Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 55 Number 2, Winter 2014 Santa Clara University
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Santa Clara University Scholar Commons Santa Clara Magazine SCU Publications Winter 2014 Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 55 Number 2, Winter 2014 Santa Clara University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons, Business Commons, Education Commons, Engineering Commons, Law Commons, Life Sciences Commons, Medicine and Health Sciences Commons, Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons, and the Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons Recommended Citation Santa Clara University, "Santa Clara Magazine, Volume 55 Number 2, Winter 2014" (2014). Santa Clara Magazine. 27. https://scholarcommons.scu.edu/sc_mag/27 This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the SCU Publications at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Santa Clara Magazine by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. WINTER 2014 Magazine Faith Politics Features Rise up, my love 16 BY BRIAN DOYLE. There are sanctuaries built for worship—and that carry beauty visible to everyone. Then there are the improvised places of faith, more subtle in how they speak to the wonder worked there. The chaplain is in the House 18 BY JEREMY HERB ’08 WITH PHOTOS BY PAT SEMANSKY ’08. With the way things have gone recently in Congress, looking to the heavens for some help and guidance might seem like a very good idea. Enter Pat Conroy, S.J., M.Div. ’83. 6 Welcome to Citizenville A brief history of zealotry 24 BY JIM COTTRILL. Who published the one book on government in 2013 that conservative firebrand 28 Reza Aslan ’95 in conversation with three SCU Newt Gingrich told all true believers that they should scholars of religion—Paul Crowley, S.J., Catherine read? Try Gavin Newsom ’89, California’s lieutenant Murphy ’83, M.A. ’87, and David Pinault— governor and San Francisco’s former mayor. about faith, politics, and how we talk about the life and times of Jesus of Nazareth. These things are real 32 Gerdenio Manuel, S.J., M.Div. ’78 talks with Ron Hansen M.A. ’95 about finding grace versus succumbing to the dark side, requesting the last seat on the Titanic, and answering a question all Catholic priests face: How can you live healthily as a celibate? ONCORDEL C DENIS Web Exclusives Santaclaramagazine.com carries new stories every week. Find video, slideshows, Class Notes, and much, much more, including … ARRY B CHARLES Maybe I’m amazed Amy Tan in conversation with writer Ron Hansen M.A. ’95 about how her new novel, The Valley of Amazement, came to be. From the President’s Speaker Series. Victory is ours: For the season, the West Coast Conference championship. In the moment, Julie Johnston ’14 and Sofia Huerta ’15 after beating Fresno State. DEPARTMENTS 2 FROM THE EDITOR 3 LETTERS COURTESY FRANCISCO JIMÉNEZ 8 MISSION MATTERS Libros sin Fronteras 48 A F T E R W O R D S : “What I’ve learned from Cajas de Cartón (or The Circuit: Stories from the 11 cowboys, clerics, and communists” Life of a Migrant Child) by Francisco Jiménez ’66 by Jane L. Curry becomes part of the bilingual reading project Books Without Borders in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. CLASS N O TES 35 B R O N C O P R O F I L E : The Materializer 37 BRONCO NEWS: Then and now 32 40 LIVES JOINED 41 BIRTHS AND ADOPTIONS 43 I N P R I N T: Life’s a circus ARRY 44 OBITUARIES B CHARLES The strength of her testimony Religious studies lecturer Jean Molesky-Poz on the 35 unique perspective of women preachers in the Catholic Church. santaclaramagazine.com WINTER 2014 From The Editor SantaClMagazineara Volume 55 Number 2 Conversations worth having E DITOR Steven Boyd Saum [email protected] ou see those two words on the cover—Faith, Politics— A SSISTANT E DITOR and the white-collared cleric in black, and perhaps you Kristen Intlekofer Y think to yourself: On the one hand, East is East, West is L ITERARY E DITOR West, and never the twain shall meet. Or, on the other hand, Ron Hansen M.A. ’95 the luminous core of our beliefs about what is good and what C REATIVE D IRECTOR is truth in the realm of metaphysics—these exert quite the Linda Degastaldi gravitational pull on the economic and civic and social here in P HOTOGRAPHER the constellation we inhabit. And comets and stars and planets Charles Barry move at a mind-boggling pace. E DITORIAL I NTERNS Or you surmise: On the one hand, we’ve got a First Amendment; Leah Gonzalez ’14, Danae Stahlnecker ’15 can’t we all just get along? Get to the inner workings of the House of D EPARTMENT C ONTRIBUTORS Jeff Gire, Deborah