Gavin Newsom Helps Celebrate New Building at SCDI Dedication

While alumni, administrators and board members delivered speeches, a group of students scattered throughout the crowd held signs demanding that the university divest from fossil fuels

Photo Credit: Rikesh Mehta

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a 1989 Santa Clara graduate, helped unveil the Sobrato Campus for Discovery and Innovation (SCDI) on Oct. 15, calling the new structure "a space where people can come together across every conceivable difference and push the boundaries of discovery."

John A. Sobrato expressed optimism that the building will foster teamwork that solves problems and promotes justice.

“Our hope is that future generations of undergraduate and graduate students as faculty will collaborate together in this building,” he said. “And they will become compassionate and conscientious leaders and come up with solutions for the world's problems in an equitable and just fashion.”

Sobrato and his wife are both members of the Board of Trustees at Santa Clara. Amongst many previous donations to Santa Clara, the Sobrato family donated $100 million for the construction of the SCDI.

The event concluded a series of festivities that made up “SCDI Dedication Celebration Week.” Throughout the week, Santa Clara hosted numerous STEM activities for students and faculty: lectures, mixers, and a career fair.

Friday’s dedication and reception included speeches by notable administration and alumni, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, a tour of the building and a reception.

The event also included a moment of silence for the Ohlone Tribe, whose land now hosts Santa Clara’s campus.

Acting President Lisa A. Kloppenberg elaborated on how the SCDI will elevate Santa Clara’s Jesuit values of service and humanity.

“The Sobrato campus is a distinctly Jesuit treasure focused on innovation in service to humanity,” she said. “Our students will accompany and assist the world's most marginalized … Within these walls, our students will truly connect, collaborate, and create, using their heads, hands and hearts to improve our world.”

In an interview with The Santa Clara, Newsom elaborated on the significance of this building.

“What's meaningful about this is just the integration of so many disciplines under one roof. This notion of cross-pollination, collaboration, that spirit of partnership, and to design a space where people can come together across every conceivable difference and push the boundaries of discoveries is exactly where we need to go as a University,”

A silent protest also took place at the event. While the speeches were delivered, about 20 students — some positioned in the crowd and others on the building’s balcony — held signs with phrases like, “Where are our Jesuit Values?” and “SCU performs while the world Warms.”

The protest was organized by SCU Divestment, “a group of students pushing Santa Clara University to divest their endowment from fossil fuels,” according to their Instagram account, @scudivestment.

“During the speeches, we found it ironic when some of the speakers like President Kloppenberg would reference our Jesuit values or commitment to sustainability,” said junior Emily Pachoud, who helped organize the protest. “If we were truly following our Jesuit values or truly cared about sustainability, our school would have divested long ago.”