experience in university classrooms, nonprofit organizations, and community spaces. She is an expert small-group facilitator specializing in building trust across differences; diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice facilitation; and advocacy for individuals who have experienced gender-based harm. Anita Perez Ferguson, Ph.D., is a cross-cultural educator and consultant. Her work in advocacy and promotion of under-represented communities earned her the 2014 Lacayo Lifetime Achievement Award from the United States Hispanic Leadership Institute. She is an Advisor and Former Chair for the InterAmerican Foundation and a Visiting Lecturer for the Council for Independent Colleges. Member Spotlight: Justine Sutton graduated from UCSB in 1988 and has adopted Santa Barbara as her hometown. A freelance journalist since her 1991 editorial internship at the SB Independent, she has written for a variety of local media outlets since then, including the News-Press, Independent, Noozhawk, Montecito Magazine, Seasons Magazine, Cannabis by the Sea, and the new UCSB alumni magazine. In addition, she writes fiction and memoir and is working on her first novel.

The meeting will be held via Zoom. There is no charge for AWC-SB members; there is a $10 charge for nonmembers. To register, visit https://awcsb.org/inclusive-communication/. AWC-SB Member Bonus: Receive a Local Media Contact List with details on how to submit your freelance pitches or nonprofit news.

Not an AWC-SB Member? Join now and save $50. Our AWC Membership Drive runs through the end of October. For more information and assistance, contact Carolyn Jabs, membership chair at membership@awcsb.org.

America’s Teaching Zoo at Moorpark College turns wildly spooktacular on Oct. 30 and 31 for “Boo at the Zoo,” the annual Halloween-themed event that features animal shows, costume parades, prizes and treats for kids. For the family-fun event, the Zoo will be draped in decorations, and people of all ages can closely view the more than 100 animals cared for at the Zoo. Each child wearing a costume will receive a zoo-themed bingo card upon entry. Each square of the card represents a trick-or-treat station where the child can receive candy or a treat. “Our guests look forward to our family-friendly Halloween event each year, and we have the best one around!” said Zoo Operations Assistant Kris Romero. “We have more and more local families discovering this gem of a Zoo in their own backyard, and we have new animals and new animal habitats for the community to discover.” New this year, families will be introduced to Kylo the skunk and Chloe and Bubba the baboons. Animal shows start at noon and 2:30 p.m., and animal demonstrations will be throughout the day at the Zoo, located on the Moorpark College campus, 7075 Campus Road, Moorpark. “Boo at the Zoo” attendees must follow COVID-19 safety protocols, and social distancing guidelines will be enforced. America’s Teaching Zoo is the only zoo in Ventura County and is the home of the Exotic Animal Training and Management Program, which started in 1971. The program offers preparation for those interested in entering the expanding animal care industry. The students study zoo keeping, basic medical care, wildlife education and training using positive reinforcement methods. For additional information, call Mara Rodriguez at (805) 378-1441. Follow the Zoo on Instagram at @americasteachingzoo.

Halloween in the Park Sunday, October 31, 5-8pm Community Center Park, 1605 E. Burnley Street, Camarillo, CA 93010 FREE family fun event! Trick-or-Treat Village, Costume Contest, Pumpkin Painting, Lawn Games, Food Trucks, Jolly Jumps www.pvrpd.org/halloween-in-the-park 805-482-1996

Bernard-Henri Lévy, one of the West’s most important public intellectuals returns to Wilshire Boulevard Temple to discuss the most urgent humanitarian crises around the globe and the subject of his new book, The Will to See, in conversation with author and journalist Tom Teicholz. Over the past fifty years, philosopher, filmmaker, activist, and the author Bernard-Henri Lévy has reported extensively on human rights abuses around the world. In 2020, Monsieur Lévy, traveled and reported from eight international hotspots – in Nigeria; Syrian and Iraqi Kurdistan; Ukraine; Somalia; Bangladesh; Lesbos, Greece; Libya; and Afghanistan – that have escaped global attention or active response.

Not sure if you’re ready yet to hit the road because of COVID-19? Go on a virtual tour of California’s Highway 1 where it hugs the ocean from Santa Monica to Fort Bragg.

Through photos, video and stories, discover the wonders and history of places including Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, and Mendocino. We virtually explore beaches, ride giant Clydesdale horses, and step into the past to behold the moss-covered stumps of redwood behemoths felled 150 years ago. We even stop at a historic resort or two to admire the cuisine and the view. 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. Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older. All are welcome to this one-time lecture.

