Course Schedule
Please note that the PayPal/Add to Cart button will be removed two business days before the first class of a seminar. This allows for an accurate count and time to forward any class information to the registrants. Please plan to register before then to be sure to receive any information from the Presenter or VISTAS office.
Writing Drama from History: Finding the Stories in Memoirs, Archives, Biographies
Monday: September 8, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Meg Kruszewska
Meg (Malgorzata) Kruszewska’s most recently produced play, Tea with Ganna, Pearl, and Beatrice, provided a nuanced portrayal of three legendary local women—Ganna Walska, Pearl Chase, and Beatrice Wood. Like several of her other plays, it was based on biographies, archives, and public documents. This presentation will focus on how dramatists create characters and storylines based on factual evidence, but then also use fictional situations for better dramatic storytelling. The creative writer’s task differs from that of a historian or a journalist. Inspiration may arise from extensive archival research, but it then needs to be set aside in order to create the story. This writing process reflects a bigger question for those considering writing memoirs or family histories. How can character development and placement in a historical context help transform a mere chronicle of events into dramatic literature?
Trees of Santa Barbara
Four (non-consecutive) Tuesdays: Sept. 9, Sept. 16, Sept. 30, Oct. 7; 10 a.m. – 12 noon (no refreshment break)
Each week we will meet at a different location in town; participants will need to find parking nearby
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price: $75
Presented by: Bob Muller
Santa Barbara’s streets and parks are a living conservatory of over 400 species of trees from throughout the world. Some have played important roles in the history of man; others may be endangered in their native lands. All have an interesting story. Each week we will meet in a different location in town and investigate the amazing diversity that makes up Santa Barbara’s urban forest. We will learn to identify over 70 of our common and uncommon trees and discuss the fascinating stories that they all have to tell. We will also discuss some threats to this important but underappreciated legacy that we drive by and interact with in our daily lives. This field trip course will be limited to 15 participants. We are planning to provide museum guide–type audio receivers for all who choose to use them.
Understanding AI: What It Is, How It Works, and Why It Matters
Thursday: September 11, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30
Presented by: Norah Dunbar
This lecture will offer a beginner-friendly introduction to artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on what AI is, how it works, and how it impacts our everyday lives. Designed for a general audience with little to no technical background, the presentation will demystify common AI concepts, provide real-world examples, and offer guidance on how to think critically about AI tools such as ChatGPT. We’ll start with a brief history of AI, from Turing to today, then cover some definitions and common myths. We’ll discuss the difference between AI, machine learning, and deep learning. We’ll also look at ethical considerations and misuse. At the conclusion, attendees will have a foundational understanding of AI's capabilities, limitations, and implications for the future.
Truth and Illusion
Monday: September 15, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30
Presented by: Scott DeVine
Scott DeVine, Ensemble Theatre Company’s Executive Artistic Director, will unveil the upcoming ETC season, whose theme is “Truth and Illusion,” exploring how theatre serves as both mirror and mask for society. He’ll discuss the carefully curated productions, which examine authenticity versus artifice, reality versus perception, and the powerful role of storytelling in revealing deeper truths about the human experience while celebrating theatre's transformative magic. Scott will also reflect on his journey to leading the company, sharing pivotal moments that shaped his artistic vision and leadership philosophy.
Influenza
One Wednesday: Sept. 17, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Online via Zoom
There is no charge for this Zoom presentation: Simply notify our business manager that you’d like to attend and she will email you a link ahead of the presentation.
Presented by: Bruce Phillips
In this ~1 hour presentation, we will discuss briefly the history of influenza disease, including the great epidemic of 1918–1919. Later in the talk we’ll learn how that epidemic unfolded. Dr. Phillips will also analyze (i) the nature of influenza disease and the challenges of dealing with it; (ii) how the influenza virus grows inside certain cells; (iii) its nasty propensity to constantly mutate; (iv) the nature and limitations of influenza vaccines, which often require reformulation year to year; (v) medical treatments for flu; and (vi) practical behaviors to reduce the risk of infection—as well as medical myths you may have heard.
