Donors Recognized in Commemoration of New Bronco Statue

The new bronze bronco statue, which was brought to campus in September, was blessed with holy water during a commemoration ceremony on Oct. 8.John FlynnTHE SANTA CLARAOctober 16, 2014  [dropcap]T[/dropcap]he bronze bronco statue was officially commemorated in a ceremony on Oct. 8.“This bronco is not just a piece of art, but it signifies to everyone in the Santa Clara family how important the Bronco tradition is,” said Jim Lyons, vice president for university relations, during the ceremony.Lyons thanked all the donors for the statue, which was brought to campus in September, but singled out alumnus Jack Previte as “the person who really spearheaded the effort.”“As a fellow Bronco, I wanted to give back to Santa Clara what it gave me,” Previte said. “The purpose of this statue is to inspire students to achieve whatever they want to do. I also want it to revive the school spirit, where students go to support the athletes that are playing their hearts out for Santa Clara.”Associated Student Government President Anaisy Tolentino said the bronco represents the spirit of the Santa Clara community because the Bronco is a “rebellious” horse. According to Tolentino, this represents the passion and desire for greatness possessed by the Santa Clara student body.“So as we pass by this bronco, rushing to class or to practice, to lab or to rehearsal, may we constantly be reminded of our personal promise to live up to the ideals of our university,”  Tolentino said.University President Michael Engh, S.J., concluded the ceremony with a blessing.“Bless this statue so that it reminds us and future generations to protect the life and tradition of the Santa Clara spirit,” he said.With the assistance of the donors, the horse was christened with holy water at the end of the ceremony.The Bronco was built on campus following a gift from alumni Cyril Barbaccia, Previte, Gary Filizetti and the Bronco Bench Foundation, which raises funds for campus athletics. Contact John Flynn at jfflynn@scu.edu or call (408) 554-4854.