Eclectics (Open to the Public)
Alternate Tuesdays • 10:15 a.m.-11:45 a.m. • Auditorium/Stream-Rec
January 21 • February 4, 18 • March 4, 18 • April (1 no class), 8
Explore topics you never even knew existed! Experts recruited by the course coordinators introduce their fields of specialty and open windows on their research. Each semester offers great variety, and each class is unique and enlightening.
Topic, Date |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Growing Up in the Shadow of the Mafia January 21 |
Gino Felicetti, son of a Mafia member and author of The Devil’s Choice: Costa Nostra Chronicles, will join us from Sicily via Zoom to discuss the Costa Nostra he grew up in and it’s influence in Italy and the US. |
|
Porto‘s Bakery: From My Mother‘s Kitchen in Cuba to a Southern California Success Story February 4 |
Beatriz Porto, CEO of Porto’s Bakery and daughter of the founder. You’ve probably enjoyed their pastries — now come hear the family’s incredible success story. |
|
Life on the International Space Station February 18 |
Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson, CSUF alum and astronaut will join us via Zoom. Come hear the amazing story of her numerous space flights and what it’s like to live on the Space Station for a year — including when 2 astronauts unexpectedly are detained on your voyage for months. |
|
A People’s Guide to the OC March 4
|
Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times columnist, and former editor of OC Weekly, and author of the books Orange County: A Personal History, Taco USA: How Mexican Food
Conquered America, and ¡
Ask A Mexican!. He will be discussing his book A People’s Guide to the OC. Come learn about the “other” history of the OC — beyond Disneyland and Knott’s and orange groves lies a history of oppression, resistance, and struggle. |
|
Are We Sliding Toward Authoritarianism? March 18 |
Harry Litman, Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania; ConstitutionalLaw Professor; Legal Analyst on CNN, MSNC, CBS and BBC. He is currently writing on Substack after resigning his 14-year career at the LA Times in protest over the owner’s interference in journalistic freedom. He will be joining us via Zoom. |
|
Trans is NOT a Choice. We Were Born This Way April 8 |
OLLI’s own Debbie Gonzalez will lead a panel discussion of parents discussing the challenges their children and families have faced during transition. They will be joined by Dr. Alan Cortez, Kaiser-Permanente endocrinologist, to discuss the pros and cons of puberty blockers and other treatments for trans youth and adults. |
Coordinators: Barbara Rosen and Britt Wachsman Tech Coordinator: Bob Newcomb
Check out the presentation about our course that we made for the Fall 2024 Open House.