Whales and Island Wilderness: Protecting the Channel Islands and the Surrounding Ocean Ecosystem
Thursday: Sept 25, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Holly Lohuis
Join Holly Lohuis, marine biologist, naturalist, and co-director of the Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area, for an inspiring lecture on the vital role whales play in regulating our climate and maintaining ocean health. From carbon sequestration to nutrient cycling, these ocean giants are key allies in the fight against climate change. Learn about the diverse whales and dolphins that inhabit the newly designated Santa Barbara Channel Whale Heritage Area and hear stories of conservation successes from the Channel Islands National Park. Discover the science behind whales’ ecological role in enhancing ocean productivity and why protecting the unique biodiversity of the Channel Islands and the wildlife of the Santa Barbara Channel is essential for a healthier planet.
Chivalry—Caesar—Gantry: Opera Santa Barbara’s New Season
Friday: September 26, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Bob Weinman
This will be a one-day class centering on the coming season at Opera Santa Barbara. The operas we will talk about are Pietro Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana (epic singing, doomed romance, rousing choruses, bad decisions and their consequences); George Frideric Handel’s Julius Caesar (aka Caesar and Cleopatra) (steamy passion, ruthless politics, vocal pyrotechnics); and Robert Aldridge and Herschel Garfein’s Elmer Gantry (satirical drama, greed, lust, and old-time religion). Like Bob’s other opera-related classes, this presentation will be of interest both to devoted opera fans and those who are perhaps only opera-curious. Expect a lot of fun … and a few surprises!
A Guide to the Symphony Orchestra
Monday: September 29 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Nir Kabaretti
Discover the fascinating world of the symphony orchestra, from its origins in the Baroque era to its development through the Classical period and beyond. This guide explores the four main instrument families—strings, woodwinds, brass, and percussion—and explains how they work together to create a unified sound. We’ll learn about the vital role of the conductor, how musicians are selected, and how rehearsals are structured to bring complex scores to life. Whether you’re a curious newcomer or a seasoned concertgoer, this guide offers a comprehensive introduction to the inner workings and rich history of the symphony orchestra.
California History through Song: From the Gold Rush to Little Kathy Fiscus and Cesar Chavez
Two Mondays: Oct. 6 and 13, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45
Presented by: Norm Cohen
We generally don’t turn to popular music for documentation of social and political history, but there has been a great deal of musical commentary on life in the Golden State, especially during the 19th and early 20th centuries—not only in mainstream pop music but also in country music (or “hillbilly” music, as it used to be labeled), blues music, and Hispanic music. In these sessions you’ll have a chance to hear dozens of songs that touch on California’s past—individual events (mostly tragedies), heroes and badmen (“Corrido de Patricia Hearst,” “Corrido de Cesar Chavez”), natural disasters (“The Los Angeles New Year’s Flood”); and memories from the days of ’49. And oh, yes—a song about our own Santa Barbara (“The Santa Barbara Earthquake”). These oft-forgotten gems will be accompanied by commentary on the historical background as well as the singers and composers/writers.
Forensic Linguistics: The Role of Forensic Linguists within the Legal System
Two Wednesdays: Oct. 8 and 15, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45
Presented by: Edward Finegan
Forensic linguists have served as experts in legal disputes for the past six or seven decades in civil and criminal cases related to defamation, voice identification, authorship attribution, and trademark. They’ve also assisted courts and juries concerning interpretation of deeds of trust, insurance policies, statutory law, and even the United States Constitution—in short, in any kind of legal dispute where language is an issue. Ed will describe the well-known case of the Unabomber as well as several in which he played a role, involving the celebrities Aretha Franklin, Martha Stewart, Tom Cruise, and James Woods. He’ll discuss his experience in trademark disputes between American Airlines and Delta, between Apple and Microsoft, and one challenging the USPS.
