This is Our Home

Editor’s Note: This article has been adapted from a previous story in light of the current political climate.

In 2007, after a disputed election in Kenya, ethnic tensions erupted across the country. Months of protests, massacres, and police violence left over a thousand people dead and hundreds of thousands displaced.

Witnessing this climate of chaos and fear, Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, S.J., his fellow Jesuits, and their students at Hekima University College felt called to take action, distributing cards across Nairobi with St. Francis’ prayer: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

It was a simple message, but it made a real impact, reaching the floor of the Kenyan parliament, and years later, inspiring leaders working on the South Sudan peace process.

“When it comes to dealing with conflict, we cannot resolve a crisis by creating another crisis,” Fr. Orobator, now the dean of Santa Clara University’s Jesuit School of Theology recalls. “This experience showed me that all of us can do something, and if we are creative, intentional, and constructive, something that might seem small can become transformative.”

This hope for peace continues to resonate at SCU as the campus community held a vigil for remembrance and healing on October 7. Hosted by the University’s Mission and Ministry division, in collaboration with the Jewish Student Union, MENA, Students for Justice in Palestine, the Muslim Student Association, and the Sikh Student Association, among others, the event brought together people of different faiths, backgrounds, and political perspectives in a show of solidarity and care for innocent loss of life and shared humanity.

As students lit candles, held prayers, read poetry, and wrote intentions on ribbons, Matthew Carnes, S.J., newly appointed vice president of Mission & Ministry, noted the impact of the suffering and violence both locally and abroad in the Middle East, Sudan, and Ukraine.

“We recognize tonight that our world is crying out to us,” Fr. Carnes remarked at the vigil. “We come together to mark our shared humanity because that humanity is a source of strength and hope. Together, we can offer comfort and solace, lifting up our hearts and praying for a more just and peaceful future.”

In addition to vigils like this one, President Julie Sullivan and other campus leaders have worked closely with students, faculty, and staff to foster that sense of shared humanity through community dialogues and education, ensuring that SCU remains committed to both freedom of expression and the safety and belonging of all. During a charged and divisive election season, campus and student leadership recognize the need for education and bridge-building rooted in the University’s Jesuit mission and values.

“This school is our home where we personally know one another, where we respect one another, and where we care for one another with compassion, kindness, and empathy,” Sullivan says.

Starting with education and empathy

When Shá Duncan Smith, the vice president of the Inclusive Excellence Division, looks at SCU’s student body, she sees future lawyers, business owners, scientists, political representatives, activists, teachers, and doctors.

“Our institution is an incubator for the leaders and global citizens who will make a difference in the world,” she says. “But part of leading is serving, and you can’t do that without being educated and empathetic.”

Being at a university like Santa Clara, she adds, is the perfect place to critically and respectfully explore the nuances of difficult topics, even when there’s disagreement.

James M. Glaser, a noted electoral politics scholar and SCU’s newly appointed Executive Vice President and Provost, agrees. At a time when misinformation, dog whistles, and divisive rhetoric dominate public discourse, he believes that the free exchange of knowledge is critical at a university and should not be suppressed, provided these views do not harass, intimidate, threaten, or discriminate.

“Faculty have an important role to play in making sure we create an appropriate learning environment that is respectful and supportive of the views and beliefs of all our students,” he says. For Glaser, those learning environments can exist both inside and outside the classroom, like the School of Law’s series on Upholding Democratic Values, which started Oct. 7 with “An Overdue Reckoning: The Law and Politics of Campus Free Speech.”

Additionally, the University has created spaces for more intimate conversations where students, faculty, and staff can share their feelings about these difficult topics and know they will be cared for in mind, body, and spirit.

“The truth of our experience is always where we should start from,” says Fr. Carnes. “But at the same time, we want to listen for the truth of the experiences of others too.”

According to him, giving each other the space and grace to grow together is a crucial Ignatian value—one where we can assume the best in each other.

“Whenever I’m talking with people, I always foreground in mind that I am authentically encountering another human being. This isn’t an intellectual exercise or a game to see if I can outwit this person by saying something smarter or louder than them,” Fr. Carnes explains. “Even if we disagree, remembering that there’s actually something sacred in this other person shapes the kind of trust, respect, and dignity I give to the other person.”

Building bridges—together

As the SCU community continues to look for solutions in these troubling times, Santa Clara’s commitment to serving its students will be its priority over issuing public statements. That means giving students the tools they need to make their own judgments.

“We must stay grounded in our educational mission as a university,” Sullivan explains. “A university is not a political entity—it is a cherished space for unfettered intellectual inquiry. We do not take a position on political candidates or policies unless the policy directly impacts the university’s educational mission or its operations. Our responsibility is to make room for policies and issues to be debated and not to silence any positions.”

To that end, Duncan Smith, Fr. Carnes, vice provost of student life Jeanne Rosenberger, and vice president of Human Resources, Zenobia Lane, have aligned their efforts so everyone in our campus community can access resources, get engaged, and have their voices heard.

Within upcoming election and civic engagement events, cultivating a sense of belonging and safety remains paramount. Notably, SCU was accepted in Hillel International’s 10-month Campus Climate Initiative and incoming leaders in Residence Life, Campus Ministry, the Office of Student Life, and the Center for Student Involvement have received deeper training about navigating conflict resolution and restorative justice through difficult dialogues.

According to Rosenberger, these campus-wide efforts support Santa Clara’s culture of care where everybody feels welcome, appreciated, and valued.

“Over the last few years, we’ve talked a lot about the idea of ‘no wrong door,’” she says. “If a student trusts a staff or faculty member enough to come to them, we want to educate them on how best to help that student, even if it’s a warm handoff to someone with more expertise on the issue.”

Rosenberger describes this as a ‘one-size-fits-one’ approach to care—one where programming and resources are developed in response to individualized needs.

“We really want to hear from folks around campus,” adds Duncan Smith. “For us, the approach isn’t ‘if you build it, they will come.’ No, we have to build this together.”

Sullivan believes that Santa Clara’s collaborative, community-driven approach has especially resonated with students looking to turn their anxieties and grief into action.

“I truly believe that even in this tumultuous moment, there is hope,” Sullivan says. “Hope for peace, democracy, rebuilding, and human kindness. That commitment to a hope-filled future is at the center of our Jesuit roots.”