History   

In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the U.S government, the media, and most national institutions quickly established the "official story" of what led to and occurred on that fateful day. At 25 years on, that story is not so certain. Questions have been raised. Through viewing segments of an acclaimed documentary and in-class discussion, students can confront these questions and consider whether they have merit. It will not change the outcome, but it may give new insights.

D-Day June 6, 1944, was one of the most important days in World War II. Well, D-Day is the word described to the day. The amount of planning, Work, logistics and luck played a huge part in it success this class will discuss that while D-Day is the tip of the iceberg. Most of the work was done before.

Join Terry McAteer as our day begins at Sutter’s Fort to relive and understand the quiet days of California prior to the Gold Rush. Lunch will take place at Joe's Crab Shack in Old Town followed by a walking tour of the area to understand Sacramento’s role in the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad. We will visit the site where Stanford, Hopkins, Huntington, Crocker and Judah cut the deal to build the rails over the summit. A fun day to relive Sacramento history.
For members registering for the bus - we will provide complimentary roundtrip transportation on a Sierra College bus from the Rocklin Campus. We will meet at the Solar Panels (Lots J and K) and leave promptly at 9:00am. Price includes bus transportation and lunch. Wear comfortable shoes for walking.

Field Trip Cancellations and Refund Policy

• If we have to cancel a field trip you will receive a full refund.
• If you cancel a field trip:
  • Day Trip: must be canceled at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip to receive a refund (minus a $10 cancellation fee).
  • Overnight field trips require a 45-day cancellation notice for a full refund (minus a $50 cancellation fee). No refunds given after that date.

Join Terry McAteer as our day begins at Sutter’s Fort to relive and understand the quiet days of California prior to the Gold Rush. Lunch will take place at Joe's Crab Shack in Old Town followed by a walking tour of the area to understand Sacramento’s role in the Gold Rush and the Transcontinental Railroad. We will visit the site where Stanford, Hopkins, Huntington, Crocker and Judah cut the deal to build the rails over the summit. A fun day to relive Sacramento history.
For members registering for the bus - we will provide complimentary roundtrip transportation on a Sierra College bus from the Rocklin Campus. We will meet at the Solar Panels (Lots J and K) and leave promptly at 9:00am. Price includes bus transportation and lunch. Wear comfortable shoes for walking.

Field Trip Cancellations and Refund Policy

• If we have to cancel a field trip you will receive a full refund.
• If you cancel a field trip:
  • Day Trip: must be canceled at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip to receive a refund (minus a $10 cancellation fee).
  • Overnight field trips require a 45-day cancellation notice for a full refund (minus a $50 cancellation fee). No refunds given after that date.

Using important decisions made by U.S. presidents and landmark Supreme Court rulings, we will apply a series of ethical criteria to some of these historic decisions. Ethical thinking not only involves making judgements of right and wrong, good and bad, but also the motivations and intentions of the decision makers. Using ethical criteria developed by psychologists Maslow, Kohlberg, and Glasser, we will build a broader view of the potential factors that affected these decisions and that can be applied to our modern times. This course will encourage class participation discussing these decisions.

This day long bus/ferry and hiking adventure brings us to the Tiburon Ferry which will transport us to Angel Island. We will have lunch (provided) in the Group Picnic Area in Ayala Harbor before our one mile flat hike (1 mile each way) to visit the infamous Angel Island Immigration Center then continue onto mothballed Ft. McDowell to discuss the history of this U.S. Army installation. We will ferry back to catch the bus back to Sierra College with a plentiful supply of snacks provided along the way.

This day long bus/ferry and hiking adventure brings us to the Tiburon Ferry which will transport us to Angel Island. We will have lunch (provided) in the Group Picnic Area in Ayala Harbor before our one mile flat hike (1 mile each way) to visit the infamous Angel Island Immigration Center then continue onto mothballed Ft. McDowell to discuss the history of this U.S. Army installation. We will ferry back to catch the bus back to Sierra College with a plentiful supply of snacks provided along the way.

In these uncertain times, it is important to seek solace, resolve and inspiration. Terry McAteer will read Martin Luther King's five page letter to Christian and Jewish religious leaders which he wrote from a jail cell in 1963. His touching words will enlist your passions as we reflect upon our current troubling period as it relates to King's masterpiece. This will be a class you will reflect upon often.

"They say you don't choose your times, but I was drafted into the Soviet Army just as the Soviet Union was choosing to fall apart. I went in as a young man with a life dictated by the state, and I emerged during a chaotic collapse that erased the USSR. This is a story about the brutal physical and mental forging of character, the chilling paranoia of KGB surveillance, and navigating the profound instability of a failing superpower. It was a time when the world was falling down around us, and I want to share where we found the strength to carry on."

