Life without an old friend

By Molly Leaverton

Senior Natasha Adamo ate lunch with Moses Salcido every Wednesday for three years. Now, after his death last summer, she, along with Salcido's other friends and family, are forced to continue the school year without him.

"Moe was a very charismatic person and always accepted people for who they were and was never one to judge," said Salcido's older brother, John.

Salcido, a senior political science major, died in a car accident driving his grandparents to Mexico July 17, leaving friends and family devastated. Many students share Adamo's passion about keeping Salcido's legacy alive on campus.

"Particularly because Moses died during the summer when many SCU students were not around, we wanted to provide a time and space for the SCU community to mourn and to celebrate Moses' life, and also to express our support to Moses' family," Campus Minister Lulu Santana said.

Friends, family and classmates celebrated the life of Moses Salcido at a Memorial Mass held in the Mission Church last Thursday. Over three months after Salcido's death this summer, the memorial service served as a remembrance for the life of Salcido and the people whose lives he touched.

"Moses was truly a Santa Clara student. He lived a life of conscious, competence and compassion. Although his life was short, he did a lot and touched many hearts," said University President Paul Locatelli, S.J., in his welcoming speech for those attending the memorial.

Over three months after Salcido's death, students continue to try to make sense of his death and keep his presence felt on campus.

"Moe's purpose was to remind us all of the good there is in life," said Adamo.

Salcido was a spirited fan of all Bronco sports programs. He was always willing to help out any team, waking up as early as 4 a.m. to drive teams to the airport for away games, said Michael Zozos, co-president of the Ruff Riders and close friend of Salcido's.

The effect that Salcido had on the Santa Clara campus was evident through the number of students that came to the memorial. According to Santana, the Mission Church was filled with over 250 people. Among these people were the athletes that Salcido was loyal to.

"Moe was dedicated to everything that he did," Adamo said. "To all of you that knew Moe, he loved all of you. You meant the world to him.

Salcido's family members also expressed gratitude for the large turnout.

"My mom and sister were really surprised to see the number of people who attended the service," John Salcido said. "I had an idea that there would be a large turnout because of how much Moe did for the athletic department and the way he was with people."

Joseph Sands, S.J., led the mass and emphasized that death is not a tragedy, even when the events surrounding the death are tragic.

"Moses has not gone away, Moses has gone ahead of us. We are saddened to see Moses leave, but others are happy to see Moses arrive."

Always the life of the party, the only things predictable about Salcido were "pink shirt Tuesdays" and "Hawaiian shirt Fridays," Zozos said.

Renowned for his love of anything western, particularly cowboy boots, Salcido had a way of brightening the Santa Clara campus.

"Moses just made you feel good, he was a genuine friend, which is hard to come by these days," Zozos said.

Above all, Salcido will be remembered for his caring heart, selflessness and generosity.

"The kindness he shared with others will undoubtedly live on through them," Santana said.

Zozos intimated this sentiment, saying, "Moses might be gone from this earth, but he will be forever in our hearts and minds, like a good friend will always be."

Adamo says she'll always remember Salcido: "I still go to lunch with Moe every Wednesday, I bring my lunch in a paper bag and tell him about my day -- I know that he is watching over me."

Contact Molly Leaverton at (408) 554-4546 or mleaverton@scu.edu.