The Candidates

Four would-be governors come to SCU

For the first time in the looming race for California’s governor, four of the five leading candidates came together on Sept. 16 for a meeting of political and business leaders at SCU’s Mayer Theatre. Hosted by the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, “Leadership California/ Solutions from the Innovation Economy” brought two Republicans—California Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner and former Congressman Tom Campbell—and two Democrats—San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ’89 and California Attorney General Jerry Brown ’59—to participate in policy discussions. Candidates discussed issues including education, infrastructure, taxes, and transportation. Participating in a panel on energy, Poizner, who backed building new nuclear power plants in California, earned support from CEOs who shared the stage with him. Newsom dropped out of the race on Oct. 30. Brown, though still unofficially declared, is the acknowledged frontrunner for the Dems. “The deadline for filing papers isn’t until March,” he said. “So tune in.”

post-image Backstage on campus: Jerry Brown, left, and Steve Poizner Photo: Paul Sakuma/AP
A Reflection

On Monday, April 21, 2025, after news of Pope Francis’s death arrived at Santa Clara University, Dennis C. Smolarski, S.J. stood in the Mission Church and gave a homily for Mass. His words reflected on the miracle of Easter, hope, and the example Francis gave others to follow.

Back to Basics

Bridging classrooms and living rooms, the BBILY Project helps parents help kids with math.

The Accent Artist

Turn those hard American As into proper British “ahs” with the help of dialect coach Kristin Hill ’25

Moral Dilemmas on Wheels

Anthropologist Melissa Cefkin steers us through the ethical predicaments of self-driving cars.