"They say you don't choose your times, but I was drafted into the Soviet Army just as the Soviet Union was choosing to fall apart. I went in as a young man with a life dictated by the state, and I emerged during a chaotic collapse that erased the USSR. This is a story about the brutal physical and mental forging of character, the chilling paranoia of KGB surveillance, and navigating the profound instability of a failing superpower. It was a time when the world was falling down around us, and I want to share where we found the strength to carry on."

We'll document the fertile interaction between minorities that transformed, not only the music of the 20th century, but the whole industry of entertainment and popular culture. With strong support from audiovisuals and based on my own experience as concert promoter for 3 decades, we'll explore the legacy of the most relevant singers, performers, producers, record labels and booking agencies in the history of Rock, Pop, Blues and Jazz. We’ll learn how the main Jazz standards and the Great American Songbook were built, by artists like Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Jerome Kern, Benny Goodman, Stan Getz, etc., and how their legacy influenced Leiber and Stoller, Bob Dylan, Barbra Streisand, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Kiss, Slash and many more.

Join us as we examine the events of November 22, 1963, and the days that followed. We’ll explore questions surrounding standard investigative procedures, review two subsequent investigations, and examine why many Americans continue to question the findings of the Warren Commission.

The class will also consider evidence involving key witnesses, film footage, police radio communications, acoustical analysis, and forensic findings that have fueled theories of multiple shooters. Roger Peterson brings a unique perspective to the discussion, having personally met and spoken with several people who witnessed the assassination.

Come explore the evidence, the unanswered questions, and the investigations that continue to shape the debate surrounding one of the most controversial events in American history.

The Constitution of the United States was created during the summer of 1787 in the Assembly Room of Independence Hall four years after the Treaty of Paris secured American independence. What happened at these epic meetings? Learn about George Washington’s role at the convention, Alexander Hamilton’s 5-hour speech, the tension between the large and small states, and the dramatic moments when the convention came close to failure. Thankfully, James Madison kept articulate notes of each day, and we will learn what unfolded at this convention that will lead to a deeper understanding of our Constitution.

Drawing on information from her blogs and book, "Mornings on Fair Oaks Bridge, Watching Wildlife at the Lower American River, " Janice leads this tour to share scenic views, preservation initiatives, and reveal little known facts of geology, history, salmon spawning, and wildlife interactions. Discover how Fair Oaks Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, became an integral part of growing the agricultural economies and community services of Orangevale, Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks.

Field Trip Cancellations and Refund Policy

• If we have to cancel a field trip you will receive a full refund.
• If you cancel a field trip:
  • Day Trip: must be canceled at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip to receive a refund (minus a $10 cancellation fee).
  • Overnight field trips require a 45-day cancellation notice for a full refund (minus a $50 cancellation fee). No refunds given after that date.

Drawing on information from her blogs and book, "Mornings on Fair Oaks Bridge, Watching Wildlife at the Lower American River, " Janice leads this tour to share scenic views, preservation initiatives, and reveal little known facts of geology, history, salmon spawning, and wildlife interactions. Discover how Fair Oaks Bridge, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, became an integral part of growing the agricultural economies and community services of Orangevale, Citrus Heights and Fair Oaks.

Field Trip Cancellations and Refund Policy

• If we have to cancel a field trip you will receive a full refund.
• If you cancel a field trip:
  • Day Trip: must be canceled at least 2 weeks prior to the field trip to receive a refund (minus a $10 cancellation fee).
  • Overnight field trips require a 45-day cancellation notice for a full refund (minus a $50 cancellation fee). No refunds given after that date.

According to Jewish legend, in 1700BC a man named Abraham put his faith in a god named YHVH, and in return was instructed to "look up now at the sky and count the stars if you can. So uncountable will your descendants be." Those words, as it turns out, were prophetic. This course surveys the history, literature, beliefs and practices of the Abrahamic religions - Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - religions which taken together comprise over half of the world's population.

*You did not have to take Part 1 to register for Part 2. 

This course will explore the origins of the presidency, including what the Framers of the Constitution expected from the office. We will look at various theories that presidents have developed about the office. The class will then review our first president, George Washington.

We will travel by Sierra College bus or private auto to visit the National Historic District of Locke in Sacramento County with OLLI Instructor Terry McAteer. Locke was located near the junction of the Southern Pacific and Sacramento Valley railroads and brought thousands of Chinese to the area. These laborers worked on the farms, the rails and built our huge system of levies. At one point, Locke had five gambling halls, five brothels, speakeasies and many opium dens. We will be provided with a walking tour of the town, dine at a local historic eatery and visit a nearby small winery for a private tasting. Lunch and wine tasting included. Limited to 35 in bus and 35 in private auto.

