Events
Free admission • Free parking • No Registration required
On this 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, thoughts turn tocatastrophes of all kinds–manmade and natural, historical and contemporary, local and distant. Disasters and our responses to them are viewed through the lens of history, science, social science, film. Join us for this examination of some famous and not so famous disasters.
October 12
The Calamities in Our Hearts: Disasters' Place in History
Roger Hall, Ph.D., associate professor of history
6:30 p.m. • Santa Maria campus Forum (room C-40)
Why are some disasters (the sinking of the Titanic!) so well remembered while others
are forgotten? What key elements unlock the human heart and keep our attention for
decades? This lecture will explore what makes us connect—or not—to disasters.
October 19
The Political Consequences of Disasters
John Ashbaugh, Ph.D., instructor of history and global studies
6:30 p.m. • Santa Maria campus Forum (room C-40)
Everybody talks about the weather, but… Galveston - San Francisco - New Orleans – Tokyo/Fukushima…Each city experienced a massive natural disaster that exposed gaping institutional failures,
corruption, or incompetence. We'll examine these disasters and how democracy reformed in the aftermath. Along the way
we’ll visit local disasters such as the 1926 Union Oil Tank Farm fire and the 1969
Santa Barbara oil spill.
October 26
Worst-Case Scenarios: Disaster and Disastrous Films
Cheryl Weiss, fine arts instructor
6:30 p.m. • Santa Maria campus Forum (room C-40)
Films often explore worst case scenarios. Catastrophes-- natural and man-made! Dangerous
creatures-- microscopic and macroscopic! Evil empires -- alien and human! From the
dawn of cinema, film has depicted fictional and historic disasters -- eliciting horror,
fear, hope and sometimes laughter. We'll look at a variety of film clips and explore
how we are both attracted to and repulsed by disaster (and disastrous) cinema.
November 2
The Mother of All Disasters: Dinosaur Extinction
Mick Bondello, professor of biology
6:30 p.m. • Santa Maria campus Forum (room C-40)
The reign of the dinosaurs ended in an ecological disaster of immense scale. Join
Mick Bondello as he explains the latest interpretation of this event and its long
ranging effects resulting in the formation of a new world dominated by birds and mammals.
Questions? Call (805) 922-6966 ext. 3322.
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The thing I like about the college is the campus itself and the variety of classes the college offers. I also like that the instructors are supportive and always available to help students whenever they need it. After getting my degree, my goal is to finish my transfer units and continue with my bachelor degree."
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