Lohse, Alden Mudge, Representatives, and we know there are some things the GOP and Dems Sam Scott ’96 can see eye-to-eye on. For instance, there’s the Jesuit they selected to be C LASS N OTES & O BITUARIES chaplain of the House, right? Marisa Solís On the other hand, maybe you reflect on having faith in politics—you know, www.scu.edu/alumupdate the mechanisms of representative democracy and so forth—and you ask yourself: A SSOCIATE E DITOR , Do I still believe? And if the answer is, “Yes, and I must make things better,” does S ANTACLARAMAGAZINE . COM Clay Hamilton that lead you, like it has for hundreds of thousands of folks across the nation of Ukraine in December, to take to the streets in the name of revolution—which, C OPY E DITORS John Deever, Marisa Solís in this case, is another way of saying, in the name of wanting to be a normal country, like those to your west? Poland is one of those countries; it’s also some Designed by Cuttriss & Hambleton of the territory covered in the essay at the end of this magazine, a personal reflection on history and religion, compassion and forgiveness, Catholicism and S ANTA C LARA M AGAZINE A DVISORY B OARD communism, compromise and humility and persistence. Margaret Avritt—Director of Marketing On a very different hand, what if you took the historical Jesus and, through Terry Beers—Professor of English your scholarship, put him back in the political context of a couple millennia Linda Degastaldi—Creative Director ago? How would politics and faith look then? And what if somebody told you Michael Engh, S.J.—President that you don’t have the right to ask those questions because of your faith? Elizabeth Fernandez ’79—Journalist On the other hand, where have you found the holy? Rich Giacchetti—Associate Vice President, On the one hand, what if you’ve been a politician burned in effigy (first Marketing and Communications time: because of a program for the homeless that you introduced) and as Ron Hansen M.A. ’95—Gerard Manley Hopkins, S.J., Professor of Arts and Humanities mayor you began performing marriages for same-sex couples at San Francisco Kathy Kale ’86—Assistant Vice President for City Hall nine years ago, and you found yourself at the center of a firestorm, Alumni Relations as they say—but, lately, some of the very folks who pilloried you for that have James Lyons—Vice President for University Relations instead lionized you for ideas about changing the relationship between citizens Paul Soukup, S.J.—Pedro Arrupe, S.J., Professor of and government in something we might call Governing 2.0? Communication On that note, what is the sound of one hand clapping? That, too, is a conversation worth having. Update your address and the rest of your contact info: www.scu.edu/alumupdate In the meantime, here’s an easier question: What’s the sound of 100,000 [email protected] hands clapping? Let’s hear that now, okay? And let out a whoop and a holler Santa Clara Magazine 500 El Camino Real because, all earnest discussion and quiet contemplation aside, just a few weeks Santa Clara, CA 95053 ago the relentless and talented Santa Clara women’s soccer team capped their The diverse opinions expressed in Santa Clara Magazine do stellar season by winning the West Coast Conference championship and not necessarily represent the views of the editor or the official policy of Santa Clara University. Copyright 2014 by Santa making the Sweet 16 in the NCAA tourney. They played their hearts out, and Clara University. Reproduction in whole or in part without they were brilliant. permission is prohibited. Santa Clara Magazine (USPS #609-240) is published quarterly Keep the faith, by the Office of Marketing and Communications, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA. Periodical postage paid at Santa Clara, CA, and at additional mailing office. Postmaster: Send address changes to Santa Clara Magazine, 500 El Camino Real, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, CA 95053-1500. Steven Boyd Saum Editor 2 S ANTA C LARA M AGAZINE | WINTER 2014 “The way that you work is so much deeper than merely your Letters technical skill (which you also have—in spades).” Fascinating! Thank you. LYNDA BOOMER posted to the digital mag love it!! HOLLY HANBURY-BROWN One in a million ’12 On the successful completion of Santa Clara the Leavey Challenge, noted in video, online, and in the fall Ask a few questions print SCM. The conversation on campus Congratulations, Santa Oct. 3, 2013, with Reza Clara, for a job well done Aslan ’95 about his new on this incredible challenge. book, Zealot: The Life and Well done to Santa Clara Times of Jesus of Nazareth staff and supporters for brought in a few comments.