The craze for skiffle music in Britain lasted for only two years, from 1956 to 1958, but this invigorating blend of American folk, jazz, and blues, which grew out of the traditional jazz revival in England, set the stage for the British Invasion of the 1960s.

The Bee Gees was a family band that started even before its three members became teenagers. Their extraordinary talent and ability to change their sound with the times helped make them one of the longest surviving groups of the rock era. Cary Ginell is a Grammy-nominated writer and author of 12 books on American music. After a 30-year career in radio, he has spent the last 20 years as a public speaker, talking about music in classrooms, at conferences, and on cruise ships. Cary brings a lifelong passion for the recording industry to his work and is one of the world’s foremost authorities on his specialty, western swing. Cary previously served as President of the Association for Recorded Sound Collections, an international organization of music scholars and world-renowned institutions. He holds a master’s degree in Folklore from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Radio/TV/Film from Cal State University Northridge. Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older. All are welcome to this one-time lecture.

"Community All-Stars" theme Saturday, December 11 Parade starts 10am BANDS ★ FLOATS ★ AUTOS ★ HORSES ★ SANTA CLAUS Santa’s Village, 9am-2pm Community Center, 1605 E. Burnley St., Camarillo HOLIDAY SHOPPING ★ FOOD TRUCKS ★ MUSIC ★ VISIT SANTA www.pvrpd.org/christmas-parade

Please join us at Museum of Contemporary Art Santa Barbara (MCASB) on October 23, 2021 from 6 - 8 pm as we celebrate the opening of Drifters, a solo exhibition of LA-based artist Rosha Yaghmai curated by Alexandra Terry, Chief Curator. Rosha Yaghmai (b. 1978, Santa Monica, CA, USA) lives and works in Los Angeles. Through a sculptural practice that melds industrial and craft processes, Yaghmai’s work utilizes these provocations to alter the familiar. Yaghmai was the subject of a solo exhibition at CCA Wattis Institute for Contemporary Art in San Francisco in January 2019. She was also included in the 2018 iteration of Made in LA at the Hammer Museum. Rosha Yaghmi: Drifters at MCASB is on view from Saturday, October 23, 2021 to Sunday, January 9, 2022.

In the 13th century, the Mongols emerged from the steppe lands of inner Asia to create the largest land empire the world has ever seen. Under the charismatic leadership of Chingis (Genghis) Khan and his descendants, the Mongol armies conquered or profoundly affected all the civilizations of Eurasia, from China and Japan to the Middle East and Europe.

This lecture will explore how and why they were able to do so and what impact they had on subsequent world history. Paul Hanson, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of History at California Lutheran University. He received his Ph.D. in South Asian and Middle Eastern History from the University of Chicago. Twice a Fulbright Scholar in India, his research has focused on the relationship of religion and political legitimacy in Islamic empires. Other national fellowships and awards have funded further studies in London, Sri Lanka, and Jordan. Winner of the President's Award for Teaching Excellence, his classes made use of many of his own photographs taken during his travels in over 50 countries. He was a founding board member of the South Asian Studies Association and a member of many other professional associations. Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older. All are welcome to this one-time lecture. There are additional requirements for attending in person.

The recent withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan led many commentators to invoke an oft-used phrase about the country as “The Graveyard of Empires.” While not historically accurate, it does call attention to the difficulty foreign powers have had in trying to invade and rule the country.

This lecture will survey Afghan history with respect to its relations with various invaders from Alexander the Great to the British, Russians, and Americans and explore some of the reasons most were ultimately unsuccessful in establishing firm control. Paul Hanson, Ph.D., is Emeritus Professor of History at California Lutheran University. He received his Ph.D. in South Asian and Middle Eastern History from the University of Chicago. Twice a Fulbright Scholar in India, his research has focused on the relationship of religion and political legitimacy in Islamic empires. Other national fellowships and awards have funded further studies in London, Sri Lanka, and Jordan. Winner of the President's Award for Teaching Excellence, his classes made use of many of his own photographs taken during his travels in over 50 countries. He was a founding board member of the South Asian Studies Association and a member of many other professional associations. Fifty and Better was designed to offer university-level courses (no tests, no homework) taught by experts in the field, and to host social engagement activities for individuals age 50 and older. All are welcome to this one-time lecture. There are additional requirements for attending in person.