Santa Clara Magazine

Santa Clara Mag Blog

Santa Clara Magazine's blog, updated whenever the writing goblin visits the editorial staff of the magazine.

Bronco Buzz: Wave Warrior Plus

Friday, Jul. 15, 2011

Shana Bagley J.D. '93 takes the sea by storm. And that's not all.

Ocean racing, including sailing the Clipper Round the World Race, is probably the most “normal” sport Shana Bagley has taken up. Read all about that in a profile of her in the Summer 2011 edition of Santa Clara Magazine.

Before she climbed into the rigging in gale force winds, though, she was already drawn to challenging and unusual sports—“the weirder, the better” she says. For starters, she’s on the U.S. Women's Eisstock Team (informally called Bavarian Curling) and competes in the World Championships in the Alps every four years.

She played rugby on a men’s team at the USA Rugby Division III level for three years after law school. As a Highland Games national finalist in California, she tossed 18 foot cabers. And she was California State Strongman Women's Lightweight Champion in 2001. (In this case, “lightweight” means she towed a 70,000 pound fire truck, lugged telephone poles, and flipped a 350 pound tractor tire.)

To keep up with Bagley’s adventures—including rappelling down the side of the Hyatt in San Francisco to raise money for the Special Olympics this July—you can also check out her blog at bagleyoceanracing.posterous.com.

—Emily C. Elrod ’05

Posted by Emily Elrod | Permalink | Comments (2)
The Broncos who inspired a Gator

Thursday, Jul. 14, 2011

USA Women's soccer star of the week Abby Wambach may bleed Gator orange, but she was motivated and inspired by some Bronco red.

The last time the women’s USA soccer team was in the World Cup finals, the world witnessed Brandi Chastain’s ’91 score a game-winning penalty kick against China. With team USA only days away from taking the championship field yet again, power forward and former Florida Gator Abby Wambach is the one who scored the last-minute header goal against Brazil this week.

While there’s not an SCU presence on the team, there is an influence, at least as Wambach tells it: In a recent interview she paid tribute to a few folks who've inspired and helped her throughout her career -- including SCU power couple Jerry Smith and Brandi Chastain.

Smith, who serves as head coach for SCU women’s soccer team, was Wambach’s Under-21 National Team coach. He was the one, her website notes, “who convinced her that, with a lot of hard work, she could earn a spot on the senior national team.” Also, Wambach said, “as role models, the people I looked up to were Mia Hamm, Julie Foudy, Brandi Chastain, and obviously Kristine (Lilly). They paved the way for me to have an opportunity.”

Posted by Jon Teel '12

Posted by Jon Teel | Permalink | Comments (0)
Helping a professor in need

Wednesday, Jul. 13, 2011

Bahram Saghari, a lecturer in Operations and Management Systems in the Leavey School of Business, was tragically injured in a bicycle accident with a car in May. Despite the fact that he was wearing a helmet, his head was severely fractured.

Friends and family report that he is making slow progress but will require a great deal of rehabilitation. To help cover long-term medical costs, a fundraiser has been organized on his behalf for later this month. Here are details:

July 25
5 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Campo di Bocce
565 University Ave.
Los Gatos, CA 95032
(408) 395-7650

Tickets are $75 and include a bocce tournament, silent auction, and buffet dinner. Find out more at this Facebook listing. Or contact Saghari's neighbor, Tim DuClos, at 408-497-9052 or luckydude@comcast.net.

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
Submit now! Class Notes deadline for the fall mag

Friday, Jul. 8, 2011

SCU grads: What's the latest in your neck of the woods?

Travel and adventure? Scaling mountains and sailing seas? Wedding or anniversary? A new youngun' (or grand-youngun') joining the brood? Great things in career success? Memories to share with your fellow reunioners this year? Or just kickin'?

Send a class note here (along with pics and links) if you'd like to make the print edition of the fall 2011 Santa Clara Mag. The deadline is July 20.

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
Bronco Buzz: Anya Marina '96 in the Bay Area

Wednesday, Jul. 6, 2011

SCM readers no doubt saw the profile of singer-songwriter Anya Marina '96 in the spring mag. (If not, read it here.) Bay Area readers can catch her in person on her current tour this weekend: Saturday night at San Jose's Blank Club, and Sunday night at San Francisco's Café du Nord.

—Steven Boyd Saum

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
Bronco Buzz: Somebody's Gotta Do It

Wednesday, Jun. 29, 2011

At least Republicans and Democrats can agree on one thing: Leon Panetta ’60, J.D. ’63 is awesome. Last Tuesday, the senate unanimously confirmed Panetta as the new secretary of defense, replacing the retiring Robert Gates.

Most recently Panetta served as the Director of the CIA. A position he took in January 2009 and which culminated with the killing of Osama Bin Laden in May.

Panetta steps into the Pentagon’s highest civilian role amid two ongoing wars, the intervention in Libya, and the promise of defense cuts made by his predecessor. Let’s just say President Obama owes his new cabinet member something nice come Secretary’s Day.

Panetta, who previously taught a political science class on campus as a visiting professor, returned to campus in October to kickoff the President’s Speaker Series. Be sure to check out the full speech, including the Q&A session that followed.

Added July 6: Further back in our archives: read Farid Senzai's 2007 interview with Panetta following up on his work with the Iraq Study Group.

Posted by Jeff Gire | Permalink | Comments (0)
Radio, radio: What's in a name?

Friday, Jun. 3, 2011

The checker turns to me clasping that printed chronicle of my purchases, congratulates me on how much I've saved, then looks down at the receipt and says, "Thank you, Mister...."

Then comes the hesitation -- and knowing that what comes next is just a guess at pronunciation, but one she's required to make.

"Soamie?" she says. "Is that close?"

....

That's part of the "Perspective" I recorded for KQED Radio and that airs on June 3 at 7:35 a.m.. Read the text or download the podcast at your leisure here. Have a name story you'd like to share? Comment below.

-- Steven Boyd Saum, Editor

Photo courtesy David Marks, KQED

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
Hansen on tour: Readings from the new novel

Friday, May. 27, 2011

The new novel by Ron Hansen M.A. '95 is about to hit the stores, and he'll be giving readings in the SF Bay Area and Southern Cal in June. Here's where you can catch him.

June 13 — KEPLER'S

7pm • 1010 El Camino Real, Menlo Park

June 15 — M IS FOR MYSTERY

7pm • 86 East Third Ave., San Mateo

June 16 — A GREAT GOOD PLACE FOR BOOKS

7pm • 6120 LaSalle Ave., Oakland

June 22 — VROMAN'S

7 pm • 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena

And watch for the story behind the novel in the summer issue of Santa Clara Magazine, also heading your way in June.

Steven Boyd Saum

Editor

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
Artist in the house: Susan Middleton '70 tonight at the de Saisset Museum

Thursday, May. 12, 2011

The luminous photography of Susan Middleton '70 graces the cover of the Spring 2011 Santa Clara Magazine and illuminates with the delight of discovery in the photo essay "Life cycle."

Folks in the vicinity of the Mission Campus can meet Middleton in person tonight at 7 p.m. at the de Saisset Museum.

She gives her artist's talk as part of the exhibit Life Cycle, which includes some of the magical stuff you'll see on our pages (print and digital versions) and much, much, more. One of our favorites: this here flame scallop above, its lovely tentacles unfurled.

Special note to parents: roaming through Middleton's work online not only thrilled this jaded editor but enchanted his 9-year-old son like few things can. It's even better in person.

--Steven Boyd Saum

Editor, Santa Clara Magazine

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)
You think that's bad: Jim Shepard at SCU

Monday, May. 9, 2011

How would you describe Jim Shepard's writing? "With a near spooky sense of empathy and a wit that finds its mark like lightning" opine the folks at Vanity Fair. There's lots more praise where that came from here.

But more to the point: This author of six novels and four story collections, including the new You Think That's Bad, Shepard will be reading on the Mission Campus on Tuesday, May 10 at 5:45 p.m. The place to be: the Mission Gardens — where the longstanding SCU literary journal, The Santa Clara Review, will be hosting a publication party for the new issue.

SCM readers might have caught Shepard's essay on "Violence in the Movies" or his interview with NFL ref Mike Carey '71. Expect humor of the unflinching sort, and follow as Shepard leads his characters (and readers), as the LA Times puts it, "right up to the point of obliteration, leaving us exhilarated and despairing at once."

He's headed for Seattle and NYC and Cambridge, Mass., next.

-- Steven Boyd Saum

Posted by Steven Boyd Saum | Permalink | Comments (0)