We will travel by Sierra College bus or private auto to visit the National Historic District of Locke in Sacramento County with OLLI Instructor Terry McAteer. Locke was located near the junction of the Southern Pacific and Sacramento Valley railroads and brought thousands of Chinese to the area. These laborers worked on the farms, the rails and built our huge system of levies. At one point, Locke had five gambling halls, five brothels, speakeasies and many opium dens. We will be provided with a walking tour of the town, dine at a local historic eatery and visit a nearby small winery for a private tasting. Lunch and wine tasting included. Limited to 35 in bus and 35 in private auto.

Slainte! (To Your Health in Gaelic) This class will explore and celebrate the history of the Irish in America. The Scotch-Irish arrived first and moved to Appalachia then came the Potato Famine hoards to the inner cities in the 1850's. We will delve into the anti- Irish Catholic movements such as the Know Nothing Party and the Knights of the White Camelia through to the 1960 election of JFK. We'll also enjoy some tales, and Irish/American music along the way. We all have a wee bit of Irish (blarney) in all of us!

A fun, lively, informative showcase and discussion of the most iconic and impactful ads of the past 100 years, including the cultural, socio-economic, and marketplace dynamics at that time for contextual relevance to understand why the ads were created. We'll also peek into the future of advertising and go behind the scenes to learn what it takes to create iconic ads. (It's not all Mad Men, but close.) You'll never look at advertising the same way again.

Meet J. Parker Whitney, who was 17 when he arrived in San Francisco in 1852 with 10 cents in his pocket. For 20 years he explored the U.S., trying his hand at various business ventures, eventually returning to Rocklin where he developed an estate that covered nearly 29 square miles. 

Our first stop on this fall color three-day adventure will be Mt. Shasta City where we will meet with a fisheries biologist at Sisson Fish Hatchery to discuss the health of North State waterways. Dinner, the first night is at the elegant McCloud Lodge built in 1916 and lodging will be at the Best Western in town. The next morning takes us to MacArthur-Burney State Park then onto a picnic lunch at Lassen National Pak. We will then be on a ranger-led hike through the lava beds and boiling steam pots. Our group then heads to Chester on the shores of beautiful Lake Almanor for dinner at the Almanor West Grill and lodging again at the Best Western Lodge in Chester. On our final day following breakfast, we will have a tour of Collins Lumber Mill and discuss the state of public and private lands with a timber expert and the drive down the spectacular Feather River Canyon to Oroville and back to Sierra College. Everything is included except any alcohol beverages.

Our first stop on this fall color three-day adventure will be Mt. Shasta City where we will meet with a fisheries biologist at Sisson Fish Hatchery to discuss the health of North State waterways. Dinner, the first night is at the elegant McCloud Lodge built in 1916 and lodging will be at the Best Western in town. The next morning takes us to MacArthur-Burney State Park then onto a picnic lunch at Lassen National Pak. We will then be on a ranger-led hike through the lava beds and boiling steam pots. Our group then heads to Chester on the shores of beautiful Lake Almanor for dinner at the Almanor West Grill and lodging again at the Best Western Lodge in Chester. On our final day following breakfast, we will have a tour of Collins Lumber Mill and discuss the state of public and private lands with a timber expert and the drive down the spectacular Feather River Canyon to Oroville and back to Sierra College. Everything is included except any alcohol beverages.

"The War to End All Wars" was what historians at the time described World War I. But only 20 years after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles which ended World War I, the Second World War started. This class will explore how the end of World War I really set the stage for World War II.

Educational documentarian Catherine Busch developed a series of films and classroom lessons about the Japanese Internment in the United States.  Along with Tim Ogburn they have turned to the question, "Could it ever happen again?"  Are the conditions in the USA now similar to those that caused this black mark on American history? This short film examines the state of our nation and asks this pertinent question.  Come and meet the filmmakers and contribute to the discussion.

Educational documentarian Catherine Busch developed a series of films and classroom lessons about the Japanese Internment in the United States.  Along with Tim Ogburn they have turned to the question, "Could it ever happen again?"  Are the conditions in the USA now similar to those that caused this black mark on American history? This short film examines the state of our nation and asks this pertinent question.  Come and meet the filmmakers and contribute to the discussion.

This course explores why the founding generation framed a new constitution. The course will examine the myriad problems caused by the first American Constitution (the Articles of Confederation) during and after the revolution. We will then discuss the Constitutional Convention, the major compromises that were reached, and the organization of the government contained in the Constitution.

Movies misrepresented the Old West. Gunfights were not daily events.  Earp wore a badge fewer than nine years. He was a gambler, saloon operator, miner, horse racer...a "sporting man". For years he battled his reputation from two events. He outlived all the Old West icons dying in 1929 after becoming friends with Hollywood’s Tom Mix, William S. Hart, and John Ford.. One cannot know the Earp story without learning of wife Josephine. Peterson interviewed three people who knew Earp.