Click or scroll for the Upcoming Events below
October 22 – This is not your Daddy’s Supreme Court
October 26 – A Giant Eye in the Sky
November 13 – What is Valley Water doing to protect our water supply in a Catastrophe?
November 19 – First Last Stand – A little known American war changes history
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This is not your Daddy’s Supreme Court
The decisions are coming so quickly, it makes our heads spin. The U.S. Supreme Court has rendered order after order, many through the Court’s little-understood “shadow docket.” Debates swirl about the politicization of the highest court in the land and thus the highest tribunal for cases arising under the laws of the land and the Constitution.
As usual, Barbara Creed will provide a foundation for understanding it all in her return to Senior Academy to discuss Supreme Court trends. Join us on October 22, at 2 p.m. in Foothill to hear one of our most popular presenters review significant decisions rendered during the last term and the Trump Administration’s wins and losses. She will also preview some cases the Court will decide in its new term, beginning October 5, 2026.
This is an amazing opportunity to get an inside view from someone who has been studying and lecturing on the Court for more than a decade and has watched the Court evolve over time.
Join us on…
Thursday, October 22
2 p.m.
at Foothill Center
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A Giant Eye in the Sky
The worlds beyond our planet’s atmosphere are the stuff of awe and wonder, scientific advancement, and science fiction films. Humanity has been gazing upward with intense interest for centuries and the discoveries just keep coming. Our curiosity has led to ever-evolving technology to explore this invisible world in greater and greater detail.
The James Webb Space Telescope is one of the latest and best instruments for this kind of exploration and its initial images and discoveries are already telling us a lot about our universe.
In his talk “A Giant Eye on the Invisible Sky,” Senior Academy’s guest speaker offers a nontechnical, richly illustrated talk that will open the heavens to us through the Webb.
Astronomer and educator Andrew Fraknoi will explain what makes the Webb a truly pioneering instrument and what the initial images and discoveries have been telling us about the universe at large. In the process, he discusses what the Webb observes, and what astronomers are hoping to learn from it. No background in science is required to understand this program.
Andrew Fraknoi teaches astronomy and physics at the Fromm Institute at the University of San Francisco and the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at SF State University. He is the lead author of the most frequently used introductory astronomy textbook in the country, Astronomy, from the nonprofit OpenStax project. Fraknoi has appeared on regional and national radio, TV, and podcasts, explaining astronomy in everyday language. The International Astronomical Union has named Asteroid 4859 Asteroid Fraknoi to recognize his contributions to the public appreciation of science.
This presentation will be on Zoom on Monday, October 26, at 2 p.m., hosted by our own John Trudeau.
To participate, you must register below.
Join us on…
Monday, October 26
2 p.m.
via Zoom
What is Valley Water doing to protect our water supply in a catastrophe?
Join us on…
Friday, November 13
2 p.m.
at Foothill Center
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First Last Stand – A little known American war changes history
Presented by William Briggs
It’s a largely unrecognized American war, but it was America’s first and its bloodiest. King Philips War (named for a Native American Chief) took place in 1676 in what is now Rhode Island; it was significant because it altered Euro-Native American relations forever. Policies directed at Native Americans – including Indian slavery and land ownership – took root in what is known as Pierce’s Fight and subsequent prisoner torture.
Senior Academy is happy to present the return of William Briggs, the historical author of several books on California history will turn the pages on his latest – The First Last Stand – about this little-known historical battle. He will unwrap the story of how a company of Puritan colonial militia was ambushed and annihilated and left a legacy that changed the direction of American history.
It is said that historical stories are often written by those who end up “the winners” and that the American history we receive in school often omits unpleasant or inconvenient facts. “Perhaps it’s time to reweave some of this history into the national narrative,” Briggs says.
Briggs is a former communications professor in the California State University system whose books re available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble as well as other local bookstore.
Join us on…
Thursday, November 19
2 p.m.
at Foothill Center