Alumni Tell Stories of Life at Santa Clara

Rhodes Scholar, wine industry heavyweight share their experiences

Nicolas SonnenbergTHE SANTA CLARAApril 30, 2015 

[dropcap]F[/dropcap]our Bronco alumni discussed their fondest memories of Santa Clara’s former football team, the university social scene and the connections they made while on campus during a talk to students on April 22.

The importance of sports dominated much of the talk.

To many current students, Bronco football, which saw its last season in 1992, is merely a part of Santa Clara’s storied past.

The alumni panelists brought this piece of history to life, recalling the importance of the sport in campus culture.

“Football games were a great way for the Santa Clara community to connect,” said Brent Jones ’85, a former San Francisco 49er and tight end for Santa Clara’s football team, said. “Young students and alumni could come together to cheer on their team.”

Students were impressed with this lost Santa Clara tradition.

“It seems that today Santa Clara students have a lot of school pride, but are lacking in spirit,” said senior Charlotte Coe. “It was interesting to see how important football was to campus culture. It was really something for students to rally around.”

The alumni joked about The Hut, a favorite watering hole for Santa Clara undergraduates.

After hearing a few bar stories from the other panelists,  Rhodes Scholar Aven Satre-Meloy ’13, a former Fulbright Scholar in Turkey, quipped to great laughter from the audience, “I don’t know about you, but my memories of The Hut are far hazier than yours.”

The four speakers echoed each other, speaking fondly of the friendships they developed while studying as undergraduates.

“I have so many relationships that mean the world to me from Santa Clara,” Kathy Kale '86, Assistant Vice President of Alumni Relations, said.

Kale’s teammates from the women’s soccer team fly in annually for Alumni Day to reconnect.

Joe Franzia ’64, a magnate in the California wine industry, said his football buddies made a similar commitment, gathering once a month for a home-cooked meal. Franzia, a founder of Bronco Wine Company, is responsible for providing libations for the monthly feast.

“Some (friends) have moved far away and some have stayed close,” Kale said. “You just do what you can do to stay in touch.”

The three older alumni also spoke of the importance of the well-rounded education they received at Santa Clara.

Kale said her philosophy and art history courses encouraged her to become a “lifelong learner.”

She said Santa Clara forced her to “open her mind and think critically.”

Contact Nicolas Sonnenburg at nsonnenburg@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4852.