The Life, Death—and Future?—of USAID: Dispatches from the Front Lines
Friday: October 17, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Christine Sheckler and Bee Bloeser
It was America’s most powerful tool you’ve never heard enough about. Through the experience of some who served, this course examines the US Agency for International Development, the greatest tool America ever had for doing great humanitarian good while building diplomatic goodwill. We’ll look at USAID projects as they changed lives around the world and increased America’s strategic influence. We’ll explore how taxpayer dollars spent were an investment in our security and will consider ways we might move forward following the dismantling of the agency.
Murder in Santa Barbara
Two Wednesdays: October 22 and 29, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $30; non-member price: $45
Presented by: Patrick McKinley
During the opening session, Patrick will identify 29 murder cases that occurred in Santa Barbara, wherein a total of 62 people were killed. A list of those cases will be shared with all attendees at that session and also may be requested in advance from our business manager. If for any reason an attendee would be disturbed by discussion of the details relating to a particular case, they may notify Patrick and that case will be dropped. Murder is not pretty, and we do not want friends or relatives of either the defendants or the victims to be confronted with distressing material. Each case will be accompanied by PowerPoint slides and discussion of the offense, the investigation, the trial, and other legal points (forensics, search warrants, and the outcome of the case). Photographing or otherwise reproducing any of those slides will not be permitted.
Choosing, Cutting, Dreaming: Making Modern Art
Friday: October 24, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: James Glisson
This entertaining presentation will explore the steps that Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Kurt Schwitters, and Max Ernst, among others, used to make artworks that still fascinate, annoy, and inspire us today. We’ll begin with Marcel Duchamp and his still controversial urinal. The conversation then moves on to the collages of Picasso and Georges Braque, with their use of cheap, common materials such as old newspapers. The discussion ends with the Surrealists’ techniques for evoking dream-like states and pulling from dark regions of the mind’s unconscious, including how Max Ernst looked to the techniques of psychology to conjure nightmarish pictures. Over a century later, contemporary artists still draw on these strategies. Seeing how those artists worked long ago can give us insights into the contemporary art we see today in museums and commercial art galleries.
Mapping the Earth
Thursday: October 30, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Norm Cohen
A man leaves his house and walks due south for one mile. Then he turns, walks one mile due west, and sees a bear. He then turns again and walks due north for one mile and is back home. What color is the bear? This riddle involves one of the biggest historical challenges to map-making. In this presentation, we’ll discuss some of the problems that faced ancient cartographers: How did they measure the size of the Earth? When did they realize it is not flat? How did they attempt to display the surface of a sphere on a flat sheet of paper? How were the heights of mountains determined long before there were satellites, drones, lasers, or even airplanes? We’ll cover these questions and more.
The Role of ‘Favored Minorities’ in U.S. Government
Four (non-consecutive) Mondays: Nov. 3 and 10 and Dec. 1 and 8, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $50; non-member price $75
Presented by: Ray Kwasnick
The struggle for political control of the national government has always been a game. The Constitution and national legislation enacted pursuant to the Constitution set the rules of the game, but the rules are now, and have always been, rigged in favor of political coalitions that control less-populated states and vote-denying and -suppressing states. The structural advantages supporting those favored coalitions include the structure of the Senate, political gerrymandering, the size of the House, voter suppression and denial laws and tactics, and the filibuster. Most people believe that it is impossible to reduce those structural advantages without amending the Constitution. That belief is wrong, as the Constitution permits Congress to eliminate or reduce these advantages by simple legislation. From the beginning there have been three primary areas of contest—the extent of Congressional power over the states, the extent of Congressional power over the Supreme Court, and control of the national government. During this course, we will explore US history and constitutional law with particular focus on the three areas of contest.
The History, Cultural Significance, and Joy of Blues Music: An Indigenous American Art Form
Friday: November 7, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Steve Daniels
Arguably, blues music is the foundation of almost all popular U.S. musical forms, including rock-and-roll, jazz, rap, hip hop, folk, gospel, and Americana. Although its exact origin is debatable, there is no doubt that it arose primarily in the African American communities of the deep South in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It afforded an oppressed population cathartic music to assuage its pain and sorrows and to express its resilience. Since its beginnings, blues has gone through periods of decline and renewal. Different blues sub-genres we’ll listen to and discuss include acoustic blues, folk blues, blues rock, Chicago blues, New Orleans blues, piano blues, soul blues, West Coast blues, and double entendre blues.
Viruses … and Life in General
Wednesday: November 12, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30
Presented by: Bruce Phillips
Most people believe that viruses are the smallest living entity on earth. However, there are difficulties with this notion. First is whether viruses are alive. Years ago, virologists agreed they were. Nowadays, most virologists have changed their minds. Viruses can only replicate by invading and hijacking the cellular machinery of a host organism and cannot reproduce on their own. The second difficulty is that there are several entities capable of reproduction but much smaller and simpler than viruses. Maybe the answer lies in how one defines “life.” The challenge is to understand these various entities and how we conceptualize them.
Opera Production: Why Did They Do It THAT Way?
Three Tuesdays: Nov. 18, 25, and Dec. 2; 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Weinman Hall, Music Academy of the West 1070 Fairway Road, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $40; non-member price: $60
Presented by: Simon Williams
Nothing infuriates and divides contemporary opera audiences as much as modern stage productions of classic opera. For some, these productions violate the very essence of opera; for others, they breathe life into an antiquated form of theatre and preserve it for our time. In this course, Dr. Williams will draw on over 70 years of opera-going as an audience member and critic to explain modern approaches to production and to argue why they are necessary, even beneficial to the survival of opera. He will first examine why people resist the introduction of modern concerns onto the operatic stage and relate this to the role of opera in society today. He will then identify patterns of coherence in the somewhat confusing world of modern production. Finally, he will demonstrate how over the years one major work of the operatic repertoire has spoken to different generations of audiences so that they find their own meanings in it. You may very well not agree with everything that is said in this course, but it is sure to generate abundant conversations!
Women and Politics
Friday: November 21, 1:00 – 3:30 p.m.
Fe Bland Forum Auditorium SBCC West Campus, 721 Cliff Drive, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price $30
Presented by: Lois Phillips
In the US, women constitute 51% of the population yet hold just 24 of 100 seats in the Senate and 29.2% of 435 seats in the House of Representatives. When women are excluded from executive decision-making in state and federal governments, diverse perspectives and crucial policy priorities are overlooked. Research confirms that certain social attitudes and psychological obstacles make it more difficult for women than men to engage in politics as candidates. These challenges not only hinder women's political participation and representation, but also have broader consequences for democracy and society. In this presentation, Lois Phillips and her guest panel* will offer an overview of the history of women in politics and will review research identifying the current policy areas that women care about versus those that men do.
Mildly Interesting Tails [pun intended] of the Fishes of the Pacific Coast
Wednesday: December 10, 9:30 a.m. – 12 noon
Bethany Congregational Church 556 N. Hope Avenue, Santa Barbara
VISTAS member price: $20; non-member price: $30
Presented by: Milton Love
There are maybe 1,500 fish species along the Pacific Coast of North America. You will be happy to know that we are not going to talk about all of them. No, this is a talk for people with short attention spans, as no one story will be longer than, oh, maybe at the most 5 minutes. So, if you don’t like one, don’t worry, there will be another one right around the bend. Yes, from fishes that change sex, to fishes that don’t change sex; from fishes that make sounds so loud they keep people in houseboats wide awake at night, to fishes that are very, very quiet and kind of withdrawn; and from fishes that eat you, to fishes that you eat; this talk has, if not all, at least, well, something … Oh, and we do spend a few minutes simply ragging on salmon, which we do